Thanks to technology, we were able to conduct a long-distance interview from Ann Arbor to Lexington to get the scoop on Nellie the artist and her world of fiber arts.

Q. What drew you to spinning?

A. One reason I love spinning is because I enjoy playing with all of the different textures. There are so many different types of textures to play with when using a number of different breeds of sheep and other various textiles.  I also enjoy how the experience while spinning can be somewhat versatile; I can either relax and have a zen like experience of just making the same motions with my hands while not really having to focus on anything specific, basically enjoying it for the pure pleasure of spinning…and yet I can also be creative with it and let my mind run in different directions with ideas of how to create new types of yarn and spinning methods.

Q. What are your favorite colors? least favorite colors?

A. I would say my fave colors are within the blue/green spectrum…my least fave is pastel/cotton candy pink.

Q.  Do you have any pets we should know about?

A. I have one cat named Chloe and is all black and she is my cat pretty much. There is also a dog here in the house which is my mom’s named Casey…she’s a German Shepard.

Casey supervises the day's work

Q. What is your favorite hobby besides the fiber arts?

A. I haven’t had a chance to do this much recently, but I really enjoy playing pool (billiards)

Q. Where do you find your inspiration?

A. I would have to say helping people to find their creative outlet inspires me. When people tell me they are learning how to spin, or how to do something particular with fiber prep, or learn how to knit– that sort of stuff really makes me happy to help them to be able to accomplish their creative endeavor. I’m not really sure why..I guess I have just found spinning/finding my creative outlet has affected my life in so many good ways that I’m happy to see it might do the same for others.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to talk to a passionate person about their passion…read Nellie’s final comments to our Q&A session:

We just really love WoolyWire! Check it out and let us know what you think. Can’t wait to start seeing pieces pop up in the Design Gallery… In fact, I was so excited about this particular launch, I posted a few ideas, to get your creative juices flowing (earrings & bracelet). Check ‘em out. Tell me what you think!

Nunn Design

Today, we’re adding 80 items to our collection of great Nunn Design pieces. These items include everything from bead caps to ornate bezels, links, and bracelets. I love the bangle bracelets. I know it won’t be long before Ali comes in with a bracelet made of several bangles tied together with ribbon and who knows what else woven into the mix. There are a lot of good pieces here and the quality of Nunn Design stuff is awesome.

New Gemstones

There’s really no theme to this week’s gemstone additions. There’s something for everyone with stones like sunstone, green garnet, amazonite, and tourmaline in the mix. You could get big and funky with a 16mm faceted round or stay small and subtle with an amethyst briolette. See all the gemstones now.

More Irish Waxed Linen

We’ve expanded this line to include a thicker option (7 ply) and some new colors! These items have turned out to be super popular for good reason–the colors are awesome!

1. We’ve added to our selection of designer Czech glass in a big way.
2. There are new metal beads and findings to see and the prices are great!
3. Heather at Humble Beads sent us some amazing designs she’s been working on.

New Designer Czech Glass

The Czech glass additions include lots of fire polished rondelles, nuggets, flowers, and more. Each time we receive a shipment of new Czech glass, I just want to get on a plane and go to the Czech Republic. They seem to have a never-ending supply of awesome colors and I’d love to see how they do it! Kadie and Ali obviously had some fun this week with color names like: bisque, artichoke fire, spicy tuna, and grasshopper pie. See them all.

More Metal Basics

We’re covering the basics this week with metal beads and findings that are a great value. You’ll find staples like silver plated round 4,6,8, and 10mm as well as awesome stuff like the large stainless steel carabiner style clasp. We’ve also added to our selection of cord ends (finally). See all of the metal beads and findings additions now.

New Humble Beads

Heather has been busy! Today, we’re adding a handful of designs that just came in. Heather Powers, owner and artist at Humble Beads, creates enchanting beads and pendants with polymer clay. Her inspirations stem from her childhood home on the shores of Lake Michigan and in the woods of her sleepy hometown. Birds, tree branches, leaves, flowers and sundries from the sea reflect the beauty of nature that inspires all of her polymer clay creations. See the entire line of Humble Beads now.

Last, but not Least…

Don’t forget to check the Back in Stock page for some of your favorites that just arrived back at the shop this week… TierraCast, TOHO, Nunn Design, and more!

New Vintaj

This Vintaj addition is full of goodies. You’ll find versatile decorivets, large brass sheet metal, blanks, bead caps, lobster clasps, and more! Ali had fun with some of the new components in the Armored Cuff design she posted today. Check out all the new Vintaj!

New Lillypilly

You’ve got to check out the patterns and colors on these new anodized aluminum Lillypilly discs. I don’t know how they come up with all of this stuff, but I love it! The possibilities are endless. The looks range from vintage to funky and they’re all handmade in the USA.

Green Girl Studios

Green Girl Studios was the first artist we added to our shop. That was about 5 years ago and the line is still growing. We’re only adding a handful of new pieces today, but if you’ve never taken the time to browse the entire Green Girl line, I’d highly recommend it. Cynthia’s many designs are drawn from a wide range of subject matter and are sure to pull you in

Artist Beads

Gaea and Kylie Parry have been doing some great ceramic work lately! We’ve added to the ever-popular selection of Gaea bundles with 12 new color mixes. We’ve also expanded the selection of Kylie Parry birds and pendants. Plus, Ricci at Rustic Charms sent us some beautiful new sterling silver pieces, including blanks, pendants, beads, and findings. Any of these artist additions could easily be the inspiration for an entire piece. See them all now.

Gemstone Beads

I have to admit, Lima Beads hasn’t been covering the gemstone bead basics very well. We’ve been adding lots of large, flashy items and neglecting the essentials that everyone needs. We plan to start adding more basics on a regular basis. Today, we’re adding some smaller rounds and rondelles that make perfect accent beads. They come in the great subtle colors of African opal, fossil coral, chalcedony, rose quartz and pink opal. We do have a few flashy pieces this week. Check out the large chalcedony rough slabs or the rustic orange agate slabs if that’s what you need! See the gemstone bead additions now.

Pewter Beads

This line of lead-free pewter beads is fantastic! They come in everything from small spacer beads to larger focal beads, they’re lightweight, and they won’t tarnish over time. Most are available by the piece, so you can buy exactly what you need. Large hole beads are available, which is good because these look fantastic with leather cord. I love the color of this pewter. It’s lighter than the other pewter beads we sell. It almost looks more like silver than pewter. See the entire line now!

Gemstone Beads

If you’re looking to add some WOW factor to your summer designs, you’ll want to check out these gemstones. We’re adding the good stuff — stones like: apatite, kunzite, kyanite, the nicest lapis I’ve ever seen, malachite, pink opal, and more. These are all high-grade strands and the value is great.

Grace Lampwork Glass

We’re doubling the size of our Grace Lampwork selection. Self-taught lampworker Grace Ma made her first lampwork glass beads in October 2002. She insists on high-quality materials and consistency in her line of glass beads, and considers learning a “life-term job.” Grace Lampwork glass beads are annealed overnight for increased strength, and have wonderful character in the smallest details. Check out the new additions!

For all of our US based customers, I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. It was over 100 degrees here in Michigan yesterday. Ali and I, for some reason, decided to take the kids to the zoo. It was a recipe for disaster, but turned out to be a great time!

Not feeling crafty? That’s OK, because we’ve also added a great selection of gemstone beads at amazing prices.

Getting Crafty

The divisions between beading and other crafty things like scrapbooking just keep disappearing. Three years ago, I never imagined that we’d be selling things like paper, punches and glitter, but today we’re adding all of them. This new line of glitter is huge. There are a lot of colors and a lot of awesome, organic textures. With these new additions, you’ll have endless fun with your crafty jewelry projects. If you work with resin, or have been wanting to get started with it, check out the bracelet Ali made using the new glitter and paper with our LimaStudios crystal clear resin.

Gemstone Beads

This week’s additions are super colorful. We’re adding to the always popular impression jasper with bold colors like denim blue, midnight blue, and dark teal. We also have new shapes in the natural color impression jasper. One of the things I’m most excited about is our new pendant sets. They come on small strands that have one large pendant and two smaller pendants — perfect for a necklace & earrings combo. They’re available in midnight blue impression jasper, red creek jasper, and ruby impression jasper. We also have a few new freshwater pearls and some other stones – see them all now.

Craft on!

Here are some highlights from the big batch of beading thread, cord, and ribbon added this week. There are a ton of new items to see!

Beading Cord: a multitude of colors and sizes in Griffin, C-Lon, and Elasticity cord.

Leather Cord: more leather cord styles, including some awesome metallic colors.

Beading Thread: 100 thread styles in Amiet, DandyLine, C-Lon, and WildFire.

Silk Ribbon: new hand-dyed silk ribbon colors.

Irish Waxed Linen: 2-ply and 4-ply in a variety of colors.

WireLace: 2.5mm, 12mm, and 20mm styles to add to our selection.

Have fun stringing–and enjoy the first week of summer!

Jump Rings

We’ve added full lines of Artistic Wire and anodized aluminum jump rings. They’re colorful and they come in lots of different sizes and gauges. If you use Artistic Wire, we now have the matching jump rings. Check them all out.

Gemstone Beads

The new gems include fossil coral, Red Creek jasper, strawberry quartz, and Chinese turquoise. I’m really loving the Red Creek jasper graduated ladder strands.

Fun with Wire

There’s a new department in our tools section called wire shaping. In it, you’ll find the super popular WigJig line, a jump ring maker, and a wire twisting tool. Using these 3 items, you can get creative with your wire and make some great stuff!

Green Girl Studios

We’re only adding a handful of Green Girl pieces today, but there are some very special things here that are just fun to look at. An owl with sapphire eyes, bronze bunnies with sapphires, a huge shibuichi fairy pendant, and an intricate bronze toggle are a few of the pieces you’ll see.

New Colorful Lillypilly

We just can’t get enough of the colorful creations of Lillypilly Designs. Today, we’re adding over 200 anodized aluminum sheets and discs. The patterns are exquisite! Choose from a variety of bold colors in different styles. My favorite? The zebra, hands down. Check them all out, and have a peek at our tips for using Lillypilly!

A Helping of Gems

I couldn’t pass up a week without telling you about at least SOME of the gemstones that just arrived at our shop. There’s truly a variety here–no two shapes from the same stone! From 2mm to 40mm, I love them all. See all the new gems.

More Supplies, too…

Rounding out this week’s additions, we have the functional items (they never get as much love as the pretty items above). We now have a Scoop ‘n Pour, assorted beading needles, and a jar of Tool Magic to soften the tips of your metal tools. Enjoy!