Matte Beads, Chain Jewellery & Beads Up North

20 April 2024

See Us Tomorrow at Haydock Park Racecourse for Beads Up North. Beautiful venue just 1-mile from M6 J23 – between Manchester & Liverpool. Beading jewellery making workshop & full refreshments. Easy free parking. Many exhibitors. Not to be missed!

MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com. For bead fairs booked so far click Bead Fairs 2024.

Content:
Beads Up North
Bead Fair Reports
Frosted Matte Beads
Chain Jewellery
2024 Bead Fairs
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15% Off All From MrBead
Enjoy 15% off anything with no minimum order. Shipping is free too on UK orders over £40. International shipping from £8.

Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon. To get the discount Key HAYDOCK at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 26th April. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.

BEADS UP NORTH With Craft & Lace

Don’t miss the big show at  Haydock Racecourse this Sunday. We have many exhibitors trading beads, jewellery, lace & other crafts – in two halls, along with beading jewellery-making workshops & refreshments. A bumper show, not to be missed!

This time the beading workshop is to make a beautiful Tile Stacker Bracelet. The first workshop at 11am is only available to those who book first on the day – just £2.50 towards the materials. One & half hours of beading fun!

It’s not all about beads. The show also caters for lace makers and other crafts – along with ready-made jewellery and other goodies.

It’s a great day out for all the family. We find children are increasingly becoming interested in beading – and at Beads Up North, under 16s enter free! Adults are just £5 and over 66s £4.

For Full Details Click: BeadsUpNorth.co.uk

Bead Fair Reports

This year bead fairs are booming. Attendance keeps increasing, going up-an-up! There’s a surge of new jewellery makers, ever keen to craft semi precious beads.

All our own shows are packed. Perhaps because all the bead shops are closing. Maybe it’s the excitement of jostling with other beaders, maybe it’s the sparky of new-style beads, or maybe it’s the exchange of ideas at the refreshment tables, who knows? But everyone loves it!

East Sussex Bead Fair
A beautiful hall in the famous village of Alfriston, between Brighton & Eastbourne. Last year this was our busiest-ever own fair, but 2024 was a little quieter. Still very good – but the overall trend is very much UP.

Cambridge Bead Fair
This beat our previous record as our number one show for takings. Always a busy show, but this time it really was heaving! Many visitors, all with baskets brimming to the top. We’ll be back in Cambridge Sunday 29th September.

Oxfordshire Bead Fair
Strangely, this was not as busy as usual. Maybe it was because it was the hottest day of the year (so far), or the day before kids go back to school. There was quite a lot of visitors, but mostly small sales. However, we’ll be back in Hornton on Sunday 20th October.

FROSTED MATTE BEADS 

Matte, or frosted beads, have been popular in the US for a while, now the trend has reached the UK. We find matte beads sell fast!

Matte beads give a satin organic character to your jewellery – an extra air of quality. And they feel as soft as they look: content, comforting, and attention grabbing.

Beads are matted the same way nature frosts stones or glass on the sea shore: by weathering. Naturally stones can take decades or even hundreds of years to reach their finish – but we have a trick to speed things up!

MrBead has loads of matte. Most we buy already frosted, but MiMi also mattes shiny beads. The best beads for matting are large agates with lots of stripey character.

She mixes an abrasive compound similar to diamond dust with grit and water in our tumbler, and spins the beads.  The softer stones frost quickly, but many take hours. Then the beads are hand dried and grit poked from the holes. Picture below shows matte beads drying on MiMi’s clothes hanger!

Dark banded agates are particularly enhanced this way, with the satin finish looking absolutely magical.

Many frosted online at our category Matte Beads –  but to see our full range of matte beads, visit us at a bead fair soon.

CHAIN JEWELLERY

What Is Chain Jewellery?
Chain jewellery isn’t new, but the trend’s increasing. It’s very much in fashion now with many models wearing the style.

Chain adds a new dimension to your designs. It’s versatile: available in any length, with many thickness, shapes and materials.

Chain can be used on its own, creating a classic look to add attention to a pendant – or they can be decorated with small beads and findings for more effect.

Chunky chain creates a statement in itself. Bold and punkish. While tiny delicate chain is more subtle, for a lighter, elegant, graceful design.

Types Of Chain
• Trace Chain – has small oval links creating a minimalist chin that won’t distract to your jewellery design. One of the most popular and versatile styles.
• Belcher Chain – similar to trace, but with wider and thicker links. For a bolder effect.
• Bead Chain – as the name implies: this is chain with tiny beads already attached. Ready-made for an elegant stylish design.
• Figaro Chain – has flattened rings, with 3 shorter links separated by a longer link.

Click to see all our Chain.

2024 Bead Fairs

Bead fairs are fun. A good way to lean how to make jewellery chatting with other visitors – and there’s nothing like actually seeing the beads ‘in the flesh’.

See the latest semi precious from our recent shipment. We try to cover all the UK: from Cornwall to Scotland, Wales to Norfolk, London, and all in-between!

Spring Bead Fairs 2024:

Sunday 21st April: Beads Up North, Haydock Racecourse, Newton-Le-Willows
WA12 0HQ
Saturday 11th May: London Bead Fair, Castle Street, Luton LU1 3SS
Sunday 12th May: New Forest Bead Fair, Brockenhurst Village Hall, Highwood Road, Brockenhurst SO42 7RY
Sunday 19th May: Cornish Bead Fair, Probus Village Hall, Barn Court, Probus TR2 4NB
Sunday 8th June: Kent Bead Fair, Farningham Village Hall, High Street, Farningham DA4 0DE
Sunday 16th June: Cheshire Bead Fair, Goodwill Hall, Wrexham Road. Faddiley, Nantwich CW5 8HY

For the shows booked so far next year, click: 2024 Bead Fairs. Many More To Follow!

15% Off All From MrBead
Enjoy 15% off anything with no minimum order. Shipping is free too on UK orders over £40. International shipping from £8.

Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon. To get the discount Key HAYDOCK at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 26th April. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.

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