Finding out about beadwork

• Beadwork is “ornamental work with beads” (Oxford English Dictionary). It can be used for jewellery, sculpture, decoration and wall hangings
• You can find links to useful beadwork web sites at Gateway to the Internet > Crafts > Beadwork

Beadwork samples

• See some lovely beadwork samples

Books

• Library catalogue. Bedfordshire libraries have a good selection of beading books
• Amazon UK and Amazon USA. Beading is very big in America and more titles are published there than in the UK.
  

Beadwork magazines

• For magazines that show readers’ work and other bead related topics see beadwork magazines on the Gateway page Crafts > Beadwork
  

Local courses

• Lifelong learning in Bedfordshire
• Gillian Ashwell, local craftswoman and bead worker
• It is also worth looking at the web sites and information in local craft shops, particularly those that deal with embroidery. These often run “in house” courses
• Again, journals and magazines often provide details
  

Shows and Fairs

• To find out about shows and fairs the best places are the web sites of the British bead organisations and their journals. These have information about events across the country. Visit Gateway > Crafts > Beadwork for details
  

Qualifications

• City and Guilds offer many craft and practical based courses including a Stage 1 and Stage II certificate in bead needle weaving (course no. 7822)
• The directory ‘Time to Learn’ and the Time to Learn web site list beadwork courses that lead to City and Guilds qualifications

Museums and Galleries

• Many museums and galleries have collections of interest to beaders. The Gateway Museum's page has a list that includes the following:

24 hour Museum. Put ‘beads’ or ‘jewellery’ into the search to find museums with relevant collections, articles, press releases etc

Britain’s Finest. Click on Museums and Galleries and use the drop down menu to search for ‘jewellery’

The British Museum. Click on ’Explore’ to search for beaded items from the collections