LITTLE ROCK — The handmade cedar bead table at PJ's House of Beads in Greenbrier glitters like an opened treasure chest. The treasure is the one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry customers can make to wear or give as gifts.
After three years of receiving jewelry from her aunt who works at a bead store in California, Pattie Jean Sutherland and her mother, Patsy Gibbs, decided to start beading.
"I'm still learning. I think the biggest mistake beaders make is cutting the wire or string too short," Sutherland said.
In August, Sutherland and Gibbs opened PJ's House of Beads at 19 Business Park, a retail area behind the Greenbrier Post Office.
"There aren't that many bead stores around. Greenbrier is where I'm from; I know everybody, and I love working with my mother," Sutherland said.
The strands of beads hang from pegboard displays designed by Sutherland's husband.
"We have women come in with their clothes and match beads to their outfits," Sutherland said.
There is handmade beaded jewelry for sale, along with basic beading supplies likebeading boards, wire, string, elastic, leather cords, clasps, wire cutters and needlenosed pliers.
Bead boards have semicircle curves ofvarying diameters, which allow the beader to make either a short choker necklace or a long, dangly strand. Beaders use the tray to arrange the bead sequence any way they wish before threading the beads on string or wire.
Sutherland said after arranging the beads, it only takes about 20 minutes to thread them and put the clasps on.
Sutherland said she would like to offer a class this fall where customers can learn to crochet with beads. Beading parties are available for churches and groups after hours. She said it is a good chance for people to visit, create and share ideas with each other.
"I think beading is good. There's a lot of thought process that goes into designing jewelry. I have beads on my mind all day long," Sutherland said.
Her youngest beading customer just turned 4. Sutherland is making her a stretchy necklace with pink and clear crystals, silver spacers and a butterfly charm in the middle.
When she's not beading, Sutherland spends a lot of time outside hunting, hiking and gardening. She also spends time with her husband and two daughters.
"I get inspiration from being out in nature, but my husband and daughters inspire a lot of my beading projects," Sutherland said.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 76 on 10/25/2007