Recommendations....

One of the first things I would recommend to someone wanting to begin beading is to explore the internet! There are so many interesting and informative sites to help! One of the first sites I used was Fire Mountain. Their web site not only has a beautiful selection of beads,findings and supplies for beading, they also have a number of other features that are a big help. The gallery of designs provides a great deal of inspiration. They have an instruction section that gives tutorials, instructions for projects, beading tips and an "Ask the Experts" section where you can ask those burning questions you have about beading! Their "Virtual Beadboard is a fun tool where you can create your pieces right on the computer! The site also has the "EncycloBeadia" with definitions of beading terms and a section on the latest in fashion trends so that you can create your jewerly to match! The site is wonderful and I go to it often! Check it out and I am sure that it will inspire you too!
Another site that I used a lot when I first started beading was About.com. They have all sorts of information relevant to beading. I started out using this site to learn different techniques. They have a large number of patterns that you can try. It is a great way to begin beading and once you learn the techniques, you can begin to create your own patterns and designs.

There are many more sites that I use regularly and I will talk more about them in future posts.
I have added links to Fire Mountain and About.com to the blog if you want to check them out! Enjoy!

K.C.