The team at S&A Beads is comprised of a well-rounded group of talented artists of all art forms, including music! Lisa, one of the "bead ladies" you will find in store is bass guitarist and vocalist in the band GrooveQuest which she and her husband, Steve co-lead. When you attend a GrooveQuest show this is what you can expect from Lisa:

"possessing a natural solid rhythm timekeeping sense, Lisa offers driving danceable grooves coupled with a naturally supportive team-player approach that mixes with an extraordinary stage presence, filling band stand and venue with a radiant karmic glow."

(From her bio on the band website. View more on their website.)

If you stumble into Clyde's Restaurant at Mark Center (Alexandria, VA) on a Saturday night you will likely find her there with the band playing rock n' roll songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's including; Elvis, Van Morrison and B.B. King classics. Take a look at all the hits in their repertoire.

Their motto is "From the Heart, from the Soul, Essential Spirit of Rock and Roll through the Groove to You!"

Take a look at their schedule to find your opportunity to cheer Lisa and GrooveQuest on! Stay posted to view more news about our bead ladies at S&A Beads. Our staff members are active in the DC Metro community with various arts involvements.

Wisdom, Wishes, and Love . . . One Bead at a Time

By Lisa O’Brien, S&A Sales Associate 

A bead blessing ceremony can add heart-felt and enduring significance to your event. Traditionally this type of “ceremony” is conducted for expectant mothers, but it can be used at any gathering intended to honor any one . . . or any thing.

I incorporated a bead blessing ceremony into a baby shower for my daughter -in-law, Kelly. Typically, guests are asked to bring a bead to the event. However, in this case, I took advantage of my employment with S&A Beads and borrowed a large plastic container filled with beads. As the guests arrived, I gave them the container and asked them to make their selection.

When it was time for the ceremony, the guests took turns presenting their beads to Kelly with some words of encouragement or advice. It was wonderful how the beads “spoke” to many guests, helping them formulate their words of wisdom.

After the shower, I asked Cheryl Moody, S&A’s senior designer, to string the beads. Because they were irregular in shape and hole size, she strung the beads with knotting cord and then connected the knotting cord to a piece of soft suede. Cheryl took care to ensure the final strand was as tactile as possible.

I don’t expect that Kelly will wear these beads as a necklace. I do hope that she will keep them close as a remembrance of the wisdom, wishes, and love of her family and friends. Want to host a bead blessing ceremony? Contact S&A Beads. We can help you plan the ceremony, and, after the event, string your beads for an enduring keepsake.

Three-year-old Rowan was thrilled to have the job of collecting the beads in a brass bowl.
The bowl emanated a cheerful ker-plunk each time a bead was added.

Two guests selecting their special bead.

The final result!

Kathleen Fern, my bride of two years, shared this link to the website of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, one of the world's great museums."Look," she said, "they have your beads." And indeed, while S & A Beads doesn't have all the beads shown on the V & A trade bead site, we have a lot of them. And many more like them. Collectors of trade beads and other antiques will be delighted with the photos and history the V & A offers.

Compare our trade bead collection here, to theirs here.

Read their article online here.

Photos from Victoria & Albert Museum article. March 2014.

Our favorite web site of the Week:

BEADED SPLENDOR: Migration of Beadmaking and Beadwork Throughout Africa

This website has fabulous information about African bead work, both past and present. Photos are great but few.