I had lunch with Teresa last week, and of course we got to talking about beading. She had a great insight about beading: that it can be dangerous to begin a design from “love of the materials.”

This really hit home for me, because it’s unconsciously been my own approach to jewelry-making, and it really shows in the finished product sometimes. I always fall in love with the beads, but don’t have much idea of what to do with them.

Case in point: these beads I picked up in San Luis Obispo. I loved the green rose beads, so I grabbed some other things to go with them. And that little bag of beads has sat in my wallet ever since. The combination doesn’t really excite me now, and by the way, I never wear these colors.

What if instead I started with “I need a choker-length piece to wear with that sweater.” Methinks, a more wearable result and fewer beads sitting around.

Does this “love of the materials” approach ever bite you, too?