Bead Society of the Month
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This article was written by Lori Clarida, President of the society and owner of the bead store Wild Beads where they meet
at their location in Arlington Texas. VP is Karen Conrad, Treasurer is Marie Weakland, secretary is Betty Leeper.
Wait, who are you – name tags please. Bead
outside the box – literally. Eggselent. You
want me to do “what” exactly with this little
grid thingy? Peanuts, really? Who says
beading isn’t fun and challenging? These are
just some of the challenges posed to members
of the Wild West Bead Society of Arlington,
Texas over the past few years. Some Wild
West Bead Society members seem to take all
challenges in stride!
The Wild West Bead Society (WWBS) has been in existence since 2000 and was formed by a
group of beading enthusiasts to help others interested in beading and other techniques find a
way to share knowledge and ideas. The group began meeting monthly in a local bead store
and quickly outgrew that space and had to move the meetings to a few different locations
before finally moving to another bead store, Wild Beads in Arlington, Texas. From the original
days of only a handful of members, the membership rolls have swelled to approximately 50
members annually and they meet on the third Tuesday of each month.
The original purpose of the group was the same as it is today: to promote the education,
history and creative enjoyment of beads, natural stones, metal, clay, glass, wire and other
materials used in personal adornment. Each month, either a member or guest instructor,
leads the group in a project or discussion regarding one of the mediums mentioned above.
24| August-September | RitzyToo! | RitzyToo.com