Blue Ridge Bead Weaving

About Ronald and Nancy

On March 15, 2007, Ronald and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A dear Chinese friend sent us the wedding jackets to wear on this special occasion.

Ronald is a bead weaver--on-loom and off-loom-- and teaches classes in bead weaving. Nancy is a necklace and earring designer. They work out of their studio in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, near the city of Blue Ridge.

They show their work and demonstrate their crafts at three shows each year: (1) Haiwassee Festival of Arts (www.hiawasseefestivalofarts.org) in late August, (2) Appalachian Weekend (Craddock Center: www.craddockcenter.com ) in late September, and (3) John C. Campbell Folk School( www.folkschool.org ) fall festival in early October.

Ronald and Nancy have been pleased with their customers' reactions to their jewelry. One lady who bought a necklace and earrings at the Folk School called two months later to say that the necklace was so comfortable that it really felt a part of her. She asked if Ron could weave her a pendant with a Celtic Cross on it. Another lady at the Folk School fall festival saw a loomed pendant of a wise man on a camel, looking at a star, woven in black and gold. She said, "Oh, I must have that for my mother for Christmas!" This lady has also called and asked for additional jewelry.

Ronald got into bead weaving first with bead knitting. He enjoyed designing with beads but wanted to move beyond knitting. He discovered on-loom bead weaving and ordered Don Pierce's book, Beading on a Loom, and one of Don's looms and taught himself loomed bead weaving. Ronald enjoyed the loom but never felt satisfied with his finished products, so he went to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee and studied loom work with Don Pierce (www.donpierce.com) , Virginia Blakelock, author of Those Bad, Bad Beads, and Carol Perrenoud, Bead Embroidery Techniques. Virginia and Carol have a bead store (www.beadcats.com).

Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.

Later Ronald became interested in off-loom bead weaving and has returned to the Bead and Button Show to study with leading off-loom bead weavers. Ronald and Nancy continue to study with leading bead weavers and designers. In May 2006, Ronald studied with a leading bead weaver in Japan, Yoshiko Kameishi. She has had an exhibition of her bead weaving in Tokyo and also teaches classes.

Nancy became interested in beading, but her interests are in bead design and stringing. She enjoys looking for and finding unusual beads and pendants for the jewelry she designs. We share a studio.

Ronald and Nancy are retired educators--Nancy, a first grade teacher, and Ronald, a college professor.