“Amateur jewelry makers find swap group handy for exchanging beads, tools”

Amateur jewelry makers find swap group handy for exchanging beads, tools

Posted: 11 Nov 2010 12:33 AM PST

Amateur jewelry makers find swap group handy for exchanging beads, tools

By Mary Shapiro
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 5:08 PM CST

Miranda Allen, 10, of Maplewood, squints as she closely inspects some of the favorites in her collection of beads.

"The colors aren't too bright, but are very natural," she said, showing off a handful.

"I've even invited some friends from school to make jewelry, showing them how to combine beads," Miranda said.

That's music to the ears of Danielle Gierer, also of Maplewood and founder of Bead Swappers of St. Louis.

"Our social group was formed through Meetup.com, a website established to get people to meet face to face," said Gierer, who wore a necklace, six-and-a-half feet long, made up of mismatched beads she's acquired through swapping.

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She said the free group enhances the bead collections of about two dozen members of the group while helping them get rid of items, including jewelry-making tools and books, they no longer need, but don't want to throw away.

"In this economy, we must find a way to get all of the shiny baubles we need without spending more and more money," said Gierer, 40, who works as an administrative assistant for Colt Safety.

Bead Swappers had its first swap meet Aug. 14 at the Clayton condo of a friend of Gierer's.

They're targeting Nov. 18 as the next swap, which will be held at a member's home in the Ballwin area. Their goal is to meet four to six times per year.

Gierer contends the swaps "energize and freshen my bead collection at no cost to me while exchanging ideas and showing off the jewelry we've made from what's been swapped."

Lori Allen, 43, Miranda's mother and director of the St. Louis City Open Studio and Gallery, specializes in making so-called sustainable jewelry, reusing old beads rather than buying new ones.

"I bought out an inventory of wooden beads at one shop that was going out of business. And I hit thrift stores and resale shops, as well as estate and garage sales, because you've got to have beads to swap at our swap meetings," said Allen.

She'd been friends for a few years with Gierer, who e-mailed Allen about the group's creation.

"Bead Swappers lets you provide your odds and ends for someone else to play with," Allen said.

Bead Swapper Peri Hogrebe, 50, of Fenton, works a full- time job as a legal assistant, but makes and sells homemade glass beads and jewelry through her After Hours Artistry business.

She's also a member of the St. Louis Bead Society and, in doing a Meetup group for them, stumbled across the Bead Swappers info.

"I've always had a love affair with glass and took classes in glass bead making, starting about three and a half years ago." Hogrebe said. "To me, making beads is the most relaxing thing in the world."

For more information, visit http://www.meetup.com/Bead-Swappers-of-St-Louis/ or email beadswapper@gmail.com.