Happy Beadium

Happy Beadium is now closed. :(
I heard a rumor they might be going online, but that isn’t the case at the moment.

Great experience. I tried 2 places before Beadium and settled here. The people are down to earth, the materials we need are abundant. I found the prices more reasonable than the other places by ½ ! Parking wasn’t difficult either. There is something for everyone. I leave there feeling better than when I went in :)

This place is pretty far off the beaten path for me, but it was worth the trip. They have pearls and turquoise and crystals and stones. They have filament and clasps. They’re friendly and helpful if you have any questions, but they will let you be if you know what you’re doing or just looking. They also sell some nice finished pieces from a few different jewelry designers that are regulars to their store.
I haven’t done much in the way of bead shopping in the past, and so I don’t have much of an idea what pearls and turquoise and crystals and stone beads and filament and clasps should cost, but the prices seemed pretty reasonable. Some things were a little less expensive than what we saw for similar items at the one competitor we went to. Some things were a bit more expensive. They did have a 50% off bin that was packed with stuff though for the beading bargain hunters.
Not only do they have all of your beading needs, but this place has got to be the only bead store /​real estate school in the world. In addition to all the beads they sell and the beading classes and meet-​ups they have, you can learn how to be a real estate agent here. That’s right folks, they have real estate classes. You can learn to pass the real estate agent test and get some tips for building a beaded back-​splash for your clients’ kitchens all in the same place.

I do love this bead store. I’ve taken a couple of Sally Smith’s classes and have gained a huge wealth of knowledge, skills and techniques that I immediate began applying to many of my pieces. I haven’t made it to one of the open bead nights yet (TU and TR) but plan to as soon as I can!
*Note The address on here is correct but the picture shows the old store front… it’s right around the corner now.

This was my third stop in my quest for Chciago’s finest bead stores. The owner greeted us kindly and started a lovely conversation with my poor husband was who dragged along for the ride. Turns out they have only been in this location for 2 weeks, but the place looks great! Not the largest selection of beads I have ever seen, but a thorough collection of pearls and turquoise. They also have a large area of tables and chairs for classes, in addition to a projector and screen AND a large flat screen TV for beading nights! Too fun!

If you’ve been reading my bead reviews you already know this is part of a bead trekking day with a friend of mine. For those new readers, see the other bead store reviews. This was the first store we stopped at, a quaint little shop located in Chicago in the Edgebrook community. They too offer beading classes, glass bead creation classes and on a weeknight (m/​b Thursday night?) they host a meeting of bead peeps that want to show off their artwork and discuss and share ideas. Some of the finest and most intricate of beads with design, I first discovered in here and after spending some time looking over them I have a new outlook and appreciation for this kind of handwork. Some types of beads are expensive, that cute medallion you might have picked up at Arden B or Anthropologie can be made (easily) on your own if you take the time, as said by the owner. It could cost alot less. After getting home and thinking about it, although the glass bead creation class sounds über expensive, I’m thinking I might go back and look into it.