Katie Dean

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I should also inbead_cabochontroduce myself…I am Katie Dean and many of you will already know me as the owner of Bead Flowers. I have been creating and making my own beading designs since 2003, firstly as a hobby that saw me through a serious illness and now as a career that combines everything I love. Before I even started beading, I had a career as a strategy consultant, working for companies that ranged from small start-ups to FTSE100 corporations. My job involved analysing a whole range of different business problems that these companies wanted solved, and then coming up with strategic plans to provide the solution. As you can imagine, I gained a lot of business experience which has been invaluable to me in running my beading business and which I am also sharing with you on here.

Online Beading Classes for all. Click https://my-world-of-beads.teachable.com/courses

I have always loved creating things, for as long as I can remember. My ambition as a very small child was to write a book, an ambition I realised in 2012 when I published my first book of beading designs. Several more have followed since! Alongside many other revelations, beading showed me that I actually love teaching, so when I’m not writing books, creating new designs, beading or updating websites, I also teach a lot of beading classes and workshops. If you want to see or buy any of the beadwork that I personally create, then please visit my website, Bead Flowers. If you are just interested in the world of beads, then I hope this will be the site for you.

When I first started beading I struggled to find basic information about the materials, techniques and generally what I was doing! Back in those days, the internet was a much smaller place, so a lot of what I learned I found out through reading books and magazines and most of all, experimenting. I realised that I now have so much knowledge on which to draw that I’ve been wanting to find a place to record it, both for myself and for others. This is all knowledge that I use every time I create a new design, write up a pattern or teach a workshop. Most of it now comes as second nature to me, but I do still remember the confusion I felt when I started out and the technical terms made no sense at all and I was labouring under the impression that a bead is just a bead – right? Not to mention what to do with all those ‘findings’ (what an odd term!). Now there is a lot more information around on the web, but I find it’s often in disparate places, so I’m aiming to try and bring it all together on one ‘supercool’ site that will give you more or less everything you need!

I hope I will achieve this aim eventually and I hope you will like the results, but feel I must leave you with a quick word of warning…beads are very addictive!…enjoy yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if you find yourself coming back here again and again for ‘another quick fix’.

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11 Responses

  1. Vicki-anne Carter says:

    Hi, I’m interested in your book with the peyote cake slice in it. Is there a way to purchase it as an ebook?

  2. Crystal says:

    Are there any free patterns on sites I am just getting started

    • beadflowers says:

      Some designers offer free patterns – you would need to browse their websites. Take a look at the beading directory here for a huge list of designers that you can try. https://www.myworldofbeads.com/business-directory/
      But, a word of warning…free patterns are not always the best way to learn. I know it’s tempting to try and avoid spending on tutorials, but you do get what you pay for. So, a lot of free patterns are thrown together quickly and may not be clear enough to learn from as a beginner. You really are best buying a good pattern from a reputable designer if you want to learn beading properly.

  3. Judy StMartin says:

    My grandmother gave me her beading “tool.” It 3 1/2″ long, silver with a knob to turn that I believe loosens the whole where the hook is inserted to change it if it breaks or to put in different sizes. I do not know this for sure as it seems to be rusted and I cannot move it. My grandmother used to put beading on dresses in the big department stores in New York back in the 1920s and 1930s. The tip of the hook has broken off. I don’t use this tool, although I would like to make something with it, but I would like to replace the hook. Does any of this sound familiar to you and do you know where I could get a replacement hook?

    • beadflowers says:

      That sounds fascinating, Judy! I’m afraid I’ve never come across anything like that. But I will do a little digging and see if I can discover anything. Meantime, if anyone else on here can help, please leave a comment.

  4. Mrs K Anstead says:

    Dear Katie
    I ordered the Halloween Lantern and the £8 was deducted from my credit card on the 22/9/20 but despite checking all my email boxes I do not have the pattern.

    • beadflowers says:

      Dear Mrs Anstead, I have just sent you an email. I investigated this issue and, on your order, you supplied an incorrect email address, so that is why things went wrong and you didn’t receive your pattern. I have explained in more detail in my email. This isn’t an issue to be dealing with in public comments as I don’t want to reveal your personal information to the world, but all should now be resolved.

  5. Daniela says:

    Dear Katie,
    I’m (kind of) a beginner. Started some years ago with beading around rivoli and other Swarovski crystals when I have time and a muse to do so, just for fun. Now, during the home office again, got excited about delicas Christmas stars, lanterns, etc. but still do economics for living 😀
    Although, digging the internet for years, I haven’t came across your website and I’m truly sorry about that because it would have saved me a lot of troubles with types and sized of beads:) it’s wonderful, very informative and of a great value!
    What I want to say is: a huge THANK YOU! I do appreciate your work and it helped me a lot!

    • beadflowers says:

      Dear Daniela,
      Thank you so much for your kind message. It’s lovely to hear that you’re having the opportunity to get back into some beading right now, so I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for finding me (the internet is so huge, there must be lots of wonderful website that get lost in it!) – I’m very happy that this is helpful for you! I really appreciate your support 🙂

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