Did you catch our beading party with Jamie Yoshida? Jamie is an easy going creative soul in paradise. She is the owner of The Bead Gallery in Honolulu. Get inspired to make some beach jewelry for the summer and learn about shells and island styles. Feel the shaka vibe and make some jewelry with us! Bring aloha spirit and Hawaiian fashion to your beading supplies! It is pau hana, work is done for the day, let's make some magic!
Don't miss our beading parties! You can find these fun beading shows on the video section of the Soft Flex Company Facebook page and our YouTube Channel. In the past, we have featured Vintaj education director Jess Lincoln. We have discussed owning a business as a young millennial, with Sam Siegel. We discussed the ways we have adapted our businesses to the pandemic, with Kay Goss. We have learned a new knotting technique from Danielle Wickes of John Bead. We have learned a lot about these wonderful jewelry designers. And we have learned a lot about ourselves. Join our beading parties for deep dives into the jewelry industry, travel, and how making jewelry can be beneficial for mental health and clarity.
Live Beading Party! Meet Jewelry Designer Jamie Yoshida, Owner Of The Bead Gallery In Honolulu
Live Beading Party With Jamie Yoshida Of The Bead Gallery
Jamie Yoshida is one of our favorite beaders. Jamie radiates warmth and creativity. Her exuberant spirit and happy smile is contagious. She is always a fun exhibitor to check out during The Great Bead Extravaganza. You can be sure to find some great deals during her TGBE presentation and a lively jewelry demonstration that will fuel ideas for projects of your own. We could not wait to sit down and make some jewelry with her. We learned about shells and her jewelry making process. And, being the generous soul she is, Jamie donated her kit to a lucky viewer after finishing her designs. If you want to learn something new or just want to feel some happy energy, this video is a must watch!
We knew we wanted to add a surprise from Jamie when we were brainstorming our Aloha Design Kit (Sold Out). The Bead Gallery is a paradise of beading supplies - in paradise itself. If you love beach necklaces and beach jewelry, our Aloha kit is perfect for you! Inside are lush colors and beads that will bring the vibe of the calming Pacific waters to your beading table.
We had Jamie in mind when we were brainstorming our Aloha Design Kit (Sold Out). Each month, we offer a new kit that is inspired by a holiday, a location, a hint of fantasy, and more. The contents of each kit is a mystery until we reveal it at the end of the month. You never know what beads and components you will find inside. But you can be assured that the kit will fit the theme perfectly and the package is an exceptional value. Each of our design kits are designed to be all you need to create a bunch of stunning jewelry, you just need basic tools. In most cases, crimping pliers and cutters will do. Kits are perfect for beginners as they include crimps, components, wire, and beads. Our Aloha Design Kit was a journey to paradise!
Welcome To The Bead Gallery, Honolulu!
From The Bead Gallery:
Enjoy as we inspire, guide, and share our curated collection from over two decades of travel, interviews, research, and in-person treasure hunting. We encourage you to learn from our staff's 75+ collective years of beading expertise. Our knowledge is yours.
We bring creativity and community together to spread ALOHA through social media online, over 200 jewelry-making videos on YouTube, our one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, and hopefully just hanging out with us in our Hawaii store!!
We create jewelry that connects you with who you are. Some have worn it as a badge of courage, others to honor themselves. It can be a reminder to breathe, love, protect, and show who you really are. These are talismans for life.
Bead with us...Be the hero of your own story!
Shop At The Bead Gallery, Honolulu
Have you shopped at The Bead Gallery? The store is infused with the fun spirit of the islands and the staff will make you feel like ohana (family). You can visit the website and buy your favorite new beads and components or you can request a personal shopping experience. If you are visiting Honolulu, you can request private in-store shopping. If you are visiting the store from the comfort of your couch, you can request a virtual shopping experience.
From The Bead Gallery:
Get ready to bead thrilled!
We will guide you through you a selection of 3000+ gemstones strands and beads, kits, clasps, tools, chains + in our "Mini Bead Gallery" - your personal sized shopping area.
Our inventory is 25 years strong, so we have lots to share in our vintage buys, secret stashes and boxes of new merchandise!
What Will You Find At The Bead Gallery, Honolulu?
There is a little mix of everything at The Bead Gallery. If you love ocean inspired jewelry, you are going to find a beachcombers paradise. Aquatic themes and beach colors are in abundance. Grab a mix with a sea turtle and beads that looked like they were nestled in the soft Hawaiian sands. Find bone, shell, and more. If you are designing for a fellow or making your own masculine jewelry, there are plenty of options in the store.
If delicate jewelry and soft colors are what you want, check out their blossom mixes. Grab some happy hearts or lotus coins to give your necklace a gentle touch. If you love the gentle pink of Sakura flowers (blossoms from cherry trees), you will find some elegant options to add this lovely tone to your next design.
There are so many fun things at The Bead Gallery. You will find affordable finished jewelry. There are ethnographic bead mixes and rare and unusual beads. Stop and shop for components, tools, and so much more. Share some island pride this summer with a necklace that is non-stop aloha!
Meet Jamie Yoshida
Beading is inspiring, creative, and connecting. We passionately believe that everyone can benefit from and enjoy this experience!
It is our mission to spread our aloha to as many people that we can and to make sure that our presence raises the vibration of this planet, one bead at a time, one person at a time. :)
All of us gathering love beads, love creating, love crafting, love wearing jewelry, or love feeling inspired and being part of a community! Let's do this!! Welcome!
Jamie Yoshida Q&A On Jewelry Design
How long have you been making jewelry?
27 years.
Is there a tool you cannot live without?
My Lindstrom yellow handled flush cutter!
What color palette (or technique) do you love working with?
Pink, orange and yellow are my favorites and basic wire wrap is my jam!
Where do you draw inspiration from for your jewelry designs and color choices?
My inspiration definitely comes from growing up in Hawaii with the mountains on one side and ocean on the other. There’s always something beautiful to see!
Why do you love Soft Flex Beading Wire?
I love it for for the quality, the proven longevity and the consistency.. I’ve been using Soft Flex for over 25 years and have projects that old that are still in well-used rotation! My go-to, and desert island must have, is the .014 soft touch. It fits most gems and pearls, and if that’s all you have, you can double it for large hole puka shells and more. I trust this stainless steel cable, encased in plastic for all my beads and I never worry about using thousand dollar beads on it.
Jamie Yoshida Q&A On Owning A Business
What convinced you to open your business?
My close friend’s mom was a realtor that loved to bead, and she encouraged me to open my own store.
What do you wish you knew when you first started?
I wish I knew that I would sacrifice just about everything for creating a business with all my heart and soul - and that I would be okay no matter what. The 25 years has finally taught me that, and despite years of worry and hardship - following my heart has always led me to a very good place.
What roadmap would you give to a beginner?
Find your tribe and actively participate. Ask questions and share how you feel about beading! It’s a joyful craft and being creative with other is extremely empowering.
What products are you known for and/or why should people use your products?
We are known for curated quality products from gemstones, to pearls, precious metals to collectibles. Beads are my passion and it’s my soul purpose to share everything I know, and inspire those around me to find a similar fire in creating with beads.
Do you feel like you have time to follow your passions while owning a business?
No. Absolutely not. So, along the way, I have learned to adapt my passion for learning and creating and applying it to the business, rather than to hands on beading and jewelry making. Going back to the question, what do I wish I knew when I first started? You can’t get everything that you want in life, exactly the way you want it. And there are a lot of priority shifts along the way. So, the best thing, is to love WHAT DOES COME along your path with the same fierceness and fire. Appreciate what you do have and are able to create with and make sure that you dig deep into your present and enjoy. :)
LIVE LOVE CREATE!!!
The Bead Gallery, Honolulu Links
The Bead Gallery, Honolulu Website
Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!
Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!
Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com