SPOTLIGHT ON ... STORE
May 2008

Our featured bead store this month is Bead-topia

Welcome to Bead-topia! We are located in the middle of the renovated shopping focus of Laurel, MD and just 20 minutes from D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis. The husband and wife owners Walter Wofford from El Paso, Texas, and Ingrid Awong-Wofford from Trinidad & Tobago, opened this boutique-style store just over two years ago. The idea to open a bead store was conjured up in Ingrid's mind after her sister introduced her to making beaded jewelry. From that point, she set out to teach herself everything she could about her new hobby, but the absence of a community bead store slowed the creative juices. And so, Bead-topia was born.

Bead-topia offers an international selection of semi-precious, glass, shell, wood and clay beads, silver and other metal beads. Other offerings include metal wire, a variety of stringing materials, storage boxes and kits that are perfect for kids and teens. Classes on a variety of topics run on Saturdays in the classroom and free assistance with finishing projects is offered on Wednesday nights, but that translates to any night of the week! Birthday parties, Girl Scout classes, and "girls' night out" are also part of our schedule. Beading magazines, books and DVD's are available for inspiration in addition to the Bead-topia idea center, and the themed display area that changes every season and on special holidays. We also plow through a variety of magazines regularly to so we can keep customers updated on what's hot and what's new.

Bead-topia supports local artists by carrying their lines of lampwork and polymer clay beads, hand crafted beads in other media, and finished jewelry. Bead-topia also benefits from the travels of friends who bring unusual, hand-made pieces of jewelry from places we'll probably never visit. Our customers are treated to a special event at least twice a year. These run the gamut from customer appreciation days, to demos and new products for one-time events like our charity benefit trunk show last fall.

Although our store has a boutique look and feel, we are told by everyone that we have the best prices and like our customers always tell us, "it's an addiction" and we are their bead therapy.

Come by the store this month and let us know you saw our Soft Flex spotlight.  You can get a free beading magazine (one per customer, while supplies last).

Soft Flex products on sale through May 31st (Laurel location and online store www.bead-topia.net).

Visit us next time you come to the nation's capital:

Bead-topia
14123-B Baltimore Avenue (Route 1 North)
Laurel, MD 20707
We are across the street from Laurel Lakes Shopping Center,
at the corner of Baltimore Ave and Lindendale Drive.
See us online at www.bead-topia.net
Call us: 301-725-9757

Hours:
Mon 12pm - 7pm
Tue-Fri 10am - 7pm
Sat 10am - 6pm
Sun 1 - 5pm (closed 1st and 3rd Sundays)