Meet the Board of Directors
for The Bead Society of New Hampshire
Serving until October 2021
Jessica Dollar,
President
Jessica Dollar
As a young child in school I was encouraged to sew a pillow by hand. Once I completed this
project I said “ I would never sew by hand again!” I hated needles and continuously poked my
fingers drawing blood. I think I drew enough blood to fill a vial from the lab. Nope, this was not
fun or for me!
As a teenager, I thought I had found my passion in rubber stamping, making cards for birthdays
and special occasions. Attending Stamping Up parties was lots of fun.
Fast froward twenty years. While working as a paraprofessional in an elementary school
classroom I spotted a beautiful beaded bracelet on the wrist of the teacher I was working with.
I asked her if she made her bracelet. She replied yes and explained it was called a Russian
Spiral. She told me that she found the instructions on the Internet . Little did I know what
awaited me just from asking a couple simple questions and striking up a little conversation
about a bracelet on someone’s wrist. I went home from work that afternoon and looked up the
directions for a Russian Spiral right away . I just had to make it, of course, but I had no materials.
That’s when I was introduced to what was formally Bead It. Bead it quickly became my home
away from home and the rest is history . It has been ten plus years now that I have been
beading and I haven’t looked at my rubber stamps again.
I think its safe to say I have finally found love and passion through my creativity. I can’t imagine
a day without beads . I think I have the beading bug. Ironically for a person who hated needles
and sewing, my favorite type of beading to do is bead stitching or bead weaving. Those are done with a needle
and thread and the smallest beads made (seed beads). I am now "sewing with beads’.
I have always enjoyed crafting, I started embroidery in High School, then went on to cross stitch. I also got into scrapbooking, which led me into all of the other papercrafting activities that I enjoy. I made a couple of quilts (sewing is really not my thing, but I have to do one more quilt for my other granddaughter). I got into beading five years ago when a couple of friends mentioned going to Bead It for a class. I made my first bracelet and heard about the Friday night gatherings, and was hooked. Learning the different stitches, and meeting the most interesting people. Some of these people introduced me to the Beading Society, and I couldn’t wait to see all the different aspects of beading. I have learned so much from the Bead Society, not just the stitches and patterns, I have gained knowledge, confidence, accomplishments, new friendships, and a feeling of being a part of something big.
My first memory of beads was when I was a little girl and my mother got me a simple loom. I made piece after piece and finished none of them because I couldn’t figure out what to do with all the warp threads. Fast forward about 35 years...I went to a bead shop to get a gift certificate for a friend and the beading bug bit me again and my love for all things beaded was rekindled. I started with strung projects and quickly progressed to off-loom weaving. Peyote stitch is my favorite and I’ve completed many projects from flat bracelets to beaded boxes and kaleidocycles. I still get out my loom every now and then, only now, I actually finish what I started! I enjoy being part of the bead society, meeting new people, all of whom share my love of beading.
Eleven years ago my daughter, Jessica, came home from work stating she wanted to learn how to
make a beaded Russian spiral bracelet she had seen on one of her coworkers. With a little research
we found our way to Bead It in Concord NH and my beading journey began.
I was fascinated by the
tactile and visual properties of bead components and started taking weekend classes whenever I
could at Bead It. Whenever we travel we make a point to visit bead shops for inspiration. During
this journey I have met many new friends and enjoy these relationships.
I have learned from so many. These people are as fascinating and as colorful as the beads we use.
I recently retired after 45 years of nursing and finally have the time to devote to beading. I am
currently enrolled in the NH Master Beader Program through Bead Bush in Deerfield and am nearing
completion of the Apprentice level. I have also been elected as BSNH recording secretary last
month.
By the way Jessica learned how to do the Russian spiral stitch which she completed only to be
sucked up by me while vacuuming.