ABOUT ME

I began beading several years ago after my mother gave me some beaded necklaces for Christmas.  My mother, who lives in the Los Angeles area, has always been interested in various handicrafts.  After enjoying a beading class she took, she soon became good friends with the woman who taught her.  Forever following my mother's handicraft footsteps, I knew I had to learn how to make the necklaces for myself.  A while later, I took my first beading lesson from my mom's friend, Sue Harrison, and was inspired!  Wanting to learn more, I joined the Bead Society of Greater New York.  By becoming a member, I not only learned new techniques, but I formed wonderful new friendships with people who had my same keen interest in beading.  Soon after, I attended a national bead show, Embellishment, and instantly knew I had found a new passion.

I subsequently gathered as many resources as I could and took additional classes to increase my knowledge and fine tune my off-loom beadwork skills.  Eventually, I felt I wanted to share what I learned and discovered with others and began teaching.  I taught in the New York area and at the 2003 Bead & Button Show.

Throughout the years, my mother, Olivia Peachey, has been a very inspiring and supportive friend.  She is also a very talented beader.  You can view some of her work in my Beadwork Gallery.  With our shared enthusiasm for beading, many creative collaborations have transformed into workshops that I now teach. 

The first project that Sue taught me was the Victorian Netted Amulet Pouch.  It was a design created by a friend of hers, Jeanne Snodgrass, and continues to be one of my favorites.  Jeanne is a creative and generous person who has significantly contributed to my teaching.

My bead journey has been, and continues to be a truly wonderful experience.  As any beader will attest, as labor-intensive as it is, beading is incredibly relaxing yet exhilarating at the same time.  I couldn't imagine my life without it and actually wonder what I did with all my time in my pre-beading life!  Thank you for visiting and Happy Beading!  I hope to see you in one of my classes.

Maureen Chin

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

THE BEAD SOCIETY OF GREATER NEW YORK
New York, NY

YWCA CRAFTS STUDENT LEAGUE
New York, NY

BEADS BY BLANCHE
Bergenfield, NJ

LONG ISLAND BEAD SOCIETY
N Massapequa, NY

BEAD & BUTTON SHOW 2003
Milwaukee, WI

PUBLICATIONS
Lapidary Journal, April 1999
Lapidary Journal's Step-by-Step Jewelry, December 2002

EXHIBITIONS
World of Beads II, New York, NY 1999
World of Beads IV, New York, NY 2001
World of Beads V, New York, NY 2002
World of Beads VII, New York, NY 2004