Interview with a Star - Albina at AroundBeads

Dear readers,

We are continuing our series of interviews with members of our team and we’d like to introduce Albina Manning to you today. Her lovely jewelry and tutorials are so popular that we’d like to share her wonderful story on how she got started.

So we asked Albina some questions:

Q: How long have you been creating?
A: Ever since I was a child, I have loved doing anything by hand, especially knitting and sewing. After I moved to the USA, a Russian friend living in Japan sent me a beautiful, red beaded rose as a Christmas gift. I thought, “Is it possible to make something as lovely as Mother Nature creates? Probably not, but sometimes copies can be worth as much as the original”. That is when I fell in love with beads and wire. My first experience was to make a beaded Money Tree. In spite of the fact that it looks like an old untrimmed tree and has a lot of ‘technical’ mistakes, I still love it.

Q: What items do you carry in your shop?
A: Since I am a jewelry artist and jewelry making instructor, I have jewelry and tutorials to make jewelry and non-jewelry items.


Q: Your tutorials are so popular. What's the key?
A: They have easy to follow directions and good pictures, especially the close-ups.


Q: Do you have any sales or promotions?
A: Each of my customers get one free gift (up to $10 value) with each order over $25.00. They also get a 10% off coupon on their next purchase.




Q: Why will people love your items?
A: Because they are beautiful, one-of-a-kind and made with love.


Q: What is the best reaction you have gotten from one of your pieces?
A: In 2009 I won the 1st Place Gold Medal award with my “Inca Gold Necklace” in FMG’ (Fire Mountain Gems) wirework category. It was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.



Thank you, Albina, for being with us today!


If you’d like to see more of Albina’s work, purchase some jewelry or take her class you can find her at this website http://www.around-beads.info/ or at her shop on Etsy AroundBeads