About Stardust Designs
It all started from a Weight Watcher’s bracelet! I was using their special bracelet to count points for weight loss, which I thought was such a creative use of jewelry—very functional indeed! However, the bracelet was merely plastic beads on a stretch cord, which I knew would break over a period of use. I thought it would be a novel idea to create a “Points Bracelet” that would be more durable and last longer.
Not being into the jewelry design mode at this point in time, I had questioned two other artists I happened to meet, to see if they could create this special bracelet for me. I never heard back from them. Suddenly I had the notion of, “Why don’t I just make this myself?” So that is exactly what I did. I made my first trip to a local crafts store to get the materials, and the rest is history!
I was not comfortable with this project at first, and actually had some anxiety about it! I didn’t know anything about wire wrapping or adding clasps. Not only did I have to worry about what kinds of stones to use, but I had to consider bead size in relation to the number of stones to use. Large stones, even though the count was correct would make the bracelet too large. Thus, experimentation was used as well. In the end, I created the appropriate bracelet and added a cute charm to mark beads. From that moment on, I had caught the jewelry design fever.
Why Teas and Spices?
During our travels we discovered two places: Grateful Grounds (a combo shop selling coffee and beads–located in Boone, NC; historical district behind Appalachia State University), and The Tea and Spice Exchange (we saw our first one in Gatlinburg, TN). As life situations changed and the economy took its toll, we decided that the store needed an injection of something new, but product lines that would cross-over easily with the beads we’d already established.
Most people associate beads as therapeutic and comforting. So does tea and cooking! And a match was born. We’ve never looked back, and looking forward is always our game-plan in everything we do and select for our store. Many locals say we’re the “neatest” store in town. Some have even said it’s beautiful!