Queen City Bead Society Mission
Enjoy and learning about beadweaving while making life-long lasting friendships.
Our Story
The Queen City Bead Society is found in the Queendom of Springfield, Missouri (referred to as the Queen City of the Ozarks for over 100 years). It was formed by a group of individuals who began taking classes at a local store, Touchstone Beads, under the tutelage of Queen Jennifer. Before long, the group became fast friends and each beading princess moved up the ranks of beadership and all were crowned as Queens.
The group met weekly to discuss events in the kingdom, admire each other's adornments and, of course, bead or order beads or look at pictures of beads or admire other people's beads or help each other with following bead patterns or imagine beads to come. They practiced techniques whose names may be unfamiliar yet, upon contemplation, somehow familiar...such as frog stitch, reverse peyote, retro beading, and right angle tangle. They dreamed of new and innovative bead tools, such as component replicators or colored needles that did not get lost in silver beads or bead attractors for those that are lost or runaway. For those who were unable to bead due to various circumstances, it was pure "estrogen therapy."
Talk around the table began to earnestly consider forming a society of like-minded beading queens with offerings to expand our love and knowledge of beaded bling. Queen Lisa began talking with other queens in far off lands such as Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas to gather ideas for a retreat such as those she had attended where she met other royalty and learned their beading secrets passed on by the Queen Mothers of Beading. Excitement in the Queen City began to grow as discussion generated into action which culminated in planning and lo and behold! Here we are! We even found the perfect castle for your visit at The Mansion at Elfindale or Cedar Crest Lodge. So hop into your royal coaches, pack your crowns, robes, and scepters, and practice your wave as you head to the Queen City, WHERE BEADS RULE!
Disclaimers:
You will not fall asleep if you prick your finger on a needle.
There are no rotten apples in this bunch.
The bedroom with the turret has no secret passage or witches.
The sisters you will meet on the steps are not ugly.
We don't need a handsome prince to be happy.
No frogs will be made available for kissing.
Mattress peas are not provided.
Meet the Queen City Bead Retreat Crew
We are a group of beaders with different levels of knowledge about beading.
Queen Lisa Vale
Retreat Co-Ordinator
I started beading in 2008 at Touchstone Beads in Springfield, Missouri. My first beading teacher was Queen Jennifer Thomas. She was teaching a class when I entered Touchstone beads. My eyes were dazzled by all the sparkle. I asked to be in the class (Queen Jennifer would tell you that I 'whined' to get into her class. LOL) and I have been beading ever since. I started attending retreats in 2014 and wanted to bring retreats to local beaders that was difficult for them to travel away from their kingdoms.
Queen Terah
Title coming soon
Queen Terah bio coming soon.
Queen Carol
Project Expert.
Queen Carol is our project repeating expert. She does every bead project five times in five colorways. Whew! What a lucky family she has! She also make sure we never run out of BlueBell Homemade Vanilla ice cream on Saturdays.
Queen Dawn
Stitch-n-the-Witch
Queen Dawn will tell you she is a witch in disguise and you should never cross her or she will put a beading hex on you (LOL). Dawn is one of the original Sisters of the Devine Order of Delicas. She is retired from too many years in the business world and loves being able to set her own schedule. She has many interests in addition to beading; including fiber arts, flower gardening, sewing, painting, writing poetry, writing/performing comedy skits, reading, feeding wild birds, others too numerous to list, and more yet to be discovered. Dawn loves animals and is currently servant to two fine, handsome cats.
Queen Malinda Reagan
Assistant Co-Ordinator
Queen Malinda is our story teller, comedian and hostess on Saturday beading. And now she has taken on the role of assisting me in all that comes with hosting a bead retreat. Malinda is NOT allowed to have any glue. LOL She thinks that she has enough UFOs (unfinished objects). But she doesn't have near enough and we are working to help her gather a vast amount of UFOs.
Queen Jennifer
Pattern Reading Enforcer
Queen Jennifer is our bead store buyer and super beadweaving teacher at Touchstone Beads. She has a teaching degree and she MAKES you "read" your beading patterns with a firm rule. LOL She is the one that brought all of us together loving beadweaving and gave us the knowledge and ability to attempt advanced beadwork.
Queen Mary Boyer
Stringing Extraordinare
Queen Mary began beading about 18 years ago. She taught classes at Touchstone Beads for five years. Her specialty was Bead Stringing. She was the bead stringing queen. She also taught bead weaving and enjoys the variety that both offer. Beading is a relaxing hobby and the friends you meet are for a lifetime.
Princess Bea Arthur
Thread and Fireline Monitor
Queen Bea (not to be mistaken as Queen Bee/Beyoncé) watches over us on Saturdays as we weave away. She make sure all thread, fireline and tape measures are thoroughly evaluated for usefulness (attacks them with her claws. LOL) Bea Arthur can't wait to see who joins our retreat.
Queen Sheri
Title coming soon
Queen Janet
Title coming soon
Queen Janet bio coming soon.
Queen Linda
Caretaker
Queen Linda is currently caring for family and we miss her deeply.
Next Step
Register and be a queen for a weekend!