New:

Our gallery section now has pictures from our Heartland College Library Display. This display was open for the month of October 2002. The display turned out lovely, and the Library was so pleased that they allowed us to keep the display up for part of November as well.

The Heart of Illinois Bead Society was founded by Lois Hartwig in the fall of 2001 and sponsored by Diane Faulk of The Bead Parlor in Normal, Illinois. While there are a number of societies in Chicago, weekday evening meetings made it difficult, if not impossible, for those of us "downstate" to attend. The answer - a new society in the heart of the state that meets on Saturdays.

The purpose of the Society is to encourage and promote interest and enjoyment in beads and beadwork.

Members of the Society range from beginners to those with many years of beadwork experience. Some work with seed beads, some with wire and polymer clay, and there are even some lampwork beadmakers. We look forward to attracting members with a variety of talents and interests as our Society grows.

Future goals include hosting our first bead bazaar and show of members' work, bringing speakers and teachers in from around the nation to increase our techniques and skill levels, coordinating field trips to exhibits and shows of interest, and conducting other activities as determined by our membership.