Studio Musings

Monday, September 29, 2014

Bead Shopping in Barcelona


Several people have asked if I bought beads while I was away, so before I write about our transatlantic, thought I'd share the results of my Treasure Hunt.  In my search for bead stores, I did find a few that sold seed beads, Antiga Casa Sala in particular, but I was looking for things that I couldn't purchase at home, that would remind me of Barcelona.  The search turned out to be more difficult than expected and my haul can only be labeled 'odd'.

I stumbled upon the first bead shop pretty much by accident.  I wish I'd written down their name and address because I never did find my way back there later in the week.  They carried loads of silver charms.  Though I don't actually know the metal content, and I'm not sure 'charm' is the right word when the smallest were 2-3 inches across (like the butterfly above).  I also bought two yummy packages of sequins, thinking of my friend Sarah over at Saturday Sequins, and some 'silver' findings.  No matter what the metal was, the pin backs seemed much sturdier and better constructed than those I've found in the states. 





Doing a little internet research from our hotel,  two street names kept coming up in my searches -  Carrer de Boqueria and Carrer de Call.  Both in the narrow, twisty streets of the Gothic district, and walking distance from our hotel.  So armed with our trusty tourist map, Joe and I set out in search of treasure.


Dyed tagua nut jewelry seemed really popular - even the corner newstands carried necklaces strung with whole tagua nuts dyed in bright, contemporary colors - turquoise, fushia and goldenrod the most popular.  Kind of wish I'd picked one of those up now, even though I still have no idea what I would have done with it.  In Antiga Casa Sala (the largest bead store I discovered) I found more natural colored tagua nuts cut into pendants with darker lines that remind me of roots or brances, so I did pick those up.  I also picked up two packages of abolone shell 'buttons', just because I thought they were so beautiful.

I found the lampworked chili peppers in a that sold all sorts of weird and odd items.  Technically, they were wholesale only (if you see the sign 'vente al mayor' it means 'wholesale only'), but the saleswoman didn't even glance at my business card before ringing me up. 

14 comments:

  1. I have the same trouble when I travel trying to find unique beads to bring home to remember my trip. Hope you had an amazing time!

    ReplyDelete
  2. those abalone with the four holes and the chili peppers are fun! your little stash is great to see.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post.
    Shaw House Cinema

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. watch live football

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gifts, shows and toys, exactly where would you be able to discover new intriguing and fun stuff for a family to whom you have given such a large number of gifts previously?link

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have read your article, it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it.. http://www.shopguiding.pro

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the blog post buddy! Keep them coming... http://www.shopguiding.club

    ReplyDelete
  8. The online stores offer irresistible deals, so this personal resolve weakens there considerably. And, when it's about sales and discounts - whether online or in the real shops - even the constant reminders fail to work.top 10 online shopping sites in uk

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this interesting and knowledgeable article. bongdat

    ReplyDelete
  10. You bear through a awesome vacancy. I sanity definitely quarry it moreover personally suggest to my buddys. I am self-possessed they determination be benefited from this scene. Best Forex Signals

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have the same trouble when I travel trying to find unique beads to bring home to remember my trip. Luckily, I finally got what I wanted. This post is really helpful. I hope you will have a great trip and buy things you like. If you have free time please visit this website, it's really great. Perhaps you will play football all day without getting bored. http://tructiep.vip/bong-da-truc-tiep-hd is the best website to watch football live streaming. It has a simple and beautiful interface and fast page loading speed, it will take you no more than 1s to wait for the page to load. The website also brings you great experiences that you have never had.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for sharing nice information with us. i like your post and all you share with us is uptodate and quite informative, i would like to bookmark the page so i can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job. barcelona total sportek

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have the same trouble when I travel trying to find unique beads to bring home to remember my trip. Luckily, I finally got what I wanted. This post is really helpful. I hope you will have a great trip and buy things you like. If you have free time please visit this website, it's really great. Perhaps you will play football all day without getting bored ket qua bong da truc tuyen and blog bong da.

    ReplyDelete