I'm Birgit Bergemann from Biesenthal, Brandenburg, Germany. I'm married, have three children, and an office administrator by occupation. This sounds like a regular childhood and grown-up life: I always loved to be creative, and I was knitting and crocheting. When I was in school my favorite classes were arts, mathematics and sports. I liked geometrical and three-dimensional shapes, but and I couldn't have thought that my life would be associated with beads later. In 2003 I knew beads, started beading and soon turned that from a hobby to a profession.

I love jewelry as most women do, there must be a "magpie-gene" inside of me. I love fine filigreed, detailed works, and both I sum up in this craft. After I had received an old German book about different crafts I read about some beadwork and was hooked on that. My other beloved hobbies were put aside, and only sometimes I can turn back to a Jane Austin or Tess Gerritsen book. In past I had hundreds of things lying around, most of them not finished. Since I started beading I have become a very tidy person. I sit at my desk, wear my magnifier and come at peace with myself. I seem to have a special smile on my face, since I began beading; at least my husband says so.

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Even my house and decoration have turned around the tiny beads by now, and my everyday life has been altered. My family completely supports me and is proud of what I have done up to now. Since I opened my well known online shop I have divided my days in mornings, when I work for the shop, and afternoons when I dedicate my time to beads and design new jewelry.

In 2007 I lost my job and soon my unemployment benefits came to the end. No new job was in sight. An employee of a large bead shop asked me if I could fathom to start being self-employed and to sell my beadworks on a commission base. I was kind of afraid of the risk involved and had to think about it. My husband and I have discussed that issue for a while and then I decided to start this new adventure. Why could I see my future in this hobby? It was more of a feeling then knowledge; I have listened to my soul rather than to my head, I was pulled into this sort of talk.

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As long as we calculated carefully and decided that we wouldn't add up huge debts we could not loose too much. My advantage was that I already knew a lot about beads, their shapes and how to use them best of all, and how to work with them. I also believed that I was given a good feeling for colors and what to advise to customers. It is a great benefit to not only be an artist but also a good retailer. Customers notice these points and feel they are taken care of them. My motto is to advise my customers in such a way that they benefit from it, and a satisfied customer comes back.

The beader inside of me is of a great help towards making decisions regarding the shop and all financial matters. I think about what I would love to have, what beads I would need and that is what I try to offer. Any bead in any shape, color and size is welcomed and fascinates me. My true love is still bead crochet where I'm a pure perfectionist. This was my beginning; beading with threads and needles came later. A retailer apprenticeship that I went through from 2000 to 2002 was really helpful. These things one absolutely needs when starting a business.

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My customers can purchase a lot of different fine instructions, which I and sometimes a friend of mine, also a bead designer, develop. Very often my projects are so intricate that require about three weeks each, to work on it for 3-4 hours daily. I love tiny beads and patterns that count in smallest details. Normally I make only one-of-a-kind designs because I don't like repetition.

In a large city there are five or more drugstores on one street, and all of them can coexist. Why shouldn't I succeed even there were other shops also? All people need a hobby and something to do. Beading is good for the emotional health. Creativity is given to us, it's in our hearts; and one can try this out what he can with these little beads. To me, a person without a hobby is a sad person. I feel deep enjoyment and satisfaction being able to use my talent and play with colors and shapes.

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As far as my preferences develop, I love all beads, no matter how big or what they look like, but my heart beats for the really small ones. I crochet mostly using 15/0 beads or smaller. When I teach at workshops, I demonstrate my work using larger beads, when I do off-loom beading with thread and needle I use everything for my best liking. I am a type of designers who sees something and has to think about it for a while, then brings it down on paper and immediately needs to start and working on that.

Sometimes this doesn't work well, but sometimes this allows creating a new, unexpected design. Because of that I think I am "a technical designer" who loves graphical patterns, but I also love romantic designs where I can be artistic. When I have no ideas I sit down and just start beading using an instruction bought from another designer. It lasts not so long, and my own ideas come to me again.

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I get my inspiration from everything around me. Sometimes it is a movie I watched or a picture I saw; from a little idea in my mind it grows up and turns to a beautiful piece of beadwork; quality is the most important to me. What can I say to a beginner? Be courageous! Try out things, experiment, but... do learn the techniques first!

There is the large fair I like to attend, Textile Art Berlin, where I normally have been as a merchant. Twice I have entered the contests from I-Perlen and won first and second prizes. Since the beginning I have been a member and later an administrator of the large German bead forum, www.perlenhaekeln.de; and since 2009 a staff member of the German Perlen Poesie beading magazine. In 2011 I plan to go to the first Bead Art Fair in Hamburg (August 20-21, 2011) as an exhibitor, and will also teach a class "Bead crochet around and over wooden beads". Everyone is welcome!

My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com

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