Imagine a store where you can choose from thousands of beads in an endless array of designs and sizes. Eclectica Beads is this store! We are THE bead store in the Midwest.

If you’ve always wanted to make your own jewelry, we have the tools, supplies, and guidance! Create gorgeous jewelry for friends, for the special people in your life, for yourself. We’re here to help! We have an incredible selection of beads, including a rainbow of glass in many shapes and styles, a staggering variety of freshwater pearls, a huge array of semiprecious stone, and a fabulous assortment of seed beads. We have all the findings you need, including stringing materials, metal findings to help you make earrings, and specialty components.

If you’re interested in the basics of jewelry design or a specific technique, we have many classes available to help you learn while also creating fabulous jewelry at the same time. If you’d like to learn how to work with wire, how to create stitched designs, chain maille, metal clay, or even traditional metalsmithing, we have classes at many different experience levels. View our current class schedule here.

We have an amazing selection of kits at Eclectica Beads! Many of these kits are exclusive to us. You’ll find everything you need inside each kit, including coordinated color choices, beads, and findings, and easy-to-follow directions – it’s simple and fun to make lovely necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. See a selection of our kits on our website here.

Our friendly, experienced staff can assist you in the selection of beads and supplies, or consult with you about your interest in a new technique or project. We are ready to help you make your jewelry dreams come true!

Visit us and see our amazing variety of merchandise and meet our talented, helpful staff!

 

 

 

Meet Irina Miech, the owner of Eclectica Beads, and author of several jewelry instruction books

 

[This article was featured on the Brookfield NOW website.]

The life of Irina Miech of Brookfield could be viewed as a series of sparkling events. Placed together like crystals on a string, they create her own unique story. Irina immigrated in 1979 to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine, when her parents moved first to New York and then settled near friends in Wisconsin. She put herself through college as an interpreter, earning a degree in international relations and Russian.

But Irina's first love was art and fine crafts, and she began importing handicrafts and jewelry from around the world. During a buying trip to Morocco, she asked to see how the jewelry was made. "I learned to make earrings," she recalled. "And when I came back, I was hooked." Irina started designing her own jewelry as soon as she returned home. Within a few months, she was selling her one-of-a-kind pieces to upscale apparel shops and the Art Institute of Chicago. "Two or three years later, I thought it would be nice to open my own little store," she said. She opened her first bead shop in a small storefront in downtown Waukesha, where hobbyists, jewelry enthusiasts and the man who was to become her husband all walked through the door. So did an editor for a leading bead magazine, who invited Irina to write an article for the publication. It was to be the first of many, leading to a series of "how to" books on jewelry making addressing topics ranging from precious metal clay to wirework.

Irina is an author of 10 books on jewelry design as well as the owner of Eclectica Beads, located at 21420 W Greenfield Ave, New Berlin, WI. The shops glimmer, shimmer and shine with millions of beads, from pearls to crystals to handmade glass masterpieces. She  offers classes for beginners and professional jewelers, as well as parties for all ages.

Her biggest challenge? "The whole," she said. "I am so happy to wear so many hats." As long as she's wearing the jewelry to match.