Blue Fire Beads

Blue Fire Beads • A retail bead store & glass studio.
Check out our classes & torch rental ($10/hr.)
2534 E. Lincoln Hwy. •New Lenox, IL • 60451 • Phone: 815.462.4900

Maps & Directions:

From I-80: Take exit 137 east on Rt 30/Lincoln Hwy, go 3 miles east. We are 1/4 mile past Schoolhouse Rd. on the right, pass the main Lowe's Entrance and enter from Rt. 30 at the driveway with the Starbucks sign. We're 2 doors down from Starbucks.
Announcements!!!

•    New Hours!!!
Mon, Tues, Thurs: 10am - 6pm
Wed & Fri: 10 - 8pm
Sat: 10am - 5pm, Sun: 12 - 5pm

Due to theft, we are being forced to install surveillance in our store. We regret this, but theft happens. We hope that our loyal and honest patrons will understand that we resisted this for a long time... 5 years. So please don't be disturbed by the cameras when you see them.

•    Mother's Day: Bring your Mom or Daughter for a Wire Crochet class!

•    NEW!!! Wired Cab II & Wired Dichroic Cab Bracelet classes! (Sample was stolen, we are getting a new one from Gloria!)

•    NEW!!! Diva CordMaker Classes! Learn how to use the cordmaker and how to finish ends!
      Also available in our online store, just click on Tools.

•    NEW!!! Chainmaille & PMC Classes!

•    NEW!!! Spiral Rope & Ndbele Classes!

Holiday Hours: OPEN 10am - 3pm New Year's Eve & CLOSED New Year's Day!

Welcome to our store and studio, Blue Fire Beads & Jewelry! We are Keith & Mari Johnson, and along with our daughter, Brooke, we welcome you to visit our retail store in New Lenox, IL, a suburb of Chicago. We offer classes, parties, and we have a work area to create your jewelry in-store.

Mari is our webmistress, resident glass artist, and teaches both glass beadmaking and seedbeading (off-loom beadweaving).

Keith is our go-to-guy for any product related to beads... if we don't have it, he'll get it!
Brooke is a top notch jewelry designer, and teaches our stringing and wireworking classes.

When you're in our store, ask for any one of us, and we'll be very happy to help you!

Here on the website, we have just a fraction of what we carry in the retail store, but we are adding to the products as time permits.
We recently announced Free Shipping On Our Website, $25 minimum order.

Our Tucson Trunk Show was wonderful...
But we still have tons of gorgeous beads! Make sure you stop in and see the following:

LillyPilly Designs Laser Engraved Shell Pendants
Handmade Porcelain Fired Raku Pendants
Turquoise Beads and Cabochons
SemiPrecious Stone Beads and Cabochons
Hill Tribe Silver & Bali Silver Beads and Findings
American Glass Artist Borosilicate Pendants
Pearls, Pearls and more Pearls!!!
Handmade Lampwork Beads
Copper Beads & Findings
Brass Beads & Findings

Laser etched shell beads from Lillypilly Designs.

The Diva Custom Cord Makers are in stock!!! Also look at our Class Schedule for Diva Cordmaker classes.

Top left is a LillyPilly Pendant with a cord made on this amazing, simple to use tool. A cord typically takes an hour to make!
Come and learn how to use this wonderful kit and how to finish ends with cones and caps... it's a great way to showcase so many pendants and lampwork glass focal beads.

and special Raku fired porcelain pieces... after finishing this batch, the artist's studio went up in flames.... and sadly, they are now unable to make more. These are the best Raku we've ever come across, and so we stocked up!

PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and Chainmaille with Deb Kauzlarich
Upcoming Workshops

Deb Kauzlarich teaches 1 day workshops in Beginning PMC. Precious Metal Clay is a clay consisting of particles of silver suspended in an organic binder to create a pliable material with a consistency similar to modeling clay. PMC can be worked with the fingers and simple inexpensive tools to create a vast range of forms and surfaces that would be unattainable or laborious with traditional techniques. It's simple!
When heated to a high temperature, the binder burns away and the metal particles fuse to form solid metal that can be sanded, soldered, colored and polished like conventional material.

Sat. Mar. 15, 10am - 5pm PMC Projects
$130 includes materials and lunch! Students are encouraged to bring a 1" x 1" photo to be used in a cold riveted frame.

Sign up today... 815-462-4900.

All the new classes are up on the schedule!

Want to learn glass beadmaking or glass fusing? Check out our Workshops

Register by phone for classes:
We offer many classes, most are 2 to 4 hours, and are one session only.
Our Stringing and Earring classes are both great ways to get started making jewelry. These basic classes cost $35 and all the materials are included.

The April - August 2008 Monthly Class Schedules are up! Come in for your copy, or be placed on the e-mailing list, click here to email Keith with your name and email address. Download a PDF of our 2008 Class Schedule.

New Seedbeading Classes
To check out the new seedbeading classes, click on any photo.

Peyote Bracelet

Pearl Cuff

Margarita Ring

For Glass Beadmakers/Lampworkers
We host our regular Open Torch Sessions, which are on the first Friday of each month, except in July.
Friday, April 4th, 3 - 8pm
Friday, May 2nd, 3 - 8pm
Friday, June 6th, 3 - 8pm
Friday, July 11th, 3 - 8pm
Friday, August 1st, 3 - 8pm
All lampworkers are welcome. Cost is $10 per person for soft glass and $15 per person for boro (to cover expenses). We stop afterwards at Chili's for dinner and a Margarita!

See Workshops for additional info!

General Info
We are committed to keeping you up-to-date with what's new in the store, and eventually... to finish bringing the store online with a more stocked shopping cart! It's a huge undertaking, but one we're looking forward to. Mari continues to work on improving the website and welcomes feedback.

Blue Fire Beads Club Cards
Available in the store. With your card, you get a stamp for every $20 you spend. When you fill the card with 25 stamps, you will receive a $50 gift certificate. The cards are kept in the store for your convenience. So when you check out, just tell us your name and we'll take it from there! (This way you never have to worry about losing or forgetting your card at home.)

Re-Cycle Policy
We believe in re-cycling when possible, so we will pay you 5¢ each for your empty tubes. They must be clean and label free. We can take the 3" and 6" round tubes with hanging caps that we use for our regular stock only.