Local News

Tiny drops of glass create floral designs
BY PAM M. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
--See Image(s) Below--

Published on: February 11, 2005

Dalene Kelly strings tiny glass or crystal beads on fine wire and shapes them into flowers, different designs and colors.

Some have petals as small as a dime, while others are as large as the amaryllis blossoms or magnolias. Each has its own color and sparkle in the display cases in her Yuma home.

The public will have an opportunity to purchase them for their homes, too, during an event hosted by the Potpourri Artists this weekend at the Yuma Main Library.

Kelly said the history of beaded flowers dates back to Europe and England in the 1500s. "The beaded flowers we make now can become heirlooms for children and grandchildren."

The flowers will last forever, she said. However, care should be taken to keep them dry as some of the older-type wires could rust. The wires used now are electroplated copper.

Kelly said her mother-in-law, Sally Kelly, taught her how to make beaded flowers with the French technique while Kelly and her husband, Van, lived in Ohio.

"We had a convenience store in the northeastern part of the state, and I started making the beaded flowers as a hobby. I felt sort of guilty for spending so much to buy beads, and went on eBay with some of my flowers. The response went well and soon people started requesting patterns."

That got her started collecting books on making flowers from the 1960s that could found at yard sales for 50 cents. She then sold the books on eBay for as much as $100.

All of this spurred Kelly to start creating the "deed to word" patterns. Soon these were in booklets, then into books. In 2001, she published "French-Beaded Flowers, New Millennium Collection" and made the cover of Bead and Button magazine.

"More French-Beaded Flowers" and one published for European distribution came out in 2004. There’s also one published in Japan.

Kelly said her "New Millennium Collection" is printed in its entirety in the "Big Book of Beautiful Beads."

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Kelly said, "A group of beaded flower enthusiasts contacted others on the Internet. We wanted to make something as a memorial to those lost and their surviving family and friends."

Thousands of hand-beaded flowers were sent by mail from across the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Italy, France and Switzerland to three volunteers chosen for their proximity to the crash sites.

Three huge wreaths, at least 40 inches in diameter, were created from all the beaded flowers sent, Kelly said. One wreath is permanently at the Pentagon. The National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia has the second. The third is on loan to the Wheaton Village Glass Museum in New Jersey, with hopes it may eventually be near Ground Zero in New York City.

Stringing the tiny beads takes time, but now she has a round "bowl" with a spool that uses centrifugal force to spin the beads onto the wires.

"That’s a help, and so are the ‘Czech’ beads that are already strung."

Kelly had a studio in Ohio, but now she is focusing more on miniatures so needs less room. She also has been teaching classes on making beaded flowers.

The Kellys moved to Yuma in the spring of 2003, where Kelly ended up joining Potpourri Artists.

"I attended a meeting and enjoyed the camaraderie. There are paint and watercolor artists, people with all types of crafts talents, and they all work together."


Pam M. Smith can be reached at psmith@yumasun.com or 539-6856.

Dalene Kelly uses the French technique to craft flower arrangements and other beaded creations. Photo by Carlos Moreno

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