TWO LOCAL BUSINESSES GROW TOGETHER

Two women crafters join forces to bring customers much more under a single roof and a new name

BISBEE, AZ – Andrea Burke's SunSpirit Studio is a popular crafting store specializing in rubber-stamping, paper crafting, jewelry making, wire wrapping, bookbinding, beading, selling related supplies, and teaching classes in different crafts. The store has been located at 27 Subway Street #1 in “Old Bisbee” (behind the Bank of America) since 2007, and has been selling globally online since 2004. Burke, who says she's been "making stuff" since childhood, has been metal smithing for almost two decades and beading for eight years. She's also been dreaming about owning a business that would enable her to do the things she's always loved doing, and SunSpirit Studio has been the realization of that dream.

Susan Frank's Beads-N-Stuff, which was located at 120 Naco Road in Bisbee for three years, specialized selling all manner of beads, as well as teaching classes in basic bead work, making seed bead bracelets, and wire wrapping. She also did hair wraps (braiding and tying of beads into the hair with colored string. Frank also published an illustrated book on hair wraps called "Macramé Hairwraps: A Modern Folk Art," that teaches the basics of hair wrapping, including how to create and care for a clean, strong wrap that lasts. It also shows several macramé patterns, techniques for adding beads and charms, how to care for a wrap and even how to make hair wrapping into a profitable business.

These two successful business women, each an acknowledged expert at her "craft," have now joined forces and will continue to do what they love under the same roof and under a new name, Beads-N-Stuff at SunSpirit Studio.

"We each have our own areas of specialization," said Burke, who holds a B.F.A. in jewelry making, "and the store's goods and services reflect that fact. So new and established crafters will not only find more convenience and a greater body of knowledge at the store, they'll also be exposed to crafts that they may never have known about or been around before.

"It's exciting for everyone concerned, Susan and I most of all," she said. "And great new things are on the horizon. We hope to begin offering supplies for even more arts and crafts in the very near future; and also transform the current beading circle to include other crafts and crafters."

The artisan gallery and studio in the store will continue to feature artwork from local and national artists, and the shop will continue offer bookmaking and stamping classes, free demos, and provide open studio time.

For more information about Beads-N-Stuff at SunSpirit Studio, its classes and demonstrations, or to talk with Andrea Burke, call (520) 432-2400 or e-mail beads@bisbeebeadsnstuff.com.