The Mother of All Bead Locations

Holy moly, I can't believe I got to visit Jablonce nas noud, Czech Republic. I use Czech beads in about 97% of my designs and absolutely love the colors and layers of nuance. Originally, I was going to take a Flix Bus north to the south of the Polish border. My husband didn't think it was reliable enough, so I rented a car and made the journey. It was on the eve of a national holiday, Jan Hus Day, so I got to visit two shops, but unfortunately, did not get a demonstration of making the beads. It's a very pretty part of Czechia with rolling hills and small villages. I was flabbergasted by the sheer amount of beads, with color and shape choices that aren't available here in Seattle. It really was a very amazing day and I can see taking the trek there every three or so years. We'll see how long this stash lasts me.