Beadjungle employs only the best instructors available. We screen carefully for technical skill and classroom presence so that you may have the best experience possible.
Lori Ahlin
I was born and raised in So. California but have lived in Henderson, Nevada since 1996. I've always been involved in some kind of arts and crafts, inspired by my Mom's creativity, but beading has been my passion for the last 7 years. I have found beading to be very therapeutic and I'm sure its cheaper than group therapy. I have a great sense of humor, a boustrious laugh and enjoy sharing my love of beading with others.
I grew up on a cattle ranch in Absarokee, Montana during the time of black and white pictures. Those pictures were mostly of our cattle and horses so childhood documentation is limited. Things were pretty simple back then. We named our animals for their color, Blackie was my Grandpas horse and Brownie was my horse...well, you get the idea. Lets just say that a Pinto pony would have confused us. In 1996 I made my home in Henderson and showed my art in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Moab in addition to Las Vegas.
My jewery themes are drawn from a combination of Day of the Dead art and the Southwest Desert, especially the Mojave, where I live. Inspiration from Native American rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) is expressed with beads and mixed metals including silver, bronze and copper. I also like to include a few found objects and re-purposed tin in select pieces. Making jewelry is a meditation - you will see many versions of medicine bundles and prayer beads in my collections.
Karen started with cross stitch for in home craft shows in the late 1970's. At a show she admired a bracelet made by gluing buttons to a metal bracelet. While selling this style bracelet, a button collector gave her a lecture about ruining rare buttons with glue and showed her a crocheted button bracelet. Her style stretch bracelet is easier and can be made by a beginner. She brings a table full of Vintage Buttons for you to use, add to your beadwork, or just add to your collection. Come see what all the fuss is about!
I learned needlework at an early age, but abandoned it in favor of drafting and welding in high school. By the 1980's, though, I was doing needlework again and began teaching. I started embellishing my needlework with beads and that led me into beading. I imagined teaching every project I ever worked on, and began teaching at bead stores and in my home in the 1990's. Since then I have also led workshops for the American Needlepoint Guild and the Embroiderer's Guild of America. One of my beaded amulet bags was awarded a blue ribbon at the Phoenix Needlework Show in 2000. I enjoy weaving with beads using brick stitch, peyote, and right angle weave, as well as spiral stitches. My biggest challenge is designing new projects to keep my students, my friends, and myself inspired.
Sandy Murphy has been doing beading for years while she took care of her mother-in-law who was suffering from ALS and Alzheimers disease. After 9/11 being laid off from her job in the travel industry she decided to branch out and try something fun. Beading seemed to be the answer and she has never looked back. Starting Bead Jungle at the indoor Swap meet in 2001 and finally opening a the store in Henderson in 2003. She is committed to having the best beading atmosphere and store for her customers. We have customers from all over the world and so far they say its working.
Karen started with cross stitch for in home craft shows in the late 1970's. At a show she admired a bracelet made by gluing buttons to a metal bracelet. While selling this style bracelet, a button collector gave her a lecture about ruining rare buttons with glue and showed her a crocheted button bracelet. Her style stretch bracelet is easier and can be made by a beginner. She brings a table full of Vintage Buttons for you to use, add to your beadwork, or just add to your collection. Come see what all the fuss is about! 
