The Stories We Carry: A Life Beading Launch at Harriet Bloom, Jackfield
By Suzannah Husey, philosophy teacher, coach and creator of Life Beading.
"The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us, and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone." George Eliot, Scenes of Clerical Life
There’s something in these words that gets right to the heart of why I created Life Beading. How often do we recognise the value of a time, a friendship, or even a version of ourselves only when we’re looking back?
We can be so busy getting through our lives that we have very little time to enjoy being in them.
That’s what makes my new collaboration with Netty at Harriet Bloom in Jackfield so exciting. Bringing her mindful making together with Life Beading, we want to give people opportunities to notice, appreciate and make more of their own lives.
We’re beginning with The Stories We Carry, a drop-in afternoon at Harriet Bloom in Jackfield, just on the other side of the river from Ironbridge, and I’d love you to join us.
The Stories We Carry at a glance
What: a drop-in launch afternoon, with a guided Life Beading taster at 2.30pm.
When: Saturday 21 November 2026, 1pm to 4pm
Where: Harriet Bloom, Maws Craft Centre, Jackfield, Telford, Shropshire TF8 7LS
Cost: Free
Booking: Not required, just drop in. Places at the 2.30pm taster are first come, first served.
Parking: free visitor car park at the back of Maws Craft Centre
Who it's for: anyone curious. No experience of journalling or jewellery-making needed. Designed for adults.
Making room for a richer inner life
When I talk about reflection, I mean taking time to ask yourself questions you might otherwise never get round to. What am I enjoying? What have I learned? What do I want more of? What matters to me now?
Those questions can bring something into focus. You might recognise how much a friendship gives you, feel proud of something you’ve quietly managed, or realise that an activity you keep putting off is one of the things that makes you happiest.
For me, a richer inner life means having more access to those things: affection, curiosity, gratitude, a sense of possibility. Knowing a little more about what makes you feel alive, and giving it some room.
There is happiness to be found in recognising what is good while it is happening. In letting an ordinary moment register, rather than immediately moving on to the next thing.
That is part of what Netty and I want to make space for together.
Why mindful making and Life Beading belong together
At Harriet Bloom, Netty offers a place to enjoy making things by hand. Her work includes journal making, slow stitching, collage and memory keepsakes.
Her creative journalling workshops involve building personal journal pages with layers of paper, colour and texture. The pleasure is in choosing, touching, arranging and making.
Life Beading brings guided reflection into that experience of making. I guide you through a reflection, then you choose a bead to represent something from it. Its colour, shape or texture might remind you of a person, an experience, or a quality you want to draw on.
You make those beads into a bracelet. Later, when you notice it on your wrist, it can remind you of what you discovered: “I want to make more time for that.” “I have done difficult things before.” “This person makes my life better.”
This is where I see the connection: paying attention to what is in your hands and what it means to you. The making itself can be a pleasure, and the object you create can become a reminder of something you want to keep close.
Getting to know Netty has made me excited about what we could offer together. We share an interest in the stories people carry and in creating experiences where there is time to listen to your own.
Join us for The Stories We Carry
On Saturday 21 November, we’re celebrating the arrival of Life Beading at Harriet Bloom, at Maws Craft Centre in Jackfield. Maws is a cluster of independent art and craft studios in the Ironbridge Gorge, about a mile and a half from the Iron Bridge. It's a chance to meet us both and try a little of what has brought us together.
Drop in between 1pm and 4pm to meet us, explore the Life Beading kits and browse the store.
Netty has a lovely tree where we’ll hang questions for you to choose from. Pick one that interests you, take a moment to think about it, then choose a bead to represent your answer. It’s a small introduction to making a bead personal.
At 2.30pm, I’ll lead a short guided Life Beading taster. If you’ve wondered what happens in a session, come and experience it. I’ll guide you through the reflection and give you time to choose beads for your own answers.
You don’t need any experience of making journals or jewellery. You can take your time, and your reflections can stay private.
It’s free and there’s no need to book, but places at the taster are first come, first served, so do arrive a little before 2.30pm if you’d like to join in.
Getting there: Maws Craft Centre is in Jackfield, Telford, Shropshire TF8 7LS. There's a free visitor car park at the back of the centre.
A collaboration with more to come
The launch is the beginning. Alongside stocking Life Beading kits at Harriet Bloom, we’re planning a joint journal making and Life Beading workshop for January 23rd 2027, with more time to explore, create and connect. Keep an eye on my workshops page for details.
It also shows the kind of collaboration I want to build through Life Beading. I bring guided reflection and meaningful bracelet making; a partner brings their own practice, setting and understanding of the people they work with. Together, we can shape an experience around something those people will value.
If you run a creative venue, organise events, work with a community or want to bring your team together, I’d welcome a conversation about working together. Find out more about working together, and we can explore what would suit your group and what you’d like people to take away from the experience.
And if you’re curious about Life Beading for yourself, come and meet us on 21 November. Choose a question. Spend a little time with it. See what you notice.
The Stories We Carry
Saturday 21 November 2026, 1pm to 4pm
Harriet Bloom, Maws Craft Centre, Jackfield
Guided Life Beading taster at 2.30pm
Cost: free, no booking required. Taster places first come, first served.
Questions about the launch? Get in touch. Interested in a collaboration? Let's talk.
Quotation from George Eliot’s “Janet’s Repentance”, in Scenes of Clerical Life.
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