Small Business Spotlight Presented by Groovyjuice.com- General Bead San Francisco -A Must Visit for Locals and Tourists Alike!

San Francisco's General Bead 

Still Groovy After All These Years 

by Lanajean Vecchione of groovyjuice.com

Beware! The bead bug is gonna get you! 

637 Minna St

San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 863-1292

http://www.generalbeadsanfrancisco.com

     San Francisco is a top tourist attraction known all over the world, and when people visit, they want the old school hippie vibe that the area is known for. Many go to Haight Asbury to shop and relive the historical 60s moments. However, I suggest you go off the beaten track to South of Market and visit General Bead. This is more authentic San Francisco vibe than Haight can ever provide, and its been here for decades!
     Located off Mission street on Minna, you can't miss its painted facade. If you love to play with beads, or even if you don't, bring a camera. Photos are welcome!

     



Occupying two stories of an industrial building, it doesn't look like an ordinary chain craft store at all. Its got everything you'd expect NOT to see in the chains, including overgrown succulent plants, loud old school stereo speakers blaring obscure hipster sounds, and even a cat needing your attention. It makes for a funky and fun alternative shopping excursion!

     

When you walk in, you'll take a sheet of paper and pencil, and examine sample findings on the wall. Then you have to write down the number of what you are looking for and hand the sheet to a clerk. 

Pick up your order form first, and use it to make your selections. 

     Pay attention, because an hour can go by very quickly browsing at General Bead! Its got so much to see, two floors and even if you don't buy a thing, they encourage you to take all the photos that you want.  Its got the basics for a beginner but also lots of unexpected vintage finds. There are items here to repair any vintage jewels that are missing stones!! Also unique out of production beads for authentic vintage style jewelry designs.  I came in looking for hair combs to use for my feather head dress creations, and I found exactly what I needed!  I also found some feathers upstairs.

Photos are welcome!

Entrance to the 2nd Floor of General Bead where they sell groovy beaded curtains, feathers, findings and
other freaky creative items! 

Flower power anyone? A hand made bead glass lampshade in the foreground held together with wire is most amazing! And nothing says hippie like a Hendrix poster. In back are all the sorted beads safe from shoplifters. Smart. 

Mellow Yellow second floor plastic bead section of General Bead

Decorated in authentic 1960s and 70s fabrics, hippie artifacts and selling vintage dead stock beads not sold anywhere else, the place looks frozen in time.  Exactly why I say its the REAL San Francisco treat! The owner makes her own beautiful beaded designs. They are true wearable art, and many are for sale on her web site.

Here's looking at you, hippie! 

Order from the wall at General Bead and bring your completed sheet up to the clerk who will fetch your beads, if they are in stock.

If you are local and arrive by car, be sure to try and come during the day and snare a spot on Minna, or bring plenty of quarters for nearby parking meters.  If you are from out of town, be sure to get the deals here that are not available on the limited spotify web site. I suggest taking the Bart and getting off at Civic Center and walking the few short blocks with a friend. This store has enough character and unique qualities to keep even a non beading person entertained. 

  

     The first floor and second floor have separate accounting systems. Its one of the quirks of shopping here. What you buy downstairs gets purchased downstairs, and what you buy upstairs gets purchased upstairs. I don't mind waiting in separate lines, but keep this in mind if you have your car parked at a meter.  

     Also, don't expect to be able to see everything in a single visit unless you allow for enough time to enjoy it all. Its bound to turn up some unexpected finds if you hunt among the hanging bags, especially upstairs. 

A creative San Francisco business that has survived decades of gentrification virtually intact,  Groovy Juice Vintage Store puts the small business spotlight on General Bead of San Francisco, a must visit local destination.  Leave your friends Jo-Ann and Michael behind and flash back with General Bead. 

Recycle Your Water Bottles Into Flowers - Here's How!

As mentioned in another post,  I entered  my local San Mateo County Fair and promised to continue sharing . .the contest was REINVENT your Water Bottle. As you can see, somebody turned theirs into a Yellow Submarine style toothbrush holder. I dig it! In the back you see my bouquet of flowers.  

The flowers are pretty easy to make and are a fun craft activity for kids. .if you have to entertain children this Easter weekend and or looking for a fun Earth Day make and take activity. .consider turning your water bottles into Flowers!!  Its a great way to promote creativity and recycling at the same time! They also make fun gifts because although they are made from water bottles, these flowers never need water.   Here is a bouquet I made for my own kitchen. 

Yes that is my real kitchen, here is a close up.

How to make a Water Bottle Flower by Lanajean Vecchione

Tools:  

• Water Bottles (I use Crystal Geyser because its a soft plastic that does not have sharp edges -kid friendly!)
• Cutting Tool - I used a spring loaded craft scissors, also known as gardening sheers 
• Floral wire - this can be purchased in the fake flower section of any craft store for under two dollars.  Use stainless steel for outdoors, or green for indoors. 
• Paint and glitter for decorating ( I use regular non-toxic paint pots as my flowers stay indoors. Outdoor flowers use spray paint.)
• 
  

First, use your cutters to cut the bottom half of the water bottle off. Recycle it

Second, cut your top half of the water bottle, the part with the opening hole,  into sections. 

For a basic daisy flower, cut into 11 sections roughly about 3 quarters of an inch wide all the way to the hold

For a flower like the blue one shown above, just cut into 7 larger sections about an 1.5 inches wide stopping about two inches from the bottom, and use a pen to gently curve the plastic into petals. You can also use your hands. 

 Trim ends of the flowers as you like. . .

To decorate. . just apply the paint with a brush and apply glitter while paint is still wet by gently springing on top of the paint. 

I'm just getting comfortable using my upgraded computer and will be able to add video to this page. Its best to show than tell so this web 1.0 pioneer promises to evolve and get this tutorial on youtube. 

Shoelace Corset by Lanajean of Groovyjuice.com - Recycled Fashion Design at San Mateo County Fair 2013

This is Lanajean owner of Groovyjuice.com and I wanted to let you know about one of my entries this year in the 2013 San Mateo County Fair.

The theme is recycled fashion design and I created an accessory out of recycled shoelaces.

I sewed each shoelace by hand into a daisy shape, added a button to the middle, and I sew the daisy shapes together.

The final result was a play on the corset. I used black laces along the bottom to give the illusion of thinner waist,  and two long shoelaces at the sides to string the front and back pieces together.

Each daisy took about 20 mintes to make and the end result, many hours. Its the first time this fashion reseller has ever designed an original clothing item! I was inspired by my deceased elderly friend who saved the shoelaces, and made it in her honor.

I'm in good company at the fair, as all the entries are great! I'm also near  Jill Pilot's display of Riccocet, who designed the dress above, and kitty corner from the fabulous Fabmo, which salvages designer fabrics for reuse in the community.

It was fun to be a participant this year and get the complimentary tickets for my effort ;-)

So far,  saw a great show by the fabulous Whispers (above) and also saw Three Dog Night (below).

I'll write more later about my other fair entrees, the fabulous flower bouquet made out of water bottles!  The San Mateo County Fair runs from June 9-16th, 2013. My entries are located in Redwood Hall, Sustainable Living section. Hope to see you there.

Let me know what you think of my shoelace corset, especially if you cannot get to the fair! I'm already brainstorming designs for the 2014 Recycled Fashion design contest. !

Lanajean
San Mateo, California

The Hanger Sisters - My Groovy 60s Girls

Meet the hanger sisters; 1960s  vintage cardboard hangers from my personal collection.

These girls have been with me for ages. Some of you may recognize them from the exhibit I did years ago at the San Mateo County Library featuring metal flower pins, where I used them as part of a back drop.

I keep them in my hallway entrance, and I have dressed them in
vintage craft smocks. These colorful garments used to be quite common in the original 70s do it yourself days.

I've got a small selection of the flower power craft smocks, and I rotate the shirts every once in a while to keep things fresh. To me they are my adult paper dolls, and the first thing I see when coming home each day.

My ex webmaster Dennis scored these at the DeAnza College Flea Market in the early 90s, when cool 60s stuff was still affordable and abundant. When we split things were mostly amicable, but the hanger sisters were one thing we fought over bitterly. I decided I had a right to them even though they were "his" because I had grown used to seeing them in our shared apartment and made the point that were he to take them back, they would simply hang naked in his apartment, looking curious among all the "manly" stuff. He gave in and thankfully let me have them. I say thankfully, because he went on to sell a good majority of his collection!!

The only problem I have with my hanger sisters is that I've only got a blonde and a redhead. . .  Yes, somewhere out there is the brunette, and I am determined to find her. But truth is, I never have. I have seen similar design in plastic, but never the paper cardboard style.

Let me know what you think of the hanger sisters, and if you have anything similar. And I especially want to hear from you if you have the brunette!

This Welltron 8 Track Player Would make a nice Groovy Juice.com T-Shirt, no?

Hey it's Lanajean again from Groovy Juice Virtual Store. I wanted to get some feedback from you all.

I was thinking of making up some Groovyjuice.com T-shirts on Cafe Press for years. And my idea for a design is the 8 Track ball you see at the left. You can see that the 8-track inside says Groovy Juice on it already, so I actually got started on the design. I think it might also say Groovy Juice.com underneath, but not huge. I was also thinking of possibly adding a background pattern as well, perhaps a wall of 8 track tapes.

I was wondering, would any of you buy a T-Shirt of this design? I really think this screams out 70s, and I wish my neighbor Dennis still had the Welltron, which was the name of this model. But it took 8 D batteries and weighed a ton. I have collected 8 track players, and all of them had quirks. This one didn't never worked right, and didn't play longer than 15 minutes on batteries without the power cord. Despite that, the Welltron is a 70s icon and would make a good T-shirt to celebrate my 10 years online.

What do you think? Would you wear this shirt? Do you have other ideas for a T-shirt design? Would you all prefer I put my pet rock on the front instead, or as an alternate design? How about just a logo, like in the post below? Let me know. . .