Amy Loh-Kupser
by Sigrid Wynne-Evans © May 2004
Amy & Andy
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Amy Loh-Kupser has some fabulous designs. They have an elegance about them that is uniquely hers. Amy has written several design books that are a worthwhile addition to every beader's library. She is working on a couple more, that I know I am looking forward to adding to my library.
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Amy was born and raised in Washington State on the western side. She moved from Seattle to Woodinville and now lives in picturesque Poulsbo with her three dogs, Cloe, Cricket and Piper, Umbrella Cockatoo Woody and husband Andy.
  
After graduating from High School, Amy went straight to work as a typesetter which then evolved into a full time graphic designer; working for print shops designing for businesses everything from cards to annual reports. But for as long as she could remember she "drew on something". As soon as she could pick up a crayon, pencil, pen, nothing was sacred, including the undersides of the coffee tables! After being a designer for 17 years, Amy and her husband ended up owning an internet company, so she learned to do web work as well.
Finally after four years of very long hours running the internet company, Amy took her first beading class to relax and do something other than computer work with her hands again. This was a basic stringing class, necklace, bracelet and earrings. But on the wall was a peyote stitch amulet. As soon as she saw that Amy knew she had to take the class.
Amy recalls: "Even in the class I didn't follow the instructor's pattern ideas once I got the first three rows done. Same bad habit from school would get the basic idea of what the art instructor wanted then do my own thing. By the end of the first week, I'd finished three peyote amulet designs, fringe necklace and all. By the end of the first month I had over a dozen designs done and was in the bead shop at least four days a week picking out new beads! My husband was wondering what happened to his wife, 'Just a little bead nuts'. My friends at the store suggested I should put a book together of my designs. After looking through several books to see what I like and didn't like about them, I designed my first book, "Beadfuddled Beader, Vol. 1"."
Four months later, after some frantic planning, kit making and self-publishing, Amy did her first show, Bead & Button in Portland, OR, and one month later, another show also in Portland, Embellishment. By the second show, Amy had her second book ready "Beadfuddled Beader, Vol. 2". The rest of the year was spent working the internet company and working on new designs, and printing books. Helby Import Co., a big bead supplier for stores had picked them up to distribute.
Just over 2-1/2 years ago Amy went full time with i-bead.com. She is now doing up to 16 plus shows a year, including England. Amy says: "It's getting tougher to get new designs done with all the travel. I've still got more ideas stuck in my head than I can get out quick enough! Everything from animals to abstract and pictorial, it all depends on what mood I'm in or what I've been watching or seeing that inspires me. I don't feel like any once piece is my favorite. I have so much fun doing each one that it doesn't matter to me! The newest series coming out is very artsy and takes me back to my painting days. Who knows where the next design will take me? I'm having fun with some sculptural pieces, just little ones for now "Thimble Catchers" that hopefully will grow into some larger more elaborate pieces. Maybe if I plant one in the garden? Hmmmm."
Amy says that she tends to bead wherever she's sitting, She has a new traveling bead board that works great, it holds up to 35 colors made by Vicki Day Designs. Amy says that it is the perfect lap size. Amy had Vicki design this one based off of one of her others that only held a dozen colors. Amy invites you to see this bead board on her website.
Amy says: "I've never liked sitting at a table. You are more likely to find me on the couch, in a chair, under a tree, out on the deck, and now traveling in my RV to the shows! Yes, RV. With so many shows, I've put the whole menagerie on the road! The bird, dogs and I hit the road in a 23' RV and a 12' trailer to hold all my bead stuff! With as many shows as I'm doing I have to have stock to make more kits."
"B-P was a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my audience early on. I'm still getting "a-round-to-it" to getting more designs on the site! Just doesn't seem enough hours in the day. Eventually I won't be doing as many shows, but right now half the fun is the travel. After being locked down for over four years with the internet company I'm free to travel again."
  
It's only been a little over 4-1/2 years since Amy took her first peyote beadweaving class, but she beads and does shows full time now. It can be hard to make a bead business go, thankfully she has more ideas than she can bead at once. Also, her past experience as a graphic designer and web designer allows her to publish her own designs.
Design from Thimble Catchers Volume 2 Book
Amy says: "If I didn't have that experience, it would be a very different story. The most costly part of any pattern designer's product is getting it into print. This is where B-P is a wonderful help for people who don't have that experience. I use the old, BeadPlan 2.0 program to graph my charts. I custom mix my palette first for what I see in my minds eye then I fill in the graph. I've stayed with it since it prints the clearest charts."
As for the business end of things, having run the internet company for four years, Amy understands budgeting, keeping track of costs, and the value of a good accountant. She also decided early on what to focus on and not let herself get distracted into sidelines. Still, Amy says she made mistakes a couple of times, and it's put her back from where she'd like to be.
Amy says "overall, this has been a wonderful and rewarding career change. I hope to continue on for as long as I can bead!"
"You can e-mail me at beadnut@i-bead.com with any questions or visit my website www.i-bead.com to see more of my designs. Bead happy!"
      
Amy Loh-Kupser
Web Site - View
Patterns - e-mail
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