Bead Dish?

Q: I'm looking for an internet source for a bead dish. I saw one used in the 'Bead & Button' Magazine, but can't find one. Anybody know where I can buy them? I'm tired of spilling beads everywhere, using a saucer.

A: You mean the ceramic one with several compartments? Try 'Beyond Beadery' in Colorado, or 'BeadCats' in Oregon. If you're talking about the flower-shaped white ceramic trays, they're actually Japanese watercolor palettes. You can usually find them in the watercolor or paintbrush/palette aisles of good art supply stores. Mine have cost anywhere from $5 to about $16, depending on size, condition and the store. I've found they're usually a bit cheaper there than at many bead stores. I like the weight of the ceramic trays, since they don't skitter across the table, spilling beads in all directions, when the dog's tail or cat's paw invades my workspace, but you can also find less expensive palettes in lightweight plastic for $1.50-$3.00 in the same stores. The ceramic surface is really slick; I covered the bottom of each cell in one tray with 'Pinwale Corduroy'. It helps prevent round beads from hopping into the next cell when I chase them with my needle. It's not as much a problem with the plastic version. I just got the porcelain flower-shaped trays from 'Beyond Beadery' as well as the carrying case, which holds two of the trays. I love it. Now I have two ongoing projects set up, and don't have to worry about spilling or putting a lot of little things away - I keep needles, scissors, tweezers, thread, stored in the case as well. I had been using both the plastic flower-shaped watercolor trays, and the 6-compartment flat trays by 'La Roi', but I like the 'Porcelain' the best. There's no static electrical charge (drove me nuts with 'Delicas'), and the 'Porcelain' also has more chambers. The 'La Roi' is o.k., but now I usually use it for storage. I bought the 'Porcelain' through 'Beyond Beadery' because NONE of our local art stores had them in stock anymore, and couldn't get them in for some strange reason.