Keiko Wada

Keiko Wada

The Necklace of a Mermaid
2009 Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Beading Contest
Gold Medal Prize Winner
Category: Pearls, Natural or Created


Keiko Wada

Sea of the Tropics
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Beading Contest 2018 featuring Crystal
Bronze Medal Winner
Category: Jewelry Design Set


Keiko Wada

Pleiades Star Cluster
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2015 featuring Metal
Grand Prize Gold Medal Winner
Category: Necklace - Wirework


Keiko Wada

Flowers of the Mobius
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2016 featuring Metal
Grand Prize President's Award Winner
Category: Conceptual Jewelry


Keiko Wada

Music Box
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2014 featuring Crystal
Gold Medal Prize Winner
Category: Home Décor and Doll


Keiko Wada

Miyabi
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2018 featuring Seed Beads
Finalist

Meet the Designer-Artist

Describe your artistic style.
Spontaneous.

Who inspires you as a designer-artist?
Tatiana Van Iten, Judy Walker, Laura McCabe

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
Natural materials, seed beads

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
The Necklace of a Mermaid

What inspired this design?
Children's story of mermaid princess.

How did it come together? For example, did you plan it out or did it define itself once you began working?
I combined my favorites in this necklace, shells and cultured freshwater pearls. I composed this necklace with the five cabochons, seed beads, cultured freshwater pearls, shells, cylinders and Czech glass beads. I made rose flower beads from polymer clay.

Share Your Background

When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
When I was a silver clay instructor, I was interested in beadwork.

Who introduced you to beading?
My friend taught me off of a loom.

Do you have an artistic background?
Bridal contest 2009 and silver prize in the Be Naturally Inspired Design Contest 2009 in Japan.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
When I bought a Bead and Button magazine I found the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads website.

What other hobbies do you have?
Swimming and scuba diving.

Beading Success

What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
Part-time career

If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
I hold individual shows.

Keiko's design, The Necklace of a Mermaid, won the Gold Medal Prize in the Pearls, Natural or Created category of the 2009 Fire Mountain Gems and Beads beading contest. Zoom in for a detailed view in the Gallery of Designs.

View all of Keiko's designs in the Gallery of Designs.

What inspired you to donate your bead(s) to Circle of Hope?


I was inspired to donate my necklace because I thought that I would like to carry out that I can do something to breast cancer.

What inspired you to donate your bead(s) to Circle of Hope?


I was inspired to donate my necklace because I thought that I would like to carry out that I can do something to breast cancer.