Every bead embroiderer has his or own style. But Hungarian born Kinga Nichols is an unconventional bead artist and soul.  At a tender age of 19, she packed up her bags moved to the US. She lived in Florida, then New York where she painted murals but eventually gave it up for beads! 

She now lives in Colorado with her significant other and pets including a dog called Samantha Regina who models some of her work! Samantha Regina works for aged cheddar according to Kinga. 

Her obsession with beads and her tremendous imagination lead to awards and many fans. This bead designer and instructor's in person classes are currently on hold due to the pandemic. But she still teaches through design kits in her Etsy store, crimsonfrog, as well as scheduled online classes. Check her store and her Facebook page, kinga.nichols, regularly for updates. 


Relic Earrings Kit

She also shares other designs and musings on her blog, crimsonfrogdesigns. I have selected some of my favorites from all three of her sites.  

Kinga said she"is currently fascinated by fish with large underbites (much like Samantha Regina's very own underbite), and all things charmingly ugly, one might say the kind of beauty that only a mother could love." 

She is particularly fond of amphibians which explains her shop name. One of her latest amphibian themed designs is the Toad Hall bead embroidery kit below.  She explained how that name came about : "While I was working on this piece, I kept on thinking about the Wind in the Willows and my favorite little sociopath, Mr Toad."  She nailed Mr Toad's description in a single word!

It is her design quirkiness which makes her work a stand out. 


Toad Hall Bracelet Kit

Kinga also explained in her blog that teaching through projects is the norm where the instructor can assemble set materials for them. However teaching how to design is definitely more challenging as she estimates she would have to have on hand 5 times the materials.  I can relate to that as when I taught at my own jewelry design workshops back in Nova Scotia, I had to have on hand a lot of stock. 

So I thought that her current (at the time of writing) design kit offering is a wonderful compromise showcasing some inspirational designs but essentially allowing the beader to create a designer guided piece of their own! 



The designs above and below feature focals by Dorothy Spuri


Below is a picture of Kinga modelling her Raven necklace complete with a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe. 




Before You Go :

Disclosure 
This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation. 
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM