06/02/2026
I see lots of new followers (welcome!!), so it's the perfect time for a reintroduction. I’m Karina, the easily distracted artist behind Larkstrife Handmade Beadwork. It's obvious that I'm obsessed with beads and awesome stone cabochons, but I thought I'd share five less-obvious things about myself:
1. I collect hobbies, and there's not much I won't try at least once. My current obsessions are mosaics, soap making, and cross stitch. I've also recently tried pottery, stained glass, block printing, book binding, watercolour painting, and leather working. Next up ... maybe some more silversmithing or metal clay? (Though I wince at the current price of precious metals!)
2. I'm a fantasy and science fiction author. I had three novels (a trilogy!) published more than a decade ago, and have been publishing short stories since my late teens. I'm currently finishing a new novel. (Cross your fingers that I keep making my word targets during the busy market season!)
3. I've recently returned to another love in my life: bellydance. I may be rusty and out of shape, but it’s an absolute delight to remind my body how to move, as well as to spend time with other dancers. (Making costumes is also entertaining, even if I'm absolute nonsense at garment construction. I can bead, but sewing is a whole other skillset!)
4. My husband and I are slowly DIY renovating our home, which we've learned was probably built around 1900. We're doing our best to update necessary things (getting rid of mold! adding insulation! fixing leaks!) while trying to respect the original style and finishes. I leave things like plumbing and electrical work to my beloved spouse, while tackling things like drywall, tiling and painting myself.
5. I almost never drink alcohol, but feel like no day is complete without tea and chocolate. Forget the wine - I want small-batch bean-to-bar dark chocolate with a beautiful cup of oolong tea. (Or maybe lavender Earl Grey, or some floral green tea, or maybe a decaf black tea, or or or)
Thanks for joining me on my beading adventures! Tell me, what unexpected things do we have in common?
