Hi all:

 I moved to Portland, Oregon SW near Tigard) two years ago (LOVE IT!) but that sadly meant moving away from my beading buddy.  So I am joining your community to find new people to talk beading with.  I mostly work with natural stone gems but recently got into crystals. 

Leebead

 You  are in a great city for beading!  Thanks for joining us here.

Lots of beaders, a great bead society, Alice Sheer's Center for the study of Bead work, David Horst's hand cut pendants at Saturday Market and a lot of Portland area members in this and the other B&B forums. In the last year some have moved away to other forums like Starving Artists.

Here's a thread started by David Horste  showing some his things: http://cs.artjewelrymag.com/artcs/forums/t/2624.aspx

There are a number of bead stores in Portland and many craft galleries. Saturday Market supports many bead related crafters. You are close to Shipwreck up in Olympia, Fire Mountain south of you and not even too far from Rings & Things up in Spokane. (Plus we do 2 trunk shows near you each year.)