Local woman opens beading supply shop
Berl Tiskus
Dacia Whitworth, proprietor of Northern Creations, displays some of her tri-cut beads. The way the beads are cut makes them sparkle.
Berl Tiskus
Hanks of tri-cut beads sparkle on the pegboard in Northern Creations, Dacia Whitworth’s new beading supply shop in Ronan.
Berl Tiskus
Randi Auld displays some moccasins she is beading using tri-cuts from Dacia Whitworth’s shop.
Berl Tiskus
Whitworth beads on all sorts of items, including baby pacifiers.
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RONAN — With a vintage suitcase painted with flowers in the front window, Dacia Whitworth’s bead supply store beckons shoppers and visitors to Ronan’s Main Street.
Northern Creations opened on Feb. 1, and Whitworth, owner and proprietor, was selling beads out of the box before she even got them displayed.
“I always wanted to open my own business,” Whitworth said, “but I never really knew what sort of business.”
Previously, Whitworth worked for Salish Kootenai College but left the college in August of 2012.
“It’s now or never,” she thought, considering what she could do that would survive.
Whitworth likes to bead, but she said she isn’t fast enough to bead professionally. She saw a niche selling beading supplies and beads.
Walking down Ronan’s main street, she spotted a storefront with buckets of paint and ladders inside so she talked to the building owner.
“Everything just kind of fell together,” Whitworth said.
Her boyfriend made display boards, and she bought new display cases on Craig’slist.
“The hardest thing is keeping my boards full,” Whitworth said, smiling.
Her most popular beads are size 9 tri-cuts. The faceted cut makes the beads sparkle and shine.
Whitworth said once she started using the tri-cuts, she hasn’t used any of her other beads.
“They are so vibrant,” she explained.
She also carries Swarovski crystals, rhinestone trim, other sizes of tri-cuts, the more traditional Charlottes, conchos, bells, sinew, patterns, needles, glass and other beading supplies.
Stressing that she wants to be a supplier, not a gift shop, Whitworth added she wants to be part of the team on the reservation, not part of the competition.
She also may accept consignments of new beadwork or hitched horsehair items.
Northern Creations is located at 309 B Main, and the phone number is 406-830-7548.
