Artist Bio

About French beaded flower designer Fen Li

I remember having blue and pink beads scattered all the living room teaching myself to make roses from a book while I was supposed to be working on homework. I hear the garage door opening. I scamper to gather up my beads and run to my room. I beaded clandestinely because my parents insisted that I should read instead.

My passion for the old-world art of French beaded flowers began in college. I had just come home from the Bead and Button show inspired and started searching for beadwork online.

French beading is a traditional art that originated in France and spread all over Europe in the 1500’s. French maids took discarded beads from making extravagant gowns and strung them on wire and transformed them into flowers. Many royals including Marie Antoinette, Napoleon’s Josephine, and Princess Grace have had French beaded flowers in their possession because of their timeless beauty.

After college, I began a career in finance. I come home stressed and my husband suggested that I bead again. And so I rekindled my relationship with beads. At the same time, the handmade renaissance was making a comeback. Over the years, my designs have evolved from traditional stems to accessories and back to designing realistic flowers in its many forms.

Now, I’m passionate about teaching and is committed to passing on the legacy of this timeless art to others.

 

Find out more about French beading