I had several deliveries from Amazon last week, and one has proven to be extremely practical and functional.

As anyone who embroiders with beads knows, those little beauties have the predisposition to scatter when they fall – and boy can they travel.

So, imagine my surprise and delight when I ordered this item for one purpose, only to requisition it for another.

What is it?

A simple, velvet-covered jewellery tray – the sort that has an insert creating 24 small, square compartments.

PureSerendipity.cathyjackcoupland

Obviously highly suitable for tiny jewellery pieces, but in my opinion, perfect for the avid bead embroiderer.

And just by looking at it, you can see how many beads it holds, along with needles, threads, scissors, and even small scraps.

The other obvious attraction is the velvet covering that keeps the beads from moving around too much, making them more easily picked up by the needle.

Plus it’s transportable.  Sometimes I like to work outside when the weather’s fine and the tray is super easy and convenient to move – I just work with it on a cushion.

Purchased through Amazon it cost around $40 and is just a little larger than an A4 sheet of paper.

And when I finished my little project, clean-up was super easy as well, because everything I used was at hand.

So, even though my tray was purchased for a different purpose, it’s already become a bead embroiderer’s boon, and I just love it.

Pure serendipity.