Company / Contact Information

Bonita Bead can be contacted via phone (239-390-2208) during normal business hours or anytime via our on-line form. The on-line form also allows you to sign up for our emailed newsletter - subscribers receive special coupons.

How we started

In the late 1990's Connie and Rob had a retail resort wear shop that sold costume jewelry. You know how it is with costume jewelry, it's either too long or too short, doesn't have a matching bracelet or earrings, and how about an anklet? Not to mention that costume jewelry sometimes needs repair. They started buying beads to complement the existing jewelry, took some classes to learn construction and now you could guess that is how Bonita Bead was born. Also, the accumulated beads took up so much room, that Connie couldn't get her car in her oversized garage, the beads had taken over.

Bonita Bead first opened in late fall of 2002 in a small (less than 600 sq. ft.) building in Bonita Springs. Connie was in heaven, thought that she could sit and bead all day surrounded by all the beautiful beads they had acquired over the years. Wrong. In less than six months it became apparent that the little bead shop was much too small. Right next door was a church that was moving to new headquarters, so they packed up all the beads and moved into a 2,500 sq. ft. building. They wondered how they could ever fill all the new space, not to mention the three classrooms they had acquired. As time went by all the wall space was filled, the class rooms and glass studio are occupied and all is well in bead world at our spacious pink building on Old 41 Road.

Meet US

Owners of Bonita Bead
	Connie D'Attilio Connie moved to Florida from upstate New York in the early 1990's for the sole purpose of playing golf. However living within walking distance to the Gulf of Mexico was a little enticing and boating took over, and then came the BEADS. It started innocently enough with a few classes, a few beads here and there and when she converted her kitchen panty to bead storage, not to mention the garage, she knew she was hooked. The golf clubs have long since been donated to a local thrift store, and the boats have also left the scene. Since the opening of Bonita Bead she has very little time to bead or teach. The teaching she leaves to our very qualified instructors, at Bonita Bead, and beading is left to mini vacations or her absolute favorite - Cruising.
Robert A. Rough Rob moved to Florida in 1997 to escape the snow and cold winters "up North". He opened a resort wear store in the local flea market which he later sold to devote full time to the burgeoning bead business. The back room operation is his expertise. Turquoise, coral, and Afghani lapis are his favorite stones which he uses to design his fashionable jewelry.
Year Round Instructors
	Valerie R. Jewell Valerie is one of our store assistants and instructors who teaches classes in wire working, beading, PMC, glass fusing, and more. She has working knowledge of many other aspects of jewelry design and construction, too. Val has taught at several locations over the past seven years and we are happy to have her with us now. Val is the current President of the Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Southwest Chapter and has been published in Step By Step Wire Jewlery. Her awards consist of a third place in an on-line contest and she has won numerous awards in Cape Coral Art Studio, Gallery Shows, and Florida Society of Goldsmiths competitions. Valerie has taken numerous classes with nationally known instructors in wire wrapping, bead making, and silver smithing. See Valerie's work on display at Bontia Bead and the Bone Hut in Bonita Springs, Florida; Cape Coral Art Studio in Cape Coral, Florida; Big Arts Gift Shop in Sanibel Island, Florida; and Cottage by the Sea in Hancock, Maine.
Judy Lydon Judy is one of our store assistants and instructors who teaches classes in Chinese Knotting, crocheting with wire, treasure pouches, some beading and Polymer Clay. Judy has studied the healing properties of gems and minerals since 1985 with workshops under Jacquie Millspaugh of West Palm Beach. She has been making healing jewelry and belts for five years and also enjoys eastern philosophy, Chinese knots, and wire techniques. Judy's work is available at the Q Gallery in downtown Orlando, Florida; and The Bone Hut and Bonita Bead, in Bonita Springs, Florida. Judy is usally at the store on Thursdays - Saturdays
	Carol A. McGoldrick Carol is one of the original Bonita Bead instructors and her favorite class to teach is Basic Beading because seeing a beginner's face light up after making their first bracelet and pair of earrings is very rewarding. Her other favorites also include Peyote and Herringbone stitch. She also teaches freeform knotting, embellished donuts, right angle weave, illusion style necklace, and more. Carol is originally from Windham ME and now resides in Naples Florida. Her beading addiction started more than 20 years ago at The Beadin' Path in Freeport ME, where she worked part time and then quit her real job to work at beading fulltime. Carol has taken classes from Maine to Florida, exchanging ideas and techniques with other beaders. Her passion has been passed on to her 12 year old granddaughter, Anna, who started beading when she was five and now makes jewelry for family, friends and teachers. At Bonita Bead, Carol is known as the "Crystal Queen" because she can't seem to put a project together without adding the beautiful colors and shapes of Swarovski Crystals. Carol's work is on display at Bonita Bead, Bonita Springs, FL., Corinne's Salon, Naples FL., #5 Salon, Windham ME., and Tonyaís Wellness Center, Casco, ME. Carol is usually working Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri and Saturdays.
Olivia A. Perez She is a high school student and granddaughter of Connie, Bonita Bead’s Manager and Buyer. Olivia is the main photographer at Bonita Bead. She has taken just about every class Bonita Bead has to offer, and is an accomplished beader. Her favorite beading classes are spiral bracelet, zig zag bracelet, loom weaving bracelet, and glass fusing.
Seasonal Instructors
	Britta Svensson Britta Svensson is one of our winter-only store assistants and a guest instructor, who is a native of Sweden. She started beading and taking classes at Bonita Bead in 2006. She has also taught beading and wire wrapping at a local school in Sweden. Her favorites are the crochet necklace and Ndebele bracelet.
Karen L. Cohen Karen is one of our winter-only store assistants, a guest instructor and our webmaster. She specializes in Bead Embroidery and also gives classes in Brick Stitich and other off-loom bead weaving techniques. Karen is an enamelist, specializing in Cloisonne, and has written the book, The Art of Fine Enameling. Her newest hobby is machine embroidery and ribbon embroidery. Karen teaches at various locations in Pennsylvania, where she lives, New Jersey, and in Maine at an art summer camp, Camp Medolark, where she set up their enameling and beading studios. She has taken classes from many nationally known instructors in a wide variety of media such as enamels, metals, beads, fibers and more. You can see some of Karen's work at Bonita Bead in Bonita Springs, FLorida; Helio Gardens Gallery in Key West, Florida; and on her website. She frequently enters exhibitions and challenges to show her work; see her website for details.
	Laquita Carter Laquita will be teaching polymer clay and bead stitching.
Other guest instructors: Carmen Haynes - teaches Pine Needle Basket weaving Desiree Biesterfield - teaches pearl knotting Merrie Roderick - teaches glass fusing