Teddy Bear Bead Discovery

Sometime in high school, I had ordered a large quantity of painted wooden 10 mm beads. (Are you interested? They still sell the same basic variety here at Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.)

Pretty beads

At one point, I decided I was sick of sifting through all sorts of beads to find a match. So I sorted these painted beads into their patterns. I lumped all the red painted beads together and called it a day.

Fast forward some five or so years, and here I am, using those same wood beads to assemble earrings. I thought all the red beads had the same design, a golden swirl design that looks like a Chinese dragon.

Yeah, that design. 

Upon closer inspection, I saw that about half of them had a slightly different design with the same colors. I set aside the second design and created some earrings using them today. As I'm working with them, I kept squinting at the bead, asking myself, What is that picture supposed to be?

The beads in question.

I have concluded that my beads are covered in teddy bears. Mostly. There are also some smaller pictures that look like a purse or picnic basket, and some that just look like scribbles.

See that picture on the third from the left? Suspiciously like a picnic basket, right?

I am quite surprised that I have gone this long without realizing this. It was a nice surprise. I hope others will find these earrings as cute and charming.