Vendor Review: Artbeads.com

It’s been a while since I’ve done a vendor review (see my previous reviews here and here), and I have been shopping with Artbeads.com for quite some time now so I thought I’d share my experiences so far.*

Artbeads.com offers a full line of beads and supplies, so they are a great source if you make jewelry or other embellished items.  They even carry embellishments and stickers for scrapbooking and other crafts (and don’t forget to check out the clearance section). You can also visit their Learning Center for  handy jewelry-making tips, ideas, color inspiration, craft ideas, and more. Feed your beading passion with information, resources, and over 500 FREE bead and craft designs. Here are a couple of the fun projects they are currently featuring (click on the photos for complete instructions):

I use Artbeads.com as my primary source for the flat-back Swarovski crystals that I use to embellish my frames and tins. I previously bought these types of crystals at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, but I had to buy the packages one by one in order to use a coupon and get the best price, and then half the time they were out of the color or size I needed.  Artbeads.com has a great selection of Swarovski crystals (not just flat-backs, but beads, pendants and components as well) at reasonable prices, and I can buy in any quantity that I need.

Two of the things I like best about Artbeads.com are that there is no minimum order and they offer free shipping to the U.S.  So I don’t feel bad if I place an order then realize a couple days later that I need something else.  The typical turnaround time has been about a week, so I do have to plan ahead if I am running low on a particular crystal.  The crystals arrive carefully packaged and labeled:

I have also purchased a couple other items, namely this fleur de lis button:

and this bee charm:

The only downside of course is that I can’t see the crystal’s true color in person before buying.  However, I have been satisfied all but one time.  But it wasn’t a problem, due to Artbeads.com’s easy return policy.  I simply sent the item back with a copy of my invoice, and my account was credited. 

As with most other online retailers, if you set up an account or buy from them, they will send you frequent emails with sales and specials.  I been able to take advantage of one sale, but most of the time the order minimums for the discount is too high.

Overall, I have been fully satisfied with my shopping experiences at Artbeads.com so far and I will continue to shop with them in the future. 

*This review is based solely on my experiences.  I have not been paid or compensated in any way for this review.