About Us

The Nordic Gypsy opened in August of 1994. We are a bead and jewelry store in Rochester, Minnesota. We are located downtown, within walking distance of the Mayo Clinic, and nestled in between a couple of antique stores on Historic Third Street.

Meet the People of Nordic Gypsy

Beth Kraft frequented the store, taking classes and buying beads until she and her husband Curt decided to buy it. The beads had taken over their lives and they just couldn’t help it. Beth has been involved in art her whole life. Some of her art interests are design, watercolor, and collage. Her favorite thing about the Nordic Gypsy is the people - the customers, teachers, bead salespeople, and employees that have passed through the store over the years.

Curt Kraft, our fearless vice-president provides much-needed support in the form of sweet treats, pizza, light-bulb changing assistance, and helpful advice. He tears himself away from the Nordic Gypsy to work at Rochester Public Utilities. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing and traveling to exotic locales like China.

Willow Svien has managed the store for four years. Her favorite thing about the store is that it allows people to get in touch with their creativity she has seen shy Minnesotans who only wore tiny gold jewelry develop into passionate individuals obsessed with playing with color and design. Outside the store, she loves volleyball, yoga, traveling, and reading.

Carolyn has worked at the store since 1998. She works on Mondays and has developed her own following, her Monday clientele. Outside of the Nordic Gypsy, she enjoys gardening, writing, and traveling. Ask her about her trips to Spain and Greece she’s the most well-traveled of all of us beadheads. She says that her favorite thing about the store is color! (It helps prevent seasonal affective
disorder :-))

Rebecca joined the store in 2001. We all enjoy her cheerfulness and her energy. A Registered Nurse outside the store, Rebecca usually works on Thursday evenings or Saturdays, though occasionally you can see her during the week. She has a wide variety of interests, including motorcycle riding, photography and music. Her favorite thing about the store: The fun people to work with.

Lisa joined our staff in 2001. She also usually works Thursday evenings or Saturdays. Frequently she works during the late afternoons as well. A student at the Studio Academy here in Rochester, she enjoys theater, movies, and David Bowie.

Paula is our newest employee (2002) and we are delighted to have her. She works quite a bit during the week and the occasional Saturday. She enjoys quilting, taking her dog Halley (a registered therapy dog) to the pediatric floor of
the hospital, tennis, and volunteering. Her response to the question what is your favorite thing about the store was, "Oh my - the beads!" (Which is definitely my favorite response.)

We have several college students that return every year to help us do inventory (groan). LeeAnne has worked here (forever) since March of 1997. She is the employee who has worked here the longest. She is graduating from the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse this spring with a major in Biology, a minor in Chemistry, and a GPA of 3.96. (We are so proud!) Outside of work and school, she enjoys beading, biking, and rollerblading. When asked what her favorite thing about the store is - or better yet, why she returns year after year, she said, "It’s the people." Laurie and Emily are also returning employees who help us out.

We also have Nordic Gypsy groupies that cheer us up. Eric has been visiting the Nordic Gypsy since 1994. An avid bead collector, he has recently purchased a
torch, an annealer, and a trailer so he can make his own glass beads. Eric’s favorite things about the store are the people and that we have different
beads. Mandy brings excitement and enthusiasm whenever she enters the store. She complements everyone’s lasted creations and always has a new
project to show. Vicki and her children Carly and Corin brighten up our lives, especially when they bring in their crazy animals - goats, sheep, dogs...
Terri and Jeanne are friends from Pine Island who started taking classes here two years ago. Now they teach classes here and make us as happy as clams
when they stop by to visit. When Jeanne was asked what her favorite thing about the Nordic Gypsy was, she replied, "The people. Here I feel accepted; they
appreciate me for my uniqueness."

Tips For Our Customers

Please, please, please ask us questions, bring us your bead or class requests, and show us your finished pieces - or pictures of your children or pets!

Also, our classroom is available for you to use if we are not holding a class. You can sit in the back, use our tools, peruse our books and magazines, and ask us for help.

We have a kid’s table for the little ones; and, for spouses who aren’t interested in beads (egads!), there is a bakery/café close by. Also, if there is something that you think we can improve upon, let us know that too!

New Beaders

We understand when you are overwhelmed by all of the choices! Sometimes, we feel that way too! Let us know that you are a new beader.

Tell us, "I’ve never done this before but I’d like to make a necklace (or whatever it is you want to make)." We’ll show you a simple way to make a necklace and we’ll tell you how to select beads at our store, using a tray, plastic bags, and a marker.

If what you want to make is challenging, we will either show you some books or magazines or talk to you about classes. If you would like further help selecting colors or designing the necklace, let us know. We love to "play" at work! We hope that you enjoy playing with color and design too! Don’t worry about your "artistic ability."

We often hear, unfortunately, from beginners, "I’m not artistic; I have no color sense." Here are two secrets we have learned. First, everyone is creative and that means you too! Secondly, beading is about playing, not perfectionism. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just make sure you’re having a good timeJ. A note about classes - most can accommodate beginners. If you feel unsure of the difficulty level of a class, ask us for advice.