Michelle Powell, and Rebecca Hughes are the key players in the exciting, all-new team of editorial staff, who have transformed Beads and Beyond magazine.

Michelle Powell, Editor

My love of crafting started as a child with a passion for making felt toys, bead jewellery and paper dolls. I’d squirrel away bits of ribbon, scraps of shiny card and lovingly recycle them into something new. Thirty years later nothing much has changed, except I now I get paid!

After graduating as an art teacher I was lucky enough to get a job in the craft industry, designing rubber stamps, creating stamped examples, teaching workshops and demonstrating. Here I first started writing magazine articles on stamping and paper crafts and wrote my first book.

I then got my dream job as Editor of Practical Crafts magazine and went on to be editor of Scrapbook Magic. In order to fulfil a lifelong dream, myself and my partner Christian decided to design and build our own house, so I became a freelance author so that I could continue working in crafting and project manage the build. During this time I also wrote articles on scrap booking, paper crafts and jewellery making for several magazines as well as working on another four books, and briefly editing Craft Stamper Magazine before going on maternity leave last year.

Having just had a little girl I’ve now returned to work part time as Editor of Beads and Beyond magazine. I also am currently working on my 12th book and still haven’t finished the house!

I bring to Beads and Beyond 15 years experience working in the craft industry, of which 7 have been spent editing craft magazines, a passion for teaching proper techniques and skills ideas along with a personal love of jewellery making and a desire to share my hobby. 

michelle.powell@traplet.com


Rebecca Hughes - Assistant Editor

After graduating from University I was lucky enough to be offered a job photographing beads and jewellery for a bead company. Surrounded by such lovely beautiful beads every day creativity started flowing, I couldn’t help myself and soon became addicted!

My favourite form of jewellery making is wirework, being able to make something from just a length of wire and a couple of beads is really satisfying knowing you have made it from scratch!

I have always had a fascination with sparkly things since a young age. I would often dabble with polymer clay, raid bead shops with my pocket money and attempt to put a pair of earrings together, so I suppose I have always enjoyed being creative and making jewellery.

My degree specialised in photography and with my passion for jewellery making I really couldn’t have landed a more perfect job than on Beads & Beyond! I get to utilise everything I have learnt and everything I am passionate about.

I hope you all enjoy the magazine as much as we enjoy putting it together.

rebecca.hughes@traplet.com