Meet Helen of Foros Jewelry: Bead Embroidery, Handmade Jewelry & Creativity Beyond Limits

From a tiny beginner beading book gifted by her mother to creating elaborate competition pieces covered in seed beads, sequins, and crystals, Helen of Foros Jewelry has spent most of her life immersed in the world of beadwork. Originally from Ukraine and now living in Canada, Helen balances life as an engineer, a wife, mother of two energetic boys, and passionate bead artist—somehow finding space among all of it to continue learning, experimenting, and creating stunning beaded jewelry and accessories.

What makes Helen’s work especially captivating is her love of texture and technique. Whether she’s working with bead embroidery, bead crochet, french knots, or Swarovski crystals, her designs feel layered, intricate, and deeply personal. We sat down with Helen to talk about how she first discovered beading, the project she’s most proud of, and why this craft continues to inspire her after all these years.

Eureka Crystal Beads: Who are you? Introduce yourself and your platform!

Helen of Foros Jewelry: Hi, my name is Helen and I create beaded jewelry and accessories under the name Foros Jewelry. I am a Ukrainian living in Canada, a happy wife, a mom to two energetic boys, a coffee lover, and of course a beading enthusiast!

ECB: How long have you been beading? How did you get started?

Helen: I remember the day when my mom came into my room and gave me a gift—a small, purple book of no more than 30 pages called Beading for Beginners. I was ten years old at the time, and I’ve been beading ever since.

I still have that book, and even though I no longer consider myself a beginner, I still come back to it once in a while to remind myself of some of my favourite beading techniques.

ECB: What’s your one favorite thing about beading?

Helen: The best thing about beading is that there are so many different ways to create with beads. The possibilities are endless. I love that I never get bored with it because there is always a new technique I can learn!

I’ve already learned bead weaving, bead crochet, and bead embroidery. Next on my list is learning how to use the luneville hook so I can embroider beads and sequins onto larger pieces of fabric. I think that’s one of the most exciting things about this craft—there’s always somewhere new it can take you creatively.

ECB: If you were to choose only one stitch to work with for the rest of your beading days, which stitch would it be?

Helen: Although it’s not directly related to beading, I use the french knot a lot in my designs. I love how it adds texture to my work, and it’s such an easy stitch to use when I want to fill up space. Sometimes those little details end up making the biggest difference in a piece.

ECB: What’s your favorite project that you’ve done?

Helen: Back in 2021, I made a purse for a beading competition. It was my largest project to date and took a lot of sleepless nights to finish, but I absolutely loved the process.

The piece combined all of my favourite materials: seed beads, Swarovski crystals, Italian sequins, velvet, embroidery floss, metallic purl, and much more. My work made it into the semifinals, and although I didn’t win, I was still very proud of my accomplishment.

I think every artist has certain projects that push them outside their comfort zone and teach them what they’re really capable of. That purse was definitely one of those projects for me.

ECB: Tell us one unexpected or interesting fact about yourself!

Helen: I am a full-time structural engineer, which can be a very technical and stressful profession. That’s another reason why I love beading so much. It’s such a great way to relax after a long day at work.

There’s something very calming about sitting down with beads, thread, and fabric and slowly watching a piece come together one stitch at a time.

Helen’s story is such a beautiful reminder that creativity doesn’t have to fit into one box. Whether she’s engineering structures by day or embroidering crystals onto velvet late at night, her work reflects patience, curiosity, and a genuine love for the craft.

From bead weaving and embroidery to sequins and textile embellishment, Helen approaches beadwork with the kind of excitement that keeps this art form constantly evolving, and we can’t wait to see what she creates next!

Why Handmade Beading Continues to Inspire Makers

Helen’s story reflects something many people discover once they begin working with beads: beading is more than a hobby. It’s a lifelong creative practice filled with experimentation, craftsmanship, and community.

Whether you’re interested in:

• bead embroidery,
• handmade jewelry,
• seed bead projects,
• bead weaving,
• sequins and textile art,
• or artisan accessories,

there is always another technique to learn and another beautiful project waiting to be created.

And sometimes, it all starts with one little beginner beading book.

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Feeling inspired? Looking for a project to get started with right now? Check out Eureka's Design Center for FREE tutorials in all different beading styles! 

Want an all-in-one out of the box project you can make in just a few hours? Take a look at our beading kits!

Are You a Beader With a Story to Tell?

We love spotlighting the talented, passionate creators in the Eureka family! If you're a designer, YouTuber, pattern maker, or simply someone with a deep love for beads and a story worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you.

Fill out our interview interest form and you could be featured in an upcoming Eureka blog post for our Bead Lounge Interview Series — just like this one!