Beads by Gosh is a unique line of jewelry made by Susie Wilgosh, a longtime local of Jasper. Her designs are sold exclusively in Jasper at Mountain Air and Open Country stores. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind and incorporates a wide range of materials from authentic semi-precious stones and crystals to lighter, more affordable synthetics. Susie Wilgosh of Beads by Gosh comes from a family of artists and craftspeople. Her father was a woodworker and her mother was one of the first art teachers in Hinton. She and her siblings, one brother a cartoonist, the other skilled at wildlife paintings, have all inherited a strong creative instinct. Susie has been making beads for over a decade since 2003 when she and her daughter entered into a local craft fair and she was encourage to pursue bead-making as more than just a hobby. Her designs are inspired from a wide variety of sources. Susie says she keeps an eye on newscasters to see what they’re wearing, reads magazines, and loves to try new designs and materials. Sometimes the staff at Mountain Air will make requests based on a trend or what colours of clothing we have in stock. For materials, Susie brings in beads from all over. Authentic Swarovski crystals will come in from Austria, but she also keeps an eye out for new stones and beads as close to home as Edmonton and as far afield as Jamaica. In her 9 by 11 foot beading room filled to the brim with supplies, Susie crimps, cuts, and shapes her pieces. While Susie has been asked to sell her work elsewhere and online, she finds it easier to just sell in the two local stores. “If something goes wrong I can fix it, at least for locals,” she says. Mountain Air is always receiving new pieces from Susie and trading out old stock, resulting in an ever-changing collection of jewelry. While Susie often uses semi-precious stones and exotic material like lava beads and freshwater pearls from Vietnam, many of her earrings, bracelets, and necklaces are designed to be more affordable and start at only $5 for bracelets and earrings to $20 for one-of-a-kind necklaces. Browse some of her designs below or come in to see the latest from Beads by Gosh.
Mountain Air 