Meet Anna Woods | Bead Artist + Surface Pattern Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Woods and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always wanted to start a creative business and it’s been a goal for a long time to become an artisan in handmade markets. It wasn’t until my son was born that things started to fall into place. I started exploring beadwork and illustration during the long hours of the night in the early months of motherhood. It immediately sparked a feeling I hadn’t had since being a little kid, creating in my mama’s studio – that feeling of pure, unadulterated joy and freedom to explore the possibilities of my own imagination. It wasn’t long before I took advantage of this restored feeling and started Sugar Mad.

Why Sugar Mad? Coming from a design background, a catchy name and brand identity are really important to me and I knew I wanted sugar to be involved because, well, I’m a sugarholic. My friend’s parents used to stock their cabinets with Lucky Charms and Starbursts when they knew I was coming over. My mama would let me lick the bowl when she made brownies (or literally any baked good for that matter). I could eat an entire bag of Hershey’s peppermint kisses in one sitting. I’m all grown up now and sugar has become a special treat that I have greater respect for, in many ways, and so, Sugar Mad was born.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the Sugar Mad studio, I create hand-beaded jewelry and doodle illustrations. Everything I make is inspired by sugar-coated childhood nostalgia. Even the beads I use look like candy, but please do not eat! My designs are original and use every color in the rainbow. Fun fact: I do not have a favorite color, it’s just too hard to choose and it changes constantly. I take a lot of pride in my design work. It’s my favorite part of creating and most of the time I’m in Adobe Illustrator coloring up new goodies.

My design background is a huge part of my success in running my own business. I went to college at Colorado State University to get my degree in Design and Merchandising. I jumped into the fashion world as a Technical Designer working for brands like Spyder, Topo Designs, and Outdoor Voices. While I learned a LOT in this career path, I longed to start my own creative business. It took a long time to figure out what I would ultimately end up creating and I went through many phases of trying new things, none of which felt like my own or gave me as much joy as what I do now.

When I found beadwork, something just clicked. It’s like putting a very tiny puzzle together. That feeling you get when you finally finish a super challenging puzzle is what I feel every time I finish a piece of beadwork. But now, not only did I finish the puzzle, I designed it too. It became a passion project in the beginning, just teaching myself how to do the intricate and tedious weaving with such tiny beads. It very naturally grew into a business that I finally had the guts to launch in November of 2021. In many ways it felt really easy because it just felt right and my branding became cohesive and meaningful. It gave me a new purpose after leaving my carreer behind and starting a family.

Once my son was born the fire was certainly lit. I was suddenly given this opportunity to live childhood again in a totally different perspective as a parent. Watching him grow and learn brings all of that same nostalgia back of being a kid and experiencing everything for the first time. It’s truly a joy and that’s what flows into my design work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend(s) came into town I would start by grabbing some delicious ramen at Uncle so they’d be fueled for a hike on the Chief Hosa trail in Golden. We’d grab a crisp beer at Cannonball Creek Brewing Company and most likely pop over to get a flavor-packed Big Daddy bagel. We’d spend some time playing Spikeball at Wash Park and walk over to Devil’s Food Bakery for coffee and treats. I’d take them over to the Children’s Museum because my friends all have kids and that place is magic. We’d also go check out Meow Wolf because why not?! For dinner, we would head down to Boulder for Wild Pastures burgers and watch the sunset at Chautauqua Park until the stars came out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The biggest credit for my success and capacity to create goes to my mama. She taught me how to let my imagination run wild and free throughout my entire childhood and even still in adulthood. She had a massive studio in our house that was filled with endless whimsy. I spent countless hours in that space, listening to Led Zepplin, cutting out paper chains, sewing up Halloween costumes, painting fairies, and drinking hot chocolate with heaps of marshmallows. My parents have always supported my inner child and pushed me to grow in my creativity. Now that I’m an adult, raising my own child, I have a much greater appreciation for what they gave me and I am looking forward to sharing it all with my little one.

This brings me to my next shoutout, my husband, David. He has gracefully accepted the torch my parents lit and given me the gift to create my own studio space in our home. He doesn’t question my creative process, or the incredible messes I make. He is always out at markets cheering me on. He’s always stealing tools from my studio to explore his own creativity. He’s my lobster, (any Friends fans out there?).

Website: www.sugarmad.com

Instagram: @sugarmadstudio