I'm glad to be back home after traveling to the Bead & Button show, though it's a bit worrisome being close enough to the fire in the mountains that the house smells like bar-b-q and you can see little particles of ash float in the air. I'm hoping that the fire gets contained soon and everyone will be safe.
On a happier note, at the show I met some online folks in person for the first time, including a lovely blog reader (Hi, Ellen!), Vlad at Golem Studio, and the two talented authors of Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry, Erin Siegel and Lorelei Eurto. I also apparently missed seeing quite a few people. (See Andrew Thornton's blog—Day One, Day Two—for a virtual "meet and greet" of some of the talented jewelry and bead makers who were there. Diana Ptaszynski also has a nice post on some of the people she met.)
Bead Show Finds
I bought less at this show than in previous years, so if you're looking for
major eye candy, see the
great finds by Lori Anderson, Lorelei Eurto, Hilary Frye, and Carmi Cimicata.
Frankly, it's amazing that we were all at the same show; I didn't even
see some of their beads. It just proves that a good bead
show has something for everyone.
I stocked up on wire, chain, and Czech glass beads. Here are some of my other finds:
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This tree pendant from Green Girl Studios is already being transformed into a simple necklace with some pretty antiqued silver chain from Primitive Earth Beads. (It's a wonderful luxury to be able to match your chain and pendant in person, rather than guessing online.) The back of this pendant has a quote from Henry David Thoreau. |
Believe it or not, this porcelain bicycle pendant from Earthenwood Studio was actually on my shopping list. Biking is popular where I live, so this pendant seems perfect for creating a piece of local-inspired jewelry. | |
After stamping the word "love" repeatedly on some custom orders this spring, I decided I needed this metal heart stamp from Beaducation. | |
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I always buy at least one item at bead shows that I'm not quite sure how I'm going to use. This set is that item! I found these recycled vinyl flowers from The Beadin' Path fascinating, but I'm a little intimidated by their large size. (Don't be fooled by the small photo on this page—some of these pieces are the size of my fist.) |
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I love the matte appearance of sea glass. Plus, the cool glass feels great against your skin, making it just right for summer jewelry. ZNETSHOWS had a good selection and good prices, too. |
I was so excited about my purchases that I sketched some jewelry designs on the way home from the show. I hope to meet you at a future event!