Summer Beading life after Bead and Button

The fun never ends on Planet Bead.  After the first week in June is over, we all rush home and hope to regroup for a time.  Ah, time to relax, pet the dogs, kiss the husband (or pet the husband and kiss the dogs - your call), think about a vacation (because as fun as the Bead & Button show is, it's still work), all the typical summer stuff.  And then...

It hits you......

The deadline for Bead & Button 2015 (51 weeks from that moment in time) is just 6 weeks away.

• What am I going to submit?
• Am I going to submit?
• What projects do I have that are worthy?
• What do I have that would go another year?

Oh, nuts!  I don't even have time to unpack my kits to see what I need to reorder for these kits, let alone think about a new pattern!

I went through some of the items that I had been beading on since the beginning of 2014 and determined that three of them would be B&B worthy.  Many people commented on two of my projects that didn't photograph well, but they wished they signed up for them because they were "stunning" (not my word) - so I will submit those three projects.  Whew!  With a few weeks to spare, I have some really nice pieces, and time to camp with the husband for a week.

The beading studio is a great set-up.  Plenty of natural light and fresh air.

Hard Apple Cider DOES count as a fruit, you know.

Late July - Early August: Now comes the time to right the description, figure out the items needed, the price of kit, photograph taken (in good light, simple background, etc.), hours needed to hit all the teaching points involved in the project, and to write up the instructions.  Jeesh!  That's all?  Yup.  For all five projects.

Boom - submitted.  Samples packed up, ready for mailing.   Done.  That monkey is off my back.  Beginning of August - life is good.  Summer is still here.

And we wait.  And wait.  And wait.  The jury process has to be so hard for the B&B Show staff.  How to decide?  Are evaluations for the 2014 show looked at in conjunction with the 2015 submissions?  Did the students like me enough from last year to write good stuff?  What about that one person who didn't?  Was I nice enough to the show staff?  Did my Meet the Teachers table look good enough?  My students seemed happy

And we wait.  But soon (mid-October to late November), artists and instructors will slowly start to hear if they have been accepted for next year.

Maybe, just maybe "I'll be back"!

 My Tzarina pendant was inspired by the center medallion in the piece on the right, which is part of the British royal jewels.