Bead and Button Show Report 2010

Better late than never, here is my thoughts on the B&B Show this year (last years report is here and 2008 is here). I love coming to this show. This year, I drove with my friend Joanne, and two new friends Tricia and Rana (sp?) through Chicago (that took 2 hours!! Two hours?! Why didn't I take the train? Oh, yes, fun with the girls - that's why. But seriously - two hours? Don't you people in Chicago work? Or take the subway, etc??).

But that's negative thoughts and I don't want to be negative! Once I got to Milwaukee, and unloaded my wares into the hotel room, I started my search for my buddies: Marcia, Janice, Tracy and found them right where I knew that they wouldn't disappoint me! It was a fun evening with laughs, giggles and almost musical chairs as we were joined by Dallas Lovett and his trusty side-kick, Sam Mayo. What a wonderful welcome to Milwaukee!

My duties in Milwaukee are so easy: I do my best to make Marcia shine as she teaches for 4 full days. Her classes are full of so many nice, interesting and fun students that it's something that I really love to help with. It also helps me with my teaching skills and learning how to help students better. How can I miss with the great projects that she has to help with?

I thought that the show floor wasn't as crowded as in some years past, but it was far from empty. Just look at all these vendors! Many booths had lines around them with happy customers parting with their cash...that's a good thing.

My stash this year is different than it has been in some years. A couple of kits - Marcia's (of course) and Jill Wiseman's "Night at the Opera" bracelet, along with a few crystals. Just a few mind you. The hat was in the B&B bag (and I will never wear it), a Toho mug, some samples that I was lucky enough to get handed as I walked through the show floor. What am I going to do with all these crystals? I don't exactly know, but I know that Lafaye from Virginia was happy to see me (multiple times)...

How's this for a find? The long crystals were $7.00 a piece and I splurged on them. The rest of the crystals in this picture cost me ....$5.00! They were in a grab bag at the John Allen booth (and I bought 5 grab bags) and they are stunning. There are a few scratch and dents, but for the most part are pieces that I can use in bead embroidery or capturing with a bezel.

To close out this story, here is a picture of my good friends during out last dinner in Milwaukee (liberated the picture from Marcia's blog, thank you very much): Tracy Stanley, Marcia DeCoster, Jeannette Cook, Janice Berkebile, and me! Even better is that I will be on a bead cruise with Tracy and Marcia next March (see my previous post about this). I have even signed up for Tracy class so that I can play with hammers - does that mean that I am going to the dark side?And I am looking forward to next year's show already!!

Beading Across America

During the 2009 Bead and Button show, I met with Amy Katz and briefly with Paulette Baron and was invited to join them in a book that they were editing with Sherry Serafini called "Beading Across America." I had a project that they were interested in the book, that I blogged about last April called Spring.

During this Bead and Button show, I saw a poster of the cover of the book - and it suddenly became real to me! It's really going to happen, and I am in the book. OMG.
Preorders for the book are available on the Kalmbach Bookstore!

Less than 300 days from now...

Bead Cruise 2011!

This is be my 5th bead themed cruise and my third with Heather Powers, Bev Herman and Bead Cruise. I really enjoy cruising (which I never thought that I enjoy). This next March will be extra special since we will be cruising with my favorite instructors: Dallas Lovett, Tracy Stanley and Marcia DeCoster!

But while I still have quite a wait for this Bead Cruise - another great bead thing is happening next week, it's time for the Bead and Button Show! I leave on Tuesday, driving to Milwaukee with a few bead friends from the Great Lakes Guild. I will be assisting Marcia DeCoster for four days in class, reconnecting with friends from past years, shopping and just generally having fun.

I wonder what kind of great things I will find this year?

A little embarrassed...

I'm posting my little heart off over the last month or so, and can't understand why I am not getting any comments. NONE!! I thought for certain that the tattoo would have prompted some comments - even if it was that people thought that I was insane (not too far from the truth). Nothing.

Then, I was posting this mornings post when I noticed something in settings. It was set so that I had to approve all the comments. Hell? When did I turn that setting on? I don't remember doing that. Was I drinking? Was I smoking crack?

I had a lot. LOT. of comments to approve. And only one to be deleted (I can't read Chinese).

My bad....

Fanfare

Finally finished with this bracelet. Having a chubby wrist means that I needed to make more components than the directions called for, but I finally had enough over the weekend. I strung them together and took photos in the early morning light.
The sparkle on mine is very, very nice, but not as sparkly as the original. Marcia's has BLING, while mine has bling. I didn't have access to double AB jet bicones, but I had a lot of plain AB jet bicones, which is what I used. I still love it.
Is there anyone else out there that hears "Fanfare" and automatically puts in "for the common man" which was on an Emerson, Lake and Palmer recording?

I did it...

After years and years of thinking about and threatening to get a tattoo, I finally did it. I have thought about moose (of course), teddy bears, Korean script and more - but I never did commit to anything over the years. That was until last year when I saw Ben Houstie's print of a flock of hummingbirds. I just love the stylized hummingbirds that he has drawn.

Well, I committed Friday night and had my lower leg tattoed. I love it. Learning how to take care of it was interesting - none of the web pages tells you exactly what to do and for how long - just bits and pieces and lots of conflicting information. So, I'll do what Mark from Liquid Chaos suggested. This picture was from this morning - about 12 hours after the tattoo was done. The colours will even out as it heals.

I love it. Yes, it hurt - but not as much as a root canal. It was more of an annoyance for about an hour, if the pain scale was a 10 total, I might have hit 5 a couple of times. It's almost completely impossible to describe.

Am I glad that I did it? Yup? And would I get another tattoo? Most likely - but I won't just jump into one - it's got to speak to me as this hummingbird did.

OMG!! Found it!

A zillion years ago, I posted that I had to remake Marica DeCoster's business card case because I lost it and couldn't find it anywhere? Guess what I found today?

I put on a jacket that I don't wear very often (over the head, no zipper, but does block the wind well and I bought it in Korea in 1999 so I am sentimental over it), and there it was in the pocket. Go figure!!

What am I doing?

• Beading another necklace piece
• Earrings from an Ann Benson kit (I don't like peyote bezels around a large crystal so I modified it to RAW)
• Spring gardening (if this rain would stop)
• Zentangles
• Saving for a tattoo and checking out shops and different artists work.
• Work

Another teaser

Working on another movie inspired necklace - just the beginnings to make certain that my "ah-ha" moment from last weekend really does work. So far there has been several take out and put back together moments to see that the spacing between these wonderful crystals (a find from Bead and Button show last year) really does work and the curvature (I just googled this word to ensure that it is a word and I did spell it correctly, but the definition is making my brain bleed) lays correctly.

More on the movie lately, but it does star two well known actors, but I don't believe that the movie is widely known....If I continue finding jewelry from old movies to emulate, will I become rich and famous? I doubt it....

African Record

Recently I won some really cool sequins from Judith at BeadLine - I love them. I started this record the other day and it's progressed really nicely. There are some cupped sequins that were pretty dirty in this bunch, but a little water and a q-tip - viola! Clean.

I won't have enough to fill the entire space, which is fine as I have a plan (you know, one of those things that comes to you with the lightbulb over the head? Yes, it was one of those moments). I am going to finish the rest of the record with size 11 seed beads in black, alternating rows of matte black and shiny black; like the grooves of a record. Brilliant if I must say so myself.

Judith - was this what you pictured when you selected me?

Bead Journal Project - March 2010

It's a chilly and blustery March day - rain, wind and dreary. I sit here and watch the fountain grass out the window blowing back and forth and but I'm staying warm in my old man sweater and having fun beading. So I worked today on my March knob - painted with bright green nail polish and beaded with brown, lime and turquiose.

March is complete, being installed in a couple of minutes.

I like it.

It's a good day.

And I am....

....a Winner!!

Judith posted on her site about what we would do with these heshi beads from record albums if we had them. I wrote that I would do a bead embroidered record - I thought it would be interesting to turn them back into a record, eh? I received a message from Judith telling me that I had a great idea and I won! http://beadline.blogspot.com/2010/02/african-sequins.html

And more "Lovett"

Designed by Dallas Lovett

Finally, after a year, I had the courage to

start and complete it.

I wonder what other kits I have laying around that I need to complete?

Classes over...

...and back to work in the morning. It was a wonderful four days of classes with the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild. I was actually class assistant for Dallas Lovett for those days, but with the inspiration (and jokes) flying through the building - it was awesome. Above Dallas is giving a demonstration of what is the correct technique. Below is a photo of the masters' hands and several attentive students.

I managed to make one project in the class and purchase a couple more - I'm going to be a walking billboard for Dallas in the Metro Detroit area. The La Fiesta earrings below were made in a couple of evenings at home and the pendant "Time Beads On" was made during class

It was fun to meet and spend some time talking with all the instructors - Nancy Cain, Huib Peterson, and of course - Tracy Stanley. What a talented group of artists to be assembled in Michigand and I got to be part of it. Wow - I am so lucky.

It's going to be a good week...

I work Monday and Tuesday, then I have a guild meeting with the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild on Tuesday evening - with our Bead Daze instructors! This year, the GLBG has brought in Dallas Lovett, Nancy Cain, Huib Petersen and Tracy Stanley to teach for four days - February 17th through the 20th.

The GLBG is a great group of beaders - and I have been a member for over 10 years now. I remember going to my first bead show hosted by the guild - and being stunned that there were more bead-crazy people out there. I joined the guild, volunteered at many of our Bead Bonanza Shows and have since become the webmaster for the guild and attend many of the board meetings.

I have made some really good friends that are in this guild and

people I have met because of this guild.

I mean, without the guild - could I have done much of the beadwork that I have learned? I don't think so. We, as a guild, ROCK!!

(I'll be back next week, hopefully with some pictures!)

Happy Birthday!

I was commissioned to make a business card case for one of the physicians that I work with. For the last couple of weeks, I have been been working on this for Zahraa - hoping to finish it for her birthday! I made my deadline of today and will be able to give this her tomorrow! Of course this is a pattern by Marcia DeCoster - in right angle weave. I used a rectangle Swarovski button with the two colors of silver beads. Love it!

I'm a winner!!

That's winner, not whiner! Look what I won! Isn't it just me!?

(I know, I know; it's me and just a little over the top! But it's a sassy passport cover - that's why I had to try to win on Ebay!)

Better late than never

I am a member of two bead guilds in Michigan - the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild and Saginaw Valley Bead Society. Last November, three beading buddies and I travelled five hours north to Traverse City, MI and the Saginaw Valley "Beading Fantasy Weekend." What a nice weekend. We have done this three years in a row and each year is a lot of fun. Sharon, Jeanette, Diane and myself share a hotel room overlooking Grand Traverse Bay.

On Friday, the program begins in the evening and we spent the day visiting downtown Traverse City where Sharon found these great "S.L.U.T" cups - it stands for "Stressed-out Ladies Unwinding Together" - which were great for the hard cider and wine that we bought.

We also went to several of the local wineries - which are wonderful! While leaving one of the vineyards, I asked Jeanette to stop the car so that I could take a photo of the wonderful grapes on the vine.

Awesome! And the woman at Chateau Chantel was nice enough to take a photo of the four of us.

The Saginaw Valley Bead Society does a really nice job putting this small retreat (55 persons) together. The "goodie" bag is wonderful and full of great items. They have small classes for all levels of beading, sell their kits, have an open beading area from 11am to 6pm - then a group project for everyone to enjoy. It's a nice group of ladies to know.

We found a great place for carryout for dinner on Saturday - it was a small market on the main road into town - and they had shrimp - boiled shrimp - OMG! The Bayside Market also has jerky, cheese, a deli, wine, spirits; on certain days they have BBQ ribs and chicken - grilled right in front of the store. We had the shrimp on Saturday and received some jealous glances from the other beaders!!

And all good times must come to an end - on Sunday, we packed up the car, Jeanette waved goodby to the Bay and we drove home...can't wait for next year

Progress...but not in beading

I am doing the Happy Dance in Detroit (it's like the Electric Slide, but without all the people watching)!! My blood pressure is down from 160/90 in August to 121/71 in October - which made me very happy. My change? I switched from diet Mountain Dew to Caffeine Free diet Mountain Dew (I have to say I am sorry to everyone who I have laughed at over the years for drinking the Caffein Free diet Mountain Dew) and I have cut out about 1 mug of coffee a day.

The rest of my numbers are getting in the right direction, and since the start of Weight Watchers (yeah, again), my next fasting blood numbers should be even better. My LDL (good cholesterol) is acceptable (do you think its the cup of Cheerios almost every morning or is that a coincidence?), blood sugar acceptable, and I have lost 10 pounds since January 9th.

Ten pounds lost, only ten more pounds - about 9 times. Progress is slow, but heading in the right direction.

2009 in Review

I saw this over on Melissa & Kris's blogs (I bet you two didn't think that I read them...) and hmmmm, some of these questions really make me think. Here I go!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Alan and I had the opportunity to go on a cruise to Alaska. ALASKA! It's magical. Also, I won first prize for designing a bead pattern for a starfish for the 2010 Bead-A-Day pattern. Thank you Sharon for FORCING me to do this!

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? For the most part, I don't make resolutions, but I will be making one for 2010. I need to loose weight. Not I want to or I should. I need to. My BP was 160/90 in August and down to 121/71 in October.

3. How will you be (did I) spending New Year’s Eve? The same way I spend most weekend evenings - beading and watching old movies. I actually stayed up until after midnight.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My father passed away in February. Enough said.

5. What countries did you visit? Canada (and two states that I hadn't been in before: Washington and Alaska)

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? I'd like for my health to be better.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 2009 - the vision from my Alaskan cruise. Those who know me, know that I am not a religious person. Something in this trip changed inside me to a little more spiritual - not necessarily religious - but spiritual!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? First place in a contest for a beaded starfish. The best part was that when I wrote the instructions, I didn't realize I was entering the contest - I just did it.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not sticking to "lifestyle changes" the way that I should have.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? This damn getting older stuff is rough on my body. If I would just feel older mentally, not just physically.

11. What was the best thing you bought? The camera that my husband bought me and I have become a believer in Bare Minerals line of products. I never thought that I would really like a brand as much as I like these...

12. Where did most of your money go? Home Mortgage.

13. What song will always remind you of 2009? Detroit 67 by Sam Roberts

14. What do you wish you’d done more of? Keep in touch with family a little better. I get together with friends, but forget about family. We have never been real close, and I don't know if that's bad, but I should keep in better touch.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eat.

16. What was your favorite TV program? Turner Classic Movies.

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Actually, yes I do. Hate might be too strong of a word, but there is a person who I don't care for as much as I used to.

18. What was the best book you read? Beading books of course ... Marcia's, Rachel's and Diane's

19. What was your greatest musical discovery? None.

20. What was your favorite film of this year? I think that I went to one movie in 2009 - Sherlock Holmes - just after Christmas. It was good.

21. What did you do on your birthday? Worked, what else?

22. What kept you sane? My husband, my friends and my beads.

23. Who did you miss? Dad

24. Who was the best new person you met? Several of the new Beady Friends on the Bead Cruise - Ruth, Beth, Jodi, and more...

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009: Just because you can eat it, doesn't mean that you should...

Bead Journal Project - January 2010

True to my promise, I'm back! I had an idea for my first couple of beaded knobs.

The first knob is a modified "Terracita" style medallion from my friend, Marcia's book. It was modified to fit the knob, which is wood and was painted with pink nailpolish (why buy paint, when I have nailpolish?).

The next knob is just a simple swirl of colours with beads that are leftover from a kit that I have. I love the texture that the swirl evokes.

Back when I have something else going on!!