Did you survive the Bead&Button Show?
I did! And one thing I learned this time around is that beaders love to
show each other their work, their purchases, and what they learned
along the way. Here at Bead&Button, BeadStyle, and Art Jewelry, we’ve been doing show and tell all day long. Let me show you a few of my own creations and finds:
I took Naomi Sakuma’s Prima Rosa Lariat
class to learn beginner bead looming. I got to buy my own Toho loom and
I’ve completed about 1½ feet of this 4-foot-long lariat. I discovered
that I love looming! It’s very meditative…
I also took Kate Richbourg’s Free-Form Wire Pendant
class. The thin wire gave me some frustration – I’m as prone to kinking
wire as I am to inadvertently knotting thread – but I finished my
pendant and I love it! The best thing about free-form is that you
aren’t trying to make the piece look like anything, so you have one
less worry.
At
the show, I discovered the mineral fluorite. Its deep purple and light
greens are the exact colors I am planning for my wedding. I made the
twisted necklace below (still in the finishing stages) for the
rehearsal dinner. The beads are from Gems Ocean and the easy-to-use
elephant clasp is from Star’s Clasps.
Speaking
of weddings, I’ve been designing the last piece in my mind for months
to wear to my brother’s wedding this summer. I found the perfect clasp
from Star’s Clasps, and the grapefruit-colored gemstone beads (in this picture they’re reading a bit more Barbie pink than grapefruit) are from Eclectica.
I hope you had a safe, happy, and healthy time in Milwaukee and I can’t wait to see what you make with your purchases!