Yes, it's true: My very first Bead&Button Show experience has come and gone, and I not only survived, I thrived (if I do say so myself)!

What a week it was. Stacy and Cathy both gave insights into their show experiences in earlier blog posts. One of the great things about the show is that every person you talk to has a new story to share about a purchase they made, a class they took, an auction item they bid on, a person they met. Every show experience is different. As a beginning beader (I still consider myself a beginner, though I've been at BeadStyle magazine for almost one year now), I was nearly lost in the energy of the show floor, not to mention a bit lost among the sheer volume of booths!

My week at the Bead&Button Show began officially on Wednesday. I took a precious metal clay class with Irina Miech (she owns Eclectica, a bead shop we often source in the magazine). I, novice that I am, made a ring, a pair of earrings, and a gorgeous pendant! Okay, so I had some help from Irina and the support of my fellow students, but I still felt pretty accomplished! It's amazing how fast a seven-hour-long class goes when you're having so much fun and learning something new.

I was back at the show on Friday, working at the silent auction and shopping the booths, though I didn't actually buy anything. I got the lay of the land and tried to get a feel for how the floor "worked." I tried not to look too much like a fish out of water! It was fun talking with artists and show-goers, getting advice and hearing stories of others' first-time experiences.

Saturday was spent again at the silent auction booth and my first beading demonstration! I was nervous going in, but I had a blast with the people at my table, and we stuck to the absolute basics (stringing and plain loops, with a few people progressing on to wrapped loops). Saturday night was the much-anticipated Bead Social, and Sunday was a day of rest.

I'll take some pictures of my labors of love from Irina's class and post them next week. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did at the Bead&Button Show! See you next year!