Bead and Button Show, Part One: The Loot

This past weekend was a whirlwind of shopping, meeting friends, shopping, parties, shopping, a chocolate martini, and losing a credit card.


Oh, and shopping.


Today let's focus on the loot, shall we?

(Click on each photo for a larger view.)


This year I was on a defined budget, but I discovered something interesting.  By writing down the amount of each purchase in my notebook and adding it up as I went along, I spent less than I ever have at this show but had much more to show for it.  Does that make sense?  And this is the first time I've come home and gone through my purchases and not had a moment of regret. 


My first stop was at Stephanie Sersich's booth.  I adore Stephanie, have taken a couple of classes with her and love that she is very real and genuine.  I spied her latest alligator beads and who do I think of but Zack?  I immediately got on the phone with him, asking him about colors, and bless his heart, he IS his mama's boy -- he chose purple.

Stephanie was also my splurge spot, and I picked up these three pendants.

I have more tools than sense, but had to get the square Wubbers pliers.  The problem -- choosing which of the four sizes to get!

Then I stopped at MAKUstudio to discover her completely swamped with people literally grabbing things off the table out from under my nose!  It was well worth the wait.

I used to use a LOT of Swarovski crystal in my work but have drifted from it for some reason.  However, I couldn't pass these up.

I needed a lot of "filler" beads, and Czech glass is a huge favorite of mine.  Some of these will be included in the giveaway I'm having next week, and some will end up in the Bead Soup Kits shop veryveryvery soon.

I also stocked up on pewter.  Interestingly, but probably not surprisingly, there were very few sterling silver vendors at the show.  The price of sterling has come down a little, but it's still in the grit-your-teeth zone.

Then I got some amazing polymer clay beads from Heather Wynn of Swoondimples.  I really love the saying on the pendant -- kind of sums up my beliefs exactly.

I loved Heather Power's daffodil pendant!  And I finally got to meet Cynthia of Green Girl Studios -- she's very cool and somehow we ended up talking about "Dark Shadows" (which I've been working my way through slowly but surely on NetFlix).

I discovered an amazing boro glass artist, Zion Waters Glass.  I got a very cool and unusual pendant and added to my paperweight collection.

I've also started collecting beads from Harold Cooney of American Trade Bead.  You'll have to check out his web site for the story behind his beads.  This one is a "Florida" pendant with holes at 10-and-2 -- love the stripes of etched glass!

I discovered another cool polymer clay artist who was being represented by North Lake Trading Co. -- I don't know from the handwriting if it's Gail Gia or Gio, but she apparently doesn't have a shop and prefers to work strictly on her art.  I'm envisioning these on multiple strands of leather.

Some new ceramic beads from Diane Hawkey (who is a hoot!)

Golem Beads has always been a favorite and I got to meet his wife this time. The bird piece is a cabochon because I'm finally going to get over my fear of seed beads and learn to bead a bezel!  My friend Ann bought a cab, too, so we're going to hold each other to learning this technique.

I absolutely love the colors in these beads by Laura Drosner Schreiber.  I am not an orange person but I was drawn to those beads like a moth to the flame and can't wait to make something with them!

Joan Miller is another artist whose beads I collect and hoard and I bought a number of beads to go with a mermaid pendant I bought from her a while back.

Pretty ribbons from DaBeads.

Stones from Riverstone.

Vintage buttons from The Button Box.

Tagua nut beads from Nature Beads.

Tibetan beads from Modern Tibet.

And lovelies from Amazing Porcelain.

Tomorrow I'll post about seeing the rough rough draft of my book, closing down a restaurant with friends on Friday night, the dinner party I hosted on Saturday, and bits and pieces from the show floor.

Stay tuned next week for the giveaway, and oh yes!  This weekend is the Bead Soup Blog Party sign ups!!!!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party tm.   

Join me at the Facebook group Bead Soup Cafe for bead chat, swaps, challenges, and lots of eye candy!