New classes abound!

Well, we're all recovered from our travels, now it's time for the new classes!

The new class brochure is out, I'm glad it's done and out. It's an awful lot of work, but well worth the effort. I think that getting the brochure in the mail reminds people that they should come in and see what's new. We have over 70 classes this brochure. Some we haven't offered in a while, some gorgeous new ones, and some old favorites. Hopefully we'll get a bunch of full classes since it's a little hot to do much outside!

The other thing that I'm excited about with this class session is the special events we have planned. Our goal with the Trunk Shows is to bring you items that you don't have access to otherwise at a great price. We don't settle for the vendors that do trunk shows constantly, everywhere. We want your jewelry to be amazing, and we do that by bringing unusual and unique items to you.

In a couple of weeks we have a glass trunk show that we have never had in the shop before. In fact, this particular vendor has not had their glass available in this area.... ever! It's not your run of the mill Czech glass, it's unusual, some of it looks like it might be vintage, without the vintage price tag.

August brings our first Sterling Silver trunk show. This is stuff that is more unusual, not the average Sterling trunk show. We'll have Israeli Sterling, Israeli Non Tarnish Brass, Thai Silver, and Solid Copper. Some pretty fantastic stuff.

September is the Semi-Precious show. It's the awesome one, everyone gearing up for the holidays. This vendor has the most amazing selection at great prices. If you have been, you already know this. Of the two shows a year we do with her, this is the big one. It won't be back until April, so don't miss out.

October brings with it a Swarovski crystal trunk show. This vendor goes to great lengths to get discontinued and vintage Swarovski crystals that will amaze you. They are treasure hunters, you never know what you're going to get, but they never disappoint.

Well, hopefully we'll keep you busy this summer. I, for one, am planning on staying indoors and making lots of jewelry! Keep on beading!

Bead and Button

Well, it's taken me a week to recover enough from the trip to be able to write about it. For those who have been in and have already heard me talk about it, well, you'll have to hear it again.

I stand by my thought that anyone who wants to take a wonderful bead trip to bead mecca, Milwaukee the first week of June is your best bet. Skip Tucson, skip the other shows, go to Bead and Button.

If any of you remember, last year we had some horrible weather. We had tornado warnings every day, rain but still 80 degrees out, thunder and lightning like crazy. It was pretty interesting, especially coming from California. This year, however, was perfect. The day I got there it was 70 degrees, evenings were a little cold, but the days were very nice.

All this talk about the weather might have you thinking that I actually got out to enjoy it. Honestly, the only times we went out were to find food. The hotel we stay at is attached by a skywalk to the convention center, so no need to venture out. I generally don't have any extra time to spend there besides working days, so I don't get around Milwaukee much.

Ohhhhh, the beads. Now, I should explain that I am a little jaded about bead shows. I have been attending them for 22 years, yes, long before there were even beading magazines. I have seen people get ripped off, vendors telling outright lies, things priced more expensively than my local bead shop, and more. This show has a stellar group of vendors at it that certainly represent the best in our industry. It helps that many of us know each other, and if we found out that one of the vendors there was ripping off one of our customers, well, I think they might get lynched.

Just the group of glass bead makers that comes to the show is incredible. Some of the best in the business are there, live, in person, with their latest and greatest. One of my favorite things about the show is looking at what all of the attendees are wearing. If you do go to the show, bring loads of jewelry to wear, the more the better. It's expected. I find myself putting on twice as much as I usually would, and I'm not over accessorized! It's terrific, I'm with my kind of people. So I spent most of the show looking like Swarovski threw up on me!

Before the marketplace opens they host a "meet the teachers" reception where they have 100+ of their teachers in a giant ballroom, each with their own table selling kits and talking to everyone. It's a great opportunity to meet some of these talented people and pick up some kits as well. Deanna was teaching 5 classes at the show, so I helped her at her table at the reception. We were busy enough that I almost didn't have time to look around the room. It's a good problem to have. Deanna noted that there were definitely less people taking classes, but out of everyone in her classes, none were taking fewer than 6 classes. I did manage to pick up a couple of things, and a book that I really wanted about making jewelry out of plexi glass was sold out by the time I got back to the table I say it at. That's ok, I ordered one and I should have it in the next day or so. More new stuff to show everyone!

I found the same to be true in the marketplace. There seemed to be fewer people, but the ones that were there came to spend. As usual there are always people that do well, and those that don't do so well. That just seems to be the way of it, regardless of the economic climate.

I did return with some new things, I didn't go crazy, but there were things that I just couldn't pass on. And if you want to know what they are, well, you'll just have to come in and find out!

Summer is here!

Well, it's 100 degrees out today, so I guess this is the best time to stay in and bead!

Deanna and I are getting ready to go to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee in two weeks.  Actually, Deanna leaves before me, and she is teaching 5 classes, so I think she's a little more stressed out about it than I am at this point.  I have the majority of my booth display to get together and get up to the wonderful folks up at Arrow Springs to load onto the truck they're taking to the show.  Actually, my stuff is hitching a ride with their stuff which goes on the truck that they and the Soft Flex Company are taking to the show.  I am small potatoes compared with what they all have to take.  I'm just lucky they can take it and save me some $$ on shipping costs! In case you have not heard me say it before, use Softflex, not other products, and if you want to learn to make glass beads, for heaven's sake, go up to Arrow Springs!

So, all the time I get asked about the Bead and Button show.  It's a fantastic show, the biggest bead show in the world.  I have been to many other shows, and no other compares.  Well, they compare, but they aren't quite as amazing.  If you have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it.   

I have been thinking about businesses and the economy a lot lately.  I have been making a point of shopping at locally owned stores.  I'm still amazed when I see or hear about yet another shop going out of business.  I'd like to personally thank all of the good people who's continued support of our store helps us weather this unpredictable economy.  We want to be your first choice of places to shop for beads.  We value your business and hope that our customer service and friendly staff makes your experience better than anywhere else.  We know you'll shop when you feel welcome and we're glad it's us!

Wow - a blog

Ok, so I'm new to this whole blogging thing.  I decided to do it to try to bring myself into the 21 century.  I guess I never thought anyone else would be interested in what I have to say.  Well, regardless of whether anyone is interested or not, here goes.....

So Deanna and I got back from Tucson a couple of weeks ago and just got to see everyone's reactions to what we brought back this week.  The most common question I get is, "How was Tucson".  It was fine.  I don't enjoy being in Tucson, but I absolutely LOVE coming home with new and exciting things to show everyone.  The day we got there it was 84 degrees, and when we left, there was snow.  That's pretty typical there this time of the year, and it poses some packing challenges.

     We knew that the economy was going to have an affect on what we saw in Tucson, but we weren't sure what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some really cool stuff, but there were a lot of vendors that decided to not go.  Everything seems to be getting a little more expensive, but we still got some great deals, mainly because I buy so much.  People tell me all the time that they want to go down there for the show and I usually tell them to not bother.  If you want to go to just be a part of the spectacle that is Tucson, then great, go.  If you want to go to get a great deal, don't bother.  Deals are found if you are buying tons, like me.  By the time you add up everything the trip costs, you are not getting a deal on anything.  And just like any show, you have to be careful what you buy, if it seems like it's too good to be true, it probably is.

     So check back to this blog as often as you like, I promise to write often.  Thanks for taking the time!