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!