It's Giveaway Time!

Two more days until the Giveaway!!

You have 2 more days until the giveaway...if you missed this announcement, the instructors are: go to the Etsy shop (click to the right here where you see images of my store), then go to the comments section below this post or on the original post and comment on anything you liked on my shop.  That's it!  I'll pick a winner on Saturday around midnight.

Ceramic Bone Beads Are Back!

Our ceramic bone beads are back in stock! So happy to see them again! So if you were looking for these, you'll find them in my Etsy shop!

Bead and Button Show Anyone?

Is anyone planning a trip to the Bead and Button Show in 2013?  This year it runs from May 29-June 10.  This year's commemorative bead is a lovely creation by Frank Scott.  Frank teaches classes at the show every year in lamp working, including marble making.  

What a fun event this is!  We went three years in a row, but not last year. Hoping things work out for this year.   I love shopping for all those beads in person. That's one of the reasons I really started my store in Cobden.  I loved being able to see beads up close and to be able to pick out findings that you normally have to just guess about online.  To be able to bring a special pendant with you and actually match it to beads is really priceless...sounds corny but it is so true.  I love having my shop be that experience for the first time to someone who has never been in a bead shop.  

I highly recommend every part of the Bead & Button Show to you - Meet the Teachers, Lampworking Madness, hours of shopping and all the classes.  I've taken several classes there with some great instructors, Barb Switzer, Nancy Zellers and Stephanie Sersich.  Wonderful experience all of them.  The classes really do help it "gel" if you get what I'm talking about....sometimes you just cannot figure out a process and taking a class just helps you remember it.  You can ask questions when you're stuck and that really helps you learn how to do the process correctly.  YouTube is great, but sometimes you really need that teacher to be in your own studio instead of on the screen!

JBird got to participate in the Lampworking Madness those 3 years. Sure was fun watching all those wonderful beadmakers create right before your eyes.  Then you'll have a chance to actually purchase those beads at the Bead Social and Auction night the following night. 

We got one of Larry Scott's awesome bumpy beads (very similar to these) from a live auction bid. We were caught up in the moment!