A Little Terrified....

So many of you know that I will be moving the bead shop from a kiosk to a small storefront in a couple of weeks. I must admit that I'm both excited and terrified at the possibility of being in my own storefront (no matter how tiny it is). I've ordered the slatwall, the hooks, the register, and a lot of new product to fill my 170sqft space. I have been bagging and tagging for weeks now with no particular end in site. Sometimes I wonder where I'm going to put all the new product, and then I think I don't have enough. I'm out of money though, so I guess it will have to do.

My new location is 4340 E. Kentucky Ave. in Glendale,CO 80246. I will be located in the inner courtyard of the Workshops Building about a block down on the right if you're coming from Colorado Blvd. I hope you find me, and keep coming back :)

Bead and Button Show 2010

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Bead&Button Show held in Milwaukee. If you have never gone, you should! It is such an experience to behold! Registration for classes opened up last Tuesday, and my friend Shannon and I were awake early for the event. We both managed to get into all 3 of the classes we wanted, and also signed up for the Meet the Teacher's reception which is the be all end all of kit shopping.

What classes did I sign up for? So glad you asked! I signed up for Photo Pendants Under Glass with Susan Wade on Wednesday, Hoity Toity with Shelley Nybakke on Thursday, and Crystal Elements II with Leslee Frumin (isn't her name fun to say? Like Janis Berkebile. Berkebile, Berkebile!) on Friday. Here are the pics here of the class samples.







Shannon and I decided to take Hoity Toity together (we just loved the story she put along with the class!), and ended up taking Crystal Elements II together as well. There were sooooo many other classes that we wanted to take, but cost was an issue this year, so we reigned it in in favor of having some money to spend on the show. Anybody else going?

Chainmaille isn't for Damsels in Distress!

Some number of years ago my husband gifted me a beautiful aluminum ring chainmaille bag that he had made for me. It must have been a HUGE undertaking judging by its size, and the neat twisted strap (not to mention the rabbit-fur lining which he fashioned himself). Having been a Renaissance Faire goer since I was in my teens, Chainmaille is not something new to me, but I hadn't seen it used in this way before. I was used to seeing it on knights as armor rather than as a fabulous across-the-body style bag! Needless to say, I was blown away by not only the gesture, but the workmanship.


In the last few years I have seen a resurgence of interest in chainmaille as a jewelry art form. From dainty floral motifs on earrings, to tough-looking, yet feminine bracelets, it seems that no jewelry collection is complete without a chainmaille piece or 3. The Bead&Button Show 2010 class catalog is brimming with bracelets created with chainmaille, sometimes paired with an unexpected material, like Swarovski Crystal Beads. I remember that last year or the year before my friend Michelle bought one such kit, and finished it before we left the show that week. It was lovely.

So do I create chainmaille art you ask? The answer is "no.". I tried it years ago, and it just never stuck for me. I'll leave it to much more talented designers such as Kris Bailey of Dream Bubbles, a small-time jewelry designer like myself just
trying to make it in this crazy world. You can hear about her creative musings on her blog DreamBubblesReverie.Blogspot.com, and see more of her work in her Etsy ShopDreamBubbles In the meantime, here's a preview of her earrings that would be PERFECT for day to evening. She has several colors available, as well as bracelets, so check her out

Bead Boy Kits

Many of you may be familiar with Dustin Wedekind's work from his column Bead Boy in Beadwork Magazine, not to mention his book 'Getting Started with Seedbeads' (interweave press),but what's he been up to since 2007? I'm please to report that Dustin is still kickin', and has introduced a new line of kits via Etsy at BeadBoyKits.Etsy.com. From his fun "The Hand that Bites" monster ring series, to his fun and funky Scallops Cuff, you're sure to find something that tickles your fancy. Keep an eye out for new kits, and colors coming soon!

Goodbye 2009!

I don't know about you all, but 2009 was full of disappointment and woe for me. I saw the opportunity to make a collage of my Facebook updates from 2009, and took it. Strangely enough, most of it is from the only 'good' things that happened in 2009, like getting to attend the Bead&Button Show. So goodbye 2009, and hello 2010. Here's to a fabulous New Year!