Bead & Button Show - Ongoing Report

I think one of the things you have to remember about a large show is that you don't have to go to every booth. I'm not interested in certain types of beads, so I give the booth a quick once over and go on. The other thing about B & B is their wide variety of classes in all kinds of beading, including lampwork, fused glass, metalwork, bead weaving, PMC, etc. from excellent, well known teachers at extremely reasonable prices. And, from the East Coast anyway, the air fare is reasonable, less than $200.00 with special rates from MidWest. I was able to fly there, pay the $25.00 registration fee, and take two classes for about the same amount I would have paid for the registration fee alone at the Gathering. There were a lot of people there from California, Texas, the South, all over. It was a lot of fun. I recommend a bead trip any time! Really helps to get you jump started into new ways of designing. Patti

Good to hear you are home safely and had a good time. Shirley

In message , Jan G writes

Right, Patti, I'm sure it was truly lovely, I'm just saying that I have also heard other people say it was a bit large and exhausting for their energy levels, and attending smaller more local shows is never a bad alternative if you're on a travel budget or just getting your feet wet. If you're on the West Coast the travel fare is more like $500, not counting hotel of course.

If you are local to that area or you have a large travel budget, and you know your energy level is up for it (not just visit> Kalera wrote:

Me too, Carla. I had really hoped to attend this year, but the IRS had different plans for our money. :-$

Barbara

In a right and proper world, I'd have the time and money for something

Glad to have you back home safe and sound. Had SUCH FUN spending time with you!

Barbara

29 hours later I am safely home.The !2 hours in LA was actually pleasant.

Yeah, B&B is a huge show and I was glad that this year, I had several days to visit the show floor. Allowed me to divvy up my attention and not overwhelm myself. Even though this is the fourth one I've attended, it is still exhausting!

Patti - Was so great to meet you and I hope your arm is healing quickly from your fall!

Barbara

Right, Patti, I'm sure it was truly lovely, I'm just saying that I

Hi Carla, I think the one thing that isn't explained on the website or in the catalog is about the Community Work Area at Ravensdale - it makes it even more worthwhile to go. The Community Work Area is open 24 hours a day and every registrant gets table space to park their gear during the whole time they are there. This is because people come from all over the world from different time zones.

There is room for about 125 in the main work area and man, it is the coolest. Everybody shares ideas, techniques, supplies, you name it... It's a huge learning experience all by itself at any time of day.

Because people hate to leave their work area in the evenings to go to special events, etc. there is some entertainment right in the Community Work Area. There is a stage at one end of the audotorium so you can still work on clay stuff or whatever without interruption! (YES some folks are addicted) =)

It's a great community to experience and make really great friends and new work all at the same time!

Meredith

Carla wrote:

do you have a pic of the silver flowing bracelet? might be something else i could get addicted to (along with the already addicted to viking knits and now chain maille!)

cas My Web Site Direct to Jewellery Gallery Genealogy

Barb, Here are my pendants...I'm relatively new to clay...did not have time to get my finishing techniques down, and my stripes are wobbly. Could have done a much better job with Kato clay rather than the Fimo Soft provided in class.

Mary

I like them, though! The design and layout are great. Try to recreate them using the clay you are more comfortable with and see what happens.

I need to take pics of my projects and post...probably won't happen until this weekend.

Take care..! Barb

tw> Barb,

I was asked if I had a photo of the sliver flowing bracelet and went back to the Bead and Button site to check if it was still there. B/B have next years ad up but have taken down the rest. It was one piece of silver wire, bent back and forward to make the clasp and hook, mainly in an M shape top and bottom, or hearts if you were neater at bending wire. Took me two hours to complete, including hammering. I have proudly worn mine and I am not used to wearing bracelets. Very comfortable. Maybe, the next one will be up to photographing standard.

My viking knit necklace is taking time. Now that I am back at work, my time is only two hours each evening. I am half completed and really enjoying making it.

Next I have my twined and knitted baskets to complete, then my kumihino necklace. Hopefully, my second pieces of work will be without mistakes.

For me, the show was wonderful, the classes, the people, meeting Barb, sorry to have missed Patti, the items for sale. To have read about things, then be able to handle them was great. Once my credit card settles down, I now know what to order and what is available.

Cheers, Jan

All I know is this:

1) BABE is overwhelming for me, and a lot of other people -- and Bead & Button is much bigger and busier. 2) People I trust have told me it is Too Much. 1 + 1 = 2 > So, Sooz, when was the last time you went to Bead & Button???

I don't GO to every booth at *ANY* show. I plan ahead with study of their website (vendors page), and then I plot it out on the map handout at the entrance to the show with a colored highlighter. I figure out in advance what I need from this particular show, and I make a beeline for it. Ask anyone I've gone to BABE with.

I find the people walking around to be a challenge in itself, not just the booths. Getting your feet wet at a smaller show is a good idea in

*any*event*. Bead & Button shows CAN be overwhelming for a lot of us. Many here have health issues. That can make things more difficult for them at a super-crowded, seriously-hyped show that draws many attendees from all over the country (and the world).

(I don't say it GUARANTEES it, I said it CAN make things more difficult

-- see previous sentence.)

Also, regarding the "classes for reasonable prices" -- I find their class fees quite high, personally. Why? --Same teachers, same classes, available two blocks from my house for half the price of B&B's. ~shrug~

BABE is more manageable -- THAT cannot be disputed. It's smaller. I mean, what's the deal here? All I said was -- and I quote: "If anyone lives on the west coast of the USA, try some other shows first. Bead & Button is too big for a lot of people. Try the Puget Sound bead show, or BABE in the San Francisco Bay Area.......they're PLENTY huge. And *very* satisfying quality shows."

I never said B&B stinks because it's way too big for everyone in the world. I believe my words were "too big for a lot of people." I offered reasonable options. I wasn't targeting show-experienced veterans in my comments -- you even sell at shows, Patti. I targeted people in a particular geographical area -- the west coast of the USA. I was making a generalized comment about bead shows to people who live closer to BABE than B&B.

I wouldn't have made any more comments about this issue, except I sensed your first post's th> Kalera,

Mary -- I personally LIKE wobbly stripes. I think you did a SPLENDIFEROUS job if you're new to clay! I am TOTALLY impressed. ~KLUNK~!!!

Can't wait to see what you're do> Barb,

Well,

it was really Patti who mentioned she'd be in Chicago that Friday (I got there Monday morning for a conference, and only had the Friday afternoon off before continuing on to Edinburgh (Scotland), also for work - anybody near Edinburgh? (don't have a car this time though, too expensive here)), and then we missed Patti ...

However, I have to say I'd get together again with Carla any time! Had a wonderful time.

Would have liked to meet you too, Barbara!

I'm now in Edinburgh until the morning of the 30th, then continuing on to Hamburg (Germany, where I'm from, to meet with family as I'm on this side of the planet already), and then going back home on the 4th. Kinda like Jan G., I'll be on the 'road' about 30 hours.

Didn't make if to Bead and Button as my trip's timing was determined by when I had to be in Edinburgh - and the conference in Chicago was on the way, and at the right time.

Now trying to catch up with 2 weeks of r.c.b ...

(And, Carla: you can bet on it that I was exhausted when I got to Edinburgh too, an hour later than planned, and without the suitcase until several hours later - but it did arrive. I'd rather have another weekend like that one than one like the upcoming one which is likely to be boring unless I go to work. Come to think of it: any bead stores in Edinburgh?)

Aloha,

Maren (no .sig here this time, because I'm afraid this notebook would bluescreen again if I tried to run up another screen to cut and paste it from - and all the pictures are out of date anyway.)

Barbara Forbes-Ly> Carla,

Sadly, Edinburgh is a bit too far for me next week, I'd have to get up and back by train in a day and that's a long day which isn't a problem but the trainfare is a killer.

I don't know anyone near Edinburgh who is a beader, and didn't find any shops when searching online. I am really sorry I can't get up there to meet you! I missed the message about you being in Edinburgh or else I'd have made plans to get up there for the day in advance.

-Su

Having had the pleasure and joy of spending a day with Carla, I would have to second this with a resounding "Amen, Sistah!"

~Candace~

snipped-for-privacy@jach.hawaii.edu wrote:

Maybe she could give us a phone call Su. It is a 6 hour train ride for me to Edinburgh. Shirley