Treasures Galore

I have been a bit absent as we are enjoying our family this week. We had a big family picture session for about an hour and a half this morning, and tonight we are celebrating my mom with a surprise party. There has been much laughter and fun at the 'cousin camp' and it is great to be with my sister and her family whom we don't see enough.

So many others have written such great things about the Bead & Button show, I am not quite sure that there is more for me to add. You should really read Andrew Thornton's awesome recaps (plus his awesome Thursday giveaway!) and the Art Bead Scene. I think that I will just dazzle you with the bounty that I amassed while I was there. And no, I don't have one cent left to purchase even one more thing until who knows when. Best be off creating things with all this beady goodness!

1:: Clockwise from top left: lampwork set including one wicked cool hollow bead and a starfish bead (I am STILL hoarding its partner from last year ;-) from the sweet Stephanie Ann of StephanieBeads; skeleton key with glass bead (how could I resist a key?), glass bird about to sing a beautiful song and a butterfly from the delightful firecracker of an artist, Kerri Fuhr.
2:: Porcelain beads in yummy jelly bean colors from Splendid Loon Studio. I want to know more about them so I hope to do an interview in the future with the talented mother-daughter duo.
3::I could not pass by this amazing booth with these beads in all shapes and sizes in these earthy, saturated colors.  According to his business card, he is 'building the finest single-source collection of glass beads in the history of mankind.' Harold of Studio for the New American Trade Bead gave me quite the entertaining education for my purchase! ;-)
4::Silk ribbons from Class Act Designs and silk cords from Silk Painting is Fun.

5:: The color on these Basha Beads are luminous. I am so glad my friend Andrew Thornton had them for me to see in person. They are quite amazing and he picked me out an assortment of the best.
6:: Stacking buttons and beads from the always sunny and fun, Miss Jennifer of Jangles. Her new booth included her new fabric! It is so happy it makes me want to learn how to sew, but since that isn't going to happen anytime soon, I will be content to use her happy beads!
7:: Peanut beads! I have always wanted to try them! They are quite tiny, and go against my self-imposed no seed bead policy, but I just couldn't resist. These are from Out on a Whim.
8:: Painted steel cutouts from recycled filing cabinets, silver keyhole and flower from silver plated serving trays, Tibetan brass rings with the coolest natural patinas, copper and brass funky spacers and some bottlecap flowers from Glass Garden Beads.

9:: Lisa Peters makes the most amazing raku beads, buttons and cabochons. What I love most is that every single one is different. And there are hundreds upon hundreds of them. She and her mom are always a delight! I fell in love with an assortment of flower shapes.
10:: Marianne Kasparian of MAKUStudio coaxes beautiful colors from her raku firings. I love all her shaped hearts and am plotting the day when I can make one mine. In the meantime, I settled on an assortment of rounds (that leaf is part of my giveaway on Art Bead Scene! Hurry over to this post to leave a comment for a chance!). I so enjoyed the opportunity to have dinner with her and her friend.
11:: Glass beads from our booth neighbor Angi Graham of Blue Frog Art Studio, enameled copper leaf from Julie Nordine of Credit River Glass, and two whimsical pressed glass flower pendants from Lily Studios (one for my sister the tulip-lover for letting me and my friends crash her house every summer!).
12:: Filigree rings from Filigree Supply because I love me some rings.

 13:: The sweet Sun Park of Ezel Findings was backing up to the Humblebeads booth, and she would poke her head through to ooh and aah each time I brought something new back. Of course I had to go over and see what she had and walked away with sweet little copper plated leaves and branches and the cutest origami cranes!
14:: I just about fell over when I spotted this antique button turned into a hefty clasp at Hidden Treasures. The Stars and Crescent is the badge of my sorority, Delta Delta Delta. I would have bought more of these if they had them, but as it is, this will be destined for something special just for me!
15:: The stars and moon continue in these cool pendants I made at the Vintaj booth with Jess. Their new embossing and etching folders and the contraption that you use to do it with are calling my name! I best save up for this one, but it is so very cool!
16:: Green Girl Studios always has the biggest assortment of whimsy on the planet. This year the booth was even fuller than I have ever seen it. My favorites are the little robot, the elephant and the flower clasp with bee hook. (P.S. Keep little Max in your prayers... Cynthia wasn't there because her little one was sick. I missed seeing her and the delightful Miss Azalea, but more importantly I am praying for a quick recovery for Max).

17:: Vlad of Golem Studios joined us at dinner on Saturday. It was so great to learn of his creative process. These are the goodies I came home with, including a set of the ladybug beads in the bottom that garnered him the top prize in the Bead Dreams competition. Congratulations, Vlad!
18:: I met Genevieve Church of Loot! and heard of her quest to make beautiful things from the castoffs of other glass artists. These glass links are the byproduct of the glass industry. I love how she sees the beauty in these things that would be thrown away. I want to learn more with a potential interview in the future.
19:: I am not a sterling silver gal, but I like to mix my metals. There was an abundance of pewter options that are so much nicer than they have been in the past. I selected this assortment of pewter bead caps and spacers from North Lake Trading Co.
20:: Humblebeads. My very favorite place to shop and hang out. It was not long enough to spend with Heather and her Aunt Roseanne. And I think that my beads multiplied while my back was turned! Humblebeady goodness!

21:: Very sparkly beads from Holy & Pure Gemstones.
22:: Blue and green agate, plus these amazingly large crystals from North Lake Trading Co. I must have been on a blue streak!
23:: The treasure trove of Czech glass from Raven's Journey. I went a tad bit nuts over here. And I won't need to buy any glass beads for a really, really long time!

 24:: Kara from The Lipstick Ranch was new to me, but I am so glad that I got to meet her! She lives on a huge ranch in Colorado...all the better to farm rust! These are but a few of the trinkets I found. Amazing stories of how she does it!
25:: Assorted goodies from AD Adornments. There is always something special to be found there.
26:: Bezels to fill from Amate Studios. I love the ones I use for my 'simple truths', but I thought I would give these fun shapes a try. And rings too!
27:: Chain, chain, chain! Thanks to my friend Sharon, I may have gone a bit crazy here. But you can never have enough chain, can you? Fringe chains, rollow, and some aluminum links all from Primitive Earth. I also got two spools of chain from Rings & Things.

There. Whew. I am pooped just thinking about all this loot!

That ought to keep me busy for awhile.

;-)

Have you ever gone crazy on a shopping spree? 
If money were no object, what would you have bought at the Bead & Button show?
What is your favorite of what I have shown? What should I use first?

Enjoy the day!