Getting a Bead on It

Yesterday Sissy and I went to the Bead Show in Philadelphia (well, really in Valley Forge). WOW! It was huge; there was so much stuff I was completely overwhelmed. I told Sissy I might be too overwhelmed to buy anything. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and she promised she wasn't going to let me leave without buying something. Fortunately, she didn't have to force me.

At the second booth we visited we found these:

Beaded beads! We really took a shine to them. (And if you do too, you can find them at the Bead Goes On.) To make a beautiful necklace, all you have to do is slap one of these babies on a number of silk ribbons. I couldn't believe that Sissy was willing for this to be her Christmas present! So easy. She chose the brown and gold bead. In fact, that's the whole reason she came with me. When her friend Marebare asked why she was going to a bead show when she didn't bead, she said, "And pass up the opportunity to choose my Christmas present?" Isn't she sweet? Various members of the family will get the other beads for birthdays or Christmas gifts, though I do have an eye on the pink set for myself. Not that I ever wear pink; they're just so cute I could eat them.

I also encouraged her to pick other beads that she liked with the promise to make them into something for her. She chose these:

The Christmas beads are by Patti Cahill of Dyed in the Fire Designs. (I got some of her beads too.) You can buy her stuff at etsy. Sissy told me I could make whatever with these.

She does, however, need final approval on the skull necklace. The skull is handmade porcelain, and you can find similar here. That booth was overwhelming--so much cutecutecute stuff I couldn't even choose one thing. Be sure to check out the dolls because they were adorable!

And the rest. You might not be able to tell, but those red beads have such a rich color they look like velvet. I almost bought them in every size, but I managed some self-control. To the right, is a little beach-y scene by Cindy Craig. I got some labradorite beads to go with them (from Bead Palace).

Continuing clockwise, glass beads in black and olive from Grace Lampwork Beads. They had some gorgeous beads that looked like little petit fours but in light blue and lavender they were just so wrong for me. I kept picking them up, though. And sissy kept making fun of me.

The cabochon of vintage nine-ball is something I picked up for the dude. I am going to attach it somehow to something (specific, I know) to make a bookmark. I foresee the ball sticking out of the top of the book. The Manhattan cocktail is part of a ground down vintage cocktail shaker. I thought about getting the martini bit for someone in the family, but it was a little scratched up. Just a word of advice, when you are shopping, make sure prices are clearly marked. You don't want sticker shock.

Last, but not least, are the glass flowers and accent beads I bought from Dyed in the Fire. I'm making earrings, can you tell?

I think my local beadshop owner will be happy to see me coming in and needing findings and filler beads to complete these projects on Tuesday!