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Tag Archives: Taylors Falls Bead Store

Madison Bead Show 2019

24 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by beadlove in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Humblebeads, Madison Art Glass & Bead Show, Meant to Bead, Miss Fickle Media, Taylors Falls Bead Store, TierraCast, Walter Gross

This weekend was the Madison Art Glass & Bead Show. I am very lucky to have an annual bead show right here in the town where I live! When I go to shows, I’m generally all about the shopping, but not this year. I’m branching out in 2019. Not only did I buy the Challenge Bead for the show and enter the competition (more about that later) but I took a class.

Two things I’ve really wanted to learn are how to use a torch and how to solder. I barely understand the differences with different types of metal, fusing vs. soldering, etc. I AM SO GLAD I TOOK THIS CLASS. (Sorry for yelling, but it had to be done.) I understand things so much more clearly, and I’m not scared of the torch anymore. I also thought understanding timepoints – when something was ready but not overdone – would be much harder. It was so much more clear than I thought! Our goal in class was to make a fine silver ring and some fine silver balled headpins. The teacher was Shannon who owns a local bead store, Meant to Bead.

I also wanted to try the join again and just see what would happen if I were sort of “careless” and didn’t try to really shape something. I like the look of more organic rings I buy from others, so I made another larger “ring” to use in jewelry. 

It’s a little hard to show the texture on the rings, but this was a start to finish class. We learned safety and technical things. Then we started with a piece of wire and start to finish made items. I really loved how Shannon structured the class. She would give us the information, and then we could work at our own speed. That really worked for having a class open to students with all levels of experience. It gave me everything I had hoped to get from it. I’m excited to do more torch work at home. Here is my ring in action.

As I mentioned, I also entered the competition with the challenge bead. It is a gorgeous lampwork bead with copper end caps made by Walter Gross. The picture doesn’t show all the beautiful depths of this bead. Here are both sides.

Here is a (bad) picture of my entry in the case. Exciting!

Here is a little better picture of my entry.

I love how this turned out. It feels wonderful on. I made a copper chain tassel. The neck part is strung on waxed linen with Humblebeads disc beads, TierraCast coper wavy spacers that reference the lentil end caps, faceted lapis, seed beads and a copper clasp by Miss Fickle Media. There were a nice number of lovely entries. I did not win, but I had fun making this piece and seeing my work displayed.

I did do a little shopping. I always make sure to visit the Dakota Stones booth any time I have the chance. This time, they had some gorgeous large turquoise strands on sale. I was fondling some of the really large beads, but I know as much as I love the look, they are too heavy to be comfortable for me. So I bought two of the smaller (still decent sized) strands. I can always use them in separate pieces if they are too heavy. 

This next purchase makes me laugh. Before the show, I told myself not to buy any African beads. That tends to be my favorite, catches my eye first, and I just feel like I could branch out. I have so many I haven’t used! However, I was weak. 

These are from Taylors Falls Bead Store. They always have such a great selection of African beads and good prices. I could not resist.

I will definitely take more classes. I’ll update you on my adventures in using the torch. Quite a while ago, my dad gave me a small micro torch. I’m going to get that out and see how I like it. I wrote down the brand of torch I used (and liked) at the class, and can get that at Meant to Bead if the small one doesn’t have enough power, but maybe it will be just perfect. I really love the idea of making more of my own components to use in my jewelry.

 

Art Glass and Bead Show

29 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by beadlove in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Aardvark Art Glass, Art Glass and Bead Show, CB&Co, Dakota Stones, Diakonos Designs, Diane Hawkey, East of the Sun beads, Elka Designs, Papio Creek Gems & Gifts, Tanya McGuire, Taylors Falls Bead Store

ArtGlassandBeadShow

This weekend I went to the Art Glass and Bead Show right in my town of Madison, Wisconsin.  It has been many years since I’ve attended this show, so I was interested to see how I would like it.  I am pleased to say I was very happy with the experience.  There was enough variety and quality in the vendors for me to feel like I got what I wanted, yet it wasn’t totally exhausting for me like Bead and Button can be. I went with my parents, and they felt the same way.

chevron

Taylors Falls Bead Store

One thing I wanted to get at the show was chain.  I never have enough chain.  I never feel like I can find what I’m looking for on line, and even if I read measurements, I’m terrible at translating that in my head.  So it was nice to be able to pick it out in person.  I love that blue dangle chain!

The chain motherlode, though, was at Diakonos Designs. They had a huge selection of a nice variety of chain.  It’s a store I’ve been to in person since it’s in a town only about 30 minutes away.  I’m starting to wonder why I don’t go more often because I was fairly impressed with their nice variety of beads when I went one or two times.  They have a different variety of things than my local bead store.  They’ll be seeing me more often, especially as I need more chain.

DiakonosChain

Diakonos Designs

I also got a few other bits and bobs from the Diakonos booth.  They have some good clasps.  They even had some Diane Hawkey beads!

DiakonosBitsCollage

I picked up a cactus pendant from local lampwork artist Cathy Lybarger of Aardvark Art Glass.  I really love her work and have other beautiful pieces.

CactusAardvarkArtGlass

Aardvark Art Glass

TanyaMcGuire

Tanya McGuire

I also got some lampwork from Tanya McGuire.  That big, multicolor bead in the upper left corner is big, but it’s very light because it’s hollow.  I love that!

coral

Papio Creek Gems & Gifts

This strand of coral is very unlike something I’d usually pick, but I saw it in someone’s tray as I was passing a booth, and it looked so good I found it in the display and bought a strand!

CB&Co

I have wanted a pendant by Kristi Evenson of CB&Co for a while, and this was my chance!  Her booth was a beautiful set up with old wood and beautiful fabric. It was fun to stand there, look at her wares and choose the one I wanted.  I had narrowed it down to this one and maybe one other when my mother looked at the display and picked this one out immediately.  She knows me well.

EastoftheSunTradeBedas

The East of the Sun booth was quite popular.  There was a ton of stuff I wanted, but when I saw these trade beads, I looked no further.  I really hope proprietor Ramsey Finger is there again next year!  He said he wants to get his website up and running but he travels a lot, so I’ve linked to his placeholder.  I’ll be checking back patiently because he really had nice stuff and great prices.  He told me these are kakamba beads.  I had a strand of them years ago, and they were some of my favorite beads ever.  I am so happy to have gotten some more.

DakotaStones

Dakota Stones

I was thrilled that Dakota Stones was there. Their booth was this huge layout of gorgeous strand after gorgeous strand.  My mom and I said that’s where we want to spend our time next year.  I was standing there trying to talk myself into or out of (I’m not sure which) buying this apatite and citrine.  Another shopper picked up the only two strands of apatite in this cut, size and finish. She was carrying it around while shopping, and I stayed in the booth for at least 15 minutes to see if she was going to buy them both.  I moved slightly (and picked up the turquoise) but the minute she decided not to buy them, I picked one up, scooped up the citrine and made my purchase.

keishipearls

Elka Designs

At the end of the show, my mom and I had purchased much more than my dad, so my mom pointed out some metal beads she thought he would like in the Elka Designs booth near the entrance. Of course while he was looking, so were we.  I am not good at focusing when looking at a ton of strands, but my mom found these keshi pearls.  She mentioned they were half price while she was waiting in line to buy them, so I couldn’t resist and bought a strand too.

I really enjoyed the show and look forward to going again next year.  I felt like Goldilocks – it was just right!

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