Bead Fest!

It was a crazy week to finish getting ready for the show. You'd be suprised how many steps go into each bead and when one is making hundreds of beads in a week it does take a village or at least the inhabitants and visitors of one Michigan farmhouse. I had lots of helpers last week. I'm thankful! 

I have so many new beads for this show. I'd say over half my booth are new beads! Like these leafy pendants and of course I made disk beads to match. 

I made a new batch of bonbon beads that are featured in the current issue of Stringing magazine in a project by Lorelei Eurto. 

A new batch of autumn inspired bird totem sets. 

On our drive over here to Philly we saw the leaves are already starting to change and my booth is definitely reflecting the change of seasons. 

The drive was long but beautiful through the hills and valleys through Pennsylvania. 

If you are going to Bead Fest stop by to see me and say hello at booth 559A! 

And for those not going, I will list the new beads a few days after I return from the show. 

Bead Fest Prep

It's the final countdown! I am in the middle of finishing up beads for my first time at Bead Fest in Philly. My butterfly beads will be making their big debut. 

New pendants in progress. These are in brass bezels. 

Filling up trays as quickly as I can! This one will be all the new beads for the show. 

Getting ready for the show isn't just about making the beads. There is the booth, marketing materials, etc. I made these postcards to handout while I do a demo on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 - 1:45 showing how to use the bead spinner with memory wire and peanut seed beads.

I'll be signing books in my booth, I have a limited quantity. If you have a copy bring it and I will be happy to sign it! 

Along with beads, books and finished jewelry I will also have kits at this show. The ones above feature Humblebeads, Vintage Meadow leaves and lampwork by Sea of Glass. 

So all this will be happening in booth 559A. Be sure to stop by and say hello! I better get back to it!

Grab Bag Project Inspiration

Happy Saturday!!! My weekend is going to be filled with three things: beads, blueberries and birthdays. 

Beads because every spare minute is now crunch time for Bead Fest. (Booth 559A) Oh my, oh my, do I have some amazing things for this show. I'll be posting tons of picks next week. Follow me on Instagram for a behind the scene peak at prepping for a national bead show. (@humblebeads)

The other two B's - it's Blueberry Festival in my hometown and I love playing tourist. Checking out the craft show in the park, sidewalk sales, eatin' some berries, etc, etc. And birthdays, well for my nephew and my bday is on Monday and I like to celebrate it for a good 2-3 days!!! 

Back to beads - that's why you are here right? I'm having a huge clearance sale making way for all my new goodies. 

You can find 40% off grab bags in my Etsy shop. They are bright and cheerful and start at $25!!! 

It's a great way to stock up on focals and find some rare Humblebeads. 

Here is a free project as an example of what to do with those round focals: 

Dahila Necklace

Check out all the grab bags in my Etsy shop: 

Have an awesome weekend!!!

New Online Workshop

It's time for another polymer clay bootcamp! This bootcamp is all about focusing on learning to make and design canes. Each week you'll learn new canes and clever ways to use them to make beads. 

There are two parts to this workshop:

• Beadmaking - with step by step videos and instructions to make all the beads pictured here.

• Designing Canes and Finding Your Voice - this part of the workshop is optional. It's full of creative exercises to help you discover your own unique voice in polymer clay and help you design original canes. 

 

The class will cover four weeks of skill-building cane classes.

• Learn 10 new canes with step-by-step videos and tutorials
• Learn how to design your own canes
• Delve into my creative process for finding inspiration and making beads
• Advanced optional skill builders to discover your voice in polymer clay
• Start to develop your own designs and styles for beads
• Tips for creating bead series/collection

There will be a dedicated Facebook group for this class, a private classroom with downloads, videos and worksheets. And don't forget lifetime access to all class materials. Beginners are welcome! 

Early Bird Registration is open until August 20th.  Only 30 spaces are available for this class.

Click here for all the details and registration!