Off again to a bead show!

Tomorrow I will depart at too-early o'clock for the West Michigan Bead Expo in Grand Rapids, MI!

I ended that with an exclamation point so it would sound like I was super excited. Well, I am super excited about the show, but maybe not about getting up early. After that, I will jog over to WI for my nephew's birthday, and then it's back home again. I'm looking forward to restocking my eBay store and Etsy shop with scarab cabs and the like, and I will have some new treasures, too!

If you're in the neighborhood tomorrow, stop by and say hi!

Treasures from the Bead Bonanza

I had a lovely day at the Bead Bonanza yesterday! Lots of familiar faces and favorite customers stopped by my booth to chat, and I had a great time. It seemed like a busy show, with lots of people clustered at the table at many points, and I seemed to be in motion for nearly the entire day.

I did have a little bit of time to visit a couple vendors. My neighbor Kristi is the artistic force behind Coliebug Beads (CB&Co), and her work was enthralling! She uses so many techniques to create her multilayered pendants, and she's such a great neighbor. I had a wonderful time talking to her about etching techniques. I bought this absolutely wonderful crow pendant from her:

I also stopped by Earthenwood Studio to see Melanie, of course! We've been friends for ages, and I love her work so very much. I had to pick up a "D" pendant...D for Detroit! I also grabbed a few new sugar skull components, a keyhole pendant, and a crow pendant. I can't wait to use these!

This weekend I have another bead show in Grand Rapids. After that, I'm going to spend time with my new beads. I really can't wait to design new pieces of jewelry!

A trip to the cider mill

Today I took a much-needed break before the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild Bead Bonanza and went to the Paint Creek Cider Mill for some yums and to see the creek.

The weather was glorious! The fall colors have not yet hit their peak, but they were still beautiful. We went inside and ordered our food. The ceiling is interesting, covered with signed dollar bills. We ate our donuts and sipped our cider while listening to a local musician, and met a sweet pupper. Afterward we went behind the mill to walk along the trail that runs next to the creek.

Hope to see you at the show tomorrow! If not, I hope you're enjoying the weather!

It's Wednesday!

And you know what that means. Bead Table Wednesday, of course!

This week's BTW is pretty quick as I'm walking out the door on my way to WI. You can see that my desk is in a state of flux:

I have goid foil-backed glass cabs waiting to process, some new funky giant lampwork face beads to put up on eBay as well, the usual assortment of bags and tools, plus the pearls I was working with for my last few projects. I'm really looking forward to making some new pieces this month. I have coins in the brain and mermaids and maybe some brioche agate or pearls or kyanite. Who knows? I hope to have some time to devote to this very soon. Once I'm home from this trip, I'll have a few days before the next show, and I'll definitely be working on my jewelry and bead listings. In fact, I just added 45 items to my Laurel Moon eBay store, including a few new items such as amethyst nuggets and red glass hearts, so you might want to check it out.

Catch me at the Knot Just Beads Milwaukee Bead Show on Sunday from 10-4 at the Wyndham Hotel - Airport, 4747 S. Howell, Milwaukee WI! I'll have lots of new yums and some great deals on pearls and vintage glass. Stop by and check out what I have!

The eternal sorting

Right now this is what my life looks like:

Desk.

Bins.

Yep. Bins. Bags. Beads. It's all about bins. And bags. And beads.

And bins and bags and beads.

For those of you who don't know, I sell beads at bead shows, with a large selection of beads that I sell for $1 per bag. Which means that I have to sort them, first into dollar increments, and then into bags. As you may have guessed, that's a lot of bags.

Fortunately, I like bagging beads. A lot. But when I have a show coming up, and I have 150 lbs of new beads, and I only have a day and a half to bag, it does tend to get a bit overwhelming. Usually I try to process all of each kind of bead, putting some in the overstock bins and some in the regular bins, but I just don't have enough time before I leave, so I'll have to try to bag at least a little of everything.I'm going to give it my best, though. I have such yummy new things and I want to share!

Show in a small town

This weekend I did the Arcadia Daze show in a little town in Michigan. I've done it for a few years, and I've always enjoyed it.

There are many fun things going on in this festival. There's a craft show, activities for kids, and pancake breakfasts and luncheons. The parade is always a hoot; it seems like every possible motorized vehicle ends up pulled into service. There are horses and cement mixers, ambulances and vintage cars, golf carts and fire trucks, and the big draw, the Scottsville Clown Band.

I love doing this show because I stay with my parents and it's always lovely to see them. My mother's gardens are in bloom, and I always try to take pictures. Sadly, this time my camera went to black after only twenty pictures. It's a bug this particular model has. I'll be sending it off to Sony when I get home.



Today I sold a few pieces of jewelry. I like to inform customers about the different elements in each piece. One of the pieces I sold had a handpainted tree that the customer fell completely in love with and was very excited to buy.

The other piece had a mermaid pendant from Green Girl Studios. The customer picked it up and loved the mermaid and the faceted pearls. "Does this piece mean anything?" she said.

"On the back, it says, 'Love bravely,'" I replied.

She looked at me, and I could see that she was touched by the phrase. "I'll take it," she said immediately.

I love that kind of connection! I hope she wears it as a talisman and it serves her well.

Heading off to Wisconsin

I'll be a vendor at the Madison Art Glass & Bead Show this weekend, and then I'll be staying with friends for a week after that. My Etsy shop and eBay store will be open, but there might be a bit of a delay in the shipping, as my husband will be the one processing the orders. I can't wait--I'm so excited to share the delicious baroque pearls with everyone!

Hope to see you there!

One show down, one show to go

Yesterday I was at the Bead Bonanza, in Southfield, MI. I had a lot of fun! It was great to catch up with the other vendors and see lots of familiar customer faces. I enjoyed talking to people and it's always nice when people say that they always shop from my booth.

On Thursday, I'll be driving out to Madison, WI, for the Art Glass & Bead Show. This is another one of my favorite shows. I usually stay with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and we have a great time. I rarely get to see them, so it's a special treat.

I will be bringing some delicious baroque pearls:



They are so yummy. I love pearls, and these are especially beautiful. It's hard to part with them! If you stop by the show this weekend, you'll see them in all their baroque glory.

The packing is nearly done

I've bagged hundreds of bags of beautiful baroque pearls, I've sorted 30 lbs of new merchandise, I've printed out price tags, loaded the car, and packed more tiny display dishes. I've found the tablecloths, packed the granola bars and water, and sorted which bins to take.

I still have to use the laminating sheets and cut out the price tags, pick out tomorrow's outfit, and check over my checklist to make sure I haven't missed anything. I also need to double-check the location and set my alarm clock.

After that, I'll be ready for the Bead Bonanaza tomorrow, at the Southfield Municipal Building. It's always nice to see everybody and celebrate spring with new beads! I can't wait to see Melanie from Earthenwood studio; it sounds like she'll have lots of wonderful closeout goodies to choose from. And there are lots of my other favorite vendors there, too. It's always nice to see their awesome beady stuff.

Most of all, it will be great to get out and chat with people and enjoy the day. Hope to see you there!

Beads in Bags

Those of you who have met me at shows know that I sell little bags of beads. I'm constantly asked where I get my products from and how I can sell them at such a great price.

What I do is purchase huge closeout lots. A "lot" is simply a term for a specific grouping of product. The lots I purchase are usually boxes full of...stuff. I get the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Some of the things I get are not readily usable. For example, they could be chokers with peeling metal, or bracelets with stickers on them that fall off. I absolutely hate throwing things away, so I often put a lot of ugly in one bag, and not only does the person get a great deal (often well below what's it worth), but I get the ugly out of the way easily. The thing is, there's always someone out there who can do something creative with these things. The necklaces are so cheap that they can use the leather or silk string and just toss the hardware, or the stickers can be taken off and the spaces filled with resin and collage images. The sky's the limit. I sell my bags of product in bins, and I've relabeled the "stringing supplies & misc." container as the "Creativity Bin." And you know what? It really sparks people! I love hearing the ideas they think of.

I spend lots of time just sorting beads. I'll watch some of my favorite seventies or eighties shows (Starsky & Hutch, Miami Vice) and put beads in bags for hours. It's very relaxing and fun.



Here's a great example of a sorting project that took three days. I bought a huge box (70 lbs) of vintage German cabochons, glass gems, and round...uh...beads without holes. It's taken me months to get through the sorting, but when I was finished, I had a lot of really great (and unusual) items. I also have five pounds of round...uh...beads without holes. [grin]

Sadly, I won't get any new lots until early next year, so there's not a lot of sorting for me to do at the moment. There will be, though!


Don't forget, my blog is moving! I'm posting at both places for now, but eventually it will be located solely here. Thanks!

Off to another show!

I'm scampering off to spend the rest of the week with friends, and then on Sunday I'll be at the Suburban Bead Encounter at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville, IL. If you're there, stop by and say hi!

Off to Wisconsin

I'll be at the Madison Art Glass and Bead Show this weekend! It's being held at the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 10-4.

If you're in the area, stop by and say hi!

Bead Bonanza

I've finished processing some new beads, and putting together more bags of seed beads, because I have a show on Sunday.

Yep, I'll be at one of my favorite shows, the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild Spring Bead Bonanza, held at the Southfield Municipal Complex on Evergreen. Hope to see you there!

Off I go to another bead show

I will be at the Cincinnati Intergalactic Bead Show this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Jam-packed weekend!

Tomorrow I'll be at the West Michigan Bead Expo in Grand Rapids, MI. And then on Sunday I'll be at the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild Bead Bonanza in Southfield, MI. I'm running around the house, packing everything, rebagging inventory, and printing out more signs.

Hope to see you all there!

Milwaukee bead show

This Sunday I will be at the Knot Just Beads Milwaukee Bead Show from 10 until 4. It takes place at the Milwaukee Wyndham Hotel near the airport (the address is 4747 S. Howell).

I'm still packing and putting together my merchandise. I'll have some new things and a lot of great closeout beads, as always.

Hope to see you there!

Off to Cincinnati

I'm heading down to Cincinnati for an Intergalactic Bead Show at the Sharonville Convention Center. The show runs Saturday and Sunday from 10-5, and it should be a fun time! I'm really looking forward to it. I have lots of favorite stuff to sell, plus some new beads, too!

Home for a few days

I'm back from Arcadia Daze. I was disappointed by the weather, which turned cold and rainy on Sunday, and dampened sales somewhat. Still, it was a fun time.

Now I'm getting read for the Intergalactic Bead Show in Cincinnati, held at the Sharonville Convention Center. Hope to see you there!

Still prepping for the show

On Saturday I'll be at Molten Obsession's West Michigan Bead Expo. I've been going through all of my inventory again and making plans.

I'm happy to say that I've pulled a big box of pearl strands out from under my desk and finally processed and priced them for the show. I was intending on using them for my own projects, but I finally decided that I can always find more closeout pearls, and I should just go ahead and sell them. I bagged some up as well for my dollar bags.

Doing these shows has been an interesting experience. On the one hand, I had expected experienced beaders to be the most interested in the dollar bags and strands that I have, as the prices are below wholesale. But I've found that experienced beaders see the bins of dollar bags and just keep walking. They don't take the time to see how the prices compare, and I think I can understand that--I would probably not be tempted by little bags of beads either. On the other hand, the new beaders who are attracted by beads in dollar bags don't always understand that the prices are very good.

I feel like I'm in a bit of a catch-22, honestly. I thought that selling closeout beads would be a really great niche, and that people would respond to the great prices positively, but I wonder if I'm presenting it properly, because it doesn't seem like I'm getting the reaction I expected. Then again, what ever does?

Restocking

Over the weekend, I topped off my eBay store and filled it to the brim with fun things. I've also put together the auction lots for the next month or two, which is probably one of my favorite parts of selling beads. I mean, I love sorting the beads more than making the jewelry on some days, hee!

I really want to make certain that I'm totally tricked out for the show on Saturday in Grand Rapids. To that end, I'll be going through all of the merchandise with a fine-toothed comb. I have a box of freshwater pearl strands that I've never priced, and I'll be putting the vintage Czech necklaces out, too. This means printing new signs, sorting, and pricing are all on this week's list.

I'm also determined to add to my Etsy shop this week as well. It's very interesting to see that the Day of the Dead bracelet has gotten so many hearts and views already. I think I'm going to get some more of the skull charms and make a line of earrings, too.

For eBay, I rely on the search engine. For Etsy, it seems like it's better to rely on listing continuously, and having a few really funky niche items.