Immersed in Beads and Jewelry

This past week has been a busy beadie week.  Last Thursday my mother and I went to the Pasadena Bead show...awesome...I bought a strand of stunning labradorite beads and a short strand of natural blue topaz  briolettes from an eclectic woman named Kia and an assortment of intricate african animal polymer clay beads from Janet at TwoCan Clay Designs.  Check out Janet's beads at http://www.twocanclaydesigns.com/ ...unfortuantely Kia doesn't have a website.  I also bought Sharilyn Miller's Contemporary Copper Jewelry book...it is filled with wire projects...I'm going to have to try making each one of them.

On Friday I took the Treasure Necklace class from Robin Howes at Garden of Beaden.  Robin makes wonderful fun jewelry and is a good teacher.  I found soldering to be rather frustrating but I'm glad I got the opportunity to try the technique and I love the little treasure filled vial we made...I filled my vial with seed beads from my great-grandmother and tiny pearls from my grandmother...it is definately going on a necklace.

And today I taught my Kuchi Coiled Bead Bracelet at the Garden of Beaden.  Debra, Jann and I spent much of the day coiling wire and designing bracelets...I can't think of a better way to spend the day.  Even the rain couldn't quench the enthusiam.