Yes you can find it at the Bead&Button Show

I'm undertaking my annual quest for clasps at the Bead&Button Show again this year. Although I'm always on the lookout at the show for virtually everything I can find to keep my stock up  — seed beads, gemstones, and components — I conduct a targeted clasp hunt there. I collect many different kinds of clasps from several vendors each year, so that I have exactly the clasp I want on hand months later. I buy a variety of styles to suit my own taste, and lo and behold, I find something that matches a future idea when the time comes! This is especially handy when I'm making a gift and want the piece to say something special. A unique clasp provides an extra touch, particularly on simpler jewelry. I don't have as much time as I'd like to make gifts, so I select projects that I can finish on time for a birthday or holiday, and the right clasp really finishes off a beautiful piece of jewelry.

I have to admit, too, that I look for finished jewelry and art-glass beads at the show. I open up my pocketbook when it comes to the show, as I don't count on ever seeing one-of-a-kind work again, and I don't want to miss my chance. The Bead and Jewelry Marketplace is one of the very best shows on the planet to find lampwork, and I've been going to art and craft shows for decades, including the B&B Show before I worked at Bead&Button. The bead shows in Tucson and the annual International Society of Glass Beadmakers' Gathering Bead Bazaar (in Miami on July 25, 2009) are among my other favorites.

What do you look for at the show? What's at the top of your list?

Comments

maggieroschyk wrote re: Yes you can find it at the Bead&Button Show on Thu, Jun 4 2009 9:55 PM Here's my shopping list for the Bead&Button Show:   1.  Cool, ethnic silver pieces from Hands of the Hills   2.  Lapis Lazuli tube beads that will be used in kits   3.  Anything from silversmith Bob Burkett   4.  New Delica seed bead colors   5.  Unusual Czech seed beads in offbeat colors Well, there you have it!  My shopping list.  I should print this out for tomorrow.