Post BeadFest Summer Wrap up !!!!

So Beadfest Summer in Oaks PA came, saw, and conquered!!!

Normally when Beadfest comes I usually just go to shop and say hello. This year I decided to take a few classes... IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!! Did you know students get their own entrance? A student Lounge area? and AWESOME stuffs!!! Well they do!! A lanyard, a pillow cushion (which I forgot), a ruler, and a awesome zipper tote full of coupons!!! This year I attended a "TAILGATE PARTY" hosted by the amazing Candie Cooper, Jesse James Beads, Dakota Stones, and Stars Clasps. Talk about coffee, connecting, donuts and deals. The deals were amazing I did great. Hung out, danced to some old school music, met some amazing online friends in person, got a goodie bag from Candie Cooper from Beadalon full of amazing jewelry components and even more coupons to use from those I mentioned above. The tailgate started art 8am and ended at 9:30am. Then we all headed into Beadfest.

My first class started at 11:30am with Candie Cooper and it was a Doodle & Paint jewelry class, we got these awesome wood pendants, some acrylic paints, and colored pencils, and went to town. I made a cutey little Angel fish. Candie is an amazing woman, so very sweet, and a great teacher, I was so glad to have finally met her in person, after months of seeing her LIVE facebook broadcasts daily @2:30pm... on her facebook page Candie Cooper.  Jesse James Beads supplied the gorgeous beads we used to create our necklaces with.

  Below is my fish!!!

www.candiecooper.com

After Candie's class I shopped the Jesse James Beads Booth www.jessejamesbeads.com
where I found more  beadie goodness.....  This includes the goodies I got at the Tailgate party as well!!!

I then went across the way to visit my friend Michelle McCarthy of Fire Fly Designs Studio, she makes the most amazing ceramic creations!! So of course I came home with a haul!!! https://www.etsy.com/shop/FireflyDesignStudio?ref=shop_sugg

 The lovely and amazing Anne Gardanne of Gardanne Beads just happened to be right next to Michelle and of course I had to say hello, but Anne found me first apparently she is quite the "stalker" lol Anne has stunning enamels and I urge you to check them out. Here are the cuties I brought home..

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GardanneBeads

 I then went down Artisan Alley and stopped by to meet the gorgeously talented Diane Hawkey, I wanted everything she had including her pot people but alas I brought home these lovelies.... Be sure to stop by and grab some of her amazing items truly works of Art!!

http://www.dianehawkey.com/

After visiting Diane and missing Marsha Neal, I made my way over to see Staci of www.stacilouiseoriginals.com and her gorgeous polymer clay creations, she never ceases to amaze me after some chit chat and a surprise I picked up this amazing butterfly baby she is related to Lucian. She is black & White. and her name has not been revealed to you all but will be soon enough!!!

After chatting with Staci, I walked along the isle and found Green Girl Studios http://www.greengirlstudios.com/. I had the pleasure to meet Andrew Thornton and William Jones of Allegory Gallery www.allegorygallery.com they carry Green Girl Studio pieces in their Etsy Shop here allegorygallery.etsy.com  
It was great to meet them as I follow there challenges alot, so check them  out..... here are my goodies ... the fox and the famed luna moth.. I also ordered a few things from their etsy shop!!!

After I left Andrew thinking I was slightly on the crazy side (total lack of sleep + lack of coffee+heat+loads of walking = slightly scattered Betony) I made my way to the other side of Beadfest and found this adorable little booth called Tibet Inc I believe and I could be wrong, they had all types of amazing things going on. So I snagged this amazing key and two of these decorative large beads that are going to become pumpkin necklaces :)

Sunday my class with Kate Richbourg started at 12:30pm so I got there around 12pm. Kate's class was a simple stamped brass ring class that I learned how to do some stamping, annealing, patina, and so much more in. I loved it and Kate is simply amazing..... When I grow up I wanna be like Kate!!!  Here are the rings I made during her class

www.katerichbourgjewelry.com

and here are the goodies I picked up in Kate's class to get me started on stamping and some soldering and riveting....

After Kate's class, I made my way to a new vendor at Beadfest this year TAYLORS FALLS BEAD STORE  located in Taylors Falls MN. Whom I met during Candie Cooper's "back seat beader" trip. I had the pleasure of speaking to Diane from TFB, if you were on during my LIVE Beadfest tour this is where I began, They carry an amazing selection of beady scrumptiousness,  including an impressive selection of rocks , recycled glass, and fossils. Cup chain, findings, and so much more. Their recycled glass is brought in from all over, tumbled, sanded, tumbled again , drilled with holes, and ready for use in jewelry design. The rock are found at Lake Superior by Jeff Plath the stores owner who then makes holes. Each item is just so amazing, so many colors, and textures. I brought home quite a haul, and I urge you to go check them out.... Let them know The Beadwench set ya!!!!

www.tfbeadstore.com or their FB page https://www.facebook.com/Taylors-Falls-Bead-Store

After visiting TFB, I made my way over to visit the magnificent Jenny Davies Reazor an amazingly awesome clay artist. I could buy her entire table if I was able to. If you have not checked her out yet believe me you do not want to miss out.  Head over to www.jdaviesreazor.com !! I decided to go easy here and came home with this amazing face cabochon. I have never worked with a ceramic cabochon before and Jenny challenged me in a way that is awesome, I'm going to attempt a wire prong setting on this guy!!!! Thanks Jenny!!!

I then found PJ TOOLS & Impress Art... after Kate's class I wanted some items and a stamping set. I found alot of amazing Beadfest deals here.... and will be stamping away in no time!!!!

Down the isle a wee ways I found Sara Lukkonen of C-Koop Beads, who gave me some great pointers for riveting and where i picked up a gorgeous bright green enameled ring to use in an upcoming project.... www.ckoopbeads.com

I did get to visit with Marsha Neal of https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarshaNealStudio
Marsha has many amazing ceramic pieces to use in jewelry design, i love her rustic donuts and the glazes she uses are just stunning. I came home with some of her vibrant and strong silk ribbons as well as her amazing ceramic ring holder. She will have more of these coming to her Etsy shop in September and believe me your going to want one or 5 of them.....

Next was a visit to PARAWIRE.... www.parawire.com one of my all time favorite places to visit...... If you head over to their facebook page let em know The Beadwench sent ya !!!!!

I picked up some copper metal sheet, a dimpling hammer, metal shears, a spool of raw copper wire, some antique bronze wire and one is twisted which I adore!!!!! LOVE ME SOME PARAWIRE

I also wanted to mention that during the Saturday "Tailgate" party I purchased an amazing variety of goodies from Dakota Stones. If you have never shopped with them before I am highly recommending you give it a whirl, their gemstones are absolutely stunning.....

http://www.dakotastones.com/

I also picked up this awesome pair of really bent nose pliers from Xuron www.xuron.com home of amazing tools for all kinds of stuffs

Last but most definitely not least is a package that I had been building up prior to Beadfest but was delivered at Beadfest. My amazing friend Candie Cooper often has items for use in jewelry making for sale in her Etsy Shop. Let me tell you this is not the first amazing package I have gotten from her and it won't be the last. The druzy is big honkin as she likes to say and absolutely stunning, the crystals are just freaking awesome, as is the picture jasper blab, the gemstone cut elephants, and my bracelet called over the moon that comes as a kit we put together.... STUNNING!!!! she has the most amazing items in her shop and well worth the purchase so head over and check out her Etsy shop!! (as a side note the colored pencils I purchased from Candie during my Beadfest class with her)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CandieCooper

The bracelet kits are TO DIE FOR they are made using swarovski ravoli crystals, and a prong bracelet , she also sells the prong setting tools.  The sparkle is just freaking amazing!!!!!!! I want all the sparkly bracelets!!!!

So folks that concludes my shopping spree at Beadfest Summer 2016... not pictured here are some amazing items gifted to me from some friends, and a Polymer Clay oven from a friend.

I did not get the largest Beadfest selfie ever because well not many showed up but I do believe this is the longest Beadfest Blog!!!!

I met some amazing people this year, friends from out of state, one all the way from India. I met old friends too. Beadfest is our Happy place where the jewelry community comes together as one, where people understand your weirdness!!!! Here are some of the fabulous people I met and some I didnt get pictures of!!!

During Candie Coopers Class *photo credit to Candie Cooper*

During Kate Richbourg's Class *photo credit to Kate Richbourg*

Candie Cooper and I meeting for the first time in person!!

Michelle McCarthy of Fire Fly Design Studios

Anne Gardanne of Gardanne Beads

The Beadwench and The Beadhoarders, Robin Showstack and Lori Schnieder who came all the way from Boston!!! You can find their facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBeadHoardersDestashGroup/ 

Me at the end of the day looking quite frazzled but feeling so absolutely blessed to have all of these amazingly wonderful people in my life!!! Jewelry is & always will be my passion. So on that note my friends..... visit my wonderful artist friends above... try something new... leap into the unknown... create from your heart and soul.... and stay humble!!!!! ~ The Beadwench