Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Bead & Button pt II & Year of Jewelry: Week 24

Sat I had my class- Kanto Lantern Jewel http://beadandbuttonshow.stores.yahoo.net/b07186.html (Janice's website: http://www.wiredarts.net/jbclasses.html ) Let me start by saying, I've taken 2 classes at B & B prior to this class, and I've been vastly disappointed. So while I really looked forward to this class, I had major anxiety. I"m very happy to say the class went great, I learned new skills, had a blast learning and she even talked me into a set of hammers!! ( http://www.wiredarts.net/tools.html ) Ok she didn't have to talk me into it very hard!! LOL !! I love tools. Here are pics of my Lantern.. though I have to say it makes me think of Victorian bird cages more than Japanese lanterns. I've already got pages full of ideas and scribbles modify the basic construction, to make them my own. I think I actually impressed her alittle.. instead of eating lunch ( you get a 2 hour break) I grabbed food, bought a quick strand of large beige faceted pearls and and was back in 1/2 hour.. I just wanted to keep working on my pendant. I finished it differently than anyone else has done in her class.. I ran wire through the bottom loops and strung crystals and the bells on it... to create more of a fringe effect than dangles. I needed the larger pearl because only tiny pearls came in the kit, and I really wanted 1 large dangle on the bottom.. again I"m thinking Victorian cages here. Since I had the strand, I also made a chain, bail and clasp to go with the pendant. I had it done by the time she came back from lunch! LOL I get so excited sometimes When I"m creating things, that's why I love making jewelry.. especially wire jewelry, you just never know where it will take you, and the ride is fun to boot. (and I"m counting this as week 24 to catch up.... I've had so many shows I've gotten behind on YOJ... bad Kat!! For those who are keeping score, yes, I'm temporary skipping week 23.. I've actually got a piece I'm working on for it.. I just don't have it ready yet!! )


After my class we gathered a group to go to the safe house, which is a theme restaurant based on you guest it, spies and espionage. ( http://www.safe-house.com/faq.html ) It's pretty fun, however we were next to a bridal shower who believed in getting the bride so drunk she couldn't walk anymore, and hey, had a few themselves!!! Truthfully, a few of our party also indulged, but I"m not mentioning names.. if I do, then I have to kill you. ehehehe. Seriously you have to have a pass word to get into the safe house, if you don't they make you do silly things ( we were penguins) which are shown on close circuit telly to everyone else in the restaurants. Clapping as you finally make your way into the restaurant is not unusual... After the safe house, we walked around town, it was a lovely night! and hit a chocolate bar in a really upscale hotel.. really.. the bathrooms are nicer than my house!! yummy!!! (the chocolate, not the restrooms) then we retired for the night to our respective hotels, to get beauty sleep and rest up for a few last minute shopping sprees. Sunday we shopped alittle, packed and started to say goodbyes.... worst part of B & B saying goodbye to my beady Internet buds of like 8 ? years now.. then hop into the car for a fairly tame ride home. It always seems longer on the way home.

1 comment:

The bad Liz said...

Hi Kat - it really was a good show this year - not in terms of shopping or seeing anything new, but in terms of seeing old and meeting new friends.

I thought that the show was nicer than other years. I really enjoyed the "lounge" area at the Hyatt for the open beading. Also, I loved, loved, loved the displays in the "pre-show" area outside the sales floor. I have never looked at these pieces as much as I did this year. Or is that because the "Lone Beader" had her wonderful pieces in it?