Gemstones for 2012: The Year of the Dragon!

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Growing up, two of my best friends were Chinese girls who had spent several years living in India before coming to the United States. Through them, I learned so much about Chinese culture (and cooking - yum!) that I fell in love with everything about China. I've read many books about Chinese history and art, martial arts and, of course, Chinese astrology! During my college years, the three of us would spend hours in the book store reading through books on Chinese astrology, trying to figure out how my husband (an Ox) and me (a Tiger) managed to get together. (According to Chinese astrology, we're supposed to be completely incompatible!) We ate up the descriptions of the different personalities attributed to each person born in a certain year, and we tried to figure out how they applied to us. 
Well, this year, 2012, is the Year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology. What does that mean? Well, the Dragon is one of the luckiest and most powerful signs in Chinese astrology. People born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be self-assured, fearless, flexible and innovative. Dragons make good artists, diplomats and politicians. Dragons can also be quick-tempered and and stubborn, but the element of water comes into play during 2012's Year of the Dragon, providing a somewhat calming influence on Dragon personalities and making them more sensitive to the needs of others.
You can capture a little bit of that good fortune and balance said to be bestowed upon Dragons in 2012 by using some of the lucky gemstones attributed to those powerful Dragons! There are three gemstones that are said to be particularly auspicious for the Year of the Dragon:

Opal. Opals are said to assist in spiritual journeys, as well as stimulating change and manifesting your ideas. For Dragons, who are believed to live in great balance with their spirituality, these are powerful gemstones for spiritual exploration.
Opal beads are hard to come by, but you'll be able to find a variation called Mountain Opal which is actually a vein of opal that has been cut with the surrounding "parent" rock. Opal cabochons, both artificially created and natural, can be purchased from some gemstone dealers.

Sapphire. I couldn't resist this bronze and sapphire coin pendant from Green Girl Studios while I was shopping during the Tucson gem and mineral shows! I've always been a fan of dragons, and this one combined with one of the lucky Year of the Dragon gemstones seemed perfect to me. Sapphires come in many different colors, including green, orange, pink white and yellow, but blue sapphires are said to help one use their full creative potential!
Since sapphire beads can be more expensive than other gemstones, you can always buy just a few of them and then enhance them with your favorite deep blue seed bead.
Amber. Amber is fossilized tree sap or resin, so it's not technically considered to be a gemstone or a crystal. Like sapphires and opals, it comes in a wide range of colors including green, golden, honey (a beautiful opaque light yellow), red and black. The red amber beads I used to embellish this handmade porcelain dragon cabochon by Marsha Hedricks (another Tucson find!) are believed to offer peace and promote self love and acceptance. I've heard of amber being referred to as the "human" gemstone, because it is naturally warm to the touch. When worn directly against the skin, amber is said to be able to transform negative human energies into positive energies.
Amber comes in a variety of beads and cabochons, some of which have been carved with beautifully intricate designs. Be aware when purchasing amber that the pieces with real inclusions (like bits of bugs and leaves) are very rare and hard to come by, and should be priced higher than other pieces of amber. If you find a piece of amber with inclusions at a price so low that it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't genuine!

Make the Most of 2012 with These Lucky Gemstones! Looking for some new ways to use gemstones in your jewelry-making projects? Check out the new book Gemstone Settings: The Jewelry Maker's Guide to Styles and Techniques. You'll find information about how to use your favorite gemstones (and a few new ones!) in beautiful, architectural metal jewelry designs. Learn how to set gemstones in prong settings, bezel settings and grain settings, and with so many valuable references about popular gemstones, step-by-step instructions for making your own gemstone settings and basic fabrication techniques, this is one jewelry making book that you'll refer to time and again.
Get your copy of Gemstone Settings: The Jewelry Maker's Guide to Styles and Techniques and be fearless with your gemstone settings in 2012!
Do you have a "lucky" gemstone? What is it? Why is it lucky for you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts here on the Beading Daily blog!
Bead Happy,

Jennifer
Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving
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Gemstone wealth - GreaterKashmir.com
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Gemstone wealthGreaterKashmir.comRemarkably, our state itself has a unique place in the global gemstone resources base because of the top quality sapphire deposits it has in the Paddar area of Kishtwar district in Jammu. These deposits were first dis ...
NOLA.com - Amazing new Besthoff Sculpture Garden art by Do Ho Suh - NOLA.com
http://www.nola.com/Mar 1
The string of figures is faceted like a gem stone, lending a glittering digital effect to the strange tower. Each iteration of the man is holding his hands over the eyes of the man who precedes him. Doug MacCash / The Times-Picayune 'Karma' by Korean artist Do Ho Suh.

HrtsofStone
Blue Moon Agate druzy heart gemstone necklace by HrtsofStone http://t.co/v1aiWsXb via @Etsy Cuter than the man in the moon!
Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:18:07 AM

Bead Table Wednesday: Scatterbrained Beads

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I think this winter is finally starting to get to me. We've had lousy conditions for doing any of the fun things that I love to do in the winter up here: it hasn't been cold enough for any serious ice fishing, and there's definitely not enough snow anywhere nearby for us to take out our cross-country skis or snow shoes.
My bead table is a riot of seed beads and components today, all of which are reflecting my desert-inspired color palettes from Tucson!Since I got back from Tucson, I've been trying to keep myself busy with my beads and some new beading projects, but on this Bead Table Wednesday, I feel like the contents of my bead tray are accurately reflecting my feelings inside: mixed up and disorganized!
At the heart of my feelings of dissatisfaction surrounding my bead table today is the herringbone stitch bezel I've been trying to make for a crystal rivoli. The whole project was one of those ideas that just hits you and you know it's a fabulous design. I've used tubular herringbone stitch in other designs to surround cabochons and focals, but I've never used it to make a bezel. This one has been frustrating and disappointing, to say the least! Short of using double-sided tape to hold the rivoli inside the bezel (which I don't want to do for fear of ruining the foiled back of the rivoli), I just don't think that this one is going to work.
On the other hand, I'm pleased as punch with the way the ceramic cabochons by Marsha Hedrick have turned out. The three pink and brown ceramic cabochons you see (with the old-fashioned image of the woman in the center) were started way back in 2009. I don't know what inspired me to take them out and finish them, but I suspect it was those strands of vintage Czech glass pearls from the Beadin' Path that I found while I was in Tucson!

The ceramic dragon cabochon was also another Tucson find that I couldn't wait to get started. Working the peyote stitch bezel was easy for this one, but now I've got three different ideas for the neck strap, and I'm just not sure which one I like the best. At least if I can't decide right away, I can always use one of the other designs with a different cabochon. (And I brought back plenty of cabochons from Tucson, believe me!)
One thing I love about the beads that I've been using lately is the desert-inspired color palette of seed beads that I selected while I was shopping at Whimbeads and Beyond Beadery while I was in Tucson. I don't know what it is about those dramatic rust-colored mountains that moves me, but it certainly got right into the part of my brain that picks seed bead colors for my new beading projects.
What's on your bead table today? Take a quick picture and tell us about it in the Forums!
Bead Happy,

Jennifer
Filed under: Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Herringbone Stitch, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving
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300-year-old treasure worth $500 mil

How to choose personalized romantic jewelry

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Looking for a great romantic gift for your wife, girlfriend or boyfriend? Custom jewelry-recommended custom jewelry are a very romantic gift and may be personalized with different things, such as a name or initial. The gift recipient know how special it is, because the gift with your name or initial on it is just for them.
We have put together these tips to help you find the perfect piece of custom jewelry for that special woman in your life. Here are our tips to help you find that perfect custom jewelry:
Custom rings
Personalized rings make great gifts. Can a custom ring with different things. Personalized couples rings may include first initial or birthstones of both people in a couple.

Or, customize the ring just for you-there are many possibilities. Personalized with a birthstone rings are great, so are the initial ring (a ring personalized with your first initial), or name of rings, rings with his name on it.
Personalized necklaces and pendants
Personalized necklaces are very popular; Necklace personalized with a name of the wearer used to be all the rage a few years ago, and are still quite popular.
There are many different settings to choose from. You can take for the name must be written in regular letters or script letters, and you can take a birthstone necklace to be added. Custom necklaces and pendants come in many different styles and concepts. Take a look at some different ones and pick the one that reflects the style of the woman you love.
Custom wristbands
Custom bracelets are very popular and there are many to choose from. Some bracelets are personalized with the recipient's name. Others can be customized with both of your names. Yet, others can have her birthstone or some of your birthstones on it, making it one of a kind bracelet just for her.
Next time, when you are looking for a romantic gift for the one I love, get her a custom piece of jewelry. You'll be glad you did-you will love it!
Author Bio
DealGirls.com is a website about online shopping and the latest styles of jewelry, clothing and shoes. Visit the custom jewelry Guide for information about purchasing custom jewellery.
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What is a good romantic quote for Jewelry?

I plan to buy my girlfriend a nice silver necklace for Christmas and want to have a personal, romantic quote engraved. Her name is Jasmine, aka Jazz, so I was thinking of something involving a play on words with her name. Jazzy, Jazz, Jasmine, either one. Any ideas?

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what about ...........j!zz on your chin,love always

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• An old-fashioned romantic at heart! Justin Bieber sweetly kisses ... ‎ Daily Mail - 17 Feb 2012 The 17-year-old displayed an adorable show of romance yesterday when he and ... Indeed, Justin may have even bought his girlfriend of a year jewellery in ...

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Beading Business: Tips for Setting Up and Running Your Online Jewelry Shop, Part 1

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Taking a look at the recent threads in the Beading Daily forums, I see the same question over and over: I just set up my online jewelry shop, but no one is ordering anything from me! What am I doing wrong? It's easy to look at successful sellers on Etsy, ArtFire and other sites like Big Cartel and think that all you have to do for your online jewelry business is list a few items and then watch the sales start rolling in.

In reality, setting up and running an online jewelry business takes a little bit of work, some persistence, and a lot of time. While it's true that some online sellers find success fairly easily, the rest of us have to make a serious effort at running our online jewelry business. The things you need to do to run a good online jewelry shop aren't necessarily difficult, but they do require a little bit of thought.

Tip #1: Before you set up shop! Before you even set up your online jewelry business, it pays to do your homework.Contact your local chamber of commerce to find out what you need to do to collect sales tax and obtain any required business licenses. Even if your jewelry business is just a hobby, you are most likely required to collect sales tax when selling jewelry and then will have to turn that tax over to the state. If you have any questions about collecting sales tax or business licenses, make an appointment to sit down with a small business adviser from your local chamber of commerce. You'll be thankful that you did!
Tip #2: Have clear store policies. This probably requires more thought than any of the other things you will do before you even set up your online shop! What are your store policies? Do you accept returns? Will you do custom work? What kind of deposits do you require? Will you set up lay-away payments for your customers? Take a look at the store policies of other online jewelry shops and make notes on what you like and what you don't. Think about what works best with your business model before writing up your own policies. You can always change them later if you find that your original set of policies doesn't work for you, but make sure that any changes in store policies are well-advertised.

Tip #3: Take great photographs. I can't stress enough how important photographs are as part of providing an excellent online shopping experience for your customer. No one is going to buy a piece of beaded jewelry if the photograph is fuzzy or underlit, or if it doesn't show enough detail. It takes practice to be able to take great photographs, but if you're serious about running a successful online jewelry business, it's a skill that you must learn. Poor photographs gives customers the impression that you are not serious about your work!

Tip #4: Write good descriptions. This is the part that seems to be difficult for many online sellers. Writing effective descriptions can be tough, but it's well worth the time you spend on it. Think about including popular keywords like "beaded necklace" or "beaded earrings" in your descriptions so that search engines can pick up on your listings. Include accurate measurements for necklaces and bracelets, and highlight any special gemstones, beads or other materials that you used when creating the piece. Have a little fun with your descriptions, too: I've seen (and written) some item descriptions that sound like a short story, revolving around that particular piece of beaded jewelry.
Tip #5: Maintain excellent communications with your customers! Keeping in communication with your customers lets them know that you take your online jewelry business seriously. When someone makes a purchase from your online shop, it's a great idea to send them a quick message to acknowledge the order, thank them, and let them know when the item will be shipped. If you ship with a confirmation number (which is always highly recommended), send that number to your customer so they can track their package, too. Buyers are more likely to come back when you stay in touch and communicate with them!
Running a successful online shop for your jewelry business doesn't have to take a lot of time, but some people find it easier to set aside a block of time every day to complete their tasks like updating inventory, adding new items and promoting through social media. Remember that it takes time for your online shop to get noticed, so don't feel bad if you set up your online shop and aren't suddenly overwhelmed with orders! Keep at your online promotion, offer superb customer service, and you just might find that your little "side business" is turning into a successful online jewelry business!
Have you looked at your product photos and decided that you need a little help? If you have an hour to spare, you can learn everything you need to know about taking great photographs of your finished beaded jewelry from professional photographer Jim Lawson. Jim has spent many years photographing the jewelry featured in Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine. In the new video How to Photograph Your Jewelry, Jim shows us how to create a professional photography setup, how to get the most out of photo editing software, and even how to achieve a professional graded background to bring out the best in your finished jewelry pieces!

Are you ready to learn more about photographing your finished jewelry? Download How to Photograph Your Jewelry onto your laptop or desktop computer and start learning what the pros know about taking great photographs of your finished jewelry. Since it's available for instant download, you can have your video ready to go in just minutes and start working on improving your photographs today!
Do you have an online jewelry business? What tips for running your online jewelry business would you recommend to someone just starting out? Did you find that your first sales took a while, or did you start seeing items selling right away? Share your tips, thoughts and comments here on the Beading Daily blog! (And if you have a link to your online shop, share that with us, too!)
Bead Happy,

Jennifer
P.S. Come back tomorrow for Part 2 with tips on organizing and managing the inventory on your online shop!
Filed under: Lapidary, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Magazine
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Star Ruby-eternal Gemstone

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What are Star Rubies?
Star Rubies are a rare variety of the gemstone Ruby. These magnificent gems display sharp six x-rayed star which seems to glide magically across the shimmer and surface of the gem when the latter is moved. This is caused due to an optical phenomenon known as "Asterism". The star is best visible when the star ruby is seen in a single light source such as sunlight and spotlight.

What causes the Star-Effect?
Star-effect or "asterism" is caused by the dense inclusions of tiny fibers of rutile grade (also known as "silk"). The stars are caused by the light reflecting from needle-like inclusions of rutile aligned perpendicular to the rays of the star. However, since rutile is always present in star rubies, they are never completely transparent. In fact, star ruby is one of those few gemstones which actually require inclusions (i.e. rutile).

Star Rubies Are rare?
Today, out of every 100 rough corundum (ruby and sapphire) mined; only three will have stars apparent after being cut into cabochons. Out of these three, one will have a poor color but a good star; one will have a poor star but a good color and only one out of hundred will have both a good star and a good color!
Most original sources of star rubies Mogok such as (Burma) have run out of supplies. Worldwide production today is yielding a very small quantity of fine stars (especially in sizes above 5 carats). Star rubies are becoming rare as most rough today is cut into faceted stones after heating instead of being cut into cabochons to display the star.

Star Ruby Myths and Legends:
Traditionally, star rubies were worn by knights in the battlefields to protect themselves from the enemy. Local tales in Karnataka (India) say that if it is worn as a pendant or as visible to headgear then anyone who faces you as an enemy looses half his valour. The power of star ruby is said to be the highest during full moon.
Star Ruby is said to pep up internal strength, ward off intra-group tensions, distress the mind and drive away stress related problems like insomnia, migraine, and hysteria. The healing powers of gemstones remain a controversial issue, but are mentioned since ages by healers, shamans and medicine men. Whether it's a fact or a placebo effect doesn't matter, if it helps.

Famous Star Rubies:
The Delong Star Ruby resides in the Natural History Museum in New York City. It weighs 100.32 carats. Discovered in Burma during the early part of the twentieth century, it was sold by Martin Ehrmann to Edith Haggin DeLong, who donated it to the museum. In 1964 the Delong Star Ruby was the object of an infamous driving offences, carried out by Jack Murphy, known as Murph the Surf, and two other men. It was then ransomed out and recovered. The Delong Star was found at a designated drop off site-a phone booth in Florida.
The Rosser Reeves Ruby is one of the world's largest and finest star rubies. Weighing 138.7 carats, it is not only clearer and more translucent that the Delong Star, but also possesses a sharp six-star x-rayed. This Sri Lankan stone is renowned for its great color and well-defined star pattern. Advertising mogul Rosser Reeves, who donated the piece to the Smithsonian in 1965, carried it around as a lucky stone, referring to it as his baby. He often stated that he had acquired the stone at an auction in Istanbul in the mid-1950s. He actually bought the stone from Robert c. Nelson Jr. of New York who was acting on behalf of Firestone & Parson of Boston. Firestone & Parson were selling the stone for Mr. Paul Fisher of New York. Mr. Robert Fisher, Paul's father, had bought at an auction the ruby in London in 1953. At the time the ruby then weighed just over 140 carats, but was very heavily scratched, and a few carats were removed in the repolishing. The repolishing also helped to center the stone's star. Articles in the New York World-Telegram and the Sun in 1953 mentioned this fabulous gemstone.

Zodiac/Birthstone Information:
Ruby is the birthstone for July, and the Capricorn zodiac sign. The top quality of ruby is Ruby Star. Ruby is also used to celebrate a couple's 15th and 40th anniversaries.

What to Look for while buying a Star Ruby:
The value of Star rubies is basically influenced by two things: (a) The strength and sharpness of the star, (b) Intensity and attractiveness of body colour.

Sharpness of the Star: The star should be sharp and silvery/milky white. The best way to test the sharpness of the star is to look at the star ruby in sunlight with the dome facing the sun. All six prongs should be straight and equally prominent. The complete star should be centered in the middle of the gem, but should also be able to glide effortlessly around the cabochons.

Colour of the gemstone: Generally rubies are red. But star ruby is usually not red. Most star rubies are available in rosy, pinkish-red, purplish-red or purplish-brown colour. Red Rubies with a perfect star are very rare and may cost a fortune.

Cutting: Cutting is very important to exhibit the star effect in ruby. They need to be cut into medium to high, domed cabochon to get the perfect star effect. The cabochon must be round or oval-shaped. The stone should not be too flat on the top or too heavy on the bottom. Many bottoms of stars are kept unpolished so that the light is trapped inside the gemstone.

Caring about your star ruby:
Though there are very few chemicals that attack Star Rubies, it is best to clean your star ruby with warm soap water and a toothbrush. Cleaning your Star Ruby in Ultrasonic cleaners is not recommended.

& Treatments: Synthetics
Genuine Star Rubies are usually not heat treated because heating can dissolve the rutile grade (silk) which causes the star to form in the first place.
Beware of Synthetic (Lab-made) Star Rubies! Synthetic rubies star jump out as way too perfect looking, i.e. a perfect star, super clean stone, and great color. Natural star rubies In the distribution of colour is often uneven, stripes and spots-which is the best way to judge with the naked eye whether the star ruby is natural or synthetic. However, sometimes it may be a tough task to distinguish between natural and synthetic gems and if you run into any such stone, be sure to ask for a Reputed Gem Laboratory certificate from the seller. No doubt synthetic star rubies are much cheaper than natural ones, but they may offer little or no resale value.

Advise on Star Ruby Jewellery:
Star Rubies are available in all forms of jewellery. However, Star Ruby Rings and Pendants are usually preferred. To maximize its astrological and healing effects, it is advised that the gemstone should be mounted in jewellery in such a way that the bottom of the stone touches to skin. Star Ruby can also be kept as a loose gemstone. Rubies look best in Yellow Gold Jewellery, though it really depends on the choice of the wearer.

To conclude, if you are looking out for a gemstone, but not sure which one to buy, search no more, get yourself this mystical gem! Send this page to:

Author Bio
Author: Harshil Zaveri
For more information on Star Rubies, visit The Star Ruby Shop at www.starruby.in/store/

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Right-Angle Weave: Triangular Right-Angular Weave

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Back in December, I decided to participate in former Beading Daily online editor Michelle Mach's winter snowflake challenge. Michelle offered kits for sale in her online shop that contained some beautiful handmade porcelain components as well as an assortment of accent beads.
My very tired beady brain had confused Chevron chain (top) with this variation of right-angle weave (known as triangle weave). Can you see the differences in this photo?Once I had my centerpiece finished, I started stitching my beaded strap, thinking that I was working in Chevron stitch. But it didn't really look like Chevron stitch. The breaks and gaps between each unit made me think that I was working in a different bead-weaving stitch, and It was stiffer than I remembered Chevron stitch to be. After a few more stitches, I realized that I was actually doing something completely different than Chevron stitch!
Now, this realization came around one in the morning, and my eyes were puffy and my brain tired. Once I actually dissected my thread path, I discovered that I was actually working in a variation of right-angle weave that is also known as triangle weave. But as I went to bed that night, all I could think was, "Wow. I've been working in triangular right-angular!"
When I teach right-angle weave, I usually recommend to my students that they use more than one bead for each side of the right-angle weave unit so that they can better see the thread path, and the same applied with triangle weave. For triangle weave, it also helps to use two colors of seed beads, a main color (A) and an accent color (B). Here's a quick tutorial to get you started:
Triangle Weave Earrings
This week Kelly from Off the Beaded Path, in Forest City, North Carolina teaches how ot make a beautiful pair of Triangle Weave Earrings. All you need for this project is some bicones, size 11 seed beads,fireline, a beading needle and some ear hooks....

On a comfortable length of thread, pick up 1 B, 2 A, 2 B, 2 A, 2 B, 2 A and 1 B for a total of 12 beads. Pass through all the beads again and form into a triangle shape using your fingers. To add a second unit, pick up 1 B, 2 A, 2 B, 2 A and 1 B for a total of 8 beads. Pass through the last four beads from the first unit and through all the beads just added.
Continue to add units in this manner until you have a chain of the desired length. Keep your tension relatively tight as you work, and shape the units into triangles with your fingers as you work.
If you want to add other rows, you can check out the quick triangle weave tutorial here on Beading Daily. It's really a fast stitch to learn, and if you are already comfortable with the thread path of right-angle weave, you should be able to pick up triangle weave in no time!
Triangle weave is just another example of the versatility of right-angle weave. Instead of using four beads, you're using three beads (or sets of beads, in this case) and stitching them so that the thread enters each new set at a right angle.

Just in case you need any more convincing that right-angle weave is an amazing, adaptable and versatile beadweaving stitch, make sure you check out the April/May issue of Beadwork magazine. You'll find three great right-angle weave projects (including Round and Round, pictured here) that each use a different version of my favorite beading stitch. Better yet, subscribe to Beadwork magazine and you'll get all the inspiration you need to master right-angle weave and all of its wonderful variations!
Do you have a favorite variation of right-angle weave? What is it? Are you interested in learning new variations of this wonderful beading stitch? Leave a comment and share your thoughts here on the Beading Daily blog!
Bead Happy,

Jennifer
P.S. Head on over to our Beading Instructions blog to find a quick and easy tutorial for Chevron chain stitch!
Filed under: Michelle Mach, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving
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Students weave quilting into Black History lessons - Vineland Daily Journal
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Students weave quilting into Black History lessonsVineland Daily JournalThe lesson took a modern turn this week when students used a computer drafting program to design a quilt online using geometric shapes. Kito Hinton, 17, of Bridgeton, showed off ...

Popular Q&A Q How to Weave Triangle Shawls Shawls are versatile garments. They add elegance and style to any outfit, yet are warm and cozy wraps for adults and bab... Read More » Source: www.ehow.com

Tucson Bead Shows 2012, Day Two!

My second (and last!) day in Tucson, I had originally planned to hit The Best Bead Show, To Bead True Blue and maybe sneak over to one of the gem and mineral shows, since my son was asking for geodes and green-and-purple rocks.Little did I know what I was in for when we arrived at The Best Bead Show!
It was so good to finally get to meet Beki Haley of Out On a Whim after all these years!The first thing I saw when I walked in were the signs pointing me over to Out On a Whim, and Beki Haley and her family. I've been buying seed beads from Beki for nearly ten years now, and I could barely contain my excitement at getting to meet her face-to-face for the first time ever! And, of course, I was anxious to see what kinds of treasures she had brought with her to Tucson this year. (Not that I need any more seed beads!)
Bead Show Tips How To Experience a Great Bead Show
www.beading-software.com Bead shows are a great way to show off your jewelry creations as well as picking up some new ideas. For beading business advise make sure to check this site out for tons of free information and also get a free jewelry pricing...

Tammy Jones was gracious enough to hang out while I did some shopping, re-stocking my metallic seed beads and finding some new treasures to add to my collection. I was also drawn to the lovely strands of Chinese crystal hanging in the sun, and I added a few strands of beautiful two-holed pearls to my pearl collection. It must have been something about the desert air, but I found myself picking out a thoroughly desert-inspired palette of seed beads. A sparkling multi-colored strand of tiny Chinese crystal rondelles were too tempting, and I picked out some opal green and opaque orange crystals to add to my stash.
I am totally in love with my little turtle from Green Girl Studios.Once I had finished in there, we moved on to the show floor, where the next person we saw was the amazing Andrew Thornton. I've admired and followed Andrew's blog for a very long time now, and it was such a thrill to get to meet him. I found myself making delightful discoveries as I looked through all the pieces he had displayed on the Green Girl Studios table. Meaningful quotes were engraved into the backs of pendants, and each bead and clasp was full of fanciful details. When I saw the lovely little articulated turtles, I knew there was no way I was walking out of that show without one of them. I always allow myself one big splurge at a bead show, and this little turtle was perfect.

After nearly three years, I got to hug on the fabulous Jill Wiseman again!Jill Wiseman's mother, June, directed us to where Jill was teaching her afternoon class, and Tammy and I got to get our hugs on with this beadweaving superstar! I haven't seen Jill since we met at Bead Fest Philadelphia back in 2009, and I so wish that we had had more time to chat and hang out.
Betcey Ventrella is always up for some fun if it involves crystals!Right in front of Jill's classroom - lucky for us! - was Betcey Ventrella and Nikia Angel hanging out at Beyond Beadery. More seed beads, more crystals, and some absolutely gorgeous vintage glass cabochons found their way into my tray this time around, while Tammy watched Jill in action with her class. My seed bead color choices from Betcey's selections were definitely not my usual preferences and included blues, neon greens and bright orange. I also picked up a few packages of these wonderful new Czech glass spikes. While the colors are beautiful, they just look dangerous -- especially when they're embedded in some of that fun Crystal Clay!
As Tammy and I made the rounds at each booth, we saw more people that we knew and spent more time chatting and gazing at the beads being offered. We each picked out a beautiful Botanical by the very talented Lisa Kan with the idea of a special challenge for our readers. (Hint, hint.)
Since 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology, I added two more dragon pieces to my collection from the talented Marsha Hedricks.On our way out to wait for our taxi, we ducked into a side room and discovered the lovely and talented Marsha Hedricks of Amazing Porcelain Fantasies! I picked out two of Marsha's dragons to add to my collection: one cabochon with lovely mottled pinks and tans in the background, and one of her wonderfully detailed donut pendants.
I can't wait to start on a beaded rope for this gorgeous lampwork glass pendulum by Beau Barrett.
My last purchase of the day was this striking mini pendulum bead by Beau Barrett of Evolving Creations Lampwork. It was a tough choice, since I could have easily picked out one of every bead and bead set they had, but the colors of this particular handmade lampwork bead just happened to match a tube of matte metallic seed beads I had picked out from Beyond Beadery.
By this time, my feet (and the clock) were telling me that there was no way I was going to be able to race through one more bead show, let alone two! So, after a quick nap back at the hotel, Tammy and I headed back out to dinner with Beki, Betcey and their respective bead "gangs" at a wonderful Tucson eatery. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! Chatting with these talented ladies about anything - and everything - made me feel like I had known them my whole life.
Tammy and I spent a little while back at the hotel drooling over her pearl purchases, and then it was time for her to catch the train back home and time for me to get some sleep before my flight back to New York in the morning.
Even though I was only in Tucson for a little over forty-eight hours, I found new friends and inspiration that are going to last me a very long time.
Have you ever been to the Tucson bead and gem shows? Share your experiences by leaving a comment here on the blog!
Bead Happy,

Jennifer
Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Bead Fest, Glass Beads, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving
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Two bead shows in SA area this weekend - San Antonio Express (blog)
news.google.com
San Antonio Express (blog)Two bead shows in SA area this weekendSan Antonio Express (blog)Beads by Fay Servoss are displayed at a 2005 bead show at the Live Oak Convention Center. (Tom Reel / treel@express-news.net) Sorry about the late notice, but t ...
Two bead shows in S.A. area this weekend - Strung Out in San Antonio - a mySA.com blog
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/Feb 25
If you're new to beading, the fine folks at Originals Beads & Gems are teaching beading basics classes at 1 pm and 3 pm today for $10. Beads by Fay Servoss are displayed at a 2005 bead show at the Live Oak Convention Center.

mynejas
It grosses me out on cooking shows when that bead of sweat is just chillin' on the tip of a persons nose.. And the camera makes sure to zoom
Thursday, March 01, 2012 8:32:13 PM