Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Finds from Whole Bead and Rings & Things

Part of My Rings & Things Stash

I love going to bead shows!  It’s always a good chance to pick up the basics that I need.  Plus, you never know what you’re going to find that you can’t live without.  That was the case at the Whole Bead Show and the Rings & Things Bead Tour last weekend.

First, at Whole Bead, I came across 2 vendors that I was familiar with but had not encountered in person before: “The Bead Goes On” from Virginia Beach, VA http://www.beadgoeson.com/, and Sonoran Beads from Scottsdale, AZ:  http://shop.sonoranbeads.com/Default.asp?Redirected=Y.

Here’s what I snagged at Bead Goes On http://www.beadgoeson.com/:

An intricate “Beaded Bead”:

and some cool fiber rings:

And got these beautiful borosilicate glass beads at Sonoran Beads http://shop.sonoranbeads.com/Default.asp?Redirected=Y:

Rings & Things www.rings-things.com was fun, too.  I usually try to get there right when they open, and make a bee-line to the chain and findings section at the back, ’cause the things I want and need tend to disappear quickly.  I found exactly what I needed, then systematically moved from table to table, row to row searching for the unusual.  This time, I was particularly focused on large, organically shaped stones that I can wire wrap.  Here’s what I found:

Some beautiful, large Amethyst nuggets :

And Peruvian Blue Opal smaller nuggets:

I did buy more things there (see the pic at the top), but these two particularly struck me.  I will be posting jewelry made with these soon in my Etsy Shop www.sarascreations.etsy.com.

Beads, Beads, Beads!

Wow!  Three different bead shows in one week!  How lucky can a bead-a-holic girl get?  It’s spring break, which means I have a whole week off, AND there are 3 bead shows!  There’s just something about seeing the beads in person and feeling the coldness and texture.  A real sensual experience!  If you live in the Austin, TX area – check ’em out!

The first one is today and tomorrow (March 13-14).  It is “The Whole Bead Show”, held at the Palmer Event Center, in Austin (900 Barton Spring Rd.).  It’s $5.00 admission, but you can get $1.00 off if you go to their website and print a coupon:  www.wholebead.com This is for wholesale and retail buyers.  It’s usually a fairly small show, but I have found some interesting beads there before…

The second, is the “Rings & Things Bead Tour”, Sunday, March 14, ONLY, from 1:00-5:00 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Austin (6121 I-35 N.).  The admission is free, but it is WHOLESALE ONLY (must have a tax ID#/resale # to enter).  This is a fabulous show.  Rings & Things is one of my favorite wholesale bead companies, based in Spokane, WA.  They have many things on the bead tour that are not in their catalog or in their online store www.rings-things.com, PLUS they offer an extra 15% discount ON TOP of the wholesale price.  They also bring along popular findings, cord, wire and tools for sale.  I always spend WAAAAY too much money at their annual bead tour!

And last, but certainly not least is the ever popular “International Gem & Jewelry Show” www.intergem.com, March 19-21, again, at the Palmer Event Center (see address above).  This one comes twice a year to Austin.  It’s not as large a show as when they go to Houston, but I always enjoy going, and ALWAYS come home with a new stash.

I’m hoping that while I’m off this week, I will have time to create some new and interesting jewelry with my finds from this week…  More to come…

Feeding the Need

I am hopelessly and completely addicted to beads!  I feel O.K. about it because, 1) It’s legal, 2) It doesn’t harm anyone or myself, and 3) I am actually able to support my “habit” by selling the fruits of my labor!  I have a wonderful husband who fully supports my addiction, as well.  He’s learned not to buy me jewelry anymore – just the parts to make it!  For Christmas he got me these great pieces…

…All from Nomadic Notions, here in Austin  (www.nomadicnotions.com)

He also got me a gift certificate to their store so that I can take a couple of bead classes.  They have FABULOUS classes – really top notch instruction.  I signed up for 2 this month- “Friendship Rings” and “Wire Wrapping Stones, Rocks and Crystals”.   The best part is that he (my husband, David) is actually going to take the wire wrapping one with me!  Here are the pics they posted with the class descriptions:

Friendship Rings:

and Wire Wrapping Stone, Rocks and Crystals:

I love taking classes there, and can’t wait to take these!  I haven’t taken any in a long time!  Watch for my posting of OUR versions of these sometime late Feb. or March…

“Unchain My Upside Down Heart”

I found these beautiful upside down heart filigree components at one of my favorite bead shops in Houston, TX:  Bead Traders/SS Traders.  Here is a link to their online store: http://www.sunnylookdesign.com/

The online shop is a little different than the physical location.  They are tucked in the center of a little shopping area on the corner of Fondren and Westheimer that has sort of a little courtyard and shops behind other shops.  A little hard to find if you don’t know where to look!  I did bit of wandering the first time I went there…  They have tons of charms and components, as well as a good selection of seed beads and a smaller section of glass and gemstone beads, chain and tools/supplies.  Their main thing is charms and components.  They are always very helpful and I’ve gotten a free gift every time I’ve been there!

I thought these earrings would be a beautiful addition to the jewelry I have on consignment at Alexia Gavela Bridal, here in Austin.  I also have them posted in my Etsy shop.  You can read all the specifics about them here:  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38166615

Houston’s “Jade House”

I went to Houston this past weekend to visit family and while I was there, I went to find one of my favorite vendors from the International Gem and Jewelry Show (www.intergem.com), the Jade House (www.jadehouseweb.com).  Although I had their address, I had a little difficulty finding them.  I had been there before, but it had been a couple of years, so I thought I knew where they were, but they weren’t there!  Apparently they moved about a year ago… still on the same street and the same vacinity, but tucked away in a back corner of a shopping center.

It’s much like a treasure hunt going there… it is a very small, narrow shop.  When you walk in, the main aisle is only wide enough for 1 person, and there are bins upon bins stacked on and under open shelving, full of semi-precious gemstone strands.  You have to pull out each one to see what’s in them!  On top of the bins, there are trays of loose pendants, loose stones and Cubic Zirconia beads.

What I mainly went in there for were some wavy silver beads so that I could make a custom request necklace for a customer that matches these “Dangling Daisy” earrings in my shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28081124

Fortunately, those were easy to find.  They had all of their silver beads and findings in little bags on one of the walls.  But, as always, I leave there with more in my bag than what I went in there for… more to come on my other finds…

Triple Stack Threads

**I had to come back and update this post – These are already sold, but if you like them, I  can make you a pair, too!  Just email me (sara@sarascreations.com) and let me know!**

I just posted these earrings in my Etsy Shop (www.sarascreations.etsy.com)

They are ear threads.  Some people get squeemish when they think about threading chain through their pierced ear, but really, you can’t even feel it!  The chain is very thin and smooth.  The fun part is that the length is adjustable because you determine how far to pull them through!  There are more views of it when you click on it in my shop: www.sarascreations.etsy.com

The beautiful czech glass beads I used came from Bounty of Beads on Etsy: www.bountyofbeads.etsy.com