WELL, HELLO...

....can't believe my last post was in February!

I've been a bit busy these past few months... show season, you know? 

Show season, LOL, that's kind of funny, actually. I know people who do shows every other week from spring through the holidays... I can't imagine. I did 2 fabulous shows in March & am getting ready to do The Bead & Button Show (aka B&B) in June, then that's it until October! Show season. :o) 

Actually, in between, I'm working on items for the Bell Street Gallery, on Madeline Island. It opened several weeks early because of the early warm spring weather (in April instead of mid May), so I was busy getting jewelry & utensils together to deliver & now I'm on to preparing for B&B! I'm making tons of acorns... lots of miniature ones this time. I usually have maybe a dozen mini ones @ a show & they usually get snagged really quickly, so I'm making a bunch this time around. They're cute... small enough for earrings or a charm... or a child, even. I have some really fantastic beads, of course... some new designs that I haven't taken the time to photograph & post... I need to hire someone to do that for me!! :o)

Here's a quick picture for you.....of the bottoms of some mini acorns (w/ a few standard sized ones thrown in, too), still on the mandrels, aren't they fabulous?? This is only the first step of SEVEN! Finishing (electroforming) acorns are a good 4-day process! 

I'm getting ready, also, to head down to Lake Ozark, Missouri, for the 5th annual Missouri Bead Retreat!! I'm so excited. I missed out going last year because I was preparing for my first time @ B&B & just didn't think I could do both... boy, was I depressed that entire weekend! My birthday was that weekend, too, & they called & sang to me... made me cry!! :o)  I love those people & I just can't wait to spend a long weekend w/ them!! From my count, there's going to be 80+ people this year! Yikes! I'm teaching a couple of copper etching classes & have some wanting to learn how to electroform & how to use an electric mandrel spinner... so I'm going to be a busy girl. :o) Thought I'd bring some B&B work w/ me, too, just in case [I can put others to work, LOL]... we'll see. There's 16 days between the time I get home from the retreat to when I leave for Milwaukee... I'm really good @ cramming last minute, but I'm really stressing out. I try to remember, however, something that a friend told me.... that it doesn't matter what you have or don't have finished... nobody else will know & all will work out just fine. It's true, too. I usually kill myself doing last minute things & those are the things that don't sell!! So I'm learning... slowly but surely. :o) 

Anyway... just thought I'd take a few minutes to write SOMETHING, finally. Sorry it's been so long!! If you're coming to Bead & Button, come by & see me! I'm at booth 1136, right next to the booth I was @ last year. Also, pretty soon, I'll post a coupon for the show for 20% off one item... so make sure to check back & print it out. 

Remind me to tell you about "THE NIGHT THE ACORNS DIED..." it's quite humorous... or not. :o) 

.... till then...

~ Julie