June 06, 2005
discombobulated...
in less than a week, i will be flying eastward to the great bead heaven in the midwest -- milwaukee, wisconsin - site of the largest annual trade bead conference in this country, the bead and button show. it is a frenzied week of classes, events, shopping, meals with old friends and vendors from just about everywhere.
we get up at the crack of dawn, rush to breakfast, then into classes. we're up till late in the evening, visiting with friends, old and new, attending evening events or beading well into the late night, preparing for the next day of classes.
shopping begins on thursday with a private evening with the vendors. this is where the shopping is fast and furious -- everyone vying for unusual, one of kind pieces from their favorite artists. i do not schedule classes on friday -- that day is devoted to a slow, methodical examination of every vendor's booth.
by the end of the week, i am both exhausted and invigorated -- exhausted by the frenzy and lack of sleep and invigorated by the creativity of like-minded, passionate fanatics -- the immersion is so complete.
nothing surpasses this experience except for the intensity of the two weeks every year in tucson, arizona, where the world gathers for the annual tucson gem and mineral show. half the gemstones available in the world are in tucson during these two weeks. i've attended the tucson show only once -- it was too much for me... 
this is where the pros go, thousands of dollars passing hands every minute. i'm building up to this event -- maybe in 2006...
tomorrow, i'll try to figure out what to bring and how to pack.
bead notes: left-top to bottom: (1) Don Adams warring states bead - glass; (2) blue dot on yellow - glass - can't remember the artist; (3) glass cane beads; (4) Karen Ovington glass beads. right-top to bottom: (1) bali silver beads; (2) Michael Barley glass bead; (3) thai silver beads
Posted by lesleeroberts at June 6, 2005 09:51 PM