“Tell me what company thou keepst, and I’ll tell thee what thou art.”
– Miguel de CervantesHave you ever walked into a room and just knew with all your heart that you were meant to be there? Like the mother-ship has landed and you have finally found your home? {Bead-er! Phone home!}
That is what it feels like to walk into the expo floor at the Bead & Button show.
I don’t know about you, but my family thinks I am just shy of crazy with all this beading and jewelry stuff {my Dad, God love him, always asks how my ‘playing with beads’ is going}. So it is with great pleasure that I can abandon them…er, I mean, take a vacation and converge on Milwaukee for the first week in June every year. With over 600 classes and at least that many vendors, this has to be like Mecca for people like you and me.
Lucky for me, Milwaukee is only a 3 hour drive away, and my sister has lovely accommodations {read: FREE!} just north of there in a quaint town called Cedarburg. I wish that you all had that sort of proximity because I would invite you all to stay with me {we may have to kick my sister and her family out for the week, or maybe rent her house for a premium, but it would be worth it!}.
I came down late on Tuesday night because I had a class bright and early in Milwaukee that morning. Unfortunately, the traffic made me late {that and I have a sever case of chronic imalwaysatadlatitis}. The class I was taking was with the incredible Sherri Haab. Actually, I took two full day classes with her {and her beautiful daughters!}. More on that another time…
Heather Powers flew in from Texas and we met up at the show. She stays with me and this year we also welcomed her Aunt Rosanne {hi Aunt Rosanne!}. Everyone needs an Aunt like Rosanne {I told her that I wanted to be her honorary niece}. This is the first year that Heather would have a booth at the Expo for Humblebeads. And she was in the Art Bead aisle {which is where I like to spend all my time…and money!}. That is the aisle that the Art Bead Scene mothership is parked on. Sweet!
I had grand intentions of interviewing all of these artists, but I didn’t want to take precious time away from their true reason for being there, and had planned to come back on Sunday, when it was sure to be slower. Unfortunately, there was a little snafu with a dead battery and my car being left overnight in downtown Milwaukee. So I missed out on that last day {and never made it back to Green Girl for my fix of their new components…and Andrew ;-( I even came home with money in my pocket!}. But I thought that for those of you who have never been to the Bead & Button, you might like to see what some of the fuss is all about.
I had so many people come up to me on the show floor and give me the ‘beader’s handshake’ {you know when someone is a beader because they will walk right up to you and fondle your necklace or earrings or bracelet and ooh and ahh…before they look you in the eye and say hello!}. So many also stopped me on the floor because they recognized my picture. There were many hugs for new friends and old.
Staying with Heather and Rosanne was a wonderful experience in and of itself {don’t even get me started on the Qdoba experience!}. We are dangerous shopping partners, that’s for sure! But we also cheered each other on and got to go gaga over each others’ purchases each night. That is something my family just wouldn’t understand.
So if you ever get the chance to go to the Bead & Button show, or something like it near you, be sure to
…take all the classes you can
…wear your walking shoes
…carry cash
…bring photocopies of your seller’s permit for discounts
…drink lots of water {bring a bottle to refill otherwise it is $3.50 each! That is a whole bead somewhere!}
…have a plan of attack…or you will be broke before you get to the second aisle
…and share it with friends!
Enjoy the day!
Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration is Everywhere . Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote – not dust!) to [email protected]. Check out a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ (but don’t laugh too hard because she is working on a new website soon!).
Regina
July 7, 2010 at 10:49 amThank you for this wonderful post. I know what you mean by the rest of the family thinking we are crazy! I plan to make it to one of these shows sometime in the future, but your video is the next best thing. Looking forward to more….
Andrew Thornton
July 7, 2010 at 10:57 amI'm sorry that we didn't get a chance to chat more. I am glad though that we did get to see each other, if only briefly.
Next year, maybe?
Katie
July 7, 2010 at 12:41 pmThat sound like a blast! I haven't been able to make it yet, but one day I will!
And Rosanne is SO much fun…You didn't get the full dose, though…If Bevvie (Heather's mom) would have been there, you would have died from the insanity…The 3 of them together is SO much fun! And they are so good about adopting fellow beaders as part of their family :o)
Wish I could have been there (sniff)…
Gardanne
July 7, 2010 at 12:54 pmThanks Erin I loved the video, maybe next year.
Heather Powers
July 7, 2010 at 1:02 pmYour video is awesome Erin! I like how I'm NOT in my booth – I must have been shopping. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this awesome recap of my favorite event.
Beverly Herman
July 7, 2010 at 1:08 pmErin that was a great report of the Bead & Button show. Lights camera action I felt like was at the show. I'll be there next year!
Artisan Clay
July 7, 2010 at 1:37 pmGreat Video! Thanks for sharing it!
missficklemedia.com
July 7, 2010 at 2:50 pmErin, thank you for this post!
You have such a great sense of humor, I almost forgot about my bitterness at not being able to attend.
Jeannie
July 7, 2010 at 3:42 pmErin you're a riot. Love the post and the video is great! You should become the Bead & Button daily reporter. Day 1; Hi, I'm Erin, I'm here with.."
Bead & Button is every beady girls dream. Someday I might make it there.
Patty
July 7, 2010 at 5:26 pmLoved the video report, Erin! Thanks for helping me get the feel of a show I've not been to before. I feel like I was there. Someday…
Elizabeth
July 7, 2010 at 6:04 pmThat was great. I really must make it a priority to visit that show.
Thank you.
Margie Deeb
July 8, 2010 at 1:43 amThank you – this was fun!
Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor
July 8, 2010 at 2:04 amYou were right, I am jealous that you were there and I wasn't! I definitely would have felt like rolling around in the beads, they looked so awesome. Thanks for the video. It was nice to see some of the highlights of the show. I better be there next year or I'll scream! 🙂
SEO Exporters
July 8, 2010 at 5:22 amBeadweaving is a passion to live for !
Great that you were able to meet so many bead lovers. keep posting the updates.
Janet
July 8, 2010 at 1:24 pmThat was just Awesome wow thank you for sharing!!
Lisa Peters Russ
July 8, 2010 at 11:52 pmthat was great! I had a smile on my face the whole time! Erin! sooo cute! and thanks for stopping by my booth.. I heard my voice in the backround.. thanks so much for sharing!
Softflexgirl
July 9, 2010 at 7:54 pmNice post Erin!
Beatnheart
July 10, 2010 at 10:13 pmWow, what a great time. I love Cedarburg was a cute lil town. I love Milwaukee too. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to attend the bead show…