Last weekend's Bead Blast was the best ever! By request, Janet brought a trunk of her beautiful wooden-handled crochet hooks that her husband Bob turns. He also makes the beading looms, behind Janet's arm above, that have captured hearts worldwide. They ARE BoomerangPro and are appearing everywhere, including magazine articles.
Everyone shared techniques and show and tell. Pat Riesner shared how to make her crystal heart. I shared a spikey sparkling pendant I'm proposing to teach at the Bead and Button Show next June.

At previous Bead Blasts I would bead 5 rows and unbead 8, bead 2 more and rip out 4. This is not a complaint. Its the socializing, shopping, dining and laughter that I come for, and I don't expect to get any "work" done. But, this one was full of creativity and production along with all the rest.
The cabochon on the left is actually a glob of glass I purchased in Seattle last week. The turquoise peace sign was a gift from Carole and Mary from Voices of the Stones. During the weekend I actually completed the bezels using stiff stuff, gorgeous deerskin leather and the technique I taught for bezeling any-shaped item, at Beadzo (Tivoli NY -see my calendar) last week.

In that class Terri Pullaro bezeled a carnelian cabochon and strung and framed it with Swarovski pearls. It is so typical of her classic and feminine style, and is so evocative of an antique cameo that you can almost see a face in it.