Even when you can't imagine it being any better...it is! So, there I was at the Bead & Button Show: reunited with other beaders from around the globe that I have scant few opportunities to be with; offering 8 classes that were mostly filled, many with beaders I have beaded with before (such an honor and joy); with access to all the newest and best bead stuff. AND...there were gifts.
In the upper left of the photo is a small, hand bound, artist sketch book from http://www.twinklebeads.de/. See the small photo of Twinkle Beads Stores owner Saori Abe-Schroder. She was also the first chief editor of Germany's first beading magazine, Perlen Poesie. She founded both the Perlen Akademie (where I taught in Dortmund Germany during the Creativa Expo in March and will again next March), and the first PerlenExpo! Plus she is an active designer and instructor.

Naomi Sato and Yuko Watanabe are beaders from Japan who have taken my classes at B&B shows and in Tokyo. Yuko gave me the exquisite card deck, each card a completely different illustration protraying 54 scenes based on the Tale of Genji (appreciated as the supreme masterpiece of Japanese prose literature written in the 11th century), in the Yamato-e style of Japanese painting. In the next photo see the Tenugui that Naomi gifted me. It is cleverly presented as a fabric book about Japanese garments. It can be easily "unbound" to reveal it as a cotton Tenugui, a hand printed cotton fabric that originated in the Edo period. Their multi-use includes as handkerchief, tapestry, towel, lunchmat, pillowcover, neckband of kimoni, bandanna, store sign, apron and dishcloth!

To the extreme right is a tiny hand crafted kaleidoscope made by and gifted from Keiko.Upper left in photo is the lovely leather purse made to contain one's personal stamp. There is an attached small red ink pad. Motoko Natsubori had my stamp made and presented it to me in this case. I am delighted that I can now stamp my documents in the traditional Japanese way. Bottom left are the new double drilled tile beads from Muyuki I first told you about in March while I was at Creativa Expo in Germany. To the right are the new Bead Crochet hooks designed by Kazue at Tulip Co. She sent me a set of 5 sizes and I am eager to put them to use on the new bead crochet yarns by Toho and Miyuko. More on those when I know more.

Freddie and Andrea Ott, photographer and publisher of Perlen Poesie gave me the newest issue, featuring Judy Walker, kumihimo braiding and right angle weave.

On page 96-97 is the call for entries to the IBA (International Bead Award). Within the next few weeks the contest will be described in English and French on their website: http://www.perlen-poesie.de/ I am one of the jurors along with Herman Hermsen, Toshi Myoda, Evelyn Ulzen and Silvia Winterstein.

Make this hand felted bangle bracelet with a beaded bead using the kit that includes my first instructional dvd. Boy, was that a trip. It is in 5 parts and I havent figured out how to edit it yet. It gets all the info across and I am happy with this first attempt.

For next year I can't say I won't offer a blingy project but, I will retire this Diamonds of Fire when the last kit sells.

Two Sides of the Story was popular. It features an original stitch that corrugates as you work, making it reversible. I was criticized in one evaluation that "it was too easy" and that person rated the class a 7, on the scale of 1-10. I was devastated but, what can I say. It is a new and original stitch. Sorry if it was too easy to learn in the class or too easy to do. But, it sure does thrill me and I am having a great time beading off into unchartered territory.

If you need a kit of a class I taught at Bead and Button, just call or write. I'm happy to sell you one while they last.

I'll propose the Nancy Tobey Glass Bead Inpsired Lariat again and probably Fireflies at Midnight.
To my joy, the two sessions of Hand Felted Bangle Bracelet were nearly full and full, respectively, and I will propose it again as well. Hot off the press are kits for this project that include an instructional DVD, my first, along with wool, beads, recipe, and Turbo Felting Board! $80 complete.

This entry by Janne Teague is intriguing. Sure, it is bead embroidery but, the beads are added in a unique way. Really captured my interest. Hope we see more of her work.

It made my heart sing to see a felt bead in the exhibit. It is by Kim Vanantwerp, a glass beadmaker, but a felted bead none-the-less!

Sherry Serafini is always a winner in the Bead Dreams competition. Gorgeous.

Diane Hyde designs amazing jewelry and has sold fabulous findings to us under the name "designers findings" for many years.

Vanessa Walilko made a garment I would love to wear!

Sorry I couldn't take more pictures or blog a little more as all the goodness unfolded. Happily I was too wrapped up in the moments, one right after another... days full of teaching and beading and visiting and all the love.

The upshot is that I cannot wait for next year. Between now and next year's Bead & Button Show, I am thrilled that I'll be teaching once again in Germany, and Australia; hoping to finalize a European tour of teaching in Belgium, Switzerland and Holland and always dreaming of teaching in Japan again.

If you need a kit of a class I taught at Bead and Button, just call or write. I'm happy to sell you one while they last. I'll propose the Nancy Tobey Glass Bead Inpsired Lariat again and probably Fireflies at Midnight.

To my joy, the two sessions of Hand Felted Bangle Bracelet were nearly full and full, respectively, and I will propose it again as well. Hot off the press are kits for this project that include an instructional DVD, my first, along with wool, beads, recipe, and Turbo Felting Board! $80 complete.

Pamm Horbit showed in the exhibit at the Bead and Button Show plus at the Toho reception.

Last year's blog entry for B&B showed Suzanne Golden at the showcases while I checked out the exhibit. I didn't shoot her this year but...here is her entry!

Heidi Kummli won Best in Show for this piece. Wish you could have seen it in person.

Hoping to share as much as possible, here you go......

These pieces are from the beadwork exhibit at the Bead and Button Show. I tried to always include the artists name in the photos. If you click on the photo it might enlarge for details.

I've some more of the exhibits at the Bead and Button Show to share with you. Caitlin Hyde's bead reminded me of the artwork I saw in Australia. She was helping Nancy Tobey in her booth so, while I was there, I had a chance to visit with her. Some people are getting all over her because her work is evocotive of aboriginal works. No one recognizes more, the primal affinity for the dot than a beadworker. Gosh, what is it about the dots? Don't we just love them? Beadwork is dotty and stipled, the beads themselves are often dotted. We just plain love dots.

Ronit Dagan's beads are always provocative. Rachel Nelson Smith has collaborated a few times with this beadmaker, and you can find pictures on Rachel's website.

Boy, this one was a stunner. I was certain it was Bronwen Heilman's work. Au contraire. The graphics are so similar to Bronwen's beads that I used in the Marcasite project that I taught at B&B for two years. Cool bead.

In this entry let me share some images of pieces from the display of Japanese beadwork presented by Coronet Co and JALD. This necklace is actually bead crocheted. Japanese beaders have taken some techniques learned from U.S., Turkish and German beaders and expanded on them dramatically. These pieces are evidence. This is by Hana Takamatsu.

The same basic shape is reflected in this piece by Misako Kishi.

And again in this composition of beads with metal components by Emi Tsuneoka.

This necklace is again a sample of Japanese bead crochet and is by Keiko...ah, I cut her last name off. I am so sorry.

Tomorrow I will post several photos of the other exhibits at Bead and Button Show.