Time Vortex...Or How Did The Past Week Disappear?

Did I just blink and a whole week went by without me knowing it? Must be a time travel vortex or something equally strange... Honestly, I don't know what happened to the last week! Did I misplace it or what?
My only coherent memory was the Bead Fest on Saturday. And it was a doozie! Now does anybody know the correct spelling of that word cause I don't... Back to the subject...The bead fest was awesome & stupendous, and I want to give Interweave "2 Snaps Up" for doing such a great job of putting it together. It really wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be, and all the vendors that I spoke to were extremely patient and friendly. The lighting was good for the most part, although the bottom floor could have been brighter. Some people complained about it being too warm, but I liked the temp just fine. I hate freezing cold rooms when you're trying to concentrate and can't, due to frozen extremities. No, everything was perfect for me. The booths were so colorfully put together and the beads and gemstones sparkled. Every bead in the building was calling my name but unfortunately some of them were passed up. My husband was such a trooper! He even encouraged me to spend more than I budgeted for... imagine that! ;~)
I bought a dozen different color tubes of seed beads, hand-dyed ribbon and fiber for Kumihimo braiding, real Venetian glass beads, Christmas Holiday glass beads, sterling silver/vermeil/copper cones, hand beaded focal beads from Bali & Nepal, wooden focal beads from the Philippines, and some silver clasps and findings. I collected lots of business cards from my favorite vendors, too.
If you love beads & haven't been to a BIG bead show before, then You Have Got To Go, my friend! Get there early. Wear comfortable shoes. Set a budget and figure that you'll go over it by $100 or so. Collect lots of business cards. Talk to the vendors about their product. And look for inspiration!
I can't wait till next year and do it all over again! I'm sure I'll look back and wonder how the year went by so fast. Must be that ever increasing time vortex. ;~)

Going to Interweave Bead Fest In Philly!

Yes, it's true! I'm going to the Interweave Bead Fest in Philly on Aug. 22nd! I'm so excited! More than 325 booths and 2 entire floors of SHOPPING! It's the biggest bead show on the East Coast! I couldn't afford to go to the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee this year. The Interweave Show is more economical for me since I live within driving distance. No plane tickets or hotel bills so I can spend more on beads! Only one drawback... I'm bringing my husband! He'll be my "voice of reason" and my "sanity check"! LOL!

We're going to make a day of it and find a nice restaurant in Philly to have a late lunch/early dinner. Got to get up early and take care of the girls before we go. It'll be a long day indoors for them but I'll give them a frozen Kong with peanut butter to keep them busy while we're gone! I don't like to leave them for more than 8 hours so I'll have to take the fest all in at a steady pace... No lingering for me! If I like it, I'll buy it, as I won't be able to go back around a second time.

I'm looking for some Kumihimo end caps and any decorative beads and fibers to use in the braiding. I have made 3 braided bracelets so far and just love the whole process! I don't think there are a lot of people doing Kumihimo just yet but I could be wrong. It would be nice to think that I'm on the leading edge of something new here in the US. Of course, Kumihimo has been around a long time in Japan!

I need a brand new pair of comfy tenny's for this type of "all-day on my feet" activity! Got to be prepared! Wish me luck! I hope to find lots to snap up and bring home for more creative projects! And maybe my "voice of reason" will have fun, too!

If you're on the East Coast and interested in going, here is a link to the fest:
http://www.beadfest.com/beadfest/philadelphia.cfm