Treasures from Bead and Button

I was doing so well on the daily blog, then the computer threw a wrench in it. Hopefully, I'm back in business.

I totally forgot to show off some of the treasures I acquired at the Bead and Button Show!! Reading the Art Jewelry Editors' Blog this week, wherein Jill Erikson detailed some of her acquisions, made me realize I need to do the same.


My absolute highest thrill of shopping was collecting a piece from Wayne Robbins. Last year, I really wanted one of his pieces, but had already spent too much and had to forgo. All year, I've planned to stop by his booth early this time and find the piece with my name on it. And I did it! Surprise,... it's a bird! It has two holes at the back to string, but it also has a deep depression in the neck which could help it attach to something else. (The string around the neck holds it to a card.) I'm going to think about whether I need to create a fiber body. It's a big piece -- 3" long or so. I chatted with him for a while and told him how much I loved his new website, which he says isn't public yet. Too late; found!! It's full of the larger sculptures he has been working on.

I showed the bird bead from Kim Fields that I traded for, in the earlier post where I showed my beads from her class. Kim will try to teach me and nine others to do this in August. I can hardly wait!


I also collected a bead from Kimberly Affleck. I debated a seahorse, but ultimately bought this incredible irridescent green bead, super long and elegant. She told me that she had been unable to recreate this color, using the same process, but now gets blue and violets instead. I adore green, so this bead needs to be strung so I can wear it. I'm hoping she will come back to Austin someday to teach another workshop, since I missed her single visit.


Barbara Becker Simon's text beads really appeal to me. They have quotes or other fun sayings penned in enamel winding around the perimeter. I bought this quote from Billie Holliday: "If I can't sing like myself, I don't need to sing at all." That's my take on art as well.



I've long admired Kelly Russell's work, so this small silver bead with a spiral motif on one side and a butterfly on the other, was one of my first purchases.


Donna Mehnert of Blackberry Beads, one of my local friends, had a booth at B&B for the first time this year. She had the most gorgeous enameled Grecian Urn pendants, with super fine stringer work, and I got one of those early, luckily, because her huge stash was almost all gone by Sunday morning.


Fiber friends might recognize the hole-in-a-square motif and leaf texture of these earrings from Gordon Uyehara as two elements that I used in quilts repeatedly. I love the way they are folded and dangle freely on fine chains. I've worn them a lot lately.


These earrings are from Thomas Mann, whose work I've admired for years. They are fun to wear, with all the little dangles moving freely.


One more pair of sweet dove, nest, and eggs earrings (can you tell I collect earrings?) from Christi Anderson, whose birdhouse bracelet I really wanted in the opening crush, but which I let go to another good home so that I could get Wayne's bird instead. The keyhole clasp was a gift for being a good sport about going back to her booth twice in response to public address system announcements (how to get everyone to ask "what did you DO?") about not getting all the credit card info down properly.

That's it for the collectibles, but of course there were oodles of tools and supplies also. Another day...