I’m here in Milwaukee for the 2010 Bead & Button Show. I have been coming to this show to take classes and shop since 2003, every year except for 2008 when my daughter graduated from high school. That year I seriously considered hopping on a plane the day after graduation. It’s a definite high point of my year coming here, seeing old friends, learning new things and shopping for beads and other jewelry making supplies.
It’s funny how some materials for art can just get a creative person excited on sight and other materials can be interesting but unmoving. Beads are just one of the things that make my eyes bright and my heart pound a little bit faster.
Classes start today. My first class is about traditional metal etching, cold connections and working with steel wire. It should be fun and it’s conveniently located right here in the Hilton where I’m staying. That’s particularly handy since I neglected to change my watch last night and showed up to class an hour early only to find a locked door. My first thought, before it dawned on me about the time difference, was “wow, this teacher is harsh!”. Then I realized that it was just me arriving much earlier than I intended. So, I’m blogging instead.
