5 Friday Favorites - Bead & Button Show

I am getting ready to head out to the Bead & Button Show on Monday. I am bringing my laptop so I will try to blog about the show and my classes while I am there. “Try” being the operative word. As I organize the supplies for my classes, I thought I would share with you 5 of my favorite exhibitors who will be at the show. Thursday night is a preview night for registered attendees and it’s by far the easiest time to do specific planned shopping. So here are my 5 for this week:

Singaraja Imports - They’re my favorite silver supplier. Among many other seductive silver beads, findings and components, they sell cool silver “bead frames” which make wonderful bezels for polymer clay. The coolest shapes aren’t on the web site. You really need to see them at at bead show to get the full selection.  I also tend to pick up bead cones from them, Hill Tribe silver beads etc. They have so much it’s a bit dizzying. Thursday is the night I shop here, once the show floor opens to the public, the lines get crazy and they sell out of a lot of the cool pieces.

Fire Design Beads - Furnace glass! I love furnace glass slices, and they come to the show with all their beads sorted by color. Just seeing their booth when you first come through the doors is a feast for the eyes.  The rainbow of colors sorted out into many many small bins.  Furnace glass is one of those things that is often sold in small mixed lots so it can be hard to get pieces that really work with your favorite colors. They even set up small stools around their booth so you can sit and sift through the colors for your favorites shapes.

Whole Lotta Whimsy - PMC tools & Supplies - They are so great to deal with and they have just about everything you need to work with Precious Metal Clay. One of these days I want to try PMC on their bisque bead blanks.  One of the fun things about going to a show like Bead & Button is seeing what new tools and supplies are available.

Natural Touch - Resin beads - I took a class with Lindly Haunani at Bead & Button in 2002? and she came back after lunch with a whole pile of resin beads from Natural Touch. I’ve loved them ever since. The soft translucent quality really pairs well with polymer clay. Natural Touch has a huge array of colors and shapes. And there really is something special about that soft matte finish.

Star’s Clasps - Sterling Clasps - Lots of variety here. It’s one stop shopping for clasps here. They have the one of the best and most unusual collection of styles. If you’re going to put alot of effort into a necklace, it really needs a clasp that fits the style. This is a great place to find one.

Designer’s Findings - Specialty findings for beadwork - They finally have a web page showing most of their products, but no online store. The have some very cool mesh findings that work well with polymer clay and seed beading. It’s a fun stop and there’s always a crowd.  A lot of the focus seems to be on findings for bead embroidery, but I have found that many of their products work really well with polymer clay.

It’s so hard to pick just 5! I have way too many favorites. There are hundreds of exhibitors. Big commercial booths and small individual artists. It’s a fun balance. I try to do my targeted shopping on Thursday night during the preview. Then I just wander the show floor during lunch the other days checking out the unusual items. Frankly, it’s a hoot just watching all the obsessed beaders!