Berks Bead Bazaar - The Little Show That Could

by Joan Miller

When I was asked to do a guest post on "Love My Art Jewelry" it was right before the Berks Bead Bazaar in Reading, PA.  I have been running this show with my friend and lampwork bead artist, Louise Mehaffey, since 2002.  I started to think about the history of our show and how many people we have been a first for over the years.  I took a little survey at the show and found out it has been a lot!

 Patti Cahill Lampwork Beads on 2013 postcard. 

                                           
First a little history of our show.  I had been working the art/craft show circuit for about 10 years with my line of porcelain jewelry.  I had started to make more of my own beads to use in my work and Louise had added lampwork glass beads to her long repertoire of glass techniques. We were both ripe for a change.  Not one to wade slowly into the shallow end  I had already talked myself into a spot at the Best Bead Show in Tucson coming up in Feb. 2002.  July 2001 while exhibiting my jewelry at the Guilford Handcrafts Expo in CT, I kept having ladies ask to poke through my bead boxes.  They wanted to buy beads. One of these ladies told me about the Ct Bead Society show in North Haven, CT coming up in Sept.  I thought to myself it might not be a bad idea to at least do one bead show before jumping on a plane and going to Tucson so I grabbed Louise and off we went to our first bead show............with one minor hitch.  The bead show was Sept. 15, 2001. Four days after Sept.11.  What do we do? Do we go?  The bead society had decided to carry on so CT hear we come.  It was surreal looking up river from the Tappan Zee bridge and seeing the two columns of smoke rising from the towers.  We were not expecting much.  Our husbands thought we were crazy. The bead show was about 20 tables in a banquet room at the Holiday Inn.  Not the 10x10 full booth set-up deal we were both used to at fine craft shows.  What a breeze.  We sold lots of beads, had a great time and travelling together with a few cases of beads was a revelation.  We were so excited on our way home we planned the first Berks Bead Bazaar.  Hard to believe we just finished our 12th year!

Not quite sure how this happened but the BBB has been a first show for many successful bead vendors.  In the early years it was to fill the show and later it became more of a mentoring situation.

Probably one of our happiest accidents was our very first year.  We had a bunch of artist friends that had been informed by Louise that they were giving us $40 and were showing up with some kind of bead inventory.  We had NO commercial vendors.  I had put our show on every free calendar listing I could find and somehow Renu and Serita who were selling finished jewelry at the time found our listing and called us up the week of the show.  They have gone on to run the very successful Innovative Beads Expo as well as continued with their stone and silver business, Expo USA International and their brick and mortar store, Beads Mosaic is their latest addition.

Another of our firsts, Alice St. Germain.  This is not a direct quote but I do remember her saying something to the effect of "This beads for money thing is working out well."  Sadly we missed Alice this year due to the flu.  Alice has been with us every year since the beginning.

Lisa Peter, Joan Miller, Staci Louise Smith

In 2007 Lisa Peters joined us for her first BBB.  She claims she did everything wrong and ate leftover Chinese food reheated on the coffee pot burner in the hotel room for two days.  Thank goodness she remembered the two bottles of wine.  What I do remember is that Lisa was so busy saying goodbye to everyone at breakdown that she left two shopping bags of her stuff directly in the middle of the floor and drove off.  

We were thrilled to have Staci Louise Smith join us last year for her first bead show.  Staci says she attended the show as a patron first and then stalked us until we took her.  Very stealthy Staci.  I never even knew we were being stalked.  

 Leslie Pope of Twisted Sistah who arrived her first year saying "I'm Twisted Sistah and I don't know what to do."  I think she figured it out.LOL

Marti Brown has also been with us since year one.  A long time friend from the craft show circuit she remembers us plotting our first BBB over dinner in Tucson. 

Dona Jones takes a brief break from the craft circuit every year to join us in the bead world with her wonderful torched copper charms. BBB was her first bead show.  

Jennifer McGinithin is one of our newer recruits and counts the BBB as her first and only bead show.

BBB was also the debut for MyELEMENTS by Yvonne Irvin.  I remember meeting Yvonne for lunch at Chili's and she showed me the new stuff she was working on........of course she had to come and join us :)

Meg Maxwell Filmore almost didn't make the list.  I forgot her humble beginnings when she started with us selling beaded scarf kits.  Bead My Love still sells the scarves but they are now known for so much more.

And I of course can't leave out our youngest first, 8 year old Julia Smith, assisted by Chloe Minutella(with the spider on her head.) 

There are others who have come and gone over the years and if I have left anyone out please add yourself in the comments.  Thanks "Love my Art Jewelry" for letting me blather on about the show that is near and dear to my heart.  Beading really is a community and I think we have built a show that embodies it. Every year(especially since moving to FL) I question whether its worth the hassle of running a show but by the end of the show I am ready to sign up for another year.  The next  Berks Bead Bazaar will be March 1 & 2 , 2014 at the Inn at Reading, 1040 Park Rd., Wyomissing, PA

Bead Show Wrap Up

by Staci Smith

 

 

I know I did post after post about bead show prep....here are some highlights from the show. 

 

 

I was between Lisa Peters Art, and Dona Jones of Kindred Designs. Both are very creative women I adore, and love to spend time with. I was close to Joan Miller Porcelain, and Greg Graup as well. I didn't get lots of pics of everyone, but I will link to a post that will have all those pics when its up.

 

My booth all set up.

 

 Julia got to have her own little spot the first day because my neighbor couldn't make it in.  she even made her own sign.  She created all her own beads, from the sketches to the painting and sealing of them.



 

We had lots of fun at the hotel- love my girl time with my Julia!

 

Saturday towards the end of the show, Marsha Neal came by with her daughter Chloe. Julia had been looking forward to them coming ALL day long.

They were instant friends.



 photo by Marsha Neal

 

 

On Sunday, Dona, my neighbor, made it in, and she promised Julia she would share her table with her. Dona and Julia hit it off, and they just hung out together all day long. Dona brought her a box full of super girly craft supplies that kept them both busy. Seriously, my friends totally spoiled her, but its fine with me, she's a great kid.

 

I know, I know, what about the beads? 

 

Here is the stash I came home with.

 

Here is a close up of my stash from Lisa Peter Art

 

 

 

I also got some cabs from Greg Graup. He had some new freeform cabs this year, and of course, I love the organic rustic look of them. I also got some really great rutilated quartz cabs that I would like to use in some chunky rings.

 

 

 

I got these from Dona Jones. I love her sawed metal charms, and this crab was screaming to be paired with sea glass.

 

 

I hit Joan Miller's stash of crackle bone beads, her daggers, and got a newer highly textured one I couldn't refuse as well.

 

 

and last but not least GEMSTONES!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

So, it was worth all the work.  I had a great time hanging out with beady friends from around the country, and lots of memories made with my daughter, who sold quite a bit by the way (I am one proud mama!!!)

 

If you want to read more detail about the show, you can check out my personal blog here..............

 

I know I spent a lot of time posting pics of my process, so I also did a blog on the design of my beads, and how they evolve.  You can read that here.  (There is also a giveaway on this post)

http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/2013/03/the-art-of-design-beads-in-shop-and.html

 

I also listed bead in my shop, finally!!!!!!!!!!  You can check that out here.
www.slartisanaccents.etsy.com
 

 

thanks to all of you!  It was fun to be able to share my process of prep with you all and be encouraged!



BEADS beads and More Beads

by Staci L. Smith

I am still up to my elbows in beads, but at least, they are all done now!  I am finally ready for the bead show.  It's really a lot of prep to re-stock inventory at the beginning of the year.  Once I have a full inventory for Berks, the rest of the year I can just do small batches as needed, but this, well, this was a HUGE undertaking.

 

Each metal clay bead is hand formed, or molded, or stamped and cut out, dried, sanded, fired, cleaned, tumbled, patinated, sealed, waxed, and has the holes re-cleaned.

 

Each polymer bead is hand formed, fired, painted, painted, painted painted, (yes, some have up to 5 layers to get the effects I like) and sealed.  The painting is very labor intensive!!!!

 

The last of the prep is pricing, and I will be finishing that up this morning.  It is my least favorite part.

 

I always do a mock up of what my table will look like as I prep, so I know where I need to fill in as I make beads.  Here she is, all ready to get packed up.  I leave tomorrow for the show.

 

You can compare where it was a week ago, to where it is today.  Here is last weeks post http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-bead-show.html

 

Here is the whole display, complete with jewerly samples and all.

 

Here are some close up shots of the trays of beads I will be offering.  After the show there will be a massive etsy update! 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for letting me share my progress.  I promise to post about something other then making beads next post.

 

I think I actually feel ready for this show.  Which is odd for me, there is usually a whole list of things I feel I need to do that never get completed. 

 

Do you ever feel completely ready before a show? 

The Bead Show

by Staci L. Smith

If you follow me at all on facebook or my personal blog you will know I am prepping for a bead show.  So, either you are loving all the process pics and beady sneak peeks, or getting tired of hearing about it.  (I hope you are loving all the pics)  Anyhow, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Berks Bead Bazaar.

 

It was the first bead show I ever attended and I was immediately in love.  It's not too big, but has everything you could want and then some.  It is run by bead artists Joan Miller and Louise Mehaffey.  I think having a show run by artists brings an extra level of creativity to the show.   They pick unique bead artist, as well as wonderful vendors for gemstones, findings, ect.....

 

Last year was my first year vending as a bead artist there, I guess  Berks is a place for firsts for me.  I fell in love with it- the customers were wonderful and fun, my fellow artists and neighbors were wonderful.....great time was had by all.

 

I hope if you are local, or within travel distance, you will try to come out and visit the show.  If you do, please make sure to let me know you who you are so I can meet you in person!

 

My display will look roughly like this (minus the wall and pictures hanging in the background)...............

 

 

My daughter Julia is helping me at the show (she is 8), and has a tray of her own beads available to sell as well.  She is saving up to buy her own beads (below) at the show! (gotta start them young)

 

 

And here are some of the goodies I will have for sale.  I need to finish up another tray or two this weekend, and then pricing begins.

 

 

Prepping to vend a bead show is crazy, but I have to say, I love being up to my elbows in beads.

 

Anyone here who doesn't like being surrounded by beads?  Yeah, that's what I thought.  Who doesn't love beads?

 

Here is the link to the show again www.berksbeadbazaar.com and there is a coupon for $1 off your admission!