My friend Sandi is the bomb!  We try and get together a couple times a year to create - we live in the same metro area, you would think it would be easy - but we both have busy families so time away to create is sometimes hard to fine.  Sandi reached out and said that she was going to Bead Fest Philly, and did I want to go.  For the first time in YEARS, it worked out schedule wise, so I picked her up last Saturday and off we zoomed.  Sandi had connected with another awesome jewelry buddy Sally, and we could all crash in her room.  I told you Sandi was the bomb :-)

We ended up taking two classes, one with Eva Sherman where I learned brazing - a way of melting wire together.  Eva and I had been Bead Soup partners a couple years ago and I was excited to finally meet her in person.  She was a wonderful, warm and gracious teacher!


Then we took a 1-hour class from the incredible Kate Richbourg.  She was amazing - in one hour we left class with awesome stacking rings and a cool button - our graduation gift :-) After the two classes I m fired up (ha ha!) to try more soldering.


And the shopping, oh the shopping! Of course new classes meant I needed new tools and wire (especially from Parawire and jewelrytools.com)


A bunch of us snapped up this nifty crochet tool called a Lucet from Cooky Schock.  It's portable and addicting!


And the art beads - amazing!! Urchin beads by Nikki of Thornburg Bead Studio, lamp work pairs by Heather of HMB Studios, colored O-rings from Yvonne of My Elements, an incredible rabbit from my dear friend Jenny Davies Razor and some metal components from Cooky.     


Last but not least, I picked up some cool and interesting Czech glass from Nirvana Beads.


I have so many ideas! So many pretty things to be inspired by! Thanks Sandi and Sally for a great weekend!





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