Back From Bead Fest

I had a great time at Bead Fest!  I took the Bejuled Sea Foam Cuff class from Jodi Bombardier.  She is a great teacher and the class was really a blast!  I met some very nice beaders and learned a new skill or two.

Before I left for Philadelphia, I carefully packed all the tools I would need for the class along with my light and an extension cord.  In a typical Jill move, I left home and left all my nicely packed tools sitting on my jewelry bench.  The only tools that managed to go with me were my overflow tools that won't fit in the tool holder that I packed.  I didn't realize that I'd left them all behind until I opened my backpack to pull them out when I got to the class room.  What a surprise!  No tools.

Fortunately, the project Jodi was teaching was mostly weaving and didn't require many tools.  I was able to borrow  a pair of flat nose pliers and a wire straightener which was all that I really needed.  The best laid plans of mice and men.

I was in class all day Friday though I managed to find a couple of hours for wandering through the expos.  If I had to guess, there were about 300 or so vendors at Bead Fest.

I reserved Saturday morning for shopping.  I managed to find about $1,000 worth of stuff that I just had to have.  I saw one new product that was really neat.  I want it.  It is a pair of prescription glasses that have magnifying lens on both lenses.  It comes with a special light that is also amazing.  I'm dying to have this.  I have so much trouble with my eyesight that this seems a perfect solution.  I'm going to ask Santa for them since the cost is about $500.00.  Actually, I think it is about $375 without the light.

Here are a couple of pictures I took at lunchtime on Friday.  We were about 1/2 way through the class.

Here is Jodi's finished product:

Her's is, of course, beautiful!  Mine isn't finished yet.  I'll post another picture when it is done but I doubt that it will be as beautiful as Jodi's.  I always find that I have to make several before mine begin to look nice.