It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

My absolute favorite time of the year is coming...no, not Christmas. It's the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee!!! (Just typing that gives me a thrill--I'm such a jewelry nerd.) For those of you who may not be familiar with this event, it's the largest bead show in the US. There are literally hundreds of classes offered, a MASSIVE show floor with tons of incredible vendors, and so many fabulous people. It's a truly remarkable experience.

This is my third year, and I have to say I love it more every time I go. The first year I was so unprepared for the sheer scale of the event. I remember how nervous I was. I had only been making jewelry for a few months and was worried that I wouldn't really be welcomed. Turns out my fears were unfounded - the people at the show could not have been warmer or more inviting. There are people of every skill level, and the instructors are out of this world. Can you tell I'm a little bit of a fan?

I love getting the class catalog. It comes out in December, and I pour through it like I did the Toys'R'Us Christmas catalog when I was a kid. My first time through I mark all the classes I want to take, not worrying about practical things like price or schedule. I usually end up with a Wish List of over $3,000 in classes. From there I whittle it down to the ones I eventually sign up for. Here are the ones that made the cut this year:

Riveting Acrylic with Silver Metal Clay with Sherri Haab

Sherri Haab is one of my absolute favorite jewelry artists, and so completely inspiring. I read her book The Art of Metal Clay when I took my first PMC class. The designs are gorgeous and the instructions are simple, concise, and easy to follow, exactly what you hope for in an instruction book. I took an image transfer class from her last year at Bead and Button, which was spectacular. I saw this pendant in her Mixed Media and Metal Clay book, and have coveted it ever since. I can't wait to learn how to make it!

Art Deco Cubes with Lynne Soto

Kumihimo Sparks with Jamie North

Surface Design with Enamel with Melissa Manley

Art of Photographing Jewelry with Doug Baldwin

From Broken to Beautiful: Silver Clay and Stoneware with Katie Baum

File Silver Embellished with UV Resin with Katie Baum

I will post after the classes and let you see what I end up with. Whatever happens, I know I will have a fabulous time. And remember, there's still time to register. If you're on the fence about it I would definitely recommend going. It's worth it just to be around so many creative people.

***Oh! One last thing! I just found out Sherri has released a revised (and expanded!) version of The Art of Metal Clay--and it comes with a DVD! Definitely something worth checking out if you're into metal clay.***