Shopping Buzz - Oh, What a High!

Oh, the joy of bead shopping! I had a great trip to the West Michigan Bead Expo on Saturday. Although it was a small show, there were some wonderful shops there, and some great lampwork bead makers. Not only that, but I had the fun of making a new friend, and going bead shopping with her. It's not too often that we find a person who shares our hobby, AND is fun to be around. Thanks, Natalie, for being a shopping buddy!

I bought a couple of cute lampwork beads, which I've never really gotten into before. One of my favorite shops was there - Mobile Boutique. Such unique pieces that are so affordable. I found some gems:

And that's just the tip of the iceberg! I found some nice strands and single beads, chain, and findings. One shop had some cute pewter spacers and bead caps. My next post will show you what I made with one of the teal floral components pictured above.

I had one of those out of body moments, right before waking up, when I literally saw a necklace in my mind. I felt like I had to make it, and a surge of inspiration and motivation hit me. So I put it together, and it worked out just as perfectly as that image I saw in my dream. That would have to be a first for me - usually things I imagine never quite work out. They hang weird, go crooked, or just plain look crazy! But not this time...

More to come.