Sue Beads

The ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers) has a convention each year, called The Gathering.  I love the name - a gathering is the blob of glass you put on the mandrel before you spin your beads!  I have never had the chance to attend - I'm not sure if I could, given I feel intimidated as heck by all the glass talent out there!  But I've always wanted to.  This year, I stumbled upon the chance to do a bead swap with other members who aren't attending the gathering as well!  Sign me up! Here are the beads I received!

 Patsy Monk  Janet Peterson  Cindi Brunell  Bertie Beattie  Tracey Alfaro  Rayren Hockett  Lynn Hahn  Natasha Lenaghan  Chris Haussler  Debi Dufrene

And if you know me, you know I forgot to take a photo of the beads I sent, but they were a selection of beads like these!

This was fun! I'm glad I got to do the exchange, hope I remember to sign up next year!

Each year at Bead Fest, Diana Ptaszynski hosts a swap; she pairs us up and we bring 5-7 art beads to swap with our partner.  It's a face-to-face event on the Saturday of Bead Fest and always very entertaining and fun!  Diana also asks people to contribute to a giveaway, and many people win pretty things.

Here are the beads that my partner, Marsha Neal Minutella gave to me!  Not only is Marsha one of the most generous people I have ever met (she actually brings us all chocolate bars to keep our energy up!), she is crazy busy with children, a master gardener, AND she keeps making these crazy wonderful beads!





The ones on the left are her new beads, watercolor styled bead caps.  Can't wait to start using them! 

As I mentioned Diana also hosts a little giveaway and I was the lucky winner of this gorgeous pendant and linen cord from Mary Welsh Hubbard!  Mary and her two girls are a hoot and some of the nicest people I have ever met! 




This little get together gives us all a little bi…