Earrings and Art Fairs

These are my latest earrings in my special promotion. They have Swarovski hematite crystal bicones and black pearls, sterling silver 8 mm round beads and Bali silver roundel beads. Great for a grey suit or dress--business, too. Maybe even a teacher gift.

This morning I learned that I have been invited to participate in the inaugural spring art and crafte fair at an upscale shopping center in Burr Ridge, Illinois on May 15 and 16. There will be approximately 75 artists, a nice number for variety but not so many that visitors are tempted to walk by because the show has 175 tents and is four blocks long.

The mail this afternoon informed me that another show a friend had suggested I apply for, despite cashing my separate check for the booth fee, decided not to invite me. It's unusual for a venue to cash a booth fee check and not invite the artist--more work for them to write a check back to the artist. I have been to this show a number of years ago and did not think my customer would shop there, but it's always fun to do a show with a friend.

I'm back to beading choosing one of my favorite Swarovski colors (oh, all right, they are all my favorite colors!) pacific blue opal. I tried to design with some amazonite but the style bracelet had too many times through the stone bead to work, so it is two sizes of crystal bicones. I've made this style before, but with smaller beads. I have some lovely mixed greens and turquoise charlottes and a green turquoise seed bead to connect the bicones. Proofreading this I realized I could make dangles from a choker with the amazonite.

The stitch I am using is a flat spiral where there is a core bead and many smaller beads loop around to connect the beads with a loop on each side of the core bead. I enjoy creating different combinations in this stitch. A spiralling version is the first stitch I learned. There is a Swarovski lavender pearl bracelet in my shop in flat spiral stitch. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43270725