Bead Expo Recap!

June 23rd, 2008 in jewelry making

Susan Beal, contributor

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The Bead Expo is such an amazing collection of vendors and workshops—don't miss it!

Photo: Susan Beal

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When the Beadwork Bead Expo came to Portland recently, I had a chance to check out the (nearly 200!) vendors, see samples from the array of classes and workshops, and walk around the gorgeous, overwhelming show during preview night.

There were so many vendors I liked but I didn't have a chance to cover here—I definitely recommend setting aside a few hours for walking the show at your own pace. Here's a tiny sampling of some of my favorites. My friend Diane Gilleland also wrote up a great recap on her blog!

I started at the Interweave booth and looked over its spring titles and magazines. Then I had a chance to browse the SoftFlex product line at its booth, too. You can check out my earlier posts this week for more on these...

I loved checking out the Beaducation booth—it had great kits, class information, and jewelry samples. And I got to see streaming video of one of its online classes, which was outstanding.

Previewing the Bead Expo workshops was really amazing, too! I got to chat with two of my favorite beading designers, who were both teaching classes over the weekend. Teresa Sullivan creates lush, unexpected designs in seed beads with a vibrant, fresh aesthetic. And Sherri Haab does amazing image-transfer techniques—her resin work is beautiful, too.

The Expo travels to several cities each year, so be sure to look on its website to find out where it'll be next. You can also download coupons for discounted admission, find out about show specials, and get lots more information on the events planned in each city.