Mystique

Yay! My ruffled cab piece has a name! Jeannie on BD came up with "Mystique" and it fits so well it now seems so obvious to me....what else would it be called.

I'll probably also think of it as my 'Cirque de Soliel' piece because it does remind me of the costumes plus it has a three ringed circus of cabs.

Thank you Jeannie.

Yesterday I was getting the package ready for the craft show in Mesquite next month....hopefully we'll be accepted and get a booth. I've said I wouldn't do another outdoor craft fair or any kind of craft fair in Utah but the price of this one is very low and it's in Nevada albeit just 30 mins away.

I have found craft fairs in Utah to be very different from anywhere else, the sales are poor and the people are quite rude. They will unabashedly take pictures of your work to go off and copy it while telling you your prices are too high and they don't like your work.

Last year I and a friend had a booth at the local Dickens festival and I met the most marvelous lampworker. She made these absolutely gorgeous pendants. They were hand forged silver spears with two silver lined lampwork beads and a hand made silver clay bead strung on hand dyed silk ribbon. Delightful and I thought a steal at $120. A woman took one off the display held it in the plam of her hand, shoved it under the artist's nose and said rudely "$120? Why?" The same woman wandered around our booth, quickly scanned everything and announced "Trash" loudly before she left. She left you so stunned you didn't get chance to say anything before she arrogantly strut away. Some people are so ignorant and rude it's a wonder someone hasn't shot them. There should be a season when it's legal to shoot the rude and stupid. (Now you know why I don't own a gun....I'm a good shot and it's way too tempting).

Thesedays I view craft fairs as advertising and I think $50 for two days advertising is enough to spend (and I want to split it with a friend too). This way I don't get discouraged if I don't sell anything and I don't feel robbed. If I do sell something it's just icing on the cake. Rather than spend hundreds on a booth at Dickens or What Women Want I'd rather take an ad in one of the bead magazines....and when I have a few hundred to spare that's exactly what I plan to do with it.

Deb over at the Bead Depot in AZ e-mailed me yesterday about stocking my kits, that would be awesome! My 'Learn-a-Stitch' kits were originally designed for the chain of craft stores where I teach, however, their lack of response, even though they requested I send them just left me frustrated. I think I'd rather have the kits in one or two good bead stores than a corporate chain anyway. We'll see what Deb thinks when she gets a sample kit.

I haven't heard anything from the gal who's opening the new local bead store, she didn't show up at the bead society meeting and hasn't e-mailed me. I don't understand someone opening a business and not taking advantage of such a great opportunity to meet future customers. I have people chomping at the bit to see her shop and I have no info as to when it opens. This is free advertising folks!

Speaking of free advertising, I was at the store yesterday and checked to see if the latest issues of the beading magazines had hit the stands yet. No luck! It seems all the stores are waiting for the delivery as the racks are empty. This issue of Step-by-Step should have my "Watermelon & Peaches" colorwork challenge bracelet in it. I won't feel that all the success I've been having in competitions is real until the magazines are in my anxious little hands.

Class today is my Byzantine Watchband. I'm a little perplexed because the rings I ordered from FMG are supposed to arrive today and I have a feeling it won't be till AFTER my class. This order took way too long to be shipped out....usually my orders from them arrive in just four days....why is it that when you need something by a certain date that is always the order that gets delayed? Oh right....my Irish heritage...a direct descendant of Murphy I am.