We had a lot of fun at our most recent bead show in Edison, NJ. Although the set up was a bit different and we weren’t in our usual location, we saw a lot of the same faces that we always look forward to seeing as well as lots of new ones.

This time around the show was three days long and included not only beading vendors but also fabric and embellishments vendors. Here are some of the highlights of the show:

Maryann Corey of the nonprofit organization, The Portable Playhouse, poses with the longest beaded necklace. The necklace is a fundraiser for the nonprofit and is a Guinness Book of World Records attempt. The Portable Playhouse brings beading supplies into hospitals to teach beading and jewelry design as a form of art therapy. For every dollar donated, a bead will be added to the necklace and the donor’s name will be recoded in the book of records. The necklace is currently about 800 ft long!

Diane of 2 Bead Sisters gives a fascinating demo on how to make glass lampwork beads over an open flame in the demonstration area. For more information about the bead making demo click here.

Up and coming 18 year old bead designer, Laura, stopped by to stock up on crystals for her fabulous and inspired designs.

I had the opportunity to chat with Laura and she told me that she got into beading about 5 years ago when she got a kit from Michael’s and loved it. She has since gone into designing her own jewelry such as the aquatic themed necklace above. Laura says she looks to the animal kingdom for inspiration.

Apparently she is inspired by the plant world as well. The gorgeous centerpiece of the other necklace at left is a real orchid covered in resin! We wish you luck as you go forward in the world of beading, Laura. Your obvious talent will help you go far.

Bead designer extraordinaire, Linda Gettings, does a tutorial on right angle weave in the demo area. Linda has been beading and teaching for over 15 years and her designs have been published in many major magazines.

Some more sights from the 3 day bead show in Edison New Jersey:

We’d like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, friends, laughter and warmth. We’ll see you at the next bead show!

The Eureka Beads Family