October Contest Entries and Projects

In the month of September, Beading Help Web readers sent in stories about their scariest craft show or jewelry-making experiences. Now, we’re turning over the entries to our readers to judge our first ever contest!   I’ll even do a random drawing from everyone who enters a vote for a bag of beads (you will need to supply me with your mailing address if you are chosen!) Email addresses and mailing addresses will NEVER be shared with other sources — you can be sure we will not sell you for spam!

Without any further ado, here are the entries from our contest!

I was working a craft show in a small high school when an elderly man came over to my booth. The ladies next to me were selling appliqued sweatpants, and he had just been at their booth talking to them. I happened to look over and they both looked very flustered and were shaking their heads at me. The man asked if I had a tape measure he could use and I said I did. I pulled it out, and started to hand it to him, but he held up his hand and said “Oh. I need measurements. Could you measure my inseam so I can buy a pair of pants?” I almost dropped my tape measure, and my face must have turned red because the ladies next to me burst out laughing. Turned out he had asked them the same thing.

– Submitted by Maureen

Well, I don’t know if this is scary or not, but it was funny! Last summer I had a booth at an outdoor festival and a two ladies came in. One decided on a bracelet/earring set, and I totaled up her sale — $59. She pulled a large bag out of her purse, and started counting out quarters on the table! Except she didn’t have enough quarters, she only had $53 in quarters. Her friend said she would get the rest, but she only had bills, no quarters. The lady who bought the jewelry said “NO, I can’t pay in bills, I only pay in quarters.” She kept insisting she needed quarters, and finally said she would go to the bank, get quarters and then she could pay me. Believe it or not, she did come back, and paid $59 in quarters. My cash bag weighed a ton from that show!!!
– Submitted by Michelle

My scary jewelry story is that I went to get some black beads out of the storage container that I keep them in and when I reached my hand in the container, one of the beads moved! It was a big spider that had decided my bead stash was the place to hide. I screamed, it ran away, and I always look first before grabbing beads now!
– Submitted by Paula

I think the scariest thing that happened to me at a craft show was when I signed up for a show and the promoter had managed to lose my name and check. I had gotten up at 4 a.m., driven an hour and a half to get to the location, had all my jewelry and displays in my truck, but no space. Fortunately, I had the cancelled check in my purse, and they found a place for me to set up. Because it was a huge, very full show, I had to take what I could get, but it ended up being one of the best spots in the building!
– Submitted by Julie

I bead for many of my co-workers. We have an in-house speech club, and at one meeting I had to give a demo speech so I

gave a speech demonstrating my favorite beading tools.

Many members of the audience had purchased from me in the past. One of the points to my speech was how I got started, which was doing repairs of shoddy department store costume jewellery that broke while I was wearing it. I demonstrated how my tools helped me make strong clasps and crimps. We had a guest that day who happened to be wearing a chain necklace I had made for her some months earlier.

Just as my speech ended she pulled on her necklace and the beads from a section of it went flying onto the table in front of her. For one moment my eyes went wide as she looked up at me. I quickly quipped “I can fix that too!”, the audience laughed, as I am sure many of them did not realize that I was the maker of that particular necklace. But boy were my cheeks flaming as I took my seat!
– Submitted by Ruth

One of the things that my friend and I love about doing arts and crafts shows is meeting and talking to all kinds of interesting people. It is really fun to hear what our pieces remind them of, inspire them to think, or feel like. Most people are very appreciative of crafter’s work and how much time and effort goes into each and every piece. It is very fulfilling to have your hand-crafted work recognized for the artistry and labor that it is and it is really great to hear the praise of the pieces that we all spend so much time on. Sometimes, people just don’t get it! One instance sticks out.

A young couple entered our booth at the first show we ever did. Because it was our first, we were quite eager to talk to customers and to find out their opinions of our work. Many compliments came from the two as they perused our wares. Including the following, “What a great idea! You just find a hat from somewhere and put some beads on it. Then you can sell it like new!”

As I was too flabbergasted to say anything, my friend had to gently tell the chagrined youth and his embarrassed girlfriend that I hand made each hat from scratch and, although the beading was added by me after the hat was finished, I did not just “find it” and throw a garnish on it to resell.

We were all pretty embarrassed by the whole exchange and the couple quickly left…without buying anything!
– Submitted by Laura

I have been VERY lucky to attend shows with dedicated, helpful organizers. One time I tried a new two-day show near home. I was encouraged on day one. There were quality artists, lots of customers, and since I was on the main street where all the activity was, there was lots of traffic. About an hour before close, the organizer gave people the option of not returning since the next day was Father’s Day. I asked how many were staying, and he replied that most everyone WAS sticking around.

The next morning, I was full of vigor and hope — ok, full of coffee. As I pulled up to the street where my booth was, My jaw dropped…all but one other tent was gone!

For the next few hours I sat seething, answering the puzzled questions of people expecting more vendors and being solicited for home cleaning solutions. Some people just drove up in their cars and looked at our booth through rolled-down windows, making it my first drive-though show.

When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I packed up and went home. Live and learn, became the motto for that day!
– Submitted by Kathy

Voting will run now through October 31, 2006 12:00 p.m. CST. All winners, including the random drawing winner, will be announced on October 31 on the Beading Help Web Blog!

When you are done voting for your favorite story, check out some of the October projects on Beading Help Web — Sparkling Pumpkin Pendant,  Fall Flora Bracelet, Think Pink Breast Cancer Ribbon Charm, BCA Dangle Necklace or any one of the Breast Cancer Awareness bracelets on our Projects page.

– L. Kvigne