Defenseless against beautiful beads

Defenseless, sensory overload, pure bliss are just a few words to explain attending the Tucson Bead and Gem Show.  To begin to explain one might say that it is a world of its own. Picture the largest tent you've ever seen filled with vendors. Each vendor has around 20 8-ft conference tables heaping with strands of stones, pearls, crystals, lamp work beads, silver beads, findings and so much more.  Beads hanging from displays, equipment, anything you can imagine in the Bead and Gem Show world.

Now picture over twenty tents or more like this and large various hotels hosting this type of show throughout this large city.  Reading a small telephone book of advertisements to try and figure out what shows to actually go to is another challenge we face. Over the several years we've been doing this together, we've found our favorite shows and vendors to patronize.

You see hobbyists learning as they go, to experts buying in huge quantities. I think we'd fall somewhere in the middle. It feels good to be able to tell a fellow buyer the name of the stone they are fawning over when the vendor is clueless. Although in this world, I've found that there are many names for the same stone depending where it was mined, exported and the experience of the seller. Basically, we go by our gut feeling- if we love it, maybe our customers will too. The biggest barrier to get over in the gemstone world is to get beyond what we personally like.Think outside our box to buy what other people might like even though we may not.

Karen and I have developed a shopping system which sometimes can be quite comical. I'm systematic and she's all over the place. I don't want to miss a thing and go from booth to booth in a pattern careful not to miss a thing. Of course, that's not possible with the bazillions out there to see. Karen could easily jig jag around and be totally happy. If she spots something we might interest us, she hollers and I come a runnin'. It's my job to do quality-control. I feel the beads and check for any bad beads in the strand. This is also a true test of our stamina. We spend countless hours on our feet pulling our wheeled-suitcase filled with the goods, water, and snacks. Our hands get awfully dirty because, of course, one must touch all that is pretty! We take turns taking our "haul" out to the car to lessen our load. This year the weather deterred us from eating outside in the food court. Freezing winds drove us to sit in the car and eat our lunch, rejuvenate and hit the bricks again until we couldn't stand any more.

It took us three days to complete one show in this fashion but DID WE FIND THE TREASURES!!! Red Creek Jasper and dyed agates were the big thing this year. We are excited to show our customers our big-holed beads. We will create Community Action's version of the Pandora bracelet and the price will reflect it . We found some exceptional chains in many designs. Gun metal is new in the metals this year. It's been making a small appearance in the  past but this year made its grand debut. Sterling silver has become outrageous high priced and even the largest businesses are looking for ways to substitute its use.

A couple of nights we had enough energy to eat out, other nights we'd drag our sorry backsides back to the house with take out. Our evenings were spent sorting and putting our goods in containers so they would be easier to bring home in Karen's car. Janice was made several "Matchables" which we'll need for the upcoming Horse Expo in March.  Friday was set aside as our creating day.

After we returned from a hard days work Thursday night, Janice discovered that we didn't have water in the house. The frigid cold temps were very noticeable and frozen pipes were topics of discussion during the day but it never occurred to us that it might happen in the home of which we were staying. Karen took to the phones calling for help.  With the panic of not being able to "flush," Karen and I took off  for the closest grocery store to get water. While we were tracking down water, Janice received a call from the neighbor on the west. Apparently he noticed water gushing from the side of the house and came over to shut it off. We had broken pipes. The 23 degree temps are a stranger to Tucson and the town seemed to be in a small panic. The broken water pipes were wide-spread and the plumbers along with the city employees were working around the clock. Hundreds and hundreds of people without water soon sold out the water in the area stores. We were lucky to get what we did. Although the gallons were out we were able to make it thru the night pretending like we were "camping." (I'm forbidden to go into the gory details, but being a plumber's daughter did come in handy.) We spent the day creating to keep our minds off the bathroom and finally the plumber arrived at noon. His vehicle wouldn't start in this temp and he needed another battery. He needed more pipe wrap but the whole city was sold out, so he improvised by using cardboard and a bathroom towel.  It worked we had water Saturday morning after temps in the low 20's.

Time to call it a night, get out the snore spray and dream about beads.

Tootles for now,
                               Kyla

Happy to be in Tucson

After an uneventful flight to Tucson on Sunday morning, I was tickled to see Janice and Karen drive up at the airport. It was unusual that everything went on time. Their two-day drive went well.  Being the optimist that I am, I left my winter coat in the car in the airport parking lot in Nebraska as I dreamed of the sunny warmth of Tucson. Trips past, I'd always overdressed. This year I made sure to bring capris and sandles. Boy, have I been surprised with the weather with the highest temps in the 40s.

We are enjoying our adobe home in the foothills of the mountains in eastern Tucson. Finding the right home was an event worth reiterating.  "Margaret" as we call our navigation system took us to the wrong house in the dark, no less. Janice and Karen just got done investigating the back area in the driveway but it didn't seem right.  Karen told me that there was a very big doggie door in the back.  Sure that we found the correct house, Karen told me to grow a pair and  decided to sacrifice the young tender one; she sent me to the front door of the "correct house." So I carefully walked up the front step, unhinged the first iron gate to proceed four more feet. The front door was all barred as I noticed signs that made the hair on my arms stand up.  Dobbermans-Can you clear the fence in three seconds? We can! Cripes, I'm not going any further. I'll sleep outside in the locked car tonight, thank you!


After many minutes of frustration, Janice and I partnered as we walked up the steps of the neighbors' house to ask for directions. They were so nice and kindly told us that the house we were looking for was behind them. We were trying to get into someone else's house with Dobberman's no less!!! It's a wonder the police didn't come.


The magnificent view out to the north included the beautiful mountains. Monday morning Karen told me to listen to the morning doves cooing. I told her that my Grampa Tommy taught me to call them rain doves. When they cooed, it meant rain was on the way.  Within two minutes of our conversation, it started raining. "Your grampa was a smart man," Karen said.

It rained on and off all day during our first shopping excursion. We made it to Cherry Tree Beads at the Double Tree to see Bill and Adriana. They took great care of us escorting us around their booth showing us what was new for this year. It's always exciting to be recognized year after year being so far away from home. We will be working with them this summer to have our first bead trunk show at our Christmas in July Expo.


While I was salivating over the metals at You and Me Findings, Karen went to visit our friends at Guatemala Creations. Robert and Bobbi Lee spend nine months a year living in Guatemala running their exporting/wholesaling/retailing business. They employee women there at a livable wage to create beautiful beaded fashions. They are very insistant on fairness in this trade which makes adding their products to our mission even more heartwarming. Make sure to check out these masterpieces next time you shop with us.


Tootles for now, Kyla

New Ideas, Opportunities, and Challenges

Rough cut Citrine

As we begin 2011, Kyla, Janice, and I continue to discuss what path or direction do we need to move?  We decide that we needed to have different voices and views to help clarify what we do next.  It will require us to find 3 - 5 women who have the time and energy to listen to our story, hear about our dreams, and provide their thoughts and ideas to help take Beads in a Box, SFE Jewelry, and Untapped Potential to the next level.  It is exciting to dream, plan for and implement new concepts.  The difficulty is in the lack of people to take on a part of the dream and make it a reality.

Linda, our special volunteer, followed her heart and is in California with her guy, Gene.  We miss her and all she did for us.  We want to thank her for her hard work, dedication, and desire to help us reach our goals.  Volunteers are vital to the work we do in Community Action and we have many opportunities for people to become involved in the work we do!

 Kyla, Janice, and I will have time to visit, dream, and plan next steps as we make our annual buying trip to Tucson.  We will have a week to hunt for new stones, new cuts, and findings to create one of a kind jewelry for Beads in a Box.  We will be on the hunt for new styles in hand picked jewelry for our SFE Jewelry line.  We will also spend time discussing the business; we find that this time with little interruptions is a gift that helps us to focus on beads!  When we are in the office or a show there is a constant flow of people, problems, and changes that dictate what we do.  It expands what Kyla calls my "popcorn" approach" which is I  jump from one topic to another without warning.  Kyla has become a master at "jumping with me."  *smile* 

Semi Rough Amethyst

What I know each day is I am blessed to have many people that care about the work we do at the agency and what we are doing with Beads in a Box.  It is humbling to see the deep commitment and desire to make our vision and mission a reality.  I know that the opportunities are endless, the challenges bring new ideas, and the future is what we make of it.  I often share the following:  "whether you think you can or you think you can't ~ either way you are right."  I try to live my life by thinking I can, I know with the help of those who share our vision, our dream, we can continue to build Beads in a Box.  'til later, Karen

Off to Miami & Other Thoughts

Kyla and I will be leaving Sunday for the National Community Action Partnership Winter Conference in Miami.  I will have committee and board meetings to attend as well as the conference.  Kyla will set up tables with our jewelry.  We have enjoyed support from our Community Action family, who stop by to check our jewelry and find a few things for themselves, family, and friends.  We appreciate the support of our network as we continue to build our jewelry business. 

2010 was a good year for Beads in a Box and SFE Jewelry.  We increased our sales, traveled to more conventions and conferences, and met so many people to tell our story.  We were able to hire two staff to help with our jewelry business.  Janice remains with us and has created two incredible websites; www.beadsinbox.com and www.sfejewelry.com  We hope that our websites will grow with increased sales this year; while we continue to discuss ways to promote and expand.

One of the decisions this year came and went within a few months.  We decided to purchase handbags to add to our product line.  It gave us another venue to expand our business.  After a few months we realized that we did not have the space to display or store a large variety of handbags; so we decided to no longer carry an inventory.  We may consider purchasing small number of handbags for special events in the future.

2011 is filled with opportunities and challenges.  We leave for the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show in late January to discover new stones and shapes to create one-of-a-kind heirloom quality pieces for Beads in a Box.  We will also check out new vendors for our Something for Everyone (sfejewelry) jewelry.  We plan to establish an advisory group to provide guidance, support, and opportunities for our jewelry.

We want to thank all those who seek out and wear our jewelry.  Your purchases help us move forward in our plans to expand to include a wholesale business that will train and hire single heads of households working two or more jobs to support their families.  We are looking forward to developing our Untapped Potential line of jewelry; that will be sold to gift stores, museums, and small businesses.

As we continue our journey we hope that you continue to support us through your purchases of our jewelry, your promotion to others, and your suggestions for new venues to showcase our jewelry.

Wishing you all a Happy 2011,
             For Now,
                           Karen 

‘Tis the Season

I love being one of Santa’s helpers!

Here at Beads in a Box we are definitely feeling the Christmas spirit. One of our newest creations is called Matchables. We are creating a generic necklace with an array of different colors and stones. If our customers purchase one of these treasures, they can choose a magnetic pendant for ½ price. This is an amazing set. Since the pendant is magnetic, our customers can interchange them and create a whole new look. Today, I just put five sets of Matchables in the mail.  They are going to Blair, NE.  Becky found us at River City Rodeo in Omaha this fall and fell in love with this concept. She’s been very patient with me as I’ve created five different looks for her to give for Christmas gifts. 

I love it when a customer realizes how our mission is working with volunteers creating in their spare time. Besides running a business, working our regular jobs, and having families, we seem to find time to work in the extra creations.  These Matchable creations have been on my living room floor for quite some time waiting to get finished.  It finally happened and I’m excited for the recipients. 

Are you looking for just the right necklace to go with that outfit?  Haven’t found the perfect look yet? Well, come in and see us! We can create the look you are going for with our Matchables! Please call for an appointment at 308-440-0153 and we’d be happy to oblige.

Merry Christmas to you and I hope you are enjoying assisting Santa and Jesus in creating Christmas miracles.
Tootles for now,
                                Kyla

Winding Down?

I think not!   We are gearing up for more exciting things in 2011. 

In early February we are taking our annual trip to Tucson, Arizona for the international Gem and Mineral Show.  It is an amazing event that takes all of Tucson over for a week plus, and while it's necessary to our business, we love to go.  This is one of the times in the year when our creative juices overflow. 

     Our next big new venture for 2011 will be our Christmas in July - in conjunction with a craft show, we plan to have a bead show also.  We will have strands of beads available for purchase and the things necessary to make small projects (a necklace or bracelet).  Also, our goal is to have classes that are designed to help people learn the basics of jewelry construction and design.  You talk about exciting!  What an amazing way to share our mission and our love of creating at the same time.

What a nice way to end our show season - looking forward to a new, exciting venture in the new year.  Stay tuned - we'll keep you informed of our progress.

Janice

Keep On Keepin' On

It's' me, Kyla. Been a long while since I blogged. I just finally read Karen's last blog. I'm humbled. She's got it right, this is about all our bodies can handle and then we get up and do it again. We really couldn't do this if we weren't driven by our mission. If we didn't believe in what we were doing, why in the world would we be doing this?  I'm writing from our hotel room in North Platte after a mediocre day of sales at the Cowboy Christmas. I was able to walk around and make a lot of contacts for our own craft show next weekend in Kearney called the Holiday Splendor Craft Show and Mid's Product Premiere Tradeshow. This is the first time we've done an out-of-town show the weekend before our own show. Don't know if it was a smart decision or not. Last night Karen, Linda, and I put in a hard night of coughing. I pray with God's help and a whole lot of drive, that I'll be clicking on all cylinders next weekend. Two days on concrete takes it out of you.

Thank God all this isn't up to one person. I'm blessed to have so many stars on my team. While we are on the road, Janice is keeping the office fires burning answering the craft show phone, working on our websites and facebook accounts, taking orders for Beads in a Box and of course, always finding something that needs fixed or organized. I have no worries when she's there. It will be taken care of. Thanks Janice!

We have several who volunteer regularly for us. Putting in the most hours lately is Linda. She's up and at it every morning making a difference in the bead room. I don't need to watch over her and tell her step by step what needs done. She can see it! Thank God. There is enough work here to keep four more Lindas going. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by it all, she keeps her head down and keeps on trucking! Thanks Linda for your great sense of humor when we are traveling. You are such a joy to have along.

Mary is gearing up to be in charge of our "sales table" at our craft show next weekend. She comes out after work on Friday to set up "her" table the way she wants it. If you watch her, she won't leave her table all day with the goal to sell as much as she can. She does it with such a quiet spirit and when you thank her, she gets teary-eyed. She so believes in what we are trying to do that she marvels in our progress.

The weather has been so beautiful this fall. On the downside of that is it's been so dry. The air needs cleaned out causing so many to have colds and the such. We've been passing one around in the office. It is my prayer that we'll all have enough energy to make it thru the next several weeks. The weekend after our craft show, Karen, Linda and I travel to Lincoln for a three day show for the Nebraska Music Educators Assoc. Conference. We also have the Governor's conference in Kearney while we're gone in which our volunteers will cover.  During the first week in December we have three shows.

The show I'm really looking forward to is the Kearney Women's Club Christmas Open House on December 3rd from 3:00-7:00. We have a huge invitation list and I can't wait to meet some of these ladies. The public is welcome and what a great opportunity to see this wonderful house.  This is a fundraiser for them to use towards renovations.

Well, its official. Karen and Linda's wish came true....I lost my voice.  HA! HA!  Good thing I can still type!!! Good night all. Tootles for now, Kyla