Sylviebead Journal

Happy Friday everyone!!!

It's nice to be back....

Back from Wisconsin (although I did have a great time, it's nice to be home)

Back blogging again

and

Back in the bead business.


I've talked a little bit about the show and how great it was to see everyone, but I guess I haven't REALLY talked about the show much... the show itself.

I took my kids with me and it was good for them to see what's really involved AND that their mom is a "someone" in her career... even if it's not rocket-science... it's nice to know that your work matters to other people and it was nice for them to see some of that.

I took my sister with me and she was a LIFESAVER!!! She is not a bead person (well, she WASN'T a bead person...she now has had a little taste of them doing one of my projects and I think she's sort of hooked). It was good for her to see a little of what I do, but it was GREAT for me to be able to use her non-beady sensibilities to re-work some of my systems/displays, etc.

Taking someone from outside of bead-world really helped me to see some things in a different way than I had before and that was HUGELY valuable. Plus, we got to hang out for a week which was SO much fun!!!!! Thanks Say!!!!!!!!

Other highlights of the show... I introduced the new limited edition of Head Over Heels and it was a hit! WOO HOO!!!!! I was SO afraid that in this economy my high-end things wouldn't sell and I'd be living a life of baby-beads (which are fun, but can get old) for a while. Instead, I found that when people really LOVE something, they are willing to pay for it, even if it means sacrificing other things to balance out. That was a HUGE thing for me... knowing that people had chosen MY work over other things that they had hoped to buy before they knew I'd be at the show. (this, more than once, made me tear up. I'm easily moved, but art is SO personal... it really meant something to me to hear that.)

I talked to several stores about classes which I am VERY VERY excited about. I really miss teaching and it's a big part of what I love about my job...the sharing of techniques in glass classes and the introducing FUN stuff to the beading classes. I'm hoping that the stores I talked to can get some things scheduled for 2010.

I am hoping that some of the other contacts/conversations I had come to fruition as well, but I'm not going to jinx anything by talking about them here.... I just think it was well worth being at the show... for the networking ALONE.

I said going into the show that I was considering it as advertising... reaching the CORE beading community and re-launching my career. I saw it as a risk financially, but more like a risk in putting an ad in a magazine... you don't see immediate payoffs the day it's published, but you hope that there is residual return.

If I didn't sell a THING at the show, I went into it thinking that would be ok.... that this was advertising and networking, so with the re-connecting with customers and the contacts I made, I was totally successful. And there was an added bonus that I made enough to cover this "advertising." and that was a great thing. It wasn't a stellar show, by any means, but I went into it with realistic expectations and I'm really happy with how things went.

And on the theme of happiness.... person after person at the show... people I had known for over 10 years, kept telling me I looked different. I was puzzled by this since I look the same to me... but finally a few people were able to tell me why. They said I look relaxed and happy... and that's true. I AM a lot more relaxed and a lot less stressed out, and I AM happy. Besides, I was back doing something I love, surrounded by people I truly love and people who appreciate me and my work. I don't think I looked UN-happy in the past, but I do think that the time away let me re-group and return a new and happiER Sylvie.

Here's a glimpse of happy me at the show...


tiny blah blah blah....

coffee - nope. Chick fil a tea this morning.

music - nope. just the clicky sound of the keyboard. I miss my ipod!!!!!!!