Hong Kong....Day 4...revisiting

Day four of our bead tour was spent revisiting some vendors that we needed to finish up with.

First, I wanted to share the view from my hotel room window.   This is the back of a shopping mall which is in the process of being remodeled.  The workers have been constructing this scaffolding of bamboo all week.   It is truly amazing!

We got a little later start than usual, because some of our group wanted to sleep in a bit.   Then, it was off to the pearl district to finish up business and pick up a few (!) extra strands.   Next was lunch.

Guy just wanted to eat lunch at Ben and Jerry's, but, as you can see, J-ME was having none of that!   Me either.

View of the street near our hotel.










We then walked back to the Jade Market to pick up a few things which had been set aside for us.   Along the way, we stopped in an antique store which specialized in beautiful old jade and antique beads.

The Produce Market was in full swing by then. 

Seems like THE place to shop!

Here we are, entering the Jade Market.

I think our little band of buyers made this vendor's day!!








After the Jade Market, we piled into a taxi for our second visit to the trim and button district.   Just wait until you see the fantastic buttons I am bringing back!   They will make fantastic clasps for beadwork, and I am hand carrying them back.   I would take a picture of them, but I am too exhausted.   You just have to come in next week to see them in person.

Hong Kong....Day 3...Stones

Our third day in Hong Kong, and the weather is still perfect.   Temperatures in the 70's and low humidity.

Today was stone day, but I think we could also title it 'Trains, Planes and Automobiles'  because we used so many forms of transportation in one day!   First, we took the subway to the stone district (believe it or not, a totally different area from the pearl district.)

Hung Hom is the name of the area of Kowloon that is home to most of the cut stone dealers.

After getting off the subway, though, we had to figure out which way to go.

After consulting the map (note the seriousness of the situation) we realized that the actual stone district was still too much of walk, so we loaded ourselves into two taxis.   Yes, if we had just taken the cabs from the hotel, it may have cost us a dollar more, and saved us an hour, but would not have been nearly as much fun.

But, we finally made it to our first stone stop.

Here I am picking out just the right beads for you.

At our second stop, Kara mugs for the camera.



Just look at all those stones!

My order is being totaled.   Please be kind to me!!

We all relax in the 'bead lounge' waiting for the rest of our party to be totaled.   'Peace, out' from Guy.

After a fabulous lunch of sushi, we hit more stone vendors, then another adventure!   We took a local bus back to our hotel, an adventure since the mini bus we were advised to take would never hold our party of 8, so we took a different bus.   We really did not know where to get off, and part of our party was on the top, and part on the bottom of the double decker bus, but we figured it all out.

A quick stop to unload our booty, wash up, then off to the 'Ladies Market' for some flea market shopping, a Vietnamese dinner, then taxi back to our hotel, and computer work until midnight.   With such a busy schedule, when is a girl to shop for shoes?   Don't worry, I did manage to find a pair.   And wait til you see these!!

Hong Kong...Day 2

Today we got more of the flavor and feel of Hong Kong.   Instead of spending the day running from one showroom to another, we first walked up Nathan Road to Temple Street.  

Temple Street is the site of the Produce Market during the day, then the produce and food vendors leave for the day, and in come the sellers for the Temple Street Night Market, which sells everything!!

 




Our destination was the Jade Market.   Two huge tents full of jade carved into almost everything imaginable.   It was a real test of one's bargaining abilities!

One of the many tables at the Jade Market.







Our little band then crammed into two taxis and headed to the button and trim district.   There I found some great base metal findings, including box clasps and cones.  

I found these darling hand crocheted flowers, some beaded, that would make cute pins or pendants!


And wait til you see the really neat round glass watches with a steampunk brass feel... Adorable!!!

We were off the beaten tourist path while in this part of Hong Kong.   Here we passed by a Buddhist temple.   This open meat market was typical of what we saw....it is a shame I cannot add the scents, too.   Although, not all of them were good.

One last picture from the day.   I do not know what this was all about, but it made an interesting photo!   Tomorrow, we go to shop for stones!

Day One in Hong Kong...Pearls

Well, I finally made it to Hong Kong.   It is like New York City on steroids...and Nathan Street (where our hotel is located) is like Broadway.   Everyone is very friendly, and I am loving it.

Our itinerary starts with pearl shopping.   Here is part of our merry band, all fresh-faced, having rested well after a grueling day of flying, ready to face the pearls.

Our first stop was, well, you just have to see the sign yourself.   Yes, that is an "F" starting the first word.   I just could not make this up.

.

Despite their name, Fook Yue Pearl Co. had tons of very beautiful high end pearls, and I could not resist immersing myself in them.

Even the men got into the act!   Pictured are J-ME and Guy Lynn of Wild Things, our tour organizers.

Our day started at 9am, and we left our last stop at about 6pm.   A full day of pearl shopping.   And look at the loot from just one part of one room of one dealer!







And finally, one parting shot from day one.   I could not help but take a photo of this little pearl house.   Who wants to move in?

In memorium

On Saturday, November 6th, the bead and gem community of Pittsburgh suffered a great loss.   Bob Patak, owner of Shadyside Mining, lost his brave battle with cancer.

I first met Bob probably 20 years ago, when he had Patak Designs on Carson St on the SouthSide.   My sister was a long time customer, and we met through her.   John and I would stop in occasionally on a Saturday with Jessie, my stepdaughter.   Bob would always give her a special rock....she ended up with a whole bag full!

Bob moved his store to Shadyside, first in a basement level off Walnut Street.   He renamed it Shadyside Mining, and decorated it with large rocks affixed to the walls going down the steps, making it look like you were going into a mine.   When he closed this store (his landlord raised his rent ridiculously) I was in the process of setting up my store, and purchased some of his showcases.

Bob was still selling his stones, but was itching to open another store.   A couple of years later, he reopened Shadyside Mining in its current location on Copeland St, off Walnut.   While Bob claimed he was not in the bead business, he had a wonderful selection of precious and semiprecious stones and pearls, all gathered from his many years of attending the Tucson shows.   He was a very talented jewelry designer, but his real love was the rocks themselves.

When I opened my store in 2003, I did not know very much about stones.  I learned much from Bob, and purchased all my initial stones from him.  When attending the gem shows in Tucson, I would always run into him, and we would always hook up for dinner, either at an Indian restaurant, or Bob's and my favorite, Poca Cosa.   He would stop in my store every once in a while, having run out of crimps or crimp covers, and we would chat about business, and plan for Tucson.

I know that many of my customers were also customers of Bob's, and will always remember him as a kind and generous man.   For myself, I cannot imagine going to Tucson and not running into him, comparing notes on what treasures and bargains we found.   My sincere condolences go out to his lovely wife and two daughters, who became his real precious gems.   Bob will certainly be missed.

UFOs...UnFinished Objects

I used to be such a project-oriented beader.  I would see a project to fruition, then start another.  And, as far as projects at the store (repairs and custom work) I still am, but my personal projects have been sadly neglected.   I often feel like the plumber with leaky pipes, or the shoemaker who's kids run barefoot.

There is last week's Farfalle Bracelet, which hasn't grown since the picture in my last blog entry.   OK, that's not so bad.   Then there is the Spiral Rope Lariet that is awaiting the Russian Leaf fringe from this summer.  Well, that is just a few months....not terrible.

My big cigar box project from two years ago (I think) did get a little bit done to it one evening while beading at a friend's house, but that is all that has been done since starting it.   Then there is the Melanie Potter kit that I purchased in Tucson probably four years ago.   It is a lariet done in a tubular chevron stitch.   I did start it; got about 2 inches done, then decided that I needed to change it to add a different seed bead in the center to make the beading go faster.   It was just too tedious having to count beads each time to get to the center bead to add the next section.  Especially in a long lariet!

Then there are all the projects in my head.   And the new ones I want to try my hands at from Beadwork and Bead and Button.

Not that I haven't finished anything.  I have been doing a lot with the fab chain that we have in the shop.   And I have made a few neck pieces with my latest obsession, vintage brooches.   But the elaborate (and not so elaborate) seed bead work is sitting. 

Maybe now that I have 'fessed up' publicly, I will get moving on some of these UFO's.   Maybe.

Tell us about your UFO's.

New Farfalle Seed Beads at Crystal Bead Bazaar

Last week was a busy one at the store.   My UPS man came in so many times with so many packages that I am calling him Santa!

We got in a nice color selection on Miyuki 4x4 Cubes, Drops and Magatamas.   A few colors of the new Miyuki 2-hole Tila beads have come in, with more to follow as they become available.   I will be playing with them then, and let you know what the results are in the future.

One of the other exciting things to arrive are Farfalle beads.   What are farfalle beads?   They are a seed bead named for the Italian word for butterfly, farfalla, but are most often described as peanut or dumb bell shaped.  Farfalle beads are sort of a double drop bead, with a hole in the center.   When strung, they nest into each other, but really do fantastic things when used with weaving techniques.   They are manufactured by both Matsuno (Japanese) and Preciosa (Czech.)   We have the Czech variety, which I am to understand, has better color.

I have been playing with them in peyote stitch.   They line up so well, standing perfectly upright.   I was really delightfully surprised!   Farfalles in peyote stitch make a really substantial piece, a heavier weight band that is perfect for a bracelet.   They also make up much stiffer than regular seed beads, I think due to the fact that they interlock so well.   You could make a ring with farfalle beads, but not a 'zipper' bead, or a tube to use as a toggle bar, as they will not bend that far.   But that is OK, sometimes you need that stiffer tension.

Check out Maggie's Musings for a good review of farfalle beads, and how they work up in other stitches.


I also found this YouTube video of creating beaded beads using a right angle weave with farfalle.   Enjoy!!

Hey, I'm a blogger now!

Well, guys, here I am being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century!   As a product of the 1950's (yes, I am old) this new technology does not come easily to me.   Many of my customers can vouch for that fact, having heard me cussing at my computer from time to time.   But, nonetheless, here I am, starting a blog.

My intent is to keep you all up to date on happenings at Crystal Bead Bazaar and beyond,  giving you a glimpse of life as a bead store owner and worker.  I would also like to share what our employees and customers are up to, and of course, I have to include my babies, Uncle Jack and Bahama, my beloved French Bulldogs.

Enjoy!