Wholesale Gem & Jewelry show

On July 26th, I drove 2.5 hours (150 miles) into North Carolina to attend the wholesale jewelry show in Franklin.  It is held twice a year, Mother's Day weekend and the last weekend in July.  Both weekends there are about 5 gem shows but I only go to the wholesale show.  I got back from spending more money than I should have, but it did feel good. Got lots of beads and necklaces which will be made into Christmas ornaments. Got peridots, emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts to be made into earrings for various and sundry people. One of my co-workers asked me to pick something up for his girlfriend, found a sterling silver flip-flop with rubies across the bands and a swiss blue topaz pendant. Picked up 2 dozen plus earrings in a wide selection of styles and colors for another co-workers young daughters.  Now they can go to school stylin'.

Picked up mesh beads in both globe and oblongs, in silver and gold.  The globes are 12mm and the oblongs I was able to pick-up in 2 different sizes an 8x12mm and a 12x24mm.  Also picked up several silver and rhinestone beads, again in two sizes.  Some silver spiral cages, again in two sizes.  Stopped by one tent and picked up more of the marblized wooden beads from Indonesia in a wide assortment of colors.  I stopped by the vendor tent where I had picked-up three different sizes of what they call "disco beads", globes with rhinestones bumps.  They had 2 strands of white which I picked-up in May from them, but they said if I called their home location in Miami, they would still sell them to me at the show price and would ship free.

Once I separate the beads, I'll start making ornaments.  Lots and lots of miniature ornaments.  One woman told me to make several of the miniature trees and she would sell them for me to some of her clients.  So when I start making the ornaments, I'll need to keep track of with beads and various supplies I use to come up with a cost for the tree.  Then triple the cost of the tree to cover my time.  Just need to find more of the miniature trees with small 'needles'.  Have lots of the miniature lights and can get them locally so as I need them I can go out and buy a strand or two.