Yes, it’s that time of year again, when a lot of us are gearing up for our annual trip to Tucson, Arizona. As I sit at my desk in southeast Tennessee and add to my ‘Tucson Lists’ (where it is currently 21º at 1:30 in the afternoon) it is very easy to think about packing bathing suits and tee shirts!
The February gemshows in Tucson are still ‘the place to be’! For two weeks +, vendors and shoppers come from all over the world to sell, swap and shop for everything and anything that one might possibly need in both the jewelry making and lapidary industry. There are about 40 different gem shows during this time (not counting all of the street and tailgate opportunities). For those of you who think you cannot attend because you are not yet a business, I believe that only 9 of these shows are ‘wholesale only’. That leaves more than 30 shows you can visit!

There are a lot of reasons to attend, even if just for a few days:

• Escape from the cold weather where you live. (Obviously a plus for some of us.)
• Find new supply sources and meet vendors personally. Don’t you just love being able to touch, feel and see the real colors of a product before you buy it? Here also, is an opportunity to purchase directly from a company with no middleman!

• Collect new product catalogues and coupons. While there, you can pick-up a variety of free magazines and catalogues from various sources, scattered throughout the shows. (I know I use my Tucson show Guide as a resource for years after!)

Network with others in your particular medium and meet professionals in all fields of jewelry making and lapidary arts.You never know with whom you might be sharing a lunch table, in a crowded courtyard. (I usually come home with a minimum of 50, new contact business cards.)

• Checkout brand new products and equipment; investigate a variety of jewelry and lapidary procedures and watch live demonstrations. The latest in gizmos and gadgets for the industry are always in Tucson in February. Watch as the inventors themselves demonstrate, and get a good deal if you decide you need whatever it is.

Take a class. Tired of shopping and walking? Take a break and take a class! The top in their field of various jewelry making procedures will be demonstrating and teaching in Tucson. Although most classes are ‘scheduled’, at the Jogs show, we teach ‘on demand’. To find out more about our International Teaching Team and the classes we are offering this year: http://www.jogsshow.com/beading_classes.htm or just stop by and say Hello!

• Shop, shop, shop!! Oh my goodness! The variety of items for sale is way too many to list – just imagine anything and everything you have ever seen in a jewelry-making catalog and more, like awesome tie dye and eclectic gift items. (How about an 8-inch tall, unicorn’s horn carved from selenite?)

• Visit Wire-Sculpture! Members of Wire-Sculpture.com will be manning a booth at the Jogs Show this year, talking with YOU, taking orders, and offering wire, tools, DVDs and more. They are also proud sponsors of the 2010 Jogs Jewelry-Making Classes. http://www.jogsshow.com/index.html

>There are a lot of great articles on-line, with ideas about what to and not to do, to get ready for your Tucson experience. Here are my personal suggestions, that may help to make your first Tucson experience a bit easier and more fun.
If you are a home jewelry business:

Pre-register for shows http://www.jewelryshowguide.com/event/results.php
• Make and carry small copies of your resale document and/or business license (vendors appreciate being able to keep a copy for their records and it makes purchase paperwork quicker)

Everyone:

• Make a list of the supplies you need to find

Make a list of the things you would like to haveCarry at least 100 business cards

• Use the Shuttles! From the airport to every show venue, hotels and back again, there are several shuttles that run constantly throughout the shows. Save having to find and pay for parking, traffic and dealing with the fact that I-10 is still closed from one end of the city to the other.
• Bring a badge lanyard (if you have one). Personally, I just find it easier to have one lanyard to which I attach all of my badges so I don’t have to worry about having the right one on for the right show.

Leave pets and small children at home. You will be doing a lot of walking, chairs are limited, it can get really hot, and a real concern: port-a-johns.

• Bring a backpack (rocks get heavy!)
• Bring a box of zipper style sandwich bags. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t take a few minutes to record my purchases as soon as I can, I’ll never do it! Therefore I individually bag each item along with its’ receipt, every night.

• Bring a maker, pen and a small notebook. To help me stay as close to my budget as possible, while shopping for things I need I often see things I want; so I carry a small notebook and pen with me to be able to write down what I saw and where. Also, sometimes great deals are made with cash and do not have receipts, so I make a note for my records
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing (maybe bring a hat). Oh yes, like any type of event, you will see many ‘fashion statements’. They are fun to watch, but I prefer not to be one. I am more comfortable in my jeans, boots and t-shirt, and I always have a straw hat, because walking around in the Arizona sun will burn this winter-white skin! Remember that you will be on your feet for hours! Unless attending a special event, I also advise against wearing lots of expensive jewelry, as unscrupulous individuals are always looking for opportunities.
• Carry gum, mints and a granola (or similar) bar, and Band-Aids

• Do bring one dressy-casual outfit. You never know when you’ll be invited of one of the many, special parties and events being held all over town!

• A light jacket is a must as it does get rather chilly in the evening.
• And of course your camera, but be sure to ask permission before taking a picture of a display!

With all of the shopping, dealing, walking, rich foods, etc, I think it’s important to take a few hours for rest and relaxation. A nice drive into the desert is always re-energizing for me (and stopping to look for agates is about a must!)

See you in Tucson ~ stay ‘twisted’!!

Dale/Cougar

From the little boy in Brazil learning the art of Samba to the American girl learning how to sell Girl Scout Cookies…one thing is for sure:

Nothing can make up for old fashioned one-on-one training with a proficient expert who has years (and oftentimes decades) worth of knowledge.

Have you ever felt like you wanted to take your wire jewelry making to another level, but weren’t sure how? Here at Wire-Sculpture.com we offer many different areas of information that are designed to help any level of jewelry maker increase their proficiency and skill level of jewelry making.

But training videos, emails, articles, patterns, etc. can only take you so far. In order to really progress to the next level its necessary to sit down and “pick the brain” of someone who has years of flourishing knowledge to share.

For the first time ever, we’re offering LIVE WIRE JEWELRY CLASSES with Dale “Cougar” Armstrong! World renowned for her unique ability to sit down and help students go from a beginner to intermediate level in just a few days, Dale has the wisdom and skill level to be able to help anyone achieve greatness!

***While we plan on having many classes similar to this one in the future, this first class is limited to the first 35 registrants.

Be sure to reserve your seat quickly and not miss out on this incredible opportunity to improve your wire jewelry skills and create friendships with others that will last a lifetime!

Find out more about the “Wired Retreat” here: http://www.wire-sculpture.com/events/

To Your Success!

Brandon Hutchins
Wire-Sculpture.com

A die-hard rockhound, lapidary, and wire jewelry designer, instructor and author, Dale credits her mom for spurring the main interest that led to Dale’s chosen career. Her mother was an avid rockhound and many, weekend family adventures involved traipsing through the White Mountains of New Hampshire in search of abandoned pegmatite mines. This is where Dale’s fascination with, and education of rocks and minerals began, some 40 years ago.

Dale/Cougar, has a diverse art background, training in two-dimensional art with Carl Haskins of Vermont, and William Keyworth of New Hampshire. She also spent several years receiving personalized instruction with Karl Drerupe, renowned cloisonné and repossé artist. Dale attended the University of South Florida where she studied fine arts and geology. She worked as a technical, advertising artist for several years, ‘before the age of computers’.

Under her studio name of Cougar’s Creations, Dale displays her works at juried art shows, where she has taken many awards. As a featured artist, Dale has been interviewed on live television and has works for sale in museums and galleries.  Dale “Cougar” Armstrong is a regular contributor to Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry magazine and has been published in The Wire Artist Jeweler, Bead Unique and Art Jewelry magazines. She is a frequent instructor at Lapidary Journals’ BeadFest events, and has made a series of instructional DVDs, produced by Jewelry Television. As an instructor, she conducts workshops in her personal studio and by request, travels to teach classes at beadshops and other events nationwide. She has recently been one of many wire jewelry experts showcased by Wire-Sculpture.com through their tips, articles and other wire jewelry publications.

Dale’s newest success is her recently published book entitled: Wirework: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wire Wrapping.