I didn't have the stamina to walk all the aisles of the shows I normally visit. This year I made a list and went and saw individual vendors.
Of course one still has to walk by a lot of very pretty things to get where one needs to go.
If I had my way, every sphere I saw like this would be in my back yard.
Fish, seems as if everywhere I looked there were fish -- fish rock sculptures, fish fossils, fish beads.... lots of fish.
The 22ND Street show is just three years old now and has some of the most interesting & beautiful fossils. This show has become one of my "must visit shows" for pure enjoyment.
Forerunner of a Giant Stag and possibly Moose
Giant turtle
Then there are the beads..... at $1/strand these might not be the best quality, but there were a lot to pick from and some decent strands could be found.
I indulged in a few strands of
Amber. From the price and the look I'd say they are copal not amber. Copal is not the fossilized, hardened resin that is known as amber, but rather an immature, more recent tree resin.
Oh, I did a goodly job of spending my budget this year. I specifically went looking for examples of the newest 2-hole and other Czech shapes. Two-hole lentils.... now just what can one do with such a fascinating bead shape?
Neon-bright, florescent colors seemed to be the theme this year. Anything from 2-hole Czech Twin beads to oriental rubberized larger beads. I'd turn around and there were the flashes of the overly bright colors.