Our Spring Bead Fairs 2013

It’s great fun doing these bead shows and MiMi enjoys them too.  It gets us around and it’s good to speak to customers after being locked-away ‘in the dark’ so to speak, in a little room in China.  In 7-weeks we drove over 3,700-miles around Britain.  Many times up north, where there appears to be more beaders, but also more rain. In Norwich it really is sunny most of the time!

I wish we could have stayed in the UK longer – I love it light so late.  In Hong Kong in the summer it gets dark fast at 7pm and in the winter around 6pm.  There is very little twilight.  And the weather this time of year in Southern China is too hot with too much rain. Next year we may stay all summer long in the UK and do a lot more bead shows.  I haven’t spent all summer in Europe for over 20-years – and jokes about the weather don’t put me off at all.  You can’t drown culture.

Beads Up North! – 28^th April
As usual, Gordon done a great job organising and attracting many people - including placing an expensive advert on the back of local busses!  We didn’t take as much as last year, but this is the trend now and it’s always a please exhibiting at this venue. There is lots of light in this beautiful location in Haydock Race Course, close to the M6 motorway.

Luton MrBead Bead Show – 18^th May
This was our best attendance yet at Luton and we took a record takings.  As usual, some visitors travelled further than 80-miles to see us! Nice light venue.

North East Bead Fair – 19^th May
I didn’t realise Newcastle was so far north until I worked out it was 4-hours fast drive from Luton – so we never arrived at the Travel Lodge until 10pm!  I enjoyed going around Newcastle City Centre and the river, but our revenue at this show as a little disappointing.

Cheshire Bead Fair – 2^nd June
This long-standing show was a good bead fair as always at Nantwich – with many people and good takings. Thanks to Sharon & Mark of Silver Orchid, this fair continues.

Norwich MrBead Show – 9^th June
Usually this is our busiest bead show, but attendance was a little down on last year – however, we still took more at Norwich than at any of our other spring bead fair.  This time we had 5 tables and were again supported by the excellent hand-crafted jewellery designs by The Bead Queen.  As other years, some visitors travelled a long way to see us at this beautiful venue in such a fine city.

Middlewich Folk & Boat Fair – 15^th-16^th June
This one was more for fun than business – as I love folk both music and boats!  We exhibited in the craft tent right by the canal and camped close-by in the official site just for performers and exhibitors.   

There were over 50 folk and roots-music bands and an abundance of canal boats and small stalls.  The festival, in its 23^rd-year, had fantastic music and atmosphere with a huge turnout flooding this tiny market town.  Great fun – but we made very little money! 

Note the buyers in the picture - apparently blackened faces date back to the 18^th-century when unemployed farm-workers disguise themselves while dancing for tips at a time when busking and begging was illegal.  Then, lead poisoning was common, but today stage makeup is used.

For more on this see my blog at www.nigelhaymckay.com/blog.

See where we will be in our autumn UK bead fairs: here

   top

Ruby – July’s Birthstone        

Like a perfect red rose, the Ruby's rich color speaks of love and passion.  July's birthstone is among the most highly prized of gems throughout history. The Ruby was considered to have magical powers, and was worn by royalty as a talisman against evil.  It was thought to grow darker when danger was imminent, and to return to its original color once safe.

The word Ruby comes from the Latin "ruber," meaning red.  Ruby is the hardest mineral after diamond, a variety of the mineral Corundum, and is found as crystals within metamorphic rock.  It comes in a variety of colors, and is called a sapphire in any color except red.  Rubies range in hue from an orangey red to a purplish red, but the most prized gems are a true red.  Large rubies are very rare and valuable.  The most beautiful crystals are thought to be from Burma, but they are also found in many other countries.

Rubies were thought to represent heat and power.  Ancient tribes used the gem as bullets for blowguns, and it was said that a ruby would boil water instantly.  Ground to powder, this crystal was used as a cure for indigestion - and it has been said that the ruby's red glow comes from an internal flame that cannot be extinguished, making a gift of this stone symbolic of everlasting love.  And if worn on the left hand, ancient lore has it that the ruby will bring good fortune to its wearer.     

July's Alternate Gemstone - Onyx

The Romans, Italians and Hebrew all have a different gemstone for July - Onyx.

Onyx is a term used for several stones. It has been dyed since ancient time, with the popular pure black variety, being dyed microcrystalline quartz. Its natural color is usually brown, white or grey. And onyx used in architecture isn't a form of quartz at all, but a type of limestone marble. Onyx is very similar to agate. With straight bands of brown, white or black, where agate has curved bands of many colors.

Although regarded as protective, onyx has a reputation as a stone of discord. Onyx was worn to cool the ardors of love, probably because it helps to balance the mind and emotions. Not only avoided by lovers, but also at night, as it provoked nightmares. However, it does improve concentration and devotion, hence many onyx rosaries. Onyx is a strength-giving stone, aiding confidence and useful for athletes or people under stress. Its energy is a mental tonic and can help you cope with fears and worries, making you feel in harmony with your surroundings.

To see our onyx click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk                             top

See Our Summer Bead Category at MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

 

£8 or $12 Discount
Sample our beads with £8 or $12 Discount off in the MrBead bead store, just key in SUMMER at the checkout and click "Redeem Coupon".

Offer  valid until Friday 5th July 2013 only - so act now! Only for use in our store at the checkout and not valid with any other offers.

To see all our beads at MrBead click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

 

Enter your e-mail address to receive our next monthly newsletter!
Subscribe Unsubscribe

 

To return to the top of this page click here