The Bead & Button Show is known as the world's largest consumer bead gathering and is equally celebrated for it's exciting bead marketplace as well as their inspiring and invigorating classes in bead techniques of all descriptions. Debi has enjoyed attending the Bead & Button Show for a number of years, however this past June was Christina's first time to experience this event - and what an event it was! Debi was interested to note how being on staff as an instructor changed her experience, while Christina was thrilled to finally attend and enjoy the fellowship of many beaders from around the world, including students from Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom!

The 'Meet the Teachers' night actually came after teaching the first class and it was very busy! Many students were kind enough to introduce themselves as they "made the rounds" of the room, checking out the various offerings of the teachers, greeting old and new friends as they upon them. It was tremendous fun to recognize a student entering our classes, from their introduction to us at the Meet the Teacher's event! The full gamut of bead art was represented, from beaders to weavers to glass artists and metalworkers and the teaching faculty barely had time to introduce themselves to each other as the students crowded eagerly about the tables!

The actual teaching was a joy, as the beaders came from all over the world and were a full range of ability, from reasonably new to very experienced. Debi and Christina were particularly charmed and grateful to the Japanese student, a young lady with a fairly good grasp of English, who voluntarily gave of her time and abilities to translate the instructions to the five (!) other Japanese students, who did not know English. It was a wonderful, generous act on her part, and she still completed more work than most in the class that day!

The Bead & Button Show staff were wonderful, helpful and professional in every way. From assistance with shipping, to directions, to finding our classrooms they always had the time to help and answered any questions pleasantly, despite having undoubtedly answered it 10 times already for another faculty member! Debi and Christina hope to teach at Milwaukee again, as they found the experience to be full of challenge and growth. Besides, as Christina always says, "It's all beads, it's all good!".

Happy beading, everyone!