More awesome Tucson pics

Believe it or not, I didn't take a camera to Tucson.  I only had the ol' iPhone.  But I think it served me well.

So this is the third and final installment of Tucson 2013.  I can honestly say I am already looking forward to next year.  I just have to figure out which organ to sell between now and then to raise a great deal of money!

I am doing a line of earrings for a local boutique, Herringstone's with all these beads.  I  think they just look like candy.  I htink I've already shown them before, but I can't get enough!

With all the coral and mint and kelly green that is so hot right now, these are going to be great!

I was also taken aback by all this cool leather..

We got into a big long conversation with the guy who actually tanned these leathers and added all of these cool techniues for neat finishes.

Jess and I took a riveting class as well as a class to learn to set snaps in leather.  So, we are all set to start making neato bandito leather bracelets.

I need this shade of purple with gold metals on it for football season!

Ooh OOOOh... I also learned how to do this... enamel copper! 

I bought a little butane torch and some enamel powder and lots of things ready to be made fabulous!

I also bought all the makings for this cute little vessel necklace!!

Were we fab.u.lous or what?!

I had a friend who requested I find her some owl goodies.  I did.  I thought these were so the bomb.com.  they are the cutest little backpacks.  I gave her one and kept one for Gabbi Girl this fall in kindergarten. 

And then I had to shoot this picture to Todd the Bod, as I knew he'd be quite jealous!!

We don't have one of these in Louisiana, or at least one that I know of.

ANd then it was right back to the Gem Mall for more shopping.  The containers... oh... the containers!!

and tools for as far as the eye could see!  Neat tools that you just felt you needed to have even if you had no idea what it was for.

This is all just one dude's tent!!  I cannot imagine transferring all this inventory across the country and setting it all up and taking it all down!!  Whoa.

I bought a whole big bunch of these.  I have always loved tiny containers.  And rest assured, I bought plenty of them.  I am considering moving my jewelry stuff to the cottage, and these will not only be visually appealing, but will also make for a nice way to bring a sampling of LOTS of things out there for me to go and be in the peace and quiet to work on jewelry.

and as cool as they were, they were NOTHING compared to these little corked beauties!!

Oh, and MORE owls... little over the shoulder, messenger style bags. so presh.

It seemed that natural stones in gold mounts were all the rage. 

And I for one, am a fan.

I bought lots of them.  I kept thinking "birthday presents", "favorite things party", "teacher gifts" etc. 

These pics don't really do these justice, but someone had added pewter workers, like miners, climbing up a series of ladders inside this amethyst find.

There's Jessi and her awesome Kelly Moore bag looking for souveniers for her baby girl, Katelyn.

I wanted a gazillion of these burlap bags too, but I knew I was running out of room in the ol' suitcase. 

I took this picture for you, Becky!  your word of the day!

Because all of these amethyst crystal geode-y things were so expensive, I could not understand who would go through all the expense of having all of these big, heavy things shipped to this show.  I mean, they were like 5' tall each.

And marked between $40,00 and $78,000.  Yes.  I mean it.

I am glad Jessi was open minded to go with me to see these types of things, instead f thinking that the only thing we were going to do was look at beads.  Although we did lots and lots of that too!!

I actually did find myself a dinosaur tooth to bring home.  Part of the decor in my cottage!

Now that thar is what I call a quartz crystal!!

and these are just all so interesting! 

Mounds and mounds and mounds of stones!!

I have a couple of rockhounds at my office, so I bought them each a few treats too!

It was a really good time. 

And I wish everyone could go.  If you are the least bit interested in stones, making jewelry, rocks, minerals, etc... you should add Tucson's International Gem and Mineral show to your bucket list.

Can you imagine being the one who cut into this and realized what you'd found?!!

Until the next trip...

MO

(P.S.  Thanks for all the comment love this week!  I believe I have discovered that my hubs's love language is acts of service, although he still won't take the test.)