Today I would just like to share some of my favorite resources--suppliers, people. Some I've mentioned before, but they all bear repeating.
Bruce Baker http://www.bbakerinc.com/ for CDs and info on workshops covering jury slides, booth design, retail display and sales technique. Bruce is the man when it comes to fine-tuning these skills, and he's an entertaining speaker to boot. Don't miss him!
Jeff Baird 802-258-1328 my photographer. If I had to pick out ONE element of my biz that's made me successful (besides the actual work, that is), it would be Jeff's photography. If you've seen images of my work ANYWHERE, it's probably Jeff's work.
John Maasik at MegaColor printing jmaasik@megacolor.com is still tops in my book for color postcards and sell sheets. Competition is stiffer nowadays, and sometimes I try cheaper sources. But I always come back to Megacolor for consistent quality and the best prices.
The Great American Printing Co. 800-440-2368 www.gapco.com is still my favorite color photo business card printer. I occasionally find cheaper prices, but then I'm inundated with jumk mail from those companies. Never happens with Gapco. For less than $70, get 1,000 business cards with a photo on them. Custom designs no extra charge. Ask for "artist" business card samples for their standard formats.
Jewelry supplies: I tend to buy from four companies. All are reputable and easy to deal with.
For EVERYTHING jewelry, try Rings & Things: 800-366-2156 www.rings-things.com They don't always have the cheapest prices, but all pricing is fair and some ARE the cheapest. They have a broad selection of products,they have a good range of prices and quality, and they TELL you why. Good for all kinds of beads, findings, precious metal clays, tools, etc. There catalog is detailed and informative--fun to read!--and their on-line catalog is good, too. They also have an excellent discussion forum where you can ask them anything jewelry-related, and their staff will help you. Why, I myself am responsible for HUNDREDS of conversations about soldering... Russ Nobbs, the owner, travels around the world buying beads, and is highly respected and liked in the bead biz. He hireds good people, too.
South Pacific Wholesale Co. www.beading.com 800-338-2162 was one of the very first catalogs I ordered from, and they are still one of my favorite. Decent prices on most things, standard findings, lots of semi-precious stone bead strands, freshwater pearls, etc. They have sort of a "hippie" aesthetic. But fun.
The owner, Willis the Beadmeister of Planet Earth, is a quiet guy whose odd sense of humor takes over in print. Sample description for crimp beads: "A crimp is slipped onto a piece of beading wire. A loop on a clasp waits. The wire slips through it then back through the crimp. The crimp is squeezed, crushed, flattened, to attach the clasp to the wire. Do crimps feel pain? No, they don't, they go limp when they see your pliers coming. I've put down thousands this way...." Or how about this for moonstone? "Unless you love moonstone and what it can do for you, stay away from ours. We carry a lower caste. It may be poorly drilled, poorly shaped and vary in color. It looks like they got kids to do it. But don't take my word for it. Buy a few strands and see for yourself, and then return them..."
For good prices on sterling silver findings, try Halstead Bead www.halsteadbead.com 800-528-0535. I've never had a quality issue with anything I've bought from them. They sell glass beads, too, but nothing I can use.
And then there's Rio Grande. They are kind of the "Who's your daddy?" of the lot. They sell EVERYTHING--beads, precious stones, gold and silver findings, display and packaging, tools, mills, presses, etc. Sometimes the prices are good and sometimes only if you buy a jillion of something. I mostly buy findings, tools and packaging from them. They have a website, but it's hard to use. Get the paper catalogs 800-545-6566 www.riogrande.com
I was going to list some organizations, too, but hey, I've got art to make today! Time's a'wastin'....
