The Gem and Jewelry Show

Akutenshi asked me to check out the Chicago Gem and Jewelry show, and it was way bigger than I expected--we spent most of the time looking at things in the Wholesale section (which I was more interested in than the finished jewelry section), but once we worked our way out into the retail part of it, there was a vendor selling enamel boxes..including a rhinestone-studded platypus. Now tell me how often you see an enamelled box featuring a platypus? I bet... never. :D The vendor gave me his card, and it's here in the middle of the other, unrelated stuff I bought:

It's a little hard to read, so here it is typed out:

Jay Jayson's Inc

Faberge Inspired Collection

                                                         Charles Daryanani

Vice President

30W250 Butterfield Rd, Suite 301

Warrenville, IL 60555

tel:(630) 393-7458

So now if you want your own platypus box (or cobra) you know who to write to. I did buy a box, but I bought a ladybug instead of one of the other designs, and it's pretty cool:

Now maybe these were show prices, but I paid about 38.00 before tax on this, and I thought that was pretty inexpensive for a palm-sized ladybug box. Each box was slighly different, since they are hand-enamelled.

 K asked me to look for "cool rocks" but since most of what was there was either beads or finished jewelry, I settled for some opal glass and strung her a necklace:

And made some goofy earrings to go with it:

              

I did look at doll-accessory sized chains at the show, but it all was surprisingly expensive per foot, so today I went and ordered 80 feet of "antiqued" small chain for a total of $7.36, direct from China off Seven Beads on Etsy. I'm hoping it comes on a spool instead of rolled up in a padded envelope, but I guess I will find out. I don't know why I can get things from China without problems-- but Home Depot can't get me a lawn mower from Ohio.
 Home Depot did admit it was lost, and will (hopefully) refund me my money, but still. -.-