Take My Money, Please: The Tucson Gem Show

Arizona is basically a collection of various rocks and minerals peppered with a few bits of vegetation here and there. Turquoise, malachite, pyrite, copper, fossils embedded in sandstone, and even petrified wood abound. Rock hounds and geologists have been attracted to Arizona for centuries; digging through our layers of rocks is like thumbing through a history of Earth.
      In 1955, several rock hounds and mineral collectors from the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society got together and decided to showcase their finds. Formally calling this show the Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase, it was a success, prompting the Society to make it an annual event. After a few changes in venues over the decades (each one needing to be larger than the previous), and still hosted by Society volunteers today, it can be referred to simply as the Gem Show--and most people will know what you mean. The name is sort of a misnomer, however. It's not "one show" as many people who have never seen it think it is. The formal Showcase is still held in one venue, but there are multiple shows in many areas around the city held in temporary metal buildings, some the size of football fields. Hundreds of canopies and tents line Interstate 10 going through town. A couple dozen hotels are filled with vendors, their rooms often only open to those with wholesaler licenses. This is the place many businesses from around the world go to fill up their inventory for their stores, from diamonds to geodes to beads.

Multiply these tents by 1000
and you start to get the idea

     One can find just about anything, and not everything is related to rocks. African vendors sell things ranging from trade beads and woven mats to statues and crocheted hackey-sack balls. Scarves from central Asia, from $50 silk or cashmere to $3 rayon, abound. All sorts of trinkets, hats, arrowheads, vintage buttons, wood carvings, blankets, carpets, and even furniture are there for the buying. Jewelry--earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets--from leather to diamonds are everywhere. Designers sell their own amazing jewelry creations that you simply can not find in shops and stores.

     And, of course, there are rocks, minerals, and fossils. Everywhere. Amethyst geodes over 5 feet tall. Fossil replicas of various dinosaurs, ancient crocodiles, and prehistoric birds are perched next to a guy carving pigs out of birchwood. Delicate copper filigree jewelry designs are adjacent to old Persian rugs or geode bookends--or sinks (yes, bathroom sinks) made of stone embedded with raised fossils. It is simply overwhelming, crazy, breathtaking, exhausting, mind-blowing, and really, really fun.  

Geodes

     And the people. Thousands upon thousands of people descend upon Tucson in late January through mid-February for the shows. Good luck finding a hotel room if it occurs to you to just show up on a whim. Tucson offers an extensive shuttle network shuffling hundreds of people at any given moment to the various main venues. Some shows are so huge, the parking lot is big enough to require their own shuttles to take people from their car to the show buildings. It's so big, though, that the various shows, while somewhat crowded, aren't mind-numbingly paralyzing. It's not bad. Everyone is there to have a good time, too.

Bead show: tables of beads and
a ton of people

     Did I mention beads yet? You know that I am a maker of "fine" beaded jewelry, right? This is my "raison d'etre" for being in the middle of this melee. It's all about beads. There are at least four national bead shows that set up shop at the Gem Show. In a typical two-day visit, I try to hit all four, plus a few shows, canopies, and tents along the interstate for grins and giggles. I never make all four shows, but I try valiantly. One or two are missed either due to exhaustion or the fact that I'm already broke. 

    The absolute best part about bead shopping at the Gem Show, however, is that I get to do it with some great friends. Most are co-workers who share a similar hobby--jewelry-making. I happen to have a wholesale license and can get myself and others (as "buyers") into some of these shows. My friends bring forth multiple sets of eyes, hands, and their own creative juices along, and they open my mind up to new designs and different concoctions of beads. To top it off, they're all up for a good stiff drink after a day of shopping, too.

As with any major venture with more than two people involved, logistics play a major role. Where will we meet, where can we park cars, which show(s) to hit on what days, and perhaps most importantly, where to meet while at a show. Separation anxiety is not allowed, as it is a fact of life that we all shop at different speeds. We pick a spot to meet up at a certain time, and then we move on.

Meeting up at the dinosaur

    Let's start describing what is generally purchased for jewelry-making, because it's not always beads. To make jewelry, one needs many components, often called "findings": clasps, preferably in assorted styles, shapes, and material to match the style of your beads; "spacers" (those metal thingies that often separate beads and which can be simple or a part of the design); earwires for earrings; pins for stringing beads for earrings; and more. Many of these things can be found in various metals, from sterling silver, gold vermeille, copper, and pewter to antique brass and gunmetal black. It's nice to have a selection of all when you make your creations. My motto: Inventory is good; lots of inventory is even better.

    Beads themselves can be made from stone, paper, porcelain, ceramic, glass, plastic, bamboo, wood, and also metal. Vintage lucite and bakelite beads are available. Re-designing old Mahjong game pieces into pendants is often popular, and even old typewriter letter keys can be found as beads. Vintage German and Czech glass beads are prevalent. It should be pointed out, too, that most vendors really prepare for this show; they don't bring just a minimum of product--they bring TONS. All of which of course have a "Gem Show Special" price: cheap.

    So lets get to a few more photos, concentrating on beads. This will help show you how hard it is to not spend money. Everything is on sale, everything is a deal, especially at the wholesale shows. You simply must buy these things or risk having to pay two or three times as much at a store. Spending all this money SAVES me money in the long run. I have a hard time convincing my husband of this, but it's true.

A few shots of the outdoor vendors along the freeway; strands sell for about $2 each. Not the best quality, but some great deals can be found:

 Some bead show examples:

One of my favorite vendors: Clay River Designs
See below for what I bought and already made
(www.clayriverdesigns.com)

Freshwater pearls in a million colors are everywhere

Stone beads from green garnet to jaspar to Russian jade

Glass pendants in the shape of ammonites

Scarves

Glass buttons

Glass faces from Bronwen Heilman
(www.bronwenheilman.com)

Vintage-style brass findings

   So do you now see how easy it is to drop a wad on this stuff? I save up all year for the big shows, and give myself the freedom to basically get what I want, within some sort of slightly-beyond-normal limits. When you see "$3 each, 2 for $5, or 5 for $10", that $10 goes right out of the pocket. A ten here, a twenty there...while you wander among literally hundreds upon hundreds of vendors... well, money gets spent.

   Out of all those choices, you may wonder what I end up with after all is said and done. Here's a glimpse:

Various stone beds, from blue lapis and kyanite to green and red garnet,
jaspar, and some mixed small stone beads

Various crystals to go in between the beads 

Metal spacers from Bali-style to butterflies

Vintage-style antiqued brass filigree pieces and chain

Odds and ends: cords, danglies, pendants, buttons, etc.

Over the past day or so, I've had a bit of time to play with my goodies. Here's what I've put together so far:

From this, a bird pendant, clay beads, and silk cords, all from Clay River Designs:

To this set of a necklace and pair of earrings:

From the strands of multi-colored small cylindrical stones:

And a quick pair of earrings made from silver spacers and green sea glass beads:

The Tucson Gem Show--you really have to see it to believe it. Here are some parting shots of miscellany:

Bone necklaces, silver buckles, and crocheted hackey-sack balls

The quintessential geode bookends; every Gem Show
attendee gets a pair eventually

Crocodile fossil with candy in its jaws--just try taking a piece

What are these guys, triceratops?

Dinosaur foot compared to Lynn's hand

Prehistoric bird

A bathroom sink, there it is, fossils and all

African woven mats

Turtle with inlaid stones

Jewelry example

And another...

And another...

And another!

Lynn, Sue, and Fran finding great deals

   Thanks go to my Tucson and Phoenix gem show circle of friends--Lynn, Fran, Sue, Jean, Maria, and the others who have joined us in years past--Gail, Mardi, Diana, and Melissa; and to my other Tucson friends who make the evenings and off-shopping hours fun and filled with laughter--Nancy, Tina, Jen, and all the Tucson office staff. You are the best. Really, the only reason I make a point to hit the Gem Show is to spend time with you all and enjoy the fun things in life!

Travels with Carly

For the past four years, I have driven from my home in Arizona to Minnesota to visit family and friends. It's a three-day, two-night drive through the middle of our country, and I see an awful lot of flat land. I generally go in the fall, usually October. This year, I scheduled my trip for November due to various reasons. It's a month later than when I normally take to the road, and conditions are different. Weather is riskier (no one wants to be caught in a blizzard on the Great Plains) and it's colder. That means no leisurely lunch breaks at rest areas and dog "potty" breaks are fast and furious.

If the weather cooperates, it's a fantastic trip. I load my Itouch with audiobooks, music, and podcasts (NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" is a favorite). I have three days to relax, bond with my dog, and anticipate seeing Mom, Dad, brothers Rick, Jeff, their kids, their kids' kids, my college girlfriends, and who knows who else--someone always pops out of the woodwork from my youth. I also get a chance to see my dear friend Ellen, in Kansas. I spend one of my travel nights with her on the way, and two nights with her on the return trip, spending an extra day seeing her world, shopping, hitting yarn and thrift stores, and having a great time.

I also like to drive because I can pack whatever I want, I'm not relegated to one suitcase. Good thing! I usually have Christmas presents (heavy canned goods, anyone???), plus there's the mandatory multiple knitting projects, my work laptop for keeping on top of work projects, and stuff for the dog, of course. Bedding, blankets for covering other people's sofas, food, treats, toys, chewies, poop bags, more treats, water, dishes, etc. etc. etc. Here's what went into my car on November 6:

Leaving Arizona: New Mexico "Badlands" and Texas Shortgrass Prairie

This year, I was a bit nervous to drive across country in November. My fears were justified when I woke up to this the morning I left:

By the time I left, this snowstorm was moving east rapidly from the north-central part of Arizona. Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff had been shut down. Interstate 40 surrounding Flagstaff was having problems. And it was moving in my direction. I grabbed a quick breakfast and got out the door just as the flakes were really starting to come down. Bruce said that I would likely get out of the whole system quickly and be ahead of it, so don't worry. I did, though, but I should've listened to my husband. After a 15-minute drive to Show Low, and then heading east on Hwy. 60, it was only a few minutes until the clouds parted, the angels sang, and all was well with the world:

Tune up the angel's choir: Hallelujah! Sun!!

Relief. I could now start in on my chosen audiobook, selected specifically for this roadtrip: "Thereby Hangs A Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery." Chet and Bernie run a detective agency; Bernie is the detective, and Chet is his dog. The story is written by Chet. Even Carly paid attention for the first bit.

Our first major milestone was getting to El Malpais National Conservation Area, probably the most scenic spot along the entire route. This landscape of weathered sandstone and black volcanic rock with spindly trees growing out of it is in fact a national public recreation area. The area's Visitor Center also has the first public restroom on the journey, so it is a must-do stop. The Visitor Center has a little nature trail where Carly also has a chance to deploy her morning's treats, if you know what I mean. A few photos of El Malpais:

Sandstone cliffs

Black volcanic rocks with plants figuring out
a way to survive; amazing stuff.

"The Window,"an arch in the making

  

Well, the most scenic area on the route is left behind after the first 3-hour leg of the journey. Flat land ahead. That's OK, though, because when I return home weeks later, when I get to El Malpais, I know I only have three hours driving left.

I pass through Albuquerque on Interstate 40. ABQ is a very cool city located in the Rio Grand River valley under the Sandia Mountains. If I had the time, I'd make a stop, but I have to make it to Dalhart, TX by dark. So I forge on ahead, through Santa Rosa, and then Tucumcari, where I get off the interstate onto the two-lane Hwy. 54. I will be on Hwy. 54 for about two hours on Day 1 and almost all day minus an hour or so on Day 2. I make it to Dalhart, TX on schedule, and visit another must-stop in downtown Dalhart just prior to reaching the Super 8 (which takes dogs). This stop is just a small park, but it's a nice little walk for Carly prior to being holed up in a hotel room. It also has this garden that is managed by the Dalhart gardening club who call themselves the "Petal Pushers." It is too cute to pass up:

Not the best time of year to see it in full bloom,

but it looks well-tended and loved.

I don't care how good your dog might be, and mine is pretty good, but nights in hotels when you have a dog are generally nights where you don't sleep very well. Little growls that wake you up when someone walks down the hall, schlepping the collar and leash on the dog, and shoes, hat, coat, and mittens on me when the dog needs to go out, all that makes for an uneasy night.

It Keeps Raining

But the sun rises as it always does. At least it's supposed to, unless it's raining out. And, alas, I awoke to rain for my second day on the road:

Rats. And so it went, all day long:

Rain is better than snow, though. I repeated that to myself, and Carly, often that day. So Day 2 I drive from Dalhart to Emporia, Kansas (Ellen's house), pretty much on this two-lane highway through the upper corner of Texas, the short "stick" part of Oklahoma, and western/central Kansas. The scenery looks like this the entire reach of this highway:

Even "Thereby Hangs a Tail" ceases to interest Carly. She soon becomes a slug:

I wish I could nap while driving...

To stay awake, I have a favorite stopping point in Pratt, Kansas, which I generally arrive around lunchtime on Day 2. I found a hidden gem of a town park two years ago. It's a large park with your typical ballfield or two, but what makes this park a wonderful stopping place is its large expanse of an open grassy area interspersed with various trees such as large oaks, maples, and some sort of cedar (introduced??) that on Day 2 in the rain glowed a brilliant rust. I lucked out and arrived during a period of about 30 minutes when the rain stopped, and managed to get a decent walk in for Carly. After that, it started to rain again, so I grabbed my lunch and ate in the car.

The Flint Hills

I finally reach Witchita, and take off onto the Interstate 35 tollroad, a very nice, clean highway. About an hour to go to reach Emporia and Ellen! Almost right away after Witchita, I enter the Flint Hills region of Kansas. The Flint Hills (more information can be found here) are what National Geographic describes as "the last great swath of tallgrass prairie in the nation." It is a sublime, beautiful landscape; rolling hills that stretch for what appears to be miles. In the fall, the grass turns various hues of gold and rust, with some remaining greenery interspersed. I was able to shoot a few pictures through the rain:

After spending the night catching up with Ellen, eating Chinese food, and settling Carly onto Ellen's sofa, all while the rain continues to come down, we wake up to a beautiful, clear blue sky. Whew. The day is looking bright, especially after our morning Starbucks visit. I am now driving on Interstate 35 all the way to Austin, MN, an hour away from home. The drive takes me through what I consider the true Midwest. Kansas, Kansas City, a bit of Missouri, Iowa, and southern Minnesota.

Tricky, Tricky Iowa

It was sunny; not a cloud in the sky. It was cold, though, too, which continued to minimize opportunities to enjoy pretty rest stops. The storm that followed me on Day 2 passed through and dumped a bit of snow in Iowa, but no big deal to me. I had sun the entire day. I was excited; last day on the road, I'll be seeing my parents at the end of this day, Chet and Bernie's mystery was getting interesting, and weather conditions were positive. Plus, I was in the Midwest, the region of "really really nice people." My original 'hood; I was raised in the land of "Minnesota Nice."

The epitome of my stereotype is represented in Iowa; or so I thought. Hah. Here is a heads-up when you travel through Iowa: Buy super unleaded gas. Why? Well, here we go.

I needed gas south of Des Moines. An "Iowa Welcome Center" appeared on the horizon, and there was one of those large, really tall gas station signs that read "$3.31/gal," which was the going rate at the time, so I pulled over. Along with gas, there was this Amish gift shop (the nicest of the nice midwest people, I would think!), a replica of an Amish school, some pumpkins, some metal cows...no Mom and apple pie, but I would consider pumpkins, cows, and Amish things in Iowa to be along the same lines. I stopped at the Amish place first, peeked inside to find baskets, jellies, and the like, took Carly on a walk through the rapidly melting snow, and took a few shots:

And then...pulled into the Iowa Welcome Center gas station. Without even looking (and THIS is what tricky, tricky Iowa people expect you to do), I entered my credit card, opened my gas cap, pulled out the gas pumper unit, and blindly selected the lowest octane gas, regular unleaded, right? WELL!!!! It was only when I started pumping that I noticed I was being charged $3.46, a full 15 cents more per gallon. Huh?????

It was then that I saw that the super unleaded was $3.31. I looked at the tall highway sign attracting unsuspecting, trusting highway travelers, and sure enough, in tiny letters under the price, was "Super Unl" tacked on the bottom. What a crock! I couldn't believe it! Playing on the psychology of drivers who need gas and just want to get back onto the road--they fully expect you to do what I did, mindlessly stick in your card, pick what you would normally think is the cheapest gas, and go forth and fill your tank. And, when you find out you were paying MORE for regular unleaded, you would just grumble a bit but suck it up and fill up anyway because you need gas and don't want to stop again. Well...not me.

I put in $10.00 and left. That got me through Des Moines. I stopped again just north of Des Moines, and sure enough, the same thing. So...I was ready and picked super unleaded.

Iowa, of all places. I am shocked and dismayed. The blinders are off. Iowa is just as conniving as the rest of us.

Minnesota: Home Turf

Glad to leave the tricksters in Iowa behind, I stopped at the first Minnesota rest stop. It was still cold, but I managed to get a short walk in for Carly.

I entered Minnesota farm country. It is still farm country, but changes have taken place. I mostly look forward to seeing the old historic barns, which are disappearing across many Midwest landscapes. I love the old barns, and am always so appreciative of the farmers that take care of these relics from the past and keep their farms clean and tidy to boot. However, you can't get away from progress, and Minnesota farm country is no different. Wind farms pepper the landscape along Interstate 90. Seeing enormous windmills next to century-old barns just blows me away, but I think of how important it is to figure out new energy resources. I can't complain.

I arrive at my parents' home in Rochester just in time for happy hour. Hugs all around, pats to the dog, and before I could even start to unload all my stuff, wine is served. Happy hour at my parents' house consists of wine, snacks, and Judge Judy. Carly gets a chewie, and we relax and start to unwind. The perfect finish to a long drive!