One of the best parts about being an editor is we often get our own "personal workshops" from our authors when they come to Cincinnati for their step-by-step photo shoots. Last week I had that experience with the very talented and well known artist, Robert Dancik.

Robert is currently working on his book, Amulets and Talismans, which will be out around this time next year. (It typically takes about a year to create a quality book.) This guy is a power-house of information and has a plethora of cool techniques up his sleeve, and yes, he even taught me some new techniques for using Plexiglas.

Some of the projects in Robert's book use a non-toxic PVC material he developed called Faux Bone. If you've never worked with this stuff before, and you love making jewelry, you have to give this a try. It comes in 12" x 12" (30cm x 30cm) sheets and thicknesses ranging from 1/16" to 1/2" (2mm to 13mm) and there's even a cool shaping tool you can buy to make carving easier. This stuff cuts super easily with a jeweler's saw, it can be drilled into, textured, colored and polished.

Just a few of the other things I learned this week:

• A triangular scraper can be used on a hole to make a blind rivet

• It's possible to create your own texture hammer

• Wet sanding works better on plastic than dry

I'm sorry the publication date for Robert's book is still a bit out there, but in the meantime, check out his Web sites and start playing with something new this week.

This was the first year I have attended the Bead & Button Show and I can honestly say that I think it was the best venue I've ever been to. Everything about it was great--the classes I took, the organization of the show, the market event, the hotel and the surrounding restaurants--all amazing. The riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee was also really great and I wouldn't mind returning to the city sometime just to be able to explore more. It seems like a pretty cool town.

I took one class called Exploring Resins with Susan Lenart Kazmer and not only did I learn that she has her own non-toxic (!) resin product, (coming soon), but I also learned several very cool ways to use resin that I hadn't thought of before. The other class I took was from Lisa Nevin Kelly, called ShaBangle. As you can see, it was a wire-work class and Lisa was very good at teaching such a great project and making it accessible in only three hours. Both Lisa and Susan were wonderful teachers and not only did I learn some great new techniques from both of them, they both taught those of us in their classes a lot about tools and materials.

But it wasn't all work and no play (okay, there wasn't any work at all, but don't tell my boss that). I also had the great fortune to hang out and dine with such amazing artists as Robert Dancik and Beverly Gilbert and I just tried to soak in as much of their creative goodness as I could. And of course, there was the shopping! I didn't actually buy a ton of beads (I know, I know) but I did buy some cool tools from Lisa Nevin Kelly, some bezels from Susan Lenart Kazmer, a beaded bracelet kit from Kelly Wiese and a super-cool nail-studded glass heart from Zoa Art (see Tony's Tortured Heart series on the home page).

If you've ever thought about attending this show before, but haven't been sure if you would like it or not. Go! You'll love it. There are SO MANY classes to choose from and the shopping experience is incredible! If she doesn't find out that my time at the show was all fun and good times, I'm hoping my boss will let me go again next year!

Somehow, advanced copies of this book arrived at our office unbeknownst to me. Doesn't everyone here know that I love all books pertaining to magic and sparkly things--especially when it's in the vein of personal adornment? Why wasn't I alerted to this sooner? So while I was visiting Christine yesterday, I casually stole the copy that I spied on her desk (she may or may not have noticed; I just hope she doesn't want it back).

If you're intrigued like I am with the world of lucky charms and personal amulets, you will love this book as much as I do. The photography is beautiful and I love the messy, journal-like style to the design. From Abracadabra embroidery (did you know that "abracadabra" is a written amulet?) to the Garland of Happiness to the Anti-Nightmare Kit, there are many projects in here that extend beyond jewelry. I love all of the little sidebars that explain things like the legend of saints, to symbols like the horseshoe, to explanations of things like the Hand of Fatima.

So, if you feel you're in need of some good luck, check out this book right away.

I often wander over to Fresh Market for lunch, and while I was there yesterday, I picked up a bottle of hint™ essence water in the mango grapefruit flavor. I'm always inspired by graphic packaging that has a clear nature to it, so, since I love grapefruit, I rushed home (uh . . .not before my work was done though) and whipped up these easy earrings. I think it might be fun to use the other flavors/colors too. Hmmm. . .I'm suddenly feeling very thirsty . . .

I'd like to follow up Jessica's Recycled Paper post by introducing Holly Anne Mitchell. Mitchell creates very cool jewelry pieces from recycled paper and most often, newspaper. I really like how she sticks to a theme for various pieces, such as Sudoku puzzles, comic pages and expired coupons. The coupons may be expired and the news not no breaking by the time Mitchell completes a piece, but you have to agree, these works are a pretty ingenious example of creating art from something that is discarded on a daily basis.