Bead Challenge

One of the sites I frequent is Etsy.com. It's like Ebay for artists. They are always having interesting contests. Recently I ran across a contest called Bead Challenge. How could I resist? To enter, you buy $10. worth of beads. Each person gets 37" of beads in a color palette that represents a garden in winter at dusk. Then you make things out of the beads and a judge picks a winner. The winner gets free advertising for their etsy store in a showcase and Etsy swag. So anyway, I put my $10. in and got the beads in the mail. The contest has two versions. In the first version you have to stick to just the beads in the set, plus findings of your choice. The 2nd version uses the beads in the set plus any parts or other beads you'd care to use. So I opted to make a beaded gourd necklace. And since adding the gourd already put me in category 2, I figured I may as well use some of my personal collection of beads as well. It's also nice that you can make as many entries as you wish.

The contest was so popular all the pre-made bead packages sold out. Now the organizer is trying to decide if she wants to make more available, or just go with the existing entries. It appears that the challenge will be repeated for each season. I already missed the fall challenge and this is the winter challenge.

For specifics and to follow along as this contest unfolds, please visit the forum here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5023149

And I will share photos of my projects as I complete them. The deadline is the 31st of March, 2007. If you have specific questions about this contest, please contact the organiser here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=29591

I picked a complicated project but I'm almost done. I have to do a few rows of peyote stitch and then add the trim. Still plenty of time so I'm not too worried.

Friday Feb. 16, 2007

I finished my entry today. I checked the deadline and it's not until March 31, 2007 so I still have time to do another entry if I decide to. See the photos of my gourd necklace featuring peyote stitch, Potawatami weave, netting and fringe.