Etsy BeadWeavers: September 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

November Challenge Theme "Holiday Treasure"

This months challenge theme was chosen by Marsha of HauteIceBeadWork, winner of the September "Bollywood"challenge. Marsha challenges us to "Choose your favorite late fall or winter holiday and create a beadweaving to celebrate the occasion. It might be a menorah bracelet to wear to a Hanukkah party, or a Christmas poinsettia necklace, or ivy earrings for a Solstice afternoon tea. You could make napkin rings for a Thanksgiving table or a bead embroidered garment or handbag for a special New Year's Eve party. Let your own imagination find the perfect Holiday Treasure! Your listing should include an explanation of the event for which you have designed your entry."

Any EBW member may create one new beadweaving of your own design (not from a kit, book, magazine, or class) in response to the challenge theme. You work should be entirely beadwoven, or have a substantially woven component, to feature and promote our art form. You may not renew an existing piece. Members are expected to participate in challenges when possible, and required to do so once each year. Start the weaving anytime after the theme is announced. Complete and list the work for sale on Etsy by the 5th of the month of the challenge, before midnight Etsy time. Your listing date is proof you entered by the deadline, so DO NOT RENEW your work until after the voting poll opens on the 9th. If your listing sells, you can still participate in the challenge, but please alert the moderators to the sale.

WHAT INFORMATION MUST BE IN MY LISTING?

Your listing must include the following four (4) things:

1) The theme of the challenge. For example, “This (describe your work) was created for the Etsy Beadweavers Team (insert the month) challenge on the theme (insert the title of the theme).”

2) An explanation of how your work relates to the theme.

3) The address of our team blog where the voting will take place and the voting dates. For example, “Please visit our team blog, www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com (http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com) between the 9th and 15th and vote for your favorite entry.”

4) Tag your entry EBWC. This is how we find your entry. Remove the tag after the voting poll closes, so entries for the next month’s challenge can be feature

You may start your entry today and list before midnight on the 5th of November. Good Luck everyone.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What are the colours of autumns leaves in your world?

I live in a part of the world (the coast of south eastern Australia) where the trees I see from my window in my autumn (March, April, May) are the silvery green leaves of the non-deciduous Australian Eucalyptus trees. Like most of the trees in the Australian forests (or what we call the bush) they don’t show seasonal changes in the dramatic ways that the softer deciduous trees and other plants of Europe and northern America do. There is one very notable exception – the leaves of a tree in the middle of the Tasmanian bush in the autumn does change colour from gold, to orange to red. Ironically, it is one of the

oldest trees in the world to do this and it’s called the Deciduous Beech Nothofagus gunnii. Of course in most tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world, including the north of Australia, there is no autumn – often there are just two seasons – the wet and the dry season.
So, this month’s challenge theme has me wondering what are the colours of autumn in different parts of the world? How might that difference bring different points of inspiration to your beading? In Lapland the colours of yellows, reds and browns sit aside the vivid colours of the northern lights, in Kyoto (Japan) the wonderful shifting and brilliant red colours of autumnal maple leaves attest to autumn and in Abruzzo (Italy) it’s the yellowing leaves of grapes vines, deep browns of ploughed fields and the purples and blacks of ripening olives on the trees that give autumn it’s special colours.

As you think about this month’s challenge of the colours of autumn leaves falling maybe worlds outside your own could hold the key to your inspiration. I have included some suggested starting points below. Would love to hear from you about what the colours of autumn in your world are and if autumn is not in your world what might inspire you for this great challenge theme.

Sources

Some sources of inspiration:

Artwork – a great book is Fall Colors and Scenes in Modern ArtAutumn Paintings of Pissarro, Klimt, Metcalf, O’Keeffe and Jackson. See:

http://www.suite101.com/content/fall-colors-and-scenes-a70728
Autumn in South Africa: http://sequoiagardens.wordpress.com/category/autumn-colour/ has lots of wonderful photos of autumn in south Africa
An artists guide to fall leaf colour is a great image to inspire: http://forestry.about.com/od/fallcolor/a/fall_leaf_color.htm
Google images: try searching using a combination of autumn and a country you don’t live in. Some surprising and inspiring images emerge.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Congratulations to Marsha of Haute Ice Beadwork, winner of the Bollywood Challenge

The results are in and Marsha of Haute Ice Beadwork is our September Winner for the "Bollywood" challenge with her entry Bollywood Beauty. We had another great challenge with 52 of our members participating and a responce for 857 people who voted for their favorite entry. Marsha's winning entry received 133 (15%) of the popular vote, so congratulatios to Marsha and all of the entries this month.

Congratulations to the following runner's up and to all who entered this months challenge. A great turnout and some amazing entries all worthy of note.

2nd place - 39. Tears Of Shiva Necklace - zaziebeads with 123 votes (14%)

3rd place - 52. Bollywood glamour necklace - grakowsky with 75 votes (8%)

4th place - 46. Maharani - ballroomchic with 72 (8%)

5th place - 11. Lakshmi's Necklace - CieloDesign witn 30 votes (3%)

6th place - 21. Bollywood bracelet. The Indian dance. - snivli witn 27 votes (2%)

7th place - 37. A Bollywood Crystal Braided Beaded Necklace - crystalwonders witn 23 votes (2 %)

We have 3 ties for the following places

8th place - 33. Mumbai Masala - SmadarsTreasure and 40. AISHA Treasury - bead4me with 22 votes (2%)

9th place - 6. Bollywood Nights - Cuff - triz and 24 Pancha Bollywood Bracelet - Sobby

and

10th place - 22. Mumbai 7 Tiles - daniellart and 28. Bollywood Kundan Bridal Choker - AngelqueCreations with 19 votes (2%)

Congratulations to everyone who entered we are all winners and this challenge was well received with 4 sales before the voting even began

Monday, September 6, 2010

September "Bollywood" Challenge Voting Sept 9 15

This month's challenge theme "Bollywood" was chosen by Anna of Teasebeads winner of the July Challenge. Anna's challenge was.... "We all have seen Bollywood movies and I think that you will agree with me that it is a world of colors, music, beautiful women and shining jewelry. Lets fantasize on the subject of Indian jewelry as we see them !"

We have had another outstanding response to this month with 52 entries, and it will be difficult to decide which is your favorite, please look at each entry by clicking on their links below the image. You can vote on your favorite from September 9th to September 15th