Etsy BeadWeavers: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

December Challenge "Simon & Garfunkel - The Songs of Inspiration"

Olga of Made by Olga winner of last months "Falling of Leaves" has come up with a great theme for the December challenge. Olga challenges us to "bead to the sound of silence or a bridge over troubled water, you can go look for America or visit the Scarborough fair, tell about your trouble with Cecilia or explain the meaning of life to Mrs Robinson". Mind though - all that should be told in beads!

What is you favorite song of Simon and Garfunkel? I am very curious to see what can these two amazing artists inspire you to make!

Time to get your MOJO going for this great December theme "Simon and Garfunkel - The Songs of Inspiration". You may start your entry today and list in your Etsy shop by midnight December 5th, 2010.

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

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Holiday treasures: moving beyond the ordinary

The Etsy Beadweavers November challenge theme is ‘Holiday Treasures’ and what a treasure of a theme is it. There are literally hundreds of holidays around the world during November that could inspire jewelry to treasure. I have listed a site below that you can use to search public holidays around the world. It can be fun to see just who is holidaying for what reason in countries beyond our own.

Public holidays are days in which people are officially given permission not to work. The idea of ‘not working’ on a holiday has its history in the English language with the Christian church in medieval times. In those times workers were given time off work so that they could go to church to mark a special holy day for the church. It was a day out of the ordinary for the workers and for the church. Around the world, holidays are still associated with religious holy days but just as many holidays now are secular in origin and linked to events out of the ordinary that have local or national significance to a country or a region.

In recent times the United Nations has established days of international observance that are used to commemorate special events and promote action on specific causes. Few very of these days are public holidays but they are opportunities to do something out of the ordinary to mark something that matters. So when you think of designing ‘Holiday Treasures’ perhaps you could design something for a day that you think should be a holiday but isn’t or for a holiday in a country you don’t live in. It’s easy to Google information about holidays in other countries and wonderful images exist to inspire us as beaders to move beyond the ordinary and beyond what we are familiar with. Imagine what holiday treasures might emerge if you think beyond what you know. To tempt you to think beyond the ordinary I have generated a list of possible holidays and days of observance from different parts of the world for November that offer lots of possibilities - some fun, some more serious. Imagine what you could make to treasure Sandwich Day in the USA or World Hello day internationally. Imagine if the International Day for Tolera

nce was a public holiday – what would you do to commemorate it in your jewelry?

What would you design to wear to Unity Day in Russia or for the women wearing this amazing red hat to the Melbourne Cup in Australia?

Possible points for inspiration

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Congratulations to Olga of Madeby Olga, winner of the October challenge "Autumn Falling of Leaves"

The October challenge was another great success with 59 entries and 900 votes.The winning entry Sigulda-ooak-necklace created by Olga of MadebyOga received 106 (11%) of the popular votes. Our thanks to everyone who took the time to participate in this months challenge and for voting for their favorite entry.

Congratulations to the runners up and to all the wonderful entries

2nd place #29. Maple Autumn Falling of leaves Necklace - bead4me with 91 otes (10%)

3rd place #17. Falling Autumn Leaves Necklace - StickLizardDesigns with 89 votes (9%)

4th place #42. Autumn Splendor - BeadsAndI with 79 votes (8%)

5th place #23. Maple leaves bracelet - AnnaCohen with 58 votes (6%)

6th Place #45. Russian Leaves of Fall Woven Necklace - AngelqueCreations with 37 votes (4%)

7th place #49. Maple Medley Necklace - thistledew4u with 35 votes (3%)

8th Place #48. Autumn Breeze necklace - CieloDesign with 30 votes (3%)

9th place #40. Autumn's Falling Fire Necklace - FrancescasFancy with 24 votes (2%)

and

10th place #54. Canadian Autumn Colours Memory Crystal Beaded Bracelet - crystalwonders with 23 votes (2%)

Congratulations to all 59 entries, we are all winners

Look for the December challenge theme to be posted in the next couple of weeks.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

October Challenge "Autumn Falling of Leaves" - 59 Entries - Voting Oct 9 -15

This month's challenge theme "Autumn Falling of Leaves" was chosen by Isabella of Bead4me winner of the August Challenge. Isabella's challenge was.... ""Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus. We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves, as the bright green fades away. We begin to see amazing colors such as bright reds and purples. For me this is an inspiration for creating colorful jewelry"

I am amazed at our team as we have had another outstanding response to this month with 59 entries, outdoing last months 52 entries. Every month it gets harder and harder to pick a favorite entry, but choose you must. The voting will start on Oct 9 and run until Oct 15. To view the entries please click on the links below