Fashion Colorworks 2011 is on its way!

The first International Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest was a resounding success for all its participants: the contestants, the sponsors, the judges, and the bead lovers. 83 participants from 20 countries submitted 132 entries (click here) !!!

Now the second International Fashion Colorworks 2011 Beading Contest is on its way! This year beadworkers are suggested to submit their artworks in three categories: Seed Bead Jewelry, Finished Jewelry, and Beaded Objects and Accessories. Entries in each category should be made in one of the three color combinations made up from Pantone Color Institute fashion colors for spring 2011:

First color combination:
Russet (CMYK: 44-67-76-9; RGB: 92614C)
Coral Rose (CMYK: 0-63-86-0; RGB: F47D39)
Blue Curacao (CMYK: 63-0-22-0; RGB: 4AC3CC)

Second color combination:
Lavender (CMYK: 33-32-0-0; RGB: A9A6D2)
Peapod (CMYK: 56-0-51-0; RGB: 71C59B)
Silver Cloud (CMYK: 25-19-23-0; RGB: C0C0BB)

Third color combination:
Regatta (CMYK: 73-28-0-0; RGB: 3397D3)
Silver Peony (CMYK: 3-13-15-0; RGB: F4DDD0)
Beewax (CMYK: 0-30-78-0; RGB: FDBA51)

The official contest rules are here:

http://www.mylovelybeads.com/contest/

Looking for inspiration? Perlen Poesie

If you are looking for an additional source of inspiration, you have to pay attention at the 2-year-old European bead magazine: Perlen Poesie. You are always supposed to read beading world news, you can learn beading techniques and of course take excellent instructions from international artists.


On December 10, 2010, the new issue of Perlen Poesie will be out! In that issue:

• Anna E. Draeger: A portrait of the popular artist and Swarovski Ambassador;

• Perlen Poesie visited seven bead artists from France;

• The workshops of the First Bead Art Fair on 20-21 August, 2011, in Hamburg, Germany;

• 16 wonderful projects from well-known bead designers: Anna Draeger, Zoya Gutina, Claudia Steens, Melissa Grakowsky, Peter Sewell, Sabine Lippert, Carol Dean Sharpe, Claudia Cattaneo, Birgit Bergemann and some more (yes, I'm in it, too!);

• And more, and more, and more!


The magazine is published in Germany by Beaders Best Verlag company, but everybody can subscribe it. If you live in the USA, you can directly or via Internet buy single issues of the magazine at the Beads by Blanche bead shop.

Subscribe to Perlen Poesie magazine
Buy Perlen Poesie magazine in the USA

Indian summer at the door!

It's already autumn outside... the grass is getting yellow... the leaves turn to red, brown and yellow... Some people can say, the nature is dying, I say it's falling asleep, and it makes us enjoy with its fantastic, cheerful and festive colors - Indian summer at the door!


When the sun rises, autumn colors flash out showing fall beauty, and water drops after night rain sparkle like diamonds! I like this season, and once I've already created the Autumn Splendor Necklace. This year the spring was pretty long and cold - but the fall is warm and beautiful, that's why I returned to the autumn theme.


Remembering my Tropical Blossom Necklace, I decided to use Swarovski pendants again, and that brought me to Artbeads.com. My husband said, "Good choice!" I have no idea what he meant, whether Artbeads.com or beautiful pendants they sell. In general, it doesn't matter, I found out what I was looking for.


I received red magma, olivine, light topaz, and copper Swarovski crystal pendants, and bought silk ribbons of bright autumn colors at the closest craft shop. Appropriate Czech glass teardrop and leaf accent beads, and TOHO 15/0 yellow and green seed beads should have been good much to my staff.


I wrapped up memory wire blank necklace and used it as the base of my piece, and embellished it with Czech beads; then I wound it with bead strings and made fringes with crystal pendants. The last touch was the brass leaf closure. The necklace could be named Autumn Wreath, but I call it Indian Summer, because Indian summer is outside!

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Swarovski crystal pendants free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Fashion Colorworks 2011. Call for sponsors

The International Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest was a resounding success for all its participants: the contestants, the sponsors, the judges, and the bead lovers!

Our sponsors got great positive exposure, broadened their reach and name recognition, and increased their good will perception in the beading community. All of our 2010 sponsors have already committed to participation at an even higher level in the 2011 Contest. They say,

Artbeads.com: We would be more than happy to sponsor next years contest. We really enjoyed working with you and it was wonderful to see all the inspiring designs from all of the talented and amazing participants.

Beads Direct UK: We would love to sponsor again. Let us know when you have any more details.

Soft Flex Company: We'd love to participate again. Please count us in for 2011.

We're growing. When the Contest starts again on the 1st of December, 2010, in addition to Seed Bead category, it will be expanded to include two new categories of work: Finished Jewelry and Beaded Objects and Accessories. This expansion opens up additional new sponsorship opportunities for companies wishing to reach beaders and bead lovers worldwide.

Please contact us at info@mylovelybeads.com as soon as possible to reserve your sponsorship slot!

Go green with Mzuribeads!

Got tired of traditional glass beads? If you're looking for new and unusual materials, you can find them on Mzuribeads.com. Mzuribeads is one of the many inspirational projects moving away from charitable aid, and onto the concept of business enterprise for sustainable income and development.


Mzuribeads paper beaders live in the village of Ndejje, Uganda, where they roll paper beads from strips of recycled magazines and posters. Prior to the founding of Mzuribeads, four of the women had been trained and were working to sell products through a defunct organization. These four women left then this organization with knowledge of the paper bead, but little idea of how this skill could support their lives.


Mzuribeads aim to generate a sustainable income by endeavoring to offer our customers ethical beads and the most fashionable and latest fashion accessory trends. This involves a large focus on quality control, design, and seasonable colors.


Mzuribeads makes beads not only from recycled paper, but also from cow horn, barkcloth, banana leaves, recycled glass; so you can GO GREEN with Mzuribeads!


Designing my Ethnic Fest Necklace, I used a memory wire blank necklace wrapped up with fabric resembling autumn leaves. Different Mzuribeads and seed beads, free-form as technique, and I'm done! It doesn't seem to be difficult, give it a try, and I wish you good luck!

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Mzuribeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Ugandan handmade beads free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Mzuribeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO BID ON THESE SHERMANS ON EBAY

If you hurry, you still have time to bid on these Sherman pieces ending tonight on Ebay. Pictured at the top is a superb deep topaz Swarovski crystal glass bead set, all signed, consisting of 2-row necklace and matching earrings. Bidding starts at $125 and right now there are 12 people watching this one but no-one has yet opened the bidding. Of course, they're all either just other sellers waiting to see what happens ... I do that all the time LOL ... or they are actually buyers hoping to snare a lovely Sherman set at a low dollar by waiting till the last minute. Such fun!

The same vendor is offering the delightful Aurora Borealis, very traditional, glass crystal earrings above. Since she offers combined shipping, this is a good chance to get a couple of pieces for one shipping cost. Bidding has opened on this signed set at $24.95 and there are 9 watchers. Will it go any higher? Who knows! She also has another set of signed Sherman earrings on auction. These are the baguette style, 1" high clip-ons shown below in soft topaz. Bidding starts at $19.95. Several watchers just waiting to grab this set for $19.95. A good deal if they do!



So hurry up and save! With combined shipping thrown in, you're well ahead on adding some nice Shermans to your collection. Good luck!

International Bead Award

To bead or not to bead, that's not a question for thousands of people whose passion is beading. They face another question: to enter a beading contest or not to enter. Our answer is positive: of course, to enter! Not every contest, but promising a great challenge. It seems that the First International Bead Award held and supported by Beaders Best Publishing (Beaders Best Verlag) is what you don't have to miss!

The contest is open to all bead artists around the world. Five international jury members select a first, second and third place winners in each of nine categories. The jury will judge by photos only. The winners will be announced at the Beaders Best Fair for Bead Art in Hamburg, August 20-21, 2011, and shown in the following issue of the Perlen Poesie Magazine. All submissions will be showcased on the Perlen Poesie website after the jury has voted. Out of all submissions the website visitors will be able to select People's Choice Award Winner. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of December, 2010.

Join the international bead competition IBA!

Conditions of participation