Bead Star Deadline is Looming

The deadline to enter Interweave’s annual “Bead Star” competition is midnight EST on April 30.
The “Bead Star” contest is conducted once a year. The editors of Bead Star, Beadwork, Stringing and Step by Step Wire select the top 20 finalist in 9 categories. These categories include: Crystals, Seed Beads, Glass, Pearls, Stones, Metals, Plastics, Under $25 and Designs With Heart. The top 20 finalist in each category will be posted on Beadingdaily.com from May 19 – June 9. You will be given the opportunity to vote for your favorites during this time. The 5 entries in each category that receive the top votes will be featured in “Bead Star” 2010 magazine. This issue will hit the newsstand in December.

This year, I have submitted designs for all 9 categories. I will not know which, if any, designs have made the top 20 until the voting begins on May 19. Below are my designs featured in “Bead Star” 2009.

“Keys To My Heart” won 1st place last year in the “Designs With Heart” category. I love to design with pearls. I have been fascinated with the delicate gems since I was a child. When designing this piece, I wanted to create a statement piece of jewelry. A necklace that could be worn by both mother and daughter.

“Demi Marie” named after my St. Bernard, won 3rd place in the “Pearls” category. I know that it seems strange to name a necklace after a dog, but Demi is elegant, beautiful and brings great joy into my life. If Demi were human, I could see her wearing this necklace.


The last category is “Crystals”. “Serene Irene” won honorable mention. This necklace was named after my fabulous sister-in-law “Irene”. She loves to wear my crystal creations. The centerpiece is a vintage Czech glass and brass pendant circa 1930. Usually I do not cut or alter the back of an antique pin. This dramatically reduces the value of the pin. In this instance, the clasp was already broken, so I used the pin component as a head pin.

Although I cannot reveal my 2010 designs, I can tell you that 8 are brass and 1 is silver. My main goal this year was to push myself out of my comfort zone and design for all 9 categories. Is anyone else entering the “Bead Star” contest this year? If so, what categories are you entering? I would love to hear your stories!

Comments

  1. Well, you already know I also entered all 9 categories, because we have been chatting about it for months! I found it quite a challenge to do 9 different designs, and like you, had to push myself out of my comfort zone to work on the crystals and hearts categories. I'm proud of myself for getting it all done and not bailing on the harder ones.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BTW-love the picture of your dog! Now I will have to design a necklace for Swiffer so she doesn't feel left out. She caught a rat in the backyard today, but I don't think I'll try to make her a necklace out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erin, you are so funny. If anyone can make a necklace out of rat it is you. Tan the hide and bedazzle it. It would make the perfect collar. Remember, you like to make things that you find randomly on the ground. I had a good laugh when I read your post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so excited for both you and Erin that you were able to exceed your expectations and break out of your comfort zone! I really hope that I can pull out a few more tricks from my bag this week but it is dance recital week and I will be at the studio through Sunday. I may just have to settle for the same amount as last year. But as I told Erin, sleep is overrated, right? Congratulations. I am sure that I will be seeing both of your designs someplace. (And I hope you will be seeing some of mine!)
    Enjoy the day!
    Erin

    ReplyDelete
  5. Erin - I already see your designs everywhere. Maybe your beads will come into the mail tomorrow. I can't wait to see what tricks you pull out of your bag!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are awesome Denise. I wear one of your pieces EVERY day. Funny you mention about loving pearls as I remember you wearing them with angora sweaters in high school lol.
    XOXO
    Nichole

    ReplyDelete
  7. Demi is a beauty! Congrats on getting a piece for each category entered... I'm not sure which planet I've been on but I completely missed out on having the deadline register in my brain so again no entries for me!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Bead Give-A-Way Ever!

Pretty Palette Reveal - January 2018

Bead Soup and Baseball