EBW April 2011 Challenge...Spring Around the Corner

It is finally here! The big day for me...my first entry is actually posted on the Etsy Beadweavers Blog for VOTING tomorrow April 9 thru April 15th > Will I win...not a possibility...but I am IN IT!!!!

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/2011/04/voting-for-april-challenge-spring.html

To share the same space with such AMAZING Bead Artists is my DREAM!! The competition is OUTSTANDING!!

Please be sure to cast your vote for one of these STUNNING pieces but be sure to look at the offerings of ALL of the ARTISTS on their Etsy pages...you will not regret it!!!

Thanks so much

EBW Team April 2011 Challenge ENTRY

Here is the Before, During and After photos of my Very FIRST entry in an Etsy Beadweavers Team Challenge. The theme for this April 2011 Challenge is "Spring Around the Corner".This is my attempt at designing a one of a kind Bead Crochet Rope masterpiece in homage of SPRING...a season I never fully appreciated until I lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for four years.

While I perform every technique and manner of beadweaving....for the past seven years I have specialized in bead crochet ropes as an Instructor and Artist This is a very exacting & time consuming pusuit which was right up my alley.

The first step was designing the pattern on bead crochet graphs (I use Judith Bertoglio-Giffin's version)using 19 different colored pencils. It is much like creating a counted cross stitch chart, but with many more limitations. Step two is putting the graph on a magnetic board & using magnetic strips to hold my place as I string the EXACT pattern one tiny seed bead at a time onto the heavy duty polyester thread...my pattern area was 18 inches before repeat so there was no margin for errors in stringing...which I made several times and had to start over and over to perfection. I used size 8/0, 10/0 and 11/0 Japanese and Czech glass seed beads as well as Czech pressed glass mini drops in the construction of the main body of the 40 inch long lariat. The fringe contains an additional 10 colors of pressed glass Czech beads. The 40 inches of seven beads around necessitated approximately 280 inches of strung pattern. After all these beads are strung precisely as designed, the crocheting with the tiny 1.25 steel crochet hook begins. In the case of this particular piece it took three plus weeks from start to finish...i am not real good about tracking my time as for me it is a labor of LOVE not Business.

I am SOOOO enthusiastic about being permitted to participate in this challenge with the Best Beadweaver Artists on Etsy....Please CAST YOUR VOTE for your favorite design in the Etsy Beadweavers Team Challenge of April 2011 at:

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com

ANYONE can vote...the entries are awe-inspiring. That is how I was drawn into the Team...maybe YOU will be too.

ETSY BEADWEAVERS TEAM

Yeah!! I finally got the courage to join the Etsy Beadweavers Team!!

I have been lurking in the shadows...voting for all the Challenges every month. Salivating at the artistic prowess of these AMAZING artisans...now I am in their ranks and hoping to enter my own pieces in the monthly Challenges.

If you are not familiar with these Challenges, you can become educated at this site:

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

The Challenge VOTING begins the 9th of EVERY MONTH and ends the 15th.
EVERYONE is invited to vote for their favorite entry. Entries are submitted via each member's Etsy Shop.

I am currently hard at work composing what I hope will be my very first entry in this upcoming Challenge for April:

"Spring Around The Corner"

Please come and join me in my enthusiasm for this Spectacular Etsy Team by getting involved in the voting process.

I am also a member of the Etsy Bead Team:

http://www.etsy.com/teams/6360/etsy-bead

Etsy Pure Handmade Team:

http://www.etsy.com/teams/7747/

Etsy Trade-A-Holics..

http://www.etsy.com/teams/6490/etsy-trade-a-holics

more very active ETSY TEAMS!!