June Challenge...EBW

It's that time folks...Ya Gotta Vote for your favorite piece on the Etsy Beadweaver's Blog at

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


I do NOT have an entry of my own this time...sure are some gorgeous items listed though...please take a moment to VOTE!!! It really means alot to us members of this fabulous Etsy Team...thanks!

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

3rd Anniversay Celebration GIVE AWAY

On April 7 2008 I made the BIG LEAP to online selling!! I joined the Etsy Group of fabulous handmade Artisans! Now I want to celebrate that event with a Give Away-type Contest. I am sending invitations to all of my 3737 Friends on my personal page of Facebook and I am inviting the immediate WORLD!! Here's the details....

Go to my Facebook FAN PAGE:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beadacious1221/135420969835596

Become a Fan if you aren't already one. Then you can click on the MY ETSY app on the left of the wall page and choose an item from my Etsy shop that you like...post the link to that item on my Fan Page with what you like about it...could be just one word like "charming". VOILA...you are entered in the drawing on May 1st, 2011.

The item I am Giving Away is here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71606993/spiralific-bead-crochet?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=App_Seller&utm_campaign=fb_seller_item&utm_content=items

Photo of it is at the bottom of photos on this post.

The items above it are my recent additions to the shop...there will be more pieces being added every day so keep checking back...some really nifty Mother's Day gifts in the group, PROM, SPRING, Easter too!!

You will be hearing about VOTING in the Etsy Beadweavers April 2011 Challenge real soon too...get on those laptops & vote vote vote...LOL!

Thanks so much for participating in this little event of mine...there will be more!!

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.