October Favorites

Falling Into October

Kathleen's Locket

Coracao Patchwork

Fade Into Black

Falling in October by Sunni - 1st favorite

Kathleen's Locket by Bev M - 2nd favorite

Coracao Patchwork by Tuka - Equal 3rd favorite

Fade to Black by Carol - Equal 3rd favorite

Congratulations to these four entries and to all who entered. The group really is the winner for being showered with all the beautiful designs and gorgeous eye candy.

October Beadz Calender Challenge

Members of Bead Dreamz Group are invited to vote in the latest poll for favorite of the month. Here are your entries:

Poll Results for September

Our members have voted for their favorites for the September Beadz Calendar Challenge and the results are as follows:

Am I Blue by Lynn
Indian Summer by Jeanne in NJ
Ring from the Sea by Maria Teresa

Congratulations to these members and a big thank you to all members who are participating in our year-long challenge. Photos can be seen in earlier posts on this blog.

We eagerly look forward to seeing what our members create for the month of October.

September's Beadz Bead-along

BeadDreamz group commenced it's first ever annual challenge this year and September entries show just how talented our members are. No parameters have been set and each member will bead an item of their choice each month. What a wonderful variety we have for our first month. Congratulations to all those who entered this year-long challenge. We look forward to seeing interesting and varied work month to month.

And The Favorites Are...

Unnamed by Maria Teresa

Tidal Pool by Debra

Hours Before Dawn by Deb in PA

These are the top three favorites in the Freeform Peyote Bracelet Challenge. Congratulations to the three of you. Did the voting reflect the one you thought would be the favorite?

Sharon 'Harry' Solly's Ring Challenge

These rings were created by using instructions by Sharon 'Harry' Solly. It shows clearly how members adapt instructions and develop their own designs from the same idea. Each one of these rings are unique. Congratulations to all who entered this challenge and next week the three favorites will be posted.

And The Winner Is?

These are the entries for the Peyote Freeform Bracelet Challenge. All of the entries are winners, but the members of Beaddreamz are now in the process of picking their favorite. Which one will it be? Will you agree with their choice? Check back next week to see which bracelet was chosen the top favorite.

And the Surprise Challenge Is....

September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009
12 designs of any type of jewelry or bead embroidery.
Beads must be an integral part of the design. This allows
for almost anything like beaded boxes, brooches, small
wall hangings, etc. It doesn't have to be your own design.
It may be made from a pattern, a magazine, or from
someone else's idea. You don’t have to do the same
type of creation for the different months.

Designs must reflect the month it is created for.
For example, October may be orange and black earrings
for those in the states and December may be
something red and green or icy blue. It doesn't have to
be a holiday design, but can be. It may represent a
birthday, anniversary, or special event in one's life.
Be Creative.

Sign up in the database.
(Become a member of Beaddreamz, if not already)

Please make the commitment to make 12 designs.
Remember there will be other challenges during this
year also. If joining late, the number of creations
would equal the amount of months left. If you cannot
make the commitment for 12, you still may sign up for
the challenge. Vote on the three best for each
month - not necessarily the best piece, but the one
that signifies the best design for the month it was created for.
All designs will be shown on this Blog.
Vote for the best three of the year, not necessarily
from the three best of the month.

Jeanne will answer any questions and will coordinate the bead-a-long.

Interesting Idea?

Just a note to let you know a surprise bead-a-long is coming in a few days. Keep your eyes posted for the note. It will be announced on the group. Who will be the first to guess what it will be?

Present Challenge and Idea for Future One

In the last couple of months Aryd'ell has treated our members to step by step instructions, including work-in-progress photographs, on how to create a freeform bracelet. These lessons offer a variety of techniques to enable members to expand their beading knowledge and hopefully work outside their comfort zone. This photograph shows the first of Aryd'ell's finished bracelets. Isn't it magnificent?

Members have already started to share their freeform efforts with the group in an array of colors and each unique. Some members have done two, or even three since the beginning of the challenge.

Another interesting idea has popped up from our member Rosalie. Perhaps we should think about a Caterpillar bracelet challenge in the future? This would be an excellent idea for using your 'bead soup' collection.

Rosalie's Ideas

Caterpillar

Spring Garden

Debra's Fantastic Beaded Vase

Our member, Debra, has created this absolutely fabulous vase for the BFAC project. How she can part with it is beyond me. Debra is hosting a bead-a-long for Bead Dreamz that runs from September to November. It is a beaded cab with an optional swap. Details are finalized and will be announced soon. Sign-ups have already begun. Make sure you join us and benefit from Debra's superb beading knowledge. Congratulations, Debra. This vase is incredible.

Magic Carpet Challenge Favorite

Lotus

Congratulations to Karol, whose Magic Carpet Challenge entry was voted as the favorite among the ten entries. This is a spectacular design and Karol spent many hours beading this carpet. Thank you, Karol, for sharing this beautiful piece.

A thank you also goes out to the other participants. The vote was close and all the entries are amazing and their designs are fantastic. Everyone is a winner.

Hello to Visitors and Members!!!

BAD (Beaded Art Dolls yahoo group) and BDZ (Bead Dreamz yahoo group) have a lot to offer in the way of challenges and swaps and if you are interested in participating, please make sure you are a member so that you can join in. Links to our groups are on the right hand side of this blog.

BAD July/August/September Bead-along - I am aware that members are busy with their Symbolic Class Doll and Four Seasons Round Robin preparations but I would like to remind you that in July we intend to start a new bead-along, inspired by Robin Atkins. Robin has generously offered to introduce a special project to BAD and will give a helping hand and share her ideas with us along the way. I am hoping that members who are doing the Symbolic class will be eager to participate and put their new knowledge into practice.

BAD Puzzle Piece Doll Bead-along has ended and produced wonderful results. I am so proud of everyone and their work. I hope YOU have voted.

BAD Sampler Doll Bead-along is still in progress, finishing at the end of this month. Jeanne certainly placed a real challenge before us when she specified a beaded face. Well, we seem to be managing it with a varying degree of skill and having a giggle at the same time.

BDZ Magic Carpet challenge is almost finished. Moderators made a decision a little while ago that any challenge with less than 10 entries would not have a poll for voting on our favorite. It seems a shame when there are so many beautiful carpets. If any member would like to comment on this, please feel free.

BDZ Spring Panel Swap/Challenge finishes at the end of June and we probably won't see photos until after the swap. These darling little panels are something to look forward to.

BDZ starts a new challenge/instructions/bead-along on July 1 which is a freeform bracelet and ring with Aryd'ell and Sharon Harry. Don't forget to sign up.

BDZ also has a special challenge/swap running September 21 to mid November hosted by Debra Pyeatt. If you want to learn from an exceptional beader, you must sign in for this one.

Always remember that if you have any ideas, suggestions or comments regarding our groups, we love to hear from you. We need your input to make these groups interesting and fun.

On behalf of owners and moderators of both groups, a big THANK YOU to everyone for your continued support.

Lynn

Tassels

Members of Bead Dreamz love to create anything with beads from jewelry to home furnishings to charms. This time the group designed tassels. Some were created to hang around the house, while others will accompany the creator's cell phone or key chain. All of these are lovely. Don't you agree?

Magic Carpets

Currently on Beaddreamz the members are working on creating a magic carpet. This challenge was scheduled to end on May 31st. One of the members has asked for an extension for the entire group and now the challenge will end on June 15th. Although some of the group have finished putting their magic of beads into their carpet designs; others are having difficulty either finding the magic or finding time to complete their projects. Here are the completed entries:

Lynn's Orient Express

Penny's Floral Fantasy

Sue R.

Susan

Christina

Jo

Eye Candy

Heather's Mother and Child

Carol's first embroidery cuff

Two of our members signed up for our recent Cuff Challenges. Due to other obligations, they didn't finish with the rest of the group and weren't in the poll to be judged as a favorite. Both cuffs are lovely and have different designs. One is a flat bracelet and the other is done with the blank inside. They deserve to be mentioned and placed on the blog for all to admire. Congratulations to both beaders. It is a job well done and it confirms that the old adage is correct, "It is better to be late, then never." Enjoy the eye candy.

Antiques Roadshow, Beaded Bags, and Rocks

http://www.northwestmuseum.org/northwestmuseum/sub.aspx?id=593
Pictures borrrowed from the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture

While not being able to sleep last night, I needed something to watch on TV. All my favorite home improvement and cooking shows were repeats, so I turned on Antiques Roadshow. This is a show where people bring in their unusual collectables for an expert appraisal. This particular episode was from Spokane, Washington, USA. During the broadcast, there are out-takes from popular museums in the area. Last night the host visited the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture in Spokane. The TV show was particularly interesting because the topic of discussion was the beaded bags pictured above.

These are ordinary bags that someone (probably an American Indian) created in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Value of the beaded bags range from $2,500 to $4,000. One point that stood out during the show was the order the design on the blue bag was created. The artist draws the what he/she wants to bead first. Then the picture is beaded next and finally, the background is filled in. I was taught to bead from the center out. Were you? Could our beaded rocks in the future be worth thousands? It is too early to tell.

Sue's Zebra Rock

Kristen's Easter Egg

Jo's Top of the Tide Pool Rock

Sue's Giraffe Rock

2008 Bead Cuff Challenge

Final Poll Favorites

Congratulations to Christina, Penny, and Kristen on being voted favorites by the group in the cuff poll. I am truly amazed at the wonderful work turned out by our members. There is so much talent in such a little group. Thank you to everyone for taking on this challenge. Lynn

Christina

Penny

Kristen

Kumihimo

Aryd'ell has inspired the Bead Dreamz Group members to try kumihimo, a Japanese weave or braid. She has coined a new term, kumibeado, because as a bead group, one has to add beads to the kumihimo fibers. Traditionally one uses a marudai which is like a wooden stool with a hole in the middle, but Aryd'ell found a foam marudai that one can hold in one's hand. It makes for a fast and effortless way to braid and add beads. Jackie went as far as to take a class in the traditional method and also taught her grandson how to weave. The picture on the left shows the result. The three of us encourage all of the other members to try kumibeado. Please watch for other pictures as more members become involved.

2008 Challenge - Bead Cuff

These beauties were created, most as the owner's first beaded cuff, for a challenge on Bead Dreamz! There are as many different styles, colors, and designs as there are creators...please enjoy! Although all the creations are winners in the group's estimation, two designers will be picked as having the best beaded cuffs by all the members of this group. Those will be featured later in the week. Check back to see if your favorites are picked.

Magic Carpet Challenge

Our Beaddreamz Magic Carpets challenge, hosted by Kristen, will commence at the beginning of March and proceed through until the end of May. We hope to challenge members to create a gorgeous little carpet combining bead and thread embroidery. This photo shows a perfect example of what can be achieved.



Kristen has chosen a 'floral' theme and has offered ideas on how this theme can be interpreted. Her suggestions include an underwater garden, complete with fish or seashell flowers, a shadow garden inspired by shadows thrown by flowers on a sidewalk, window or wooden floor or flowers represented by geometric designs of diamonds, squares, octagons, curves, etc.


Close-up of a carpet!

Challengers will be given every assistance from choosing the best materials to use through to how to present the finished embroidery. Stitches and other techniques will be shared along the way.

Please consider joining in. The more the merrier.

Hello members and welcome new visitors!

We are pleased to present another wonderful selection of bead art by our members. Our blog is relatively new and we hope in the future to feature beadwork created by all our members. Please keep watching for YOUR work. Lynn and Aryd'ell