Saturday 4 March 2017

The March Challenge

Welcome to the March challenge!

This month the challenge is Mad March Hair!

Please create a hair accessory using beads.

It could be an embellished hair grip, a hair band, a scrunchie or even a fascinator, anything goes as long as it can be worn in the hair!

THE PRIZE:
This month our sponsor is Davida and she's offering £15 to spend in her online shop Old Bicycle Shop!


HOW TO ENTER:
Email a photograph of your entry to Sarah at ottbs@live.com along with any other details we have asked for. The challenge runs until Midnight on Friday 31st March 2017 and the winner is drawn and announced the following day. You can email your entry at any time during the month. The challenge is open to beaders worldwide.

RULES & OTHER INFORMATION:
  • Entries must have been started on or after March 4th 2017.
  • You can make any type of hair accessory.
  • You can use any craft technique but it must include beads.
  • Your entry must be a finished piece.
  • If your entry isn't your own design you must credit the original designer.

There is more detailed information on the challenge here but if you have any questions please leave a comment below or email us. 

Happy beading!

Sarah

Friday 3 March 2017

January/February Challenge Reveal

Thank you so much to everyone who joined in with our January/February challenge where we asked you to create something inspired by "In The Shadows". I loved the creativity shown in interpreting the theme and enjoyed reading the inspirations!

Fatema 

In keeping with the 2 month Jan-Feb 2017 creative challenge of “In the Shadows”I have created this pair of Count Dracula earrings. The design is by Dorothea Hodge. These Earrings are a kind of tribute to my all time favourite actor-The Late Mr.Christopher Lee who has according to me immortalized the character of Count Dracula in the Dracula films. The First Dracula movie I watched as a child was the 1958 film “Dracula” and it created an everlasting impact on my mind! Finally I got an opportunity through this challenge to create these cutely scary  earrings symbolizing Count Dracula/Christopher lee-a dark undead corpse like creature lurking in the shadows waiting to attack unsuspecting victims after sunset and before sunrise!


Jenny

'In the shadows' immediately brought to mind a monochrome WIP I created using MiniDuo beads when they were released in the summer of 2015.  However I could not locate the WIP or the beads in my stash. The design is recreated using Turquoise picasso SuperDuos and gold bronze MiniDuos.  The shadows are created by the valley of MiniDuos that spin around the rope design.  


Dee

My inspiration for the In the Shadows theme was the unusual water lilies that bloom in the night.  I wanted to create something that would sparkle and catch even the smallest amount of light so I used dark beads and a matching swarovski crystal. 


Shyeni 

With the change occurring in my life, my bead work has been in the shadows recently. I started this piece for a bead a-long that I was participating in, to make something that I  wouldn't take up too much time and therefore encourage me to pick up my needle regularly. However the subtle colours and shading remind me of shadows and light, so here we are. 


Louise

I used all stash, matsuno seed beads, silver shadow Chinese crystals and a vintage glass button that only shows its true beauty up close as the detail is hidden in the shadows of the cut.


Audrey

Silvers greys and purples always make me think of shadows so I've made. Amy Katzs Full circle necklace in those colours because it says to me shadows.


Sarah

Here is my entry for the Jan/Feb 'In The Shadows' Challenge. She, of 
course, is lurking in the shadows because she is a Witchy Woman, and 
therefore just too clever and powerful for her own good.... Fabulous 
face by the lovely Pam Gordon!


Dawn

I feel that I am living in the shadows of a political administration that has the potential to do great harm not only to the people of this country but to those around the globe as well. I have not ever been a politically active person. I have always voted when there was an election after carefully reading the voter's pamphlet but that is as far as it went. I am disturbed enough now that it is coming out in my artwork. This book reflects the turmoil we are experiencing now and my hope that there will be a better future, hopefully sooner rather than later. This is my hope for a secret garden in the light at the end of the tunnel.


Kirsten

 "In the Shadows" challenge, its the Bubble Ball pendant designed by Sabine Lippert.

I chose this as the project as "In the Shadows" because its a 3 dimensional beaded ball.
I imagined shining a light into the middle of the ball, creating shadows on other beads on the inside.


All the names were put into the list randomizer at random.org and the luck beader whose name is at the top of the list is...


Audrey !


Congratulations Audrey,  you're the winner of the £15 voucher to spend at Jencel!

Happy beading!

Sarah