The September Challenge

Welcome to the September challenge! This month the theme is WHATEVER THE WEATHER so we'd like you to create something that is inspired by a particular weather phenomenon.

There are plenty of weather phenomena to choose from, if you're stuck then click here for a list from the Met Office to get you started. Please let us know your choice when you email your entry.

THE PRIZE:

This month our sponsor is Celia and she's offering one lucky winner £15 to spend in her online shop Jencel!

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply email a photograph of your entry to Liz at ottbs@live.com along with any other info we have asked for. The challenge runs until Midnight on Wednesday the 30th of September 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 September 1st 2015.
You can make any item, it does not need to be jewellery.
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 info here but if you have any further questions about the challenge please feel free to email us at ottbs@live.com!

Good luck everyone and happy beading!

The August Challenge Reveal

Image by Cath in Dorset

Thanks to everyone who joined in with the August challenge! Here are all the beautiful entries using our Purple, Blue Green & Black colour scheme...

Everyone's names were put into the list randomizer at Random.org and the lucky beader who bagged the number one spot is...

CAROL HITCHCOCK!

Congratulations Carol, you're the winner of £25 to spend at Beads and More by Yashma!

We hope you've enjoyed this challenge, please drop by later on when we'll have another fun challenge for September : )

The August Challenge

Welcome to the August challenge! It's colour time and this month we would like you to create something in PURPLE, BLUE, GREEN and BLACK.

Image by Cath in Dorset

You can use any shades of purple, blue and green but for this challenge your black must be pure opaque black. Please do not use silver-lined, black diamond or any other beads where the finish has changed the colour from true black. Matt opaque beads are accepted.

THE TWIST:

We would like you to include Czech glass SPIKE BEADS in your entry this month. Your spike beads must be in one of the challenge colours. Remember, the twist is optional, you do not need to include it for your entry to be accepted but if you do you will receive two entries into the draw. 

THE PRIZE:

Our sponsor this month is Valentina and she's offering £25 to spend in her online shop Beads and More by Yashma!

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply email a photograph of your entry to Liz at ottbs@live.com. The challenge runs until Midnight in your own time zone on Monday the 31st of August and the winner is drawn and announced the following day. The challenge is open to beaders worldwide.

RULES & OTHER INFORMATION:

• Entries must have been started on or after August 1st 2015.
• You can make any item, it does not need to be jewellery.
• You can use any craft technique but it must include beads.
• You must use all the colours stated, no other colours are to be used.
• Findings are exempt from the colour challenge.
• Your entry must be a finished piece.
• If your entry isn't your own design you must credit the original designer.
• The photo above is for decorative purposes only, please refer to the text below it for details on the colours allowed in this challenge.

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

Good luck everyone and happy beading!

The July Challenge Reveal

I don't know what kind of weather you all had during July but here in the UK it was a bit hit and miss all month - either sunny or pouring with rain and some days even felt like November! Luckily beading saves the day and cheers us up whatever the weather. Our challenge for July was to create a piece that reminded you of the beach...

Blackpool Sands

...and here are the wonderful entries we received...

All your names were put into the list randomizer at Random.org and the lucky beader who's name is at the top of the list is...

SARAH GORDON!

Congratulations Sarah, you're the winner of the £15 voucher to spend at Old Bicycle Shop!

Well that's it for July, we'll have a brand new challenge for August posted later on today so don't forget to pop back :)

National Beading Week - Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who joined in and commented! I enjoyed revisiting your choices!

And now, time to announce the lucky winner of the bead soup. I popped all the names into a list on Random.org and randomised them and the Winner is.....

Peapod Beads, congratulations!

Please get in touch with your address and I will send you your winnings!

Happy beading!

Sarah x

Celebrating National Beading Week - Giveaway now closed!

So, there's lots of beady fun going on this week and I wanted to get in on the action! I've celebrated National Beading Week by having fun making some bead soup! Apart from actually beading, this is one of my favourite things to do. Oh the colours and the shapes and the tinkle of the beads as I swish them altogether with my trusty triangle sorter!

This bead soup is predominantly blue and purple (hence the name Blurple) and includes size 8,11,15 seed beads, delicas, O beads, Superduos, Rullas, triangles, glass pearls and a few Swarovski Elements (including tiny butterflies and flower), for a total of 50 grams. I've added a blue Luna Soft cabochon and 2 x 12mm sapphire Swarovski rivolis for focals.

I thought I'd share this celebration with the OTTBS blog readers as a giveaway for one lucky reader! How can you win some of my custom made super sparkly blurple bead soup? Read on!

1. Have a good old rummage through the old challenge posts here on the OTTBS blog and pick your favourite challenge, be it this months beach theme, January's Inspired by a song theme or any of the other many fab challenges

2. Pop back to this post and comment with your favourite challenge by 5.00pm BST Friday the 31st July 2015

3. Be on standby at 8.00pm BST Friday the 31st July 2015 for the announcement of the winner (winner will be picked at random by random.org)

Good luck!

Sarah x