The February Challenge - Weekly Update 2

We're halfway through our blue and green challenge now and here are some more gorgeous entries! If you'd like to join in with us, and be in with a chance to win £15 worth of beady goodness from Jencel then all you have to do is see the original post and get beading!

Maureen

Dorisanne

Gaynor

Dee

Chris

The February Challenge - Weekly Update 1

A great start to our challenge with these two gorgeous entries from Mary and Ev! If you'd like to join in with us then please read the original post for details.

Mary

Ev

2012 Frog or Finish A Long - February Goals

Welcome to the February Frog or Finish A long Goals, this month five of us from the Facebook Group have nominated projects to finish during the month.

Dee has carried over her Jean Power's kit from January,


Rebecca has also carried her rope over from last month,


Erika has chosen this bead embroidered cuff to work on in February, "I'm afraid I've got far too many UFOs. This one is a cuff bracelet that I started in Sept at a workshop with Laura McCabe. The picture isn't great as the leather it's on is actually a really pretty metallic plum colour. I've never attempted bead embroidery before and find it quite challenging. I really hope this will make me finish it!"


Gemma says, "I've had this bracelet on the go for what feels like forever. Its nearly done but I need some incentive to finish it as I'm bored with all the fringing. In fact I said I was going to finish it last year when we set beadbusting goals in May but I only managed a few extra rows. Bad Gemma! I'm calling it Anemone Cuff. Its based on the "Sea Urchin" project by Stephanie Burnham from the BWG journal 2006 and I probably started it that year so its high time I finished it! All I have to do is finish off the fringing in the 15s and find some sort of clasp."


I originally made these yellow tulips as earrings, but am just not that happy with them. They are quite small (and really tightly woven!)so I don't want to frog them but think they will be lovely on the ends of a lariat, so my project this month is to make the lariat rope and any other embellishments needed so that these will finally be part of a wearable finished object.


Check back later this month to see how we do.

Happy beading!

Sarahx

2012 Finish or Frog A Long - January Update

Well, January has just whizzed by hasn't it! I can't believe it is already time to post the finish or frog along update.

Both Dee and Rebecca were super busy in January and unable to make much progress on their projects, I frogged mine as I did not have any more beads to complete the bracelet. But, drumroll please..............

Catherine finished her beautiful necklace, "Once I made the decision on the rope colours, the whole thing came together fairly quickly, with the peyote tubes done while watching Sherlock, and the double toggle (I didn't have a small clasp as the
instructions suggested, so I adapted a Laura McCabe component) made during my Lunch break. I did break a needle in the toggle tubes as they are quite tight! Now all I need is an occasion to wear the necklace!"


The projects for February will be posted soon,

Happy beading!

Sarahx

The February Challenge

We were really pleased to see so many of you enjoying last month's challenge and adding the twist to your entries in conjunction with the colour scheme. We're going to continue with the theme of different colours and twists each month, but even though we want to challenge you, we promise it will never be too difficult!

February's challenge is to create something in blue and green...

Blue Morphs To Green

Now here's the twist...the keyword for this month's challenge is round so we'd like you to incorporate rounds or circles into your entry. This twist is entirely optional but if you choose to use the twist as well as the colour scheme then you will receive two entries into the draw!

A few ideas...you could use a round pendant or donut; include round glass, wood or pearls in your piece; bead embroider circles; add buttons etc. We're not counting seed beads as round unless you've created something round with them such as circular peyote, circular brick stitch, round beaded beads etc.

Remember you also have to use the blue and green colour scheme. No other colours please!

How do I enter?
There are two ways...
1. Email your photographs to ottbs@bigstring.com
2. Or add them to our Flickr group pool.

Choose whichever way is easiest for you, you don't have to do both. If you add to the Flickr pool please make sure to mention that it's for the February Challenge so we know that it's your challenge entry. We're happy for you to post your photos on our Facebook group as well but please make sure that you've also submitted as above. Entries that have not been emailed or added to the Flickr pool will not be accepted.

What can I make?
Anything as long as it involves beads! Any technique is accepted, from beadweaving and stringing to wire work and bead embroidery. Lampworkers and polymer clay artists are also welcome to submit beads they've made.

Does it have to be my own design?
No. We're happy for you to make something using a pattern from a book, magazine or tutorial but if you do please let us know the designer's name and where it was published so that we can give full credit.

What about findings?
Findings (clasps, earwires etc) are exempt from the colour challenge so you can use silver, gold or any other colour findings that fit in with your project. The same goes for things like spacer beads. As long as the main part of your design is in the colours for this month then that's fine.

When is the deadline for entries?
The deadline is 6pm (UK time) on Wednesday the 29th of February.

Can I enter more than once?
You can make as many pieces as you like using the chosen colourway. All entries will be shown here on the blog but you will only be entered into the draw once (or twice if you've used the twist!).

I'm not in the UK, can I still join in?
Yes of course! We welcome submissions from around the world so don't worry if you're not in the UK, you can still enter and be eligible for the prize!

I'm very pleased to announce that Celia from Jencel will now be joining us as a sponsor and the prize this month is your choice of beads from www.Jencel.co.uk up to the value of £15!

The winner will be drawn by me (Liz) after 6pm on Wednesday 29th February, using the random list generator at www.random.org and announced later on the same evening.

Good luck everyone and happy beading!

The January Challenge - And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who took part in the challenge this month, we're pleased to see just how many of you embraced the twist and incorporated squares into your work. We had an astounding 37 entries this month, beating our record since the OTTBS challenges began!

Black and White.

Here's what you all made...

Janice



Helen



Maureen



Danielle




Annita




Gaynor



Stephanie



Cathy



Shirley



Lynsey



Carol



Donna



Ev




Julie



Anna



Stephanie



Rachel



Elise



Sarah Hall



And entries we've received in the past week...

Danielle




Sarah Goode




Kristen




Dorisanne



Jet



Gemma



Christine




Ericka
(Design by The Crafty Owl)



June
(Design by Debbie Van Tonder)



Diana



Carolyn



Veronica

Everyone who has incorporated the twist into their piece/s gets an extra entry into the draw. As I didn't mention whether particular beadweaving stitches were allowed I'm accepting cubic right-angle weave and square stitch as 'squares'.

Using Random.org to randomly choose a name from the list, the beader who is in 1st position is...



Congratulations Shirley, you're the winner of the gorgeous collection of beads from Yashma Creations!

Check back tomorrow when we'll be posting a brand new challenge for February with another fabulous prize!