The April Challenge - Weekly Update 3

We've had an amazing number of entries over the past week and it's great to see all the different techniques being used! There's still time if you want to join in with the challenge and be in with a chance of winning a £25 voucher from our sponsor Yashma Creations. All the information you need is here.

Klazine 

 
Maureen

Gail

Helen

Renetha

Jane

Karin

Susan

Kristen
(Bracelet design by Kelli Burns)

Kate

Rhonda

Stephanie

The April Challenge - Weekly Update 2

It's lovely to see all the different shades of citrus colours in everyone's entries to far! If you'd like to join in with our April Challenge and be in with a chance to win a £25 voucher from our sponsor Yashma Creations then please read the original challenge post for details. Here's another batch of goodies that were submitted in the last week :)

Shirley Campbell



Carol



Gaynor



Rebecca



Tracy



Lynsey D



Chris Maj



Janice



Lynsey Brooks



Liubov



Rachael



Gill

The April Challenge - Weekly Update 1

First of all, a quick update on the challenge prize for this month. It's a £25 voucher to spend in our sponsor's Etsy shop, Yashma Creations!

Here are the entries we've received so far for the April challenge. Thanks to everyone who has joined in so far! If you'd like to join in with us then please read the original challenge post for details :)

Lesley



Mary Kearney



Ev Shelby



Catherine



Annita



Julie Schneider

April Finish Or Frog Along

It's time for the month’s Finish Or Frog Along! If you’ve only recently joined us, each month members of our Facebook Group nominate a project from their selections of projects which are lying forgotten in a dusty little corner of their craft space to get to grips with during the month.

It seems April's going to be a busy month - there's quite a few people joining in this month.

Both Ericka and Padmini will both be working on completing the projects they nominated for the March Finish Or Frog Along. So if you know you have a larger project to tackle, feel reassured that you don't have to finish it by the end of the month - this is just a 'gentle encouragement' kind of challenge!

Gloria stuck down this luscious looking agate cabochon, then forgot about it for months. As yet, Gloria hasn't decided whether to create a necklace or a cuff bracelet with it, so I guess we'll just have to wait for the big reveal.

Dee has paired an orphan lampwork bead with some Czech glass and some seed beads, but isn't quite sure how she'll finish her project.

I'll be working on finishing off a couple of simple safety pin cuff bracelets. I've had the safety pins beaded for a few months, but haven't had the inclination to finish them. All it should take is a little bit of elastic and some stringing - but it's so boring!

And, following on from her success with last month's finish along, Gemma is hoping to work on this beautiful Dragon Bangle by Nancy Jones, which is featured in Beadwork Feb/Mar '11. Gemma says "I bought to back issue a few months ago specifically for this bangle. I bought the beads, but got fed up with it as the long magatamas I have are really irregular in size. Its taking a lot of sorting to get even rows."

If you missed out on joining in this month, don't fret. Join us over in the Facebook Group for all the encouragement you'll ever need.

Finish Or Frog Along - March Update

I'm thrilled to let you all know that we've all made some progress on our March Finish Or Frog Along Projects. Well, except for Padmini who has admitted to having been so distracted by The Big Bead Show that she forgot all about completing her Finish Or Frog Along! I'm sure we can understand that only too well - so maybe we should forgive her? Especially as she's going to roll the project over into April?

Ericka has also struggled a little with her bead embroidery piece, as she's now busy caring for her mum on a full time basis. Progress has been slow, but Ericka's feeling much happier with the piece now she's cmpleted a little more of the stitching. She's very much looking forward to finishing it - eventually! Who knows, it might be this month!

As this is my first time in amongst the finishers and the froggers, I thought I'd best make a concerted effort to finish up my bracelet. Weaving in all of those thread ends really was a bit of a chore, but I ended up with such a pretty bracelet that I made some earrings to match.

It's actually the first time I've ever attempted a pattern from one of my (many) beading magazines - just the confidence boost I've needed to try some new stitches and tackle some long lusted after projects.

To finish, I have a lovely story of trial and triumph! When we last saw Gemma's bracelet, she had put together a chain maille base and adorned it with some of the new Precosia Twinbeads, but there were a few issues. The bracelet wasn't particularly stable and took a while to put on because it kept twisting and turning - and the twinbeads kept moving around during the process. It just wasn't working.

So, she asked for advice in the forums and after umming and ahhing - and a little bit of swapping and changing - here's her beautiful Twinmaille Bracelet.

Gemma says "There were loads of fab suggestions from members on my blog and in the facebook group as to how I could fix the stability issue so thanks to everyone for the ideas. I added the 8s to the edge and changed it to a tight fitting bracelet with a clasp. One of the great things about taking out rows to make it tigher means I have some twins to spare now so I'll be making a pair of earrings to match at some point."

If you fancy joining in with this month's Finish Or Frog Along, pop over to The OTTBS Facebook Group for details.

The April Challenge

Welcome to the April Challenge! This month we would like you to make something in Citrus colours...

Oranges, lemons and limes

You can choose from lime greens, lemon yellows and zingy oranges but you must use at least two of the three citrus colours in your piece. And no other colours please!

Now here's the twist...we'd like you to include buttons somewhere in 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!

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. In either case, please mention that it's for the April Challenge so I know that it's your 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. I'm sorry but any entries that do not include beads will not be accepted. Your entry must be made especially for the challenge, please do not submit something that was made before the April 2012 challenge began.

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, metal spacer beads etc) are exempt from the colour challenge so you can use silver, gold or any other colour findings that fit in with your project.

When is the deadline for entries?
The deadline is 6pm (UK time) on Monday the 30th of April.

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. Our sponsors have agreed to post prizes overseas so you can still enter and be eligible for the prize!

We are sponsored this month by Yashma Creations and the prize...well the prize is a secret for now! But if you're a regular follower of our blog then you'll know all about the gorgeous prizes that Valentina has offered in the past. I'll update this post with more details and photographs when I receive them :)

The winner will be drawn by me (Liz) after 6pm on Monday the 30th of April, using the random list generator at www.random.org and announced later on the same evening.

Good luck everyone and happy beading!

The March Challenge - And the winner is...

Can you believe it? We had a total of 52 individual entries for the March challenge, that's the most entries we've had since the challenges began! Thanks to everyone who joined in this month and made a piece - or two - or three - with our purple and grey/silver colour scheme. Here's a recap of the photo I posted at the beginning of the month for your inspiration...

And here are all the lovely entries :)

Dorisanne
Butterfly based on a design by Leane de Graaf



Sarah



Liz



Rachael




Megan



Shirley Campbell



Dee



Deborah



Claire



Mary Marshall



Mary Kearney
(Design by Lynn Davy)



Jane Turnbull
(Design by Jane Lock)



Stephanie Mayo



Karin



Susan



Coral



Chris Maj



Donna



Julie



Gemma
(Design by Tracey Crystal Gwilliams)



Vimala
(Designs by Mikki Ferrugiaro, Gwen Fisher,
Sabine Lippert and Cynthia Newcomer Daniel)




Catherine
(From a tutorial by Laura Zeiner)



Jan



Deborah Smith



Padmini



Kristen
(Design by Jill Wiseman)



Danielle



Stephanie McFarland



Lynsey



Carol



June
(Earrings designed by Tracey Crystal Gwilliams)


Vicky



Klazine



And Elisebev



Maureen



Tracy



Ev



Jane Marley



Carolyn



Louise
(Pattern by Penny Crawley)


Nicole



Shirley Jones Moore

I put everyone's names into the list randomizer at Random.org and the the person who is at the top of the list is...


Congratulations Gemma, you're the winner of the fabulous collection of beads and crystals from RB Beads!

Well that's it for the March challenge, I hope you've all had a great time designing, making, and seeing all the beautiful entries. Remember to check back tomorrow when we'll have a brand new challenge and another fabulous prize for April!