Bead Challenge – A Girl Needs a Hint of Sparkle!

Do you notice anything particular about this young lady?

She is gorgeous, of course, but she could use some jewelry, don’t you think?

(Spoken like the incorrigible jewelry-lover that I am!) 😉

You are invited to join our 3rd Bead Design Challenge, where you’ll use your imagination to design some bling for this girl!

Will you make earrings? A necklace? A bracelet, perhaps? Or maybe a complete set!

Will it be sophisticated? Classic? Playful? Do you envision her in an up-to-date design – something to bring her into the 21st century?

You’re the artist, so it will be whatever you decide! 😀

Read on for all the details.

We have Prizes and Perks!
It’s our 3rd challenge and I’m delighted to announce that at the conclusion of this event THREE of the participants – chosen at random – will receive a prize!

First Prize is the following treasure trove of Vintage Beads

Worth over $65.00! I’ve carefully selected this assortment which includes: Vintage Glass, Vintage Swarovski, Vintage Lucite Beads, Vintage Findings, an Artisan-crafted Polymer Clay Pendant in Tango Orange (the color of the year), and a beautiful Vintage Intaglio Glass Cameo in soft blue with beveled edges.


Second Prize is a $30 Shopping Spree in our Bead Shop!


Third Prize is a $20 Shopping Spree in our Bead Shop!


ALL registered participants who did not win one of the above prizes will receive a coupon for 30% off any purchase during June 2012 in our Bead Shop.


ALL registered participants will have their designs publicized here on the blog, and also on my website and facebook page! I will include links to your shop and/or your website – as you wish. Look for the “Showcase of Designs” on May 16, 2012! Our previous challenges had some amazingly beautiful results so you won’t want to miss all the fun and inspiration this time! 🙂

To Qualify as a “Registered Participant” (and be eligible for the Prize Drawings, the Discount Coupon, and Design Promotion) you must do the following:

1. Create your jewelry design using at least one product (beads or findings) purchased from our etsy bead shop. Of course, you can buy more than one product, but I imagine you will want to use items from your own stash to complement your choice(s) from Bead Happily Ever After!

2. Email a clear photo of your finished design by 9:00 p.m. EST on May 12, 2012. to: crystal (at) beadhappilyeverafter (dot) com
(In fairness to all, any photos received after the deadline must be disqualified.)

3. Include:
Your Name
Your Email address
The Link (if any) that you’d like me to place with the photo of your design when I promote your work!

Optional: If you like, you can also add a brief description of your design for me to use with your photo and shop link.

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old to enter. After the completion of the challenge, the names of the three prize winners will be announced here and they will also be notified by email. If a winner fails to respond to email within one week from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen.

All registered entrants will receive a 30% off coupon code, by email, at the conclusion of the challenge.
When you enter, you retain all rights to your original designs, but you give permission for Bead Happily Ever After to use your photo on all Bead Happily Ever After sites to promote and showcase your work.

Remember – all entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on May 12, 2012. You can find periodic updates on this Design Challenge by clicking the link in the sidebar to the right of this page!

So c’mon! Let’s get started. Spread the word – all are welcome! 😀

I can’t wait to see what you create to “dress-up” the lovely lady.

Hugs,

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For the Love of Beads

Before I became a bead seller, I was a bead customer! 🙂

As a customer, I’d occasionally receive free beads with my order but – more often than not – they were disappointing.

It usually seemed obvious that these “free” beads were “seconds”, or were the leftover styles and colors that hadn’t sold.

I used to think: “Why bother? I don’t need the rejects. It would be so much nicer to receive a little gift I could actually use.”

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Once I became a bead seller, myself, those early experiences served me well. They helped me to formulate my own policies for appreciating my customers.

If you’ve ever shopped with me, you know I LOVE to include a sample of our beads with every order. It’s fun for me to select something I think you might enjoy!

How do I decide which beads? Well, sometimes, I have a new item in stock that I am excited for you to see. Other times, I look for a clue to your preferences in the beads you’ve just purchased! 🙂

It’s always a special treat for me to see what you eventually create with our beads. Recently, a customer sent me photos of jewelry she made with a sample of these beads, which I had tucked inside her order. . .

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Look at the pretty set she designed!

Earrings

Necklace

She tells me that she has fallen in in love with Vintage Lucite Beads and I can totally understand . . .

In her own words:

“I love vintage plastic beads because they are lightweight and durable. The designs are striking and the colors are vibrant, which makes these 40+-year-old beads a pleasure to work with. I have to hide them from my kids (ages 1.5 and 3.5) because they are convinced I have boxes full of candy!”

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Be sure to stop by and take a peek at AvocadoEggroll’s delightful jewelry shop!

You can find it by clicking here.

Hugs,

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Ode to Spring Jewelry

Happy Monday, Kids! (or whatever day it is when you visit 🙂 )
Now that we’re officially ensconced in Daylight Saving Time, can Spring be far behind!?!

Whenever I think of Spring, I think of violets. They grow wild around here. When my kids were little – they loved to run in from play and surprise me with violets they had gathered. How I loved seeing the excitement in their faces and those sweet little hands offering up a tiny bouquet.

Hey, Crystal! Is that why you love purple so much?

Hmmm, you know, that hadn’t occurred to me until just this minute – but maybe so!

I currently have a real case of spring fever and it’s spilling over into my jewelry-making. I just finished a necklace – a choker, really. It drapes so nicely – I may not be able to part with it. (I hate when that happens! LOL) It does remind me of a spring bouquet!

Next, I have earrings. The purple tones and the sheen of the pearls could be compared to violets in the morning dew, don’t you think?

And finally . . . we’ve certainly waited patiently enough for the bleak winter landscape to awaken in shades of green! Before we know it, the leaves will be bursting and this next piece, a pendant, showcases lots of spring greens (or was I subconsciously thinking about the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day?).  😉

Do you have Spring fever, too?

Hugs,

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Worth A Thousand Words

Sometimes a picture really can be worth a thousand words.
In these photos, I see many of my favorite things . . .

Tea, bone china teacups, flowers (especially pansies), the act of making jewelry, (and jewelry, itself!), bracelets, BEADS!, the color purple, aurora borealis . . .

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Not too long ago, I spent an afternoon making this bracelet.

It was a welcome break during a particularly busy week.

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What are you up to lately? 😀

Hugs,

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Valentine Design Challenge – RESULTS

Today’s the big day! 😀

It’s time to unveil the results of our Valentine’s Design Challenge.

Wait until you see all the pretty jewelry that was created for this event!

Participants incorporated at least one bead or finding from our bead shop into their designs!

I grouped those items for you to see the variety of supplies that were used!

There were some traditional Valentine-themed choices

And then there were some that were not as traditional.

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Are you ready to see the results? 😀

(Entries are shown in random order!)

From Carolyn O. – “English Country Garden Bouquet Necklace for Your Valentine”. Click here to visit her shop!

From Jennifer – “Essence of Flowers” Pandora-style Bracelet and Matching Earrings! Click here to visit her shop!


From Brenda – “Red Heart Dangle Bracelet with Matching Earrings” and “Vintage Aqua Crystal Dangling Hearts Earrings”. Click here to visit her shop!


From Charlene – “Cascading Pink and White Necklace with Sterling Hearts”. Click here to visit her shop!


From Linda – “Crystal Heart Earrings”! Click here to visit her shop!


From Marge – “Turquoise and Gold Free-form Heart Pendant”, “Bird of Paradise Pendant”, and “Turquoise Beaded Necklace Set”. Click here to visit her shop!


From Donna – Donna writes: “My necklace is called “Kissing Hearts”. I loved working with Crystal’s hearts and tubes. And will definitely make a second one and a bracelet. Thanks so much for hosting this challenge.”
Click here to visit her shop!


From Pat – “Victorian Heart Necklace” Click here to visit her shop!


From Jo – “Pink with Gold Hearts Earrings” Click here to visit her shop!


From Elizabeth – “Beaded Tassel Wristlet” Click here to visit her shop!


From Annia – “Teal and White Pearl Necklace” Click here to visit her shop!


From Joyce – “Silver and Pink Dangling Heart Earrings” Click here to visit her shop!


From Darcy – “Cupids Heart Filigree Bead Embroidered Necklace” Click here to visit her shop!


From Dawno – “Infinity Knot Heart Earrings” Click here to visit her shop!


From Carolyn L. – “Asymetrical Hearts Necklace” Click here to visit her shop!


Wasn’t that WONDERFUL?

Thank you, thank you to all the participants!

I am so impressed and very appreciative of everyone’s effort, here.

Another challenge will be announced in the Spring. 😀

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The Prizes

Oh yes – the shopping spree winners! 😀

The randomly drawn winners are Linda and Brenda! Both ladies have $25.00 to spend on any purchase in my bead shop (email coming to you)!

But remembernone of the participants leave empty-handed! If you did not win the shopping spree – watch your email for a 30% off coupon code, which will be valid in my bead shop from now until the end of March!

Hugs,

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