Tag: design challenge

Art Elements July Theme Challenge Reveal – Seed Pods

Published on by Lesley23 Comments

This months Art Elements design challenge is hosted by the lovely Jennifer Cameron and for her theme she chose seed pods. I’ve used these as inspiration for my work a number of times in the past and I started off with an array of ideas for projects in various mediums. However, for one reason or another I’ve  been in a particularly uncreative frame of mind this month. Heatwaves are not helpful as the hotter it gets the slower I go eventually grinding to a halt altogether. Anyway, to cut a long story short I got to this past weekend with nothing sorted so I had to curb my ambitions and cut my cloth accordingly…or rather my polymer clay as that’s what I decided to go with. Continue reading “Art Elements July Theme Challenge Reveal – Seed Pods” →

Turning Tides – Art Elements Design Challenge

Published on by Lesley13 Comments

I swear someone is stealing days from the months…I can’t believe it’s time for another Component of the Month design challenge reveal already! But it is and the pretties we were give to play with this month come in the form of these gorgeous lampwork focals by Jen Cameron. True to form I forgot to photograph my particular bead but it looks similar to the one back left in this image. Continue reading “Turning Tides – Art Elements Design Challenge” →

AJE ‘Use Your Stash” Challenge Reveal.

Published on by Lesley18 Comments
For this months AJE challenge, instead of working with a specific component we were charges with getting into our bead stashes and designing with something we already have. This  is a good way to to get yourself going after the new year especially if like me, you creative motivation has gone into hibernation!
I bought these beads from Tracey Seder Donoughe at Bead Fest and I absolutely adore them. So much so that when I go to my stash I invariably spend time just looking at them still amazed at the incredible detail with each one like a tiny little vessel. They are also extremely tactile have the most wonderful feel to them that just makes you want to touch them.

It suddenly occurred to me that if I turned some of these into a bracelet then they would be there to see and touch whenever I was wearing it…almost like worry beads I guess. I pulled out half a dozen of the blue cream beads because they pair well with my daily uniform of jeans and would therefore get lots of wear. It’s a fairly simple design with the beads wire wrapped and linked to each other and I’ve interspersed them with labradorite dangles to give some fluidity and movement to the piece.

I’m pretty happy with it and am keen now to do something with the rest of Tracie’s beads.

I also managed to whip up a quick pair of earrings using some of my AJE team stash. I have a whole flock of Caroline’s bird beads and I recently acquired some egg shaped lampwork headpins from Jen Cameron in a beautiful mottle glass – a perfect match for these cute little earrings.

I wash also hoping to have a third piece finished for this challenge but life intervened so this beaded piece with a wonderful focal by Birgitta Legonkou is a work in progress. The theme for this is serenity and I’ll come back and share it when I do get finished.

In the meantime I hope you will take a little time to follow out blog hop and see what our guest designers and the rest of the AJE team have created for this months challenge – just use the links below. Happy hopping!
AJE team:
Lesley Watt – you are here
Guests: 
Melissa – Bead Recipes
Tammy – Paisley  Lizard
Sarajo – SJ Designs
Kathy – Bay Moon Designs
Lola – Bead Lola Bead
Samantha – Wescott Jewelry
Mona – Bijoux Gem

Suntsa – Suntsan
Brooke – Artistic Endeavours 101

Lesley

Spring Fever Design Challenge

Published on by Lesley237 Comments

It’s been a pretty tough winter for many of us in all corners of the globe including incredible storms and floods here in the UK and severe and lengthy snowfall in the US and Canada. I usually like the cooler months but even I’ve had enough now and can’t wait for the arrival of spring. So I had a little chat with my mate Caroline from Blueberri beads and we decided it was time to host a ‘Spring Fever’ Design Challenge to help nudge it along it’s way. This is your chance to get some beautiful spring themed beads at a great price and
then show us what you can do with them at our blog hop.

Participants in the challenge will each receive one of these colourful layered ceramic flower focal and accent bead sets made by me…

And an adorable painted bird ceramic bead set from Caroline…

I’m also delighted that the lovely Claire Braunbarth of Smitten Beads is joining us for this challenge and is contributing these gorgeous lengths of sari silk.

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that these are pretty cool challenge packs and they’ll be available at a cost of £12 GBP plus shipping (£2.50 GBP UK/ £3.75 GBP Overseas) per set to 20
lucky people who will be randomly selected from their comments on this post and Caroline’s challenge post. If you win a spot in the challenge you will receive a surprise package containing one flower focal set, one bird bead set and a length of sari silk which you can use with beads from your own
stash to create as many pieces as you like and then join us for the blog
hop on Wednesday 16th April.

So, do you fancy trying your luck..? silly question – of course you do…! 
All you have to do to enter is comment on this post or on Caroline’s challenge blog post but please note – you must be willing to take part in the blog hop on Wednesday 16th April. There are are lots of ways you can increase your chances
of winning too… do any of the following and leave an additional comment each time and you will get an extra entry for each one:
Don’t forget to leave a separate comment for each method to maximise your chances though!

The draw will close at 8pm GMT on Wednesday 26th February
and I will randomly select and announce the winners on Friday 28th February. Winners will be sent an e mail asking them to forward payment in Great British Pounds to my Paypal address – payments should be made as quickly as
possible to ensure beads are shipped in good time. We will aim to have all packs shipped by Monday 10th March which will allow five plus weeks for delivery and design.

It’s as simple as that so good luck and I’ll see you back here on the 28th and hope you’ll be with us for the big reveal.

Oh, and I’ll also be adding some similar pieces to my shop in the near future so watch out for announcements about that.

Lesley