Etsy/Retail Store Jewelry Design Challenge garnered some incredible talent!

Wow.  I was blown away by the breadth and scope of the talent we uncovered in our latest Jewelry Design challenge.  It is always a kick to see what folks come up with when provided with the same set of "raw materials."  The pieces are truly extraordinary and many of the participants have already submitted their designs to magazines.  Very inspiring, indeed! Take a look and tell us what you think:  there are prizes for the participants, and prizes for those who vote.

This was the kit that each volunteer received, for free!   Included were assorted copper findings, including our own glue in rivoli and rectangle stone components.  We also provided 8mm AB2x bicones, 4139 Cosmic rings, 4439 square stones, rivolis and more.

We have three different categories to consider when looking at the entries: 

1.  OH MY GOD!  I can't believe she made that!

2.  YUM....This is the one I would wear every single day.

3. PERFECT!   This one would make for a spectacular class!

Prize Details to follow...but first....lets take a peak at all of the spectacular sparkle:

1.  AMANDA CARROLL:  Amanda, who owns the Bead Boutique bead store and also maintains an Etsy shop, fashioned the killer cuff pictured at right.  She re-purposed an old purse to get the perfect shade of green she wanted to enhance the Vitrail Medium crystals.

Here is a description of her journey:

It was quite the process to decide what do make! I finally decided on using a brass cuff blank as my base. At first I thought I would rivet the settings to the blank but then I remembered this old purse I'd been hanging onto and it became the perfect background to embroider the elements onto.

I flattened the cuff and traced the outline onto the leather. Then I did a freeform design with the elements.

I cut the leather to size and used e-6000 to glue it to the blank. I then reshaped the cuff and placed a finishing strip on the underside.

I love the lime green background against the crystals.

Thanks for letting me play!

2.  MICHELLE HEIM:  Michelle is the owner of Beadalotta, a Michigan bead store.  Michelle has long inspired me...she is a young woman on a mission!   Michelle hustles to stay on top of trends, navigates social media, sends out newsletters, designs innovative classes, etc.  She designed an embroidered necklace aptly named "Cirque:"

Here is this month's project.  Again...forgot to take pictures of the in progress....

This one went outside of my box of my usual muted colors and warm earthy tones. 

I've called this project Cirque. This project was done with bead embroidery and peyote.  A very small amount of wire work was done to attach the clasp. I used 4 components from the kit--a rivoli,  2 cosmic squares and the large rectangular stone. I added in Delicas, 11/0 seed beads, 10/0 Triangle beads, 3 & 4mm firepolish and 8mm checker-board flatbacks.  The neckstrap was made by tying a larkshead knot around the cosmic squares with recycled sari silk.  This is the 1st time I've used fiber in a piece.  This one kept calling me back to work on it.Completion time:  30-40 hours

3.  MARGE GIRALTE:  Marge is another busy gal...like Michelle, Marge operates a bead and yarn store and maintains an Etsy store too.  Marge used the components in her kit to make an impressive three piece set.

She sent us a picture of her modeling the set with the following:

Might have to find an event to crash wearing this set.

In the words of Mae West, "Too much of a good thing is WONDERFUL!"

 You have to love a woman who quotes 1930's favorite bad girl, Mae West! 

After all...I like to think that there is a little bit of sexy vixen in all of us, don't you?

4.  JENNIFER LAVITE of Dry Gulch Beads is another Crafty Retailer who maintains a separate Etsy site.

  [NOTE TO RETAILERS:  Etsy appears to be a viable revenue stream for those seeking to sell supplies.  Consider it if you would like a supplemental revenue stream!]

I have never been a big believer in "Less is More" when it comes to personal adornment and it appears that Jennifer and I might be cut from the same cloth:

It is finished!!!!!!!!

I love the way the necklace turned out and I had a great time working with the extravagant materials you sent for this challenge.   

 

5.  JAMIE NORTH is a talented bead designer and consummate professional.   Jamie met the deadline while juggling an emergency trip to the vet and final preparations for the Bead & Button Show.   I was not surprised to learn that she is teaching at THE place to teach...her piece demonstrates a sophisticated eye and wonderful sense of balance and texture.   Yum...

 

6.  MAGGIE MCCLOUD operates an on-line store and is a talented jewelry designer and textile artist. She  fashioned the piece at left almost exclusively from the items provided in her kit.  Love, love, love the clasp.  The lucky owner of this piece will look as pretty coming or going!

7.  HEDY LATOS is a Canadian Designer who managed to put together a smashing necklace, despite having a kit with some missing pieces. 

Hedy works with her daughter, designer Andrea Latos.

One of the things that intrigued me about Hedy's design was that she designed it to be reversable!

I had a lot of fun working with the materials.  The colour combinations and materials are quite different than what we normally work with.  After I took the materials out of the packaging, I spread everything out on the table and spent some time moving the components around.  I knew that I wanted to make a necklace and so this was my starting point.  I decided to limit the materials to what I had received, adding very little.  In the end, I used some stringing wire, glue, a clasp and several 4mm bicones in gold tones to blend in with the pearls.  I left out the crystal squares and the seed beads (I never did receive the crystal rings).

I had originally planned on gluing the crystal squares to the copper filigree squares.  However, when I did this, I felt that the necklace looked overdone.  I removed the squares before the glue had time to set.

What I like about this design is that it's reversible.  It's colourful and sparkly on one side and is a more subdued but rich copper/blue combination on the other.  The gold pearls were a lovely contrast to the bright AB crystals.

8.  STACY SCHOELL:  Stacy is another of those talented multi taskers!  She is the owner of The Bead Bin and also maintains an Etsy shop.  Whew!  [UNRELATED ANECDOTE:  Stacy came up with a great Workshop/Customer Event with the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Jean Jacket."  Check out how it worked here.]  Here is what she had to say:

I have created a bib style necklace utilizing  all of the beads/crystals that were sent in the challenge kit.  The only item I did not use was the large rectangle crystal.  Instead I made the large focal bead with a silvered glass which was then encased in clear.  All of the lampwork accent beads are of the same glass and glass frit and pick up on the pink and purple shades in the rivoli crystals.  I also added 4mm Swarorovski bicones in Fucia, copper and seed beads that complement the colors and in the necklace.  I placed the rivolis and focal bead to one side creating a asymmetrical design.  I placed the square copper accents on top of the square crystal creating a medallion to suspend the necklace.

9.  SHANNON JAMBARD is the talented owner of Meant to Bead.  Her elegant set would be a hit with the beady ladies that frequented my shop.  Shannon shared the following:

 

Here is what Meant to Bead LLC finished with for your Challenge project.  I gotta say I loved working on this challenge.  When the package came in the mail and we opened it.  We were at blown away with the beauty of the crystals, then came the actual “you want us to put all that together and make it look good?” part.  As you can see I feel we have met the challenge with flying colors!  We decided to go for the Victorian look.  As we are a bead store we went for a formal jewelry set .  We decided to pull together a little bit of advice from many of my artist/teachers.  “One said Chain maile , You must use chain maile “  Another said “I think it would look nice if you did some wire working and cage each stone.”  “ I had the idea of a rosary chain ”  When we took bits and pieces of each I think it turned out quite stunning.  Thank you for including us in this challenge.  Please put our name in the pool for next time  Our store is ALWAYS up for a CHALLENGE! A lot of Ideas never even got used we have plenty more to add to another project.

10.  MELISSA MERCER is a true Indie Artist!  She works with Stampington by day and is a talented jewelry designer by night.  Her Etsy store can be found here.  Melissa has a style that I love...equal parts  urban chic and winsome sweetness!

She used a Vintaj ring blank to fashion a ring with spectacular  sparkle!

 

10.  COURTNEY LEUTHAUS is another Indie crafter whose work is showcased on Etsy.  She utilized the Challenge Kit to craft a show stopping necklace and ring set.  As with Melissa, Courtney opted for FULL ON BLING when it comes to the ring.  TREND ALERT:  My 17 year old daughter and all of her friends are riding the Big Ring wave.  Ring blanks  are readily available, making RINGS a great Make and Take project for stores.  Check out the ring blanks from Helby and Vintaj.



11.  GLOW.  Glow is the "out of the box" artist that I featured in a recent blog post.  She uses the"bits and pieces" that she finds along the way to craft EXTRAORDINARY jewelry.  Do yourself a favor and check out her Etsy store...you will find the poetic descriptions of her designs as lovely as the pieces themselves!  In true Glow fashion, she crafted a killer piece that features dismembered doll parts:

Here is what she shared with us:

Here are photos of the piece I created for the challenge!  Thanks so much for sending the goods....  Also here is the link to the listing on Etsy.

I had such a great time with all this bling....   Of course, no crimps 

were used by ME!   Just beaded up a mix of the crystals, vintage gold 

plated bar chain links, pukka shells, shabby antique pearly textured beads and even threw in the round cabs in the actual bezels they belonged in(way out of the norm for me... but I like it).  The square connector things gave me a headache but I worked 'em in there in the end(phew!).  Seed 

beads were immediately chucked in the vial along with the small pearls...  

that made things a bit easier for me.  Of course Charlotte came out to play... a legless one, but her arms joined the mix (one shoved in a bullet 

casing and then in the vial)....   I used the third round bezel to cap the 

vial and the larger rectangle bezel as a home to vintage black lace and 

charlotte’s other severed arm.   JEEPERS!  I drone on and on.... ;)

I am rather chuffed with the outcome!  I really love the dark and sparkling nature of it!  I chose the title after a poem I thought was perfectly fitting as this was block building in a way (with old and new!)...

 

Thanks for the experience... Those beads were downright gleaming!

Warm Regards and laughter,

Glow

Wow! Her work is a delight and her writing is equally so.

12.  STEPHANIE TEMPLETON is an Etsy Artist with a sophisticated yet trendy style.  She made three (3!) very different pieces from the Kit, each equally lovely.  Here is what she had to say about them:

#1)  The necklace at left is for the lady who is equally elegant yet bold!  This statement piece will rock the LBD as well as jeans and a t-shirt.  18" length.  Additions:  vintage pin, green pearls, antique finish toggle.

 

#2)  The necklace at right is "Victorian charm meets the 21st century! "  Length- 16 1/2", plus 2 1/2" drop.  Additons:  Peridot teardrop, chain and toggle.

  

#3)  Urban chic!  the piece at left may be worn as a set or individually.  Shorter necklace is 17".  Additions:  Citrine teardrops, swarovski crystals, gold clasp.  Longer necklace is 44" in length.  May be worn long and dramatic of wrapped as a double.

 

Technique I used was basic beading on wire.

13.  HANNAH ROSNER.  Finally, we look to the piece created by artist Hannah Rosner of Good River Gallery.  Is she for real?  I mean, really!   I don't know whether to be embarassed by my work or inspired by Hannah's!   Her hands work magic with a needle and thread and she exhibiting at Bead and Button this year so make sure to stop by and say hello!  Hannah was kind enough to blog about the process, so if you want the "How To", check it out here.

Thank you so much to all of the talented volunteers who participated in the challenge.  WHAT FUN IT WAS TO SEE THE VARIED AND CREATIVE MANNER EACH OF YOU CHOSE WHEN FOLLOWING YOUR CREATIVE MUSE!!!

Now, readers...it is up to you!  Send us your comments and your choice for the winners in following categories:

1.  OH MY GOD!  I can't believe she made that!

2.  YUM....This is the one I would wear every single day.

3. PERFECT!   This one would make for a spectacular class!

Make sure to tell us WHY a particular design appeals to you!

Now for the PRIZE INFO:

EACH CATEGORY WINNER:  will receive a package of Swarovski crystal with a wholesale value of  at least $150!
Three winners will be chosen at random from those who vote!  Each of these winners will receive a package of Swarovski crystal with a wholesale value of $50! 

So let's get some feedback! 

IN OTHER NEWS:

If the idea of a challenge sounds appealing, we have one more kit left for the June challenge, pictured below.  Let me know...fast...if you want to participate!

 

Whew!  This post was longer than expected so look for the Tablerunner tutorial next week.  Now I am off to make dinner!  Ciao!