Sunday 30 June 2013

The June Challenge - And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who joined in with our challenge for June. We hope you enjoyed playing with turquoise and pink. Before we announce the winner, let's have another look at the fun photo featuring our colour scheme...


And here are the fabulous entries!




































Everyone's names were entered into the list randomizer at Random.org and the lucky beader who's name is in the number 1 position is...


Congratulations Tammy, you've won the £25 voucher to spend at Beads and More by Yashma!

We hope you've enjoy seeing all the wonderful entries and taking part in our challenge. Pop by tomorrow when we'll have a brand new challenge for July!

Sunday 23 June 2013

Special Guest Star June Giveaway!


This month we are lucky enough to have a "Special Guest Star" Giveaway from the lovely Nancy Dale of NedBeads on Etsy! Nancy is a beader and designer from New England and an active member of the OTTBS Facebook group. Nancy is very generously giving away one of her fabulous custom made bead soups (yummy!), which she is happy to custom make in your favourite colours and not one but TWO of her stunning tutorials (winners choice) to one very lucky winner!

Here is an example of Nancy's previous bead soups:

And one of her beautiful patterns:
To be in with a chance of winning, please comment on this post by Midnight BST 6th July and I will draw a winner and announce on the 7th July.

Good luck everyone and thank you so much to Nancy for this wonderful opportunity to win such beady fabulousness!

Sarahx

Saturday 1 June 2013

The June Challenge

Welcome to the June challenge! This month we have a bright and fun colour scheme for you to play with, we'd like you to create something in Pink and Turquoise.

For this challenge we are accepting the blue end of the turquoise spectrum only, not the green, but any shades of pink are allowed. The picture above is just a fun representation of our colour challenge, and may contain other colours. Due to the fabulous prizes on offer each month we’re pretty strict on the colours allowed, so no colours other than pink and turquoise please! Note: if you are using a focal bead or cabochon in your design, it can have small amounts of other colours in it, provided the main colours of it fit our challenge. But the beads you use with it must be in our challenge colours only.

Now here's the twist...we'd like you to include one or more Cabochons somewhere in your entry. For the purposes of our challenge, a cabochon is a flat-back hole-less bead with a domed surface, either smooth or faceted and can be made of any material of your choice. The 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 photograph to Liz at ottbs@live.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 June Challenge so we 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. We're sorry but any entries that do not include beads in some form or another will not be accepted. Your entry must be made especially for the challenge, please do not submit something that was made before June 1st 2013.

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 so that we can give them 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.

Can I use beads or crystals with an AB coating?
Yes, AB coated beads or crystals are allowed provided that the overall bead colour still fits in with the challenge.

Can I use clear crystals or beads in my entry?
We've had a discussion about this and decided that, although technically it's not a colour, we aren't allowing clear beads or crystals unless we've specified it in the challenge.

When is the deadline for entries?
The deadline is 6pm (GMT) on Sunday the 30th of June.
  
Can I enter more than once?
You can make as many pieces as you like using the chosen colour way. 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!

Any other questions?
If you have any questions about the challenge please feel free to email Liz at ottbs@live.com

The Prize
This month our sponsor is Valentina and she's offering a £25 voucher to spend in her Etsy shop Beads and More by Yashma!

The winner will be drawn by Liz after 6pm on Sunday the 30th of June  using the random list generator at www.random.org and announced later on the same evening.

Good luck everyone and happy beading!