Welcome 2011! In Celebration...A BOC Contest!

Welcome to 2011 BOC Members~

If you're anything like me, you have tons of ideas to put into action this year. I create clay pendants, beads, buttons and so forth.  I even like to create them into unique jewelry that I sell at art shows throughout the summer.  Maybe you create jewelry too.  Maybe you've been thinking about creating your own jewelry out of some of your interesting clay pieces.  With this in mind, let's talk....Grab your coffee or tea & something sweet, get comfortable and share with your BOC friends, your favorite suppliers on your jewelry making list...Let's say at least two.  Let's hear what terrific products you purchase there and why...

We have set up Inlinkz so you can post your links too!   

So to start off the year right, we have a productive & easy contest. 

• List 2  or more of your favorite suppliers
• List your favorite products & post the link
• Let us know what make them your preferred supplier

It's that simple!  The winner will be chosen in numerical order of posts by Random.org ...

anyone who posts can win!  

Win what you say???? 

How about a year's subscription to your favorite Beading Magazine and 3 Strands of gemstones to get you in the jewelry designing mood!   The contest begins this morning and ends Sunday, January 16th....A whole week to get your post in!  

I'll start things off with my two favorites....

1.  The BeadSmith...Helby Import Company-this is a wholesale company...They really carry everything you would possibly need! I like their greek leather to create leather necklaces and knotted bracelets...it comes in a ton of colors and has great pricing! I also pick up sterling earwires, beads, chain and well priced tools.  I've included a link, however you need to set up an account to enter the website - Usually only two days to ship! Visit Helby
2.  Mrs Jahns's Treasures (Etsy).. I pick up wonderful & interesting
earwires here in silver colored and antiqued copper...I've also purchased charms, chain, leather etc.  She has great prices, is wonderful to work with & ships quickly! Visit Mrs. Jahn's Treasures

Now....if you're not making jewelry yet...please post 2 suppliers that you're using for clay, glaze, packaging etc.  You can still enter to win by sharing your valuable information!

Good Luck and Best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year!
                                   Melinda 

Honoring the Earth Challenge

We have another beautiful entry to the Honor the Earth Challenge!

Look at all these wonderful beads by

Clayworks of New Hampshire
Handcrafted Jewelry and Ornaments by Lisa Boucher
http://www.clayworksnh.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5613771

I really like how Lisa made her donuts with two holes.   I can see a lot of stringing options this this group of beads!

Lisa used the last photo in the challenge as her inspiration. 

Thank you all for participating!  A random winner was chosen from all our entries and the winner just happens to be the first person to finish their entry, Cindy Dolezal!  Cindy will be getting a wonderful grab bag from Marla's Mud! 

We here at the Beads-of-Clay Blog would like to continue to run challenges from time to time...perhaps monthly....   So that leads me to the question;  What makes a good Challenge?  What makes you as a designer jump into the design chair and get to work?  Is it all about the prizes?   Or is it something else?

Totally Hot and Very cool Challenge Prizes!

Beads-of-Clay artist Cindy Dolezal has donated some Totally Hot....

And Very Cool prizes for the Final section of our color challenge!

The Warm or Cool Color Scheme challenge ends on May 14th so you have plenty of time to get your designs made and photographs entered in the challenge.

You can enter my adding your photo to the Beads-of-clay flickr page with WARM or COOL in the title ---- or by contacting me via my Etsy shop http://www.artisanclay.etsy.com/ with a photograph of your warm or cool artwork.

There is still time to enter the Accented Neutral section of the challenge as well! I will choose a random winner from all entries labeled ACCENTED NEUTRAL on April 30th!

BOC Contest Updates

See Color Challenge Guidelines and Time frames

See Honor The Earth Contest ends May 22nd.

See Anddd the Winner is... Free giveaway ends May 12th

See Accented Neutral Color Scheme Contest ends April 30th

See Warm and Cool Color Scheme Contest ends May 14th

Honoring Earth

Hello, I am Sharleen Newland of Shaterra Clay Studio, and I will be blogging for BOC on Saturdays.

Today, in honor of Earth Day on Thursday, I wanted to write something nature related. ( Be sure to read all the way through to get contest info related to this post.)

Getting out into nature is a great way to overcome "creator's block" and get some new ideas to get you going again, as well as a way to renew oneself spiritually.

I take my dogs to the park almost every day. I love experiencing the change of seasons and it is amazing how things change almost daily in the spring and fall. I am lucky enough to live in a city with a thriving Metro Parks system that is well supported by the community. Just 2 miles from my house there are 3 parks connected with paved trails, (and trails through the woods) with ponds, and it is possible to walk for hours without having to turn around. This spring at 3 Creeks there is an eagle's nest (the eaglets hatched 2 weeks ago). Now that the trees are in leaf, the nest is no longer visible, but a nice man let me look through his scope about a month ago, and I got to see the male (well, the top of his head) warming the eggs.

Today on my walk I took my digital camera, and starting with my own garden I tried to look at things differently and record what I saw with my camera. The digital camera and editing software are such wonderful business and artistic tools. Ain't technology grand?
I hope you find artistic inspiration within my images.

Now for the Contest!

The winner will receive a grab bag from Marlasmud, worth at least $50.00!

Please use these images to inspire a new piece of Artwork using Earth clay in some way. It could be a bead or pendant, or a piece of jewelry made with a clay bead or pendant. You have till Saturday May 22nd to get your pictures in to us! Judging will take place Monday May 24th by a panel of 6 BOC members, with the winner being anounced by Tuesday May 25th.

Good Luck!

Neutral Challenge Winner!

And the winner is..... Cindy Dolezal!

Great Job Cindy! Two in a row!

Accented Neutral Challenge Prizes

Look at this basket of goodies! Marla James has donated all 6 of these Art Beads as the prize for our accented neutral color scheme challenge. You still have plenty of time to get your entry made and photographed before the deadline in 2 weeks. Visit Marlasmud for more finished work my Marla James. Marla also sell her bisque fired clay pieces for your use at BisqueBeadSupply The deadline is April 30th.

Warm and Cool Color Schemes

Today is the start of the Warm and Cool color scheme challenge! Here we have some examples of clay bead jewelry I found looking through Etsy shops. I found this HOT Babe in Joan Miller's etsy shop. Joan used the hot colors of Red and Orange on her mermaid's hair and bikini.

In this Piece-- Heart on a string by MaryLou Holvenstot.
MaryLou used a clay button by Lisa Peters ART. Red is also a Warm color.

I love this Mellow Yellow necklace by Jen Judd Velasquez-- It uses a yellow "pumpkin" pottery bead that she picked up while on vacation a while back in North Carolina as well as a Kazuri bead

Now we switch over to the cool side of the challenge with Carol Dean Sharpe's Early Morning Tidal Pool. Carol used a Lisa Peter's ART Button in her Cool colored design.

And as soon as I started picking out cool color schemed designs, I knew I wanted to include this cuff by Tocadora Leather. Check it out--Principessa Azzurra Leather Cuff with Stoneware and Metal ButtonsAnd one more Cool example by Joan Miller--- Tiny Dancer Ballerina Pendant

Here is what Wiki says about warm and cool color schemes-- Warm color schemes do not include blue at all, and likewise, cool color schemes do not include red at all. For example, a color schemes that includes "warmer" colors are; orange, yellow, and red-orange. "Cooler" colors are green, violet, light blue ect.

Accented Neutral Color Scheme

It is time for the Accented Neutral Color Scheme Challenge!! Woot! Woot! This is fun stuff. In this piece I used a clay which I dug myself local to my home. The dark brown clay is accented by the Yellow Agate and what I believe is Picture Jasper chips.

And this pair of earrings uses the same colors. My hand dug clay dangles from Yellow Mother of Pearl chip drops.

And last but not least we have a Waxed linen Necklace with a Saggar fired clay bead Focal. There are lots of different Neutrals in this piece. Brown, Cream, Tan~~ and they are accented by the red smoke of the saggar firing.

WIKI SAYS----

Accented Neutral Color Scheme~~

A color scheme that includes neutral colors, like white, beige, brown, grey,or black, and one or more small doses of other colors. eg. Brown and beige with blue, gray and black with red.

The accented neutral section of the color challenge ends on April 30th. You still have time to get you work submitted for your chance to win prizes from Marla's Mud!
Here's how--
The winner will be chosen at random on Friday April 30th from all the accented neutral section entries. To enter your work for a chance to win beautiful Clay beads by Beads-of-Clay members, please add your photos to the Beads of Clay Flickr group.

Please label your photo with the color scheme you have used. Example: Accented Neutral. This is how I will know that you are playing along! If you have any trouble getting your entry into the Flickr Group, or have any other questions, please contact me, Kristie, at my Etsy shop or through my blog if that is easier for you. I look forward to seeing your entries!