2012 Battle of the Beadsmith

And so it begins - The 2012 Battle of the Beadsmith!   You say, "What in the world is a Beadsmith Battle?!"

This is the first (and hopefully annual) beadweaving battle for beaders from around the world.  The battle was the brainstorm of mastermind Steven Weiss of the Beadsmith/ Helby company.  They distribute beads and beading supplies to bead stores all over the globe.  What better way to inspire the love of beads than getting 80 beaders from around the world to create some beading masterpieces? 

If you are on facebook, you can read more about this contest and get to know the participants as well as see some fabulous beadwork HERE.

While the name implies a fierce fight to the finish, it is really a celebration of beads and beaders everywhere.  The 80 participants from twenty-two different countries have been paired up with another beader (names were drawn out of a hat by the Weiss kids).  All participants will secretly create a beading masterpiece (gulp!!) and send pictures to the Beadsmith in early July.  The judges (all participants, plus an extra panel of judges) will choose between the two matched participants.  So in the first round, 40 beaders will be eliminated.  The remaining 40 beaders will then be matched in pairs and voting will eliminate 20 of these.  And so on until only the champion remains standing.  What a proud moment that will be for the last beader standing!! 

The participants who will battle it out are (by country)

Australia:

 Patrick Duggan

 Melissa Ingram

 Joanne Browne

 Neva Brown

 Lauren Macgregor

 Maryanne Villalba
 Karyn Healey-White
 Noel Wyres

Belgium:

 Laurence Dethier

Belgrade/Serbia:

 Ella Des

Canada:

 Jacquie Champion

Czech Republic:

 Lea Palickova

 Katka Vaclavikova

 Marta Koudelova

 Denisa Kangas

 Iva Jar

Dominican Republic:

 Edgar Lopez Disenos

France:

 Anneta Valious

 Mouna Marini

Georgia:

 Tamuna Lezhava

Germany:

 Elke Leonhardt Rath

 Olga Haserodt

Hungary:

 Annie Hatvani
 Eva Dobos

 Orsolya Füzesi

 Ibolya Ingesné Barkóczi

 Éva Csizmadia Lajosné

 Katalin Budainé Nagy

Ireland:

 Anastasia O'sarantseva

Israel:

 Ann Braginsky

 Miriam Cielo Shimon

Italy:

 Eliana Maniero

Japan:

 Guzialia Reed

Mexico:

 Sigifredo Contreras

Netherlands:

 Sandra Dokter van Esveld

Russia:

 Irina Chikineva

 Nella Moskvichjova

 Julia Turova

 Alla Maslennikova

 Olga Shumilova

 Ekaterina Kalinina

 Marina Nosova

Sweden:

 Olga Petterson

 Misan Tejre

 Nausikaa Dahllof

 Anna Lindell

Singapore:

 Helena Tang

Ukraine:

 Alla Vizir

 Katherine Gezey

 Anna Bystryk

United Kingdom:

 Heather Kingsley Heath

 Jill Thomas
 Lynn Davy

USA:

 Linda Roberts (me) :)

 Sharayah Sheldon

 Nancy Dale

 Cynthia Newcomer Daniel

 Marsha Wiest Hines

 Carol Dean Sharpe

 Christina Neit

 Sue Horine
 Alexandra Sydorenko

 Betty Stephan

 Callie Mitchell

 Christian Rodriguez

 Kinga Nichols

 Mikki Ferrugiaro

 Amy Katz

 Kassie Inman

 Dini Alves

 Jennifer Chasalow VanBenschoten
 Rosita Pisarchick

 Roxan O'brien

 Christine Boyer Maj
 Kathy King

 Susan Brackett

 Hannah Rosner

 Terri Richards

 ARachel Nelson Smith

 Ulyana Rakcheyeva Seryankina

I am fully prepared to do my best and also to be eliminated in the first round. lol 

Stay tuned for future posts about the judges and the piece I will be making.