Battle Update

Another quick update on the Battle of the Beadsmith.  Here's who's competing with who in Round 1.

1) Jacquie Champion-Canada vs Irina Chikineva-Russia

2) Anastasia O'sarantseva-Ireland vs Annie Hatvani-Hungary

3) Lea Palickova-Czech Republic vs Alla Maslennikova -Russia

4) Christina Neit-USA vs Christine Boyer Maj-USA

5) Hannah Rosner-USA vs Kassie Inman-USA

6) Olga Haserodt-Germany vs Melissa Ingram-Australia

7) Ulyana Rakcheyeva Seryankina-USA vs Joanne Browne-Australia

8) Mouna Marini-France vs Nancy Dale-USA

9) Nella Moskvichjova-Russia vs Linda Roberts-USA

10) Denise Kangas-Czech Republic vs Ibolya Ingesne Barkoczi-Hungary

11) Heather Kingsley Heath-United Kingdom vs Katherine Gezey-Ukraine

12) Alla Vizir-Ukraine vs Sandra Dokter van Esveld-Netherlands

13) Olga Shumilova-Russia vs Patrick Duggan-Australia

14) Ella Des-Belgrade Serbia vs Neva Brown-Australia

15) Christian Rodriguez-USA vs Marta Koudelova-Czech republic

16) Ann Braginsky-Israel vs Edgar Lopez Disenos-Dominican Republic

17) Susan Brackett-USA vs Callie Mitchell-USA

18) Jill Thomas-United Kingdom vs Maryanne Villalba-Australia

19) Tammuna Lezhava-Georgia vs Kinga Nichols-USA

20) Iva Jar-Czech Republic vs Olga Petterson-Sweden

21) Guzialia Reed-Japan vs Katka Vaclavikova-Czech Republic

22) Marsha Wiest Hines-USA vs Eva Dobos-Hungary

23) Orsolya Fuzesi-Hungary vs Cynthia Newcomer Daniel-USA

24) Betty Stephan-USA vs Elka Leonhardt Rath-Germany

25) Eva Csizmadiz Lajosne-Hungary vs Mikki Ferrugiaro-USA

26) Jennifer Chasalow Van Benschoten-USA vs Ekaterina Kalinina-Russia

27 Sharayah Sheldon-USA vs Miriam Cielo Shimon-Israel

28) Sue Horine-USA vs Misan Tejre-Sweden

29) Anneta Valious-France vs Lynn Day-United Kingdom

30) Alexandra Sydorenko -USA vs Katalin Budaine Nagy-Hungary

31) Rosita Pisarchick-USA vs Helena Tang-Singapore

I am doomed to losing the first round, but being a trooper, I am putting on my battle gear and will fight to the death. lol

Battle of the Beadsmith Update

Since returning from Bead & Button in Milwaukee and from visiting my family in South Dakota, I've been working on my Battle of the Beadsmith (BOTB) piece.  I thought I'd share some sneak preview pictures to show my progress.

Here's a close up of some of my focal beads:

Oh, gee, is it blurry?  Sorry about that. 

Ha Ha!  You do know that I can't show you anything before the big reveal of all the entries, right?!   Stay tuned for future progress pictures.  ;D

Pieces from 80 bead artists from around the world will be sent to The Beadsmith (sponsor of this big event) on or before July 10.  Many have finished their pieces, but I'm still working on mine.

If you would like to meet the artists and see some extraordinary examples of their beadwork, click here.  The actual contest entries will not be shown until after July 10.

How a Customer Used one of my Dichroic Glass Cabs

Just a quick post to show off how a customer used one of my dichroic glass cabs to create a custom ordered necklace.  The creator is Joan Fine of JFine Design on Etsy.

I love how she picks up the flashes of color in the dichroic glass cab with the Swarovski crystals around the chain.

Special thanks to Joan for allowing me to use her picture.

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.