2008 Swarovski Creative Beading Awards

Its on again. Check out the 2008 Swarovski Creative Beading Award Entries at www.crystalpark.com.au. Vote for your fav each month until the end of the comp when the offical judges pick the final 25, and of course the winner. As usual great prizes up for grabs, terms and conditions of entry can be found at
http://www.crystalpark.com.au//cgi-bin/cn17325/awards

Back home safe and sound

Argyra's Crown my award winning Bridal Tiara arrived home safe and sound yesterday from the Sydney Bead and Gem Show co-ordiators (Conference and Exhibition Organisers).

I also received my certificates and prizes along with a lovely letter encouring me to enter again next year. The standard of finalists entries was very high this year, so will certainly have to come up with something even more amazing next year. Already have a few ideas about what I'd like to submit.

This piece "Cooper for Cleopatra" was also a finalist at the 2007 Sydney Bead and Gem show.

But as I'd entered it the 2007 Creative Beading Awards of Excellance and it was selected amongst the Top 25, I couldn't send it for judging at the Bead and Gem show.

But its all good, "CC" is currently doing the rounds of the Craft and Quilt Fairs in Australia and New Zealand as part of the Swarovski Creative Beading exhibition which is great exposure.

Check out the Craft and Quilt fair website www.craftfair.com.au for dates and locations.

More Beach and Sea

Been a few days since I posted here.

Yesterday I went off to the Craft and Stitches "Bead Fair" at the Brisbane Convention centre. Had a great day, fossicking amongst the beads and chatting to people.

Also checked out the Top 25 entries in the 2007 Swarovski Creative Beading Awards of Excellence. Baffling thing was that none of the entries had been tagged with the designers names or locations. Go figure!

Some brilliant work on display. Pity, the best pieces didn't even place in the Top 5. Don't get me wrong, am more than thrilled with my 12th placing out of 300 entries.

Aren't designs supposed to be original? Are the judges living under a Rock? Give up yet? YES.

As for the photography, it doesn't even rate a mention. Heck I can do better than that and I did. Talk about disappointing. My advice, find a photographer who is experienced at shooting Jewellery and give those truly talented Australian designers the recognition they so deserve.

Whilst I was at the Fair I picked up a few bits and bobs to finish off a couple of projects I had on the go. I finished both these today. I must say that was a marathon effort.

Two more pieces ready for my upcoming Jewellery Party....Phew!!

Waiting, Waiting....Excruciating

Winners and final place getters for the 2007 Swarovski Creative Beading Comp will be announced 0n the 16th Nov when the December 2007 issue 3-2 of Creative Beading hits the newsagents. The winning piece will be displayed on the cover.. Wow how exciting for the winner...!! Fairly certain winners will be notified personally before that though.

The winning entrant will be profiled for an issue in 2008 as well as being invited to judge the 2008 competition. Great prizes up for grabs 1st place is a trip for two to Austria, including airfares, transfers, 5 nights accommodation, breakfast. Airland value $5000.00. Dinner with representatives of the Swarovski design team and 2 tickets to crystal world.

Well I dunno about that, but the next 7 prizes are fantastic as well. 2nd to 8th prizes receive a Swarovski Crystal gift pack valued from $2500 - $300.
Anyway the top 40 pieces can now be viewed at http://www.crystalpark.com.au/, although it would be really nice to see the top 25 out of those 40.

The winners and place getters for the 2007 Sydney Bead and Gem Show Beading Extravaganza should be known around 12th Oct.

Hyper-ventilating now - I made the next round

and here's the e-mail I received advising I made Top 25

Congratulations Bernadine !!!

Your piece "Copper for Cleopatra" has been selected as one of the top 25 entries for the Swarovksi Creative Beading Awards 2007, presented by Crystal Park. The standard this year has shown us all how the beading community has progressed so much in the last 12 months. You should feel very proud of your achievement in reaching such a high standard.

Your piece will now be on display throughout 2008 at all major city Bead Fairs (associated with the Quilt and Craft Fairs). In the next day or so Deborah Gibbons from Creative Beading will contact you via email to ask you some questions. This will form part of our story to be published in issue 3-2, which will go on sale mid November 2007. We will send you a copy of the magazine and your certificate prior to the magazine going on sale. However, it is imperative that we receive your reply by 8th September to meet our deadlines.

Once again, I thank you for participation and congratulate you on your efforts in helping make this, Australasia's premier beading design award.

Yours in Beading
Simon
Publisher - Creative Beading

Whoo Hooooooo - Competition Update

As you may or may not be aware one of my free form wire Tiara's "Copper for Cleopatra" was nominated as a finalist in the 2007 Swarovski Creative Beading Awards here in Australia. This year there were 300 entries and I made the top 40.

I then got notified by the organisers of the 2007 Sydney Bead and Gem Show Beading Extravaganza Competition that the same Tiara made the finals of the finished jewellery category. Exciting... heck yes! but a real dilemma, well sort of. I'd already sent the Tiara for judging and it was unlikely that I'd have it back in time to send it off to be judged for the Bead and Gem show... I was mad at myself for being so silly. Fancy entering the same piece in two comps with judging so close. What on earth was I thinking??

A couple of days later, God must have been smiling down on me for a change. I was sharing my pain with friends on the Aus Beading Forum, when the lovely Anne, told me that the closing dates for the Bead and Gem show competition had been extended.. I think my heart may have just temporarily stopped beating, before I was outta my chair and on the phone to the organisers in Sydney.

"Yes its true," they said. "We were a little late in getting things organised, so the closing date has been extended". I mentioned my little problem and was told, "Yes by all means enter another piece, your work is beautiful."
To cut to the chase, I've been advised that my second piece "Argrya's Crown" has been accepted as a finalist.

Today I received an email from the Swarovski Comp organisers asking me to complete a questionnaire as they're running a feature on the finalists in the Creative Beading Magazine (usually this will appear around December or January next year). Could this mean that I made the next round of the competition? Deep breath, Bernadine....

Stay tuned for the next installment.