Archive for February, 2010

Since the Bead Soup Party I have discovered that I really enjoy seeing what other people create using my beads. However, I just don’t get enough photos from designers showcasing my beads. So, I have decided to coax those great designers out of the woodwork with promises of FREE BEADS!

Here are the details of my 1st ever Spring Designer Challenge:

Submit a photograph of your handmade jewelry design that includes at least one of my original beads, and you could win one of three fabulous prizes! If you don’t already have a Whitney Lassini bead Buy One at my Etsy Store!

First Prize is a full set of Whitney Lassini Original Lampwork beads, including a signature focal and six accent beads!

Second Prize is four stunning Bubble Beads!

Third Prize is six Colorful Frit Accent Beads.

Everyone who enters will receive a 10% off coupon for anything in my Etsy store! You must first submit a contest entry in order to receive the coupon. Coupon is valid for future purchases only.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

Use of Color
Wearability
Originality
Photography

To enter, please send your 1000×1000 pixel photograph to DesignerChallenge@Lassini.com and include the following required information:

Name
Business Name
Preferred email address**
Short description of the piece

The following info is optional, but since I will be posting this to my blog I highly recommend it:
Website URL
Blog URL
Any information you would like to share about your shop (Etsy, Artfire, Physical shop address/phone, etc.)

Deadline for entries is Midnight April 30th 2010! Winners will be announced on May 16th 2010.

**By entering the contest you also agree to receive a periodic email newsletter from Whitney Lassini Lampwork. Don’t worry I am not a spammer and will not give your email address to ANYONE. I promise!

Rules ‘n junk…

Remember photography counts so submit your BEST color photographs! Photos must be cropped to 1000×1000 pixels. I may crop and/or compress the images a little to fit them on the blog page but the original image is the one that will be judged. Judging will be done by me and my good friends over at Bead Quest! If you are in the Grand Rapids area please stop in and check out the shop. They have a huge selection of fabulous beads and findings as well as some amazing classes for all skill levels!

Please only one entry per person. Don’t worry if you have more than one piece you want to enter, there will be another challenge!

The piece must be an original creation by you. No submitting photos of something you purchased from someone else. If you do know someone who creates cool jewelry with my beads please tell them about the challenge so they can have a chance to enter.

The piece must contain at least one Whitney Lassini original bead. It doesn’t matter when, where, or how long ago you purchased it, as long as its one of mine. Beads that were purchased from my previous shop “The Shard Gallery” are eligible too.

The piece must be considered jewelry in order to qualify. If you have something other than jewelry that you would like to enter please email me. If there is enough interest I may consider having a separate challenge for those items.

GOOD LUCK!!

Something horrifying happened the other day.  A tragedy of mammoth proportion…

Several of my lovely goddesses have been living happily in my bead box for many months now…some even years. You see, these goddesses are bald, and thus have a much harder time finding a home than the girls with hair.

There they were, snuggled happily in my bead box on a table in the office, when Hubby went into the office looking for something.  That’s when I heard the loud crash followed by an OH NO! and some colorful expletives.  I ran to the office to find Hubby on the floor quickly scooping up beads and putting them back in the box. “I’m so sorry, I broke your beads” is all he said. Surely a fall of three feet onto the carpet couldn’t break my beads I thought, alas, I was wrong. While most of the beads survived the fall completely unharmed, my poor goddesses did not fair so well.

Unfortunately, not even one of them survived Their little necks are very delicate and the box must have hit “Just So”. Hair would have certainly given their dainty necks more strength and quite possibly saved their lives. OH, the humanity!

But life must go on…so here are some new goddesses with STRONG NECKS and HAIR! Look for them on my Etsy site soon! They are part of my Muse Series…

Euterpe (the ‘well-pleasing’): muse of music and lyric poetry

Terpsichore (the ‘[one who] delights in dance’): muse of choral song and dance

Ta Daaaa! Here it is, my Sharon Palac necklace! I had so much fun making this necklace. The glass accent beads were custom made just for this piece. I have already worn it to work and all the ladies (and even some of the guys) were drooling over it. Hope you Enjoy!

This Bead Soup project has been so inspiring, insightful, profitable and downright fun! I hope we do another one real soon. Here is the list of extraordinary designers that participated. Please visit as many blogs as you can!

Sharon, Sharon’s Jewelry Garden (My Partner)

Elizabeth, Turquoise Sky
Maire, Maire Dodd
Janet, Singing Woods
Eileen, Dorset Hill Beads
Julie, Miss Kitten’s Jewels
Joann, Jo’s Jewels

Patti, PJ Clark Designs
Mel, Kookie Designs
Erin, Every Heart Crafts
Dale, Flights of Fancy
Dee, Runako Designs

Lori, Pretty Things Blog (Our Host)
Mallory, For the Love of Beads
Terri, Blooming Ideas
Cindy, Sweet Bead Studio
Lorelei, Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio
Kerry, Kab’s Creative Concepts
Erin, Treasures Found
Jeannette, Jeannette Blix Wire and Metal Jewelry

Adrienne, Adrienne Designs
Nan, Spirit Rattles
Laurel, Rue’s Daftique
Nancy, Beading From the Heart
Mary, MK’s Creative Musings
Cassie, The Glass Beadle
Dot, Winchell Clayworks

Lisa, Lo and Behold
Norma, Bead Dreams and Moonlit Fantaseas
Judith, Judith B.
Debbie, Prairie Emporium
Maria, Garden Path Beads

Leslie, Bei Mondi
Loretta, Designs by Loretta
Linda, Bella Bead Jewelry
Kathie, The Bead Cult
Patty, Plays With Fire
Nicki, Nicki’s Reef
Anne Marie, Heart’s Desire
Mary, Mary Harding Jewelry
Jayne, Mama’s Got to Doodle
Emanda, Artemesia’s Studio
Whitney, Whitney Lassini
Marcie, La Bella Joya
Suzann, Beadphoria
Jen, Jen Judd Rocks
Julie, Credit River Art Glass

Janiece, J Birds Garden
Kate, Organic Odysseys
Laurie, The Mermaid Tale
Michelle, My Crazy Crafty Adventure
Sue, Sue Beads
Janeen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Nancy, The Rabbit Muse
Kristie, Artisan Clay
Regina, Regina’s Writings

Tari, Pearl and Pebble
Lyn, Lyn Foley
Beth, Sunshine Daydreamz
Cathryn, Chile Cats

Emma, Fred Bean’s Nook
Connie, Cetta Cheese Chatter
Juli, Jul’s Beads
Julie, RockerJewlz
Libby, LibbyLeu and Glass Too
Melanie, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Katie, My Life and My Beads
Zuleykha, Zuleykha’s Polymer Clay
Rekella, Me But a Little More in Depth
Ricki, What’s New at Ricki Voges Design
Lisa, Lucid Moon Studio
Jo, Daisychain Jewellery
Lynette, Rock Hill Designs
Lynne, Island Girl’s Insights
Chas, One Woman’s Haven
Ruthie, Rose Works Jewelry

Susan, Kaplan Creations Jewelry and Glass Design
Melissa, Melissa Meman: Art, Love, Life
Marianna, Pretty Shiny Things
Lisa, Joolz by Lisa
Cristi, 2 If By Sea
Sandra, Marbella Jewelry Design
Maria, Greene Earth Originals
Barbara, Jewelry of Distinction