BEADS-N-BLESSINGS: Art With Heart... Beading For Charity!

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 3 WINNERS

2011-01-10T11:10:00.006-06:00

Congratulations to the winners of Cycle 3. All participants did a great job, you should all be proud of yourselves.

First Place Wearable: Entry No. 18 by SADIE ELLIS
Second Place Wearable: Entry No. 16 by RANA WILSON
Third Place Wearable: Entry No. 12 by MARILYN CUSSON

Artistic Piece: Entry No. 6 by JACQUELINE ANDERSON
Viewer's Choice: Entry No. 4 by CAROLYN EMERSON

See you all on the next cycle. Please don't forget to visit Beads-n-Blessings for further info.

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 3

2010-12-23T01:00:00.026-06:00

There are 20 entries that made it to Cycle 3. Last day to vote is on January 5th so don't forget to cast your vote. The charity that will benefit this cycle is "Step Up For Cancer".

The kit used by the participants!

The focal for their masterpieces!

For further updates, visit Bead-n-Blessings!

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 2 WINNERS

2010-09-15T13:47:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the winners of Cycle 2. The story behind their creations are available at Beads-n-Blessings Winner's page.

1st Place Wearable Art Piece: Entry No. 8 by Karen Goodhelpsen

2st Place Wearable Piece: Entry No. 3 by Catherine Pruitt

3rd Place Wearable Piece: Entry No. 5 by Elizabeth Auld

1st Place Artistic Piece: Entry No. 7 by Jennifer Shibona

Viewer's Choice: Entry No. 12 by Rana Wilson

For a close-up view of their wonderful pieces, please refer to the previous post. Congratulations again ladies!

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 2

2010-08-25T18:46:00.006-05:00

Voting for Cycle 2 of Beads-n-Blessings' Art With Heart... Beading For Charity is on. Don't forget to cast your vote before the due date which is September 10th, 2010.

Charity for Cycle 2: American Heart Association

The next cycle is in process so visit Beads-n-Blessings often for further details!

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 1 WINNERS

2010-06-18T12:24:00.003-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS OF ART WITH HEART CYCLE 1!

1st Place Wearable Art Piece: SHERRI JOHNSON

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I am a bead weaver at heart. A couple of friends taught me how to create a peyote stitched bracelet 3 years ago and I fell in love with beading. I learned about the Art With Heart Beading Contest from a new beading friend I met in my beading circles and thought it was a great chance to help St Jude’s Research while doing something I love! After receiving my kit, inspiration hit me in so many ways but as I started down each ideas path, it just wasn’t right. I knew that somehow it would eventually “hit” me and it would come together, I just hoped it was before the deadline!

Knowing that turquoise is the color for 2010, I thought I would try to incorporate it into my piece. The filigree focal point reminded me of a cross. I embellished the inside in the shape of a cross with Preciosa hot fix crystals. I didn’t want to cover all the holes in the filigree so the beauty of the background would show through. But carrying the turquoise theme within it gives it just the right touch. I was able to incorporate quite a few of the kit’s beads and started a Russian St. Petersburg chain necklace but stopped after finishing just half of the design. I liked the v-neckline created by the bicone crystals. The fringe adds the finishing touch and brings all the colors together. I call it Indian Summer. The beaded turquoise necklace is 18” long with an additional 4” from the top pearl at the “V” of the necklace to the bottom of the fringe and finished with a gold plated s-clasp. You can find some of my other works at http://www.redriverbeads.com/.

2nd Place Wearable Piece: FRANCES KIPERMAN

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Beading has been a passion of mine since 2005. As an individual living with a neuromusuclar disorder/Muscular Dystrophy beading became important to me as a means of exercising my hands. Although repetitive motion is difficult, I find beading therapeutic not only for range of motion, but as a means of relaxation, and as a representation of a moment in time.This Art with Heart contest piece is dedicated to my mom who passed away a year ago January due to brain cancer. She had a huge heart, was an exceedingly giving person, my mom was someone who would sacrifice so others would have what they needed. Over the years I have tried to emulate her giving spirit through volunteerism, charity, and lectures on holistic health. I hope the proceeds from this heart will greatly help a child at St. Jude hospital. I am honored to have participated in this event.The name of the pieces is titled " With All My Heart! It can be worm as a necklace or pin.

3rd Place Wearable Piece: EMILY YANCHUCK

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I am a thirteen-year-old girl and my mom introduced me to jewelry making. Now I make it more than her! I have a small business, Designs By Emily, and I have an Artfire and Facebook page for it. When I thought about how to incorporate some of the beads in the kit, I thought twisting it in the chain would give a modern look. Also, to add sparkle(and who doesn't love sparkle?) I used headpins to attach crystals to the filigree. The ribbon tie in the back adds a softer touch. Thanks and good luck to everyone in Art with heart!

1st Place Artistic Piece: DANA HICKEY

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I am a London, Arkansas based designer/artisan, creating jewelry under the names Wind Dancer Studios (on Etsy) and Gifts from the Heart (on ArtFire). I currently favor working with wire to create one of a kind pieces of jewelry. Largely self taught, I enjoy wire weaving, wire wrapping, a little forging, a little torch work, some basic chainmaille and beadweaving. I like to think of my pieces as a fusion of styles and techniques. When not creating jewelry, I'm taking care of my wonderful family, managing the office aspects of our construction business, and working on the finishing details of our new home and studio atop a hill in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley, where the breeze dances with the tree tops.

The inspiration behind Sabina was easy...all it took was one look at the color palette and that beautiful filigree for me to know this had to be a vintage style necklace with a floral inspired focal. I knew with the proper encouragement the filigree could become the petals of that flower gently encasing the glass cabachon. When the beads arrived and the surprise element were bugles, they just had to become the leaves. I added some Vintaj filigree to the focal giving it the vintage art nouveau look I was hoping for. The glass pearls became simple buds waiting to burst open at the base of the flower. The connectors are an embellished RAW reinforced with wire for strength and stability. To give just a touch of glitz, Xillion cut Swarovski crystals in Gold Shadow were used in the center. A hand forged hook of brass turned more Vintaj filigree into a clasp that finished the look so well. Sabina is choker length, measuring just 17" and is named for my good friend Sabina, who has a love for vintage jewelry and encourages me to fuse my favorite mediums of wire and bead weaving to create pieces uniquely me.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/winddancerstudios

http://www.GiftsfromtheHeart.artfire.com/

Viewer's Choice: CHERYL BERNHARDT

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My Art With heart entry was inspired by my 3 lovely daughters and the beautiful pink beads in the kit. At first, I was really unsure of what direction to take with the kit. I kept playing with the beads and digging in my stash until the right combination clicked. The 'Ah Ha' moment came on Mother's Day when the girls presented me with a pink floral balloon. No kidding, this is how "Fleur dé Pink" came to be.

Art With Heart Cycle 1: ENTRY NUMBER 21

2010-06-15T09:41:00.009-05:00

Due to some (computer) technical issues, one entry was not included in the original poll. So to be fair, a separate poll exclusive to Entry No. 21 will be available for 2 days. Please see the close up photos below.

The poll for the first 20 entries will end tonight so don't forget to cast your votes.

ART WITH HEART CYCLE 1

2010-06-09T09:18:00.018-05:00

Note: Participants' names were added on June 18, 2010.

Voting for cycle 1 of Beads-n-Blessings' ART WITH HEART is on. Don't forget to cast a vote for your favorite piece. Click on the collage page for a full-screen and close up view.

Charity for Cycle 1: ST. JUDE Children's Research Hospital

Donation: US$112.50

1. AMY SEVERINO

2. ANITA BARNIVILLE

3. CHERYL BERNHARDT

4. DANA HICKEY

5. DIANE ALLEN

6. EMILY YANCHUCK

7. FRANCES KIPERMAN

8. JENNIFER SHIBONA

9. KAREN GOOHELPS

10. LINDA HOBSON