The rebirth of an oldie but a goldie

In 2010 I joined the Bead Society of Victoria. This is the main and only beading organisation in Australia. The BSV run competitions for its members four times a year and I decided to enter a design in one of their competitions next time they run one. In September 2010 they set a challenge asking for submissions for a bugle bead design. The entries had to be 70% bugle beads.

The bracelet on your left was my entry into their competition and the image on the right, of the Chrysler building in New York City, was my inspiration. This is a classic piece of Art Deco architecture.                      I won the competition and I received a 'First Time Entrant' award as well.     

I certainly was a happy boy, never having won much in my life before. I have shown this image here on my blog and on my Facebook before and I often receive a lot of comments.

It is almost four years later and my design has come to the attention of a lot of people on Facebook and again I've been asked to write the tutorial. I hadn't intended writing this into a tutorial but recently the requests became very strong and I thought I would be crazy not especially when so many ask for it. 

                                                                            I felt it needed a remake and made a little more sparkly.

Here is the the new version with a Swarovski Marquise Fancy stone as the centrepiece and as the sparkle. I also added a little extra colour and highlights into the design. The tutorial was released on Friday and it has been received with a lot of interest and comment. I think it is nice when your designs are so well received and requested. I guess that is what keeps me doing what I love to do.

   

Another Year Passes

Well 2013 has passed by and we are now into 2014. I hope your New Year's celebrations were fun and may 2014 bring you good health, much joy, and whatever else you desire.

I have been pondering the year passed and was thinking what does 2013 mean to me? How will I remember 2013?

My one reply to those questions is - I conquered any resistance I had to writing tutorials.

I had been learning the program to illustrate my designs for quite some time. I felt frustrated not having enough skills - talk about impatient! - I get really cranky when I have a learning challenge and my poor teacher wore my cranky-pants voice a fair few times. I found writing took me away from beading and it was too much like 'work'. I didn't want to write and yet I was continually being asked for tutorials.

In late August I finally released a tutorial for my Tapestry design and it was received really well. Now earning some dollars from illustrating my designs seemed to change my attitude to writing. Funny about that eh??
In late November I released two Christmas decoration tutorials and they 'shot through the roof' with sales and one of them has become my best selling item so far. So more ornaments will follow in time.
For the 25th of December, I had my first sale giving 25% off all my tutorials and at the same time I released my thirteenth tutorial "Isabella". Not having had any experience with having a Sale I was absolutely amazed at the response. My regular followers were always there to support me and lots of  new customers were ordering 5, 6 or 7 tutorials at a time. I actually worked hard on Christmas day sending out all my orders. Talk about Santa being kind to me.

Yesterday I released my fourteenth tutorial,  the first for 2014,  for my newest design "Annabella". The tutorial has illustrations for three variations. To the left is one version.

I am very pleased with this design, it is so very pretty in person. Sometimes I have personal favourites when I design this piece is one of them.

So, 2013 will always be seen as the year I started illustrating and writing my designs.  What is in store for 2014? I am still pondering that one.