bead star 2008...

So the time has come for me to announce that I got an Honorable Mention in the Crystals category in the Bead Star 2008 competition. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. You can see the necklace and the instructions in the inaugural Bead Star issue available on Monday. My necklace is an auction item to benefit the American Heart Association and will most likely be auctioned off on ebay in March.

The following is the press release and winners in all the categories.

Bead Star Announces 2008 Winning Jewelry Designs and Publication of Debut Issue

Loveland, Colo., December 9, 2008:

Bead Star magazine announced today the 45 prize-winning jewelry designers in the inaugural Bead Star challenge—an exciting competition that garnered more than 1,000 entries worldwide and was voted on by nearly 10,000 members of the Beading Daily community. The designs are published in Bead Star 2008, the first-ever beading publication composed entirely of prize-winning designs, on newsstands nationwide Monday, December 15. In making the announcement, editor Danielle Fox said, "While on the outside Bead Star may look like any other magazine, it's really an event—an awards ceremony if you will…. imagine resounding applause, cameras flashing, and jewels sparkling as you flip through the pages of this star-studded publication."

The Grand Prize Bead Star winner is Valerie Aharoni, whose project is featured on the cover of the magazine. Aharoni's first-place project in the Seed Beads category was chosen by Grand Prize Sponsor Fire Mountain Gems and Beads among the nine first-place category winners. In winning, Aharoni receives an all-expense-paid trip for two to Bead Fest Santa Fe, March 12-15, 2009, courtesy of grand-prize sponsor, Fire Mountain Gems and Beads, plus a $1,500 gift certificate from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads to be awarded at Bead Fest. This prize is on top of her $1,000 gift certificate from Miyuki for first-place in the Seed Beads category. For Aharoni, an artist from Brooklyn, New York, this win represents a series of exciting firsts: the first time she's created a nonbeadweaving seed-bead project, the first time she's entered a beading contest, the first time she's won any contest at all, the first time she'll travel to Santa Fe, and the first time she'll attend a bead show."The contest was totally no-stress," says Aharoni. "There were no entry fees and the guidelines were clear. Bead Star made it easy for beginners like me who have never entered a contest before."

Winners Selected by the People for the People

The Bead Star contest kicked off back in April 2008 with a call for designs made with simple stringing, crimping, and wireworking techniques. The Bead Star editorial offices received more than 1,000 unique entries, which the editors of Stringing and Beadwork magazines culled down to 180 finalists—20 per category. From there, nearly 10,000 Beading Daily members voted on their favorites in each category, which ultimately made it into this all-star publication. A first-place, second-place, and third-place winner and two honorable mentions were awarded in each of nine design element categories: Crystals, Seed Beads, Glass, Pearls, Stones, Metals, Plastics, Designs Under $25, and Designs with a Heart. All first place prizes are valued at $1,000, second place prizes are valued at $500, and third place prizes are valued at $250. All honorable mentions were sponsored by Interweave and winners received a complimentary one-year subscription to an Interweave jewelry magazine of their choice—Beadwork, Jewelry Artist, Step by Step Beads, Step by Step Wire Jewelry, or Stringing.Information and contest rules for next year's Bead Star 2009 contest will be posted on the magazine's website, BeadStar.com, on December 16.

Auction Items

Jewelry pieces marked "Auction Item" in the magazine have been donated by their designers to auctions in March 2009 to benefit the American Heart Association's women's heart-health initiatives. All auction items will be on display at Bead Fest Santa Fe, March 12-15, 2009. Interweave will host a silent auction for five of the pieces live at the event on March 14 and 15, while the rest of the jewelry will be auctioned on eBay from March 6-16. Look for the symbols "Auction Item – ebay" and "Auction Item – Bead Fest" throughout the magazine to see which pieces can be bid on to benefit this worthy cause.

Congratulations to the Bead Star 2008 Winners:

Best in Show: Valerie Aharoni, for her seed-bead necklace "Gild & reGild," sponsored by Fire Mountain Gems and Beads (Prize valued at $5,000)
http://www.vaharoni.com/

CRYSTALS

Kirsten Salem: 1st place sponsored by K. Gottfried, Inc.

Bonnie Hjerppe: 2nd place sponsored by Step by Step Beads magazine

Tiffany Quint: 3rd place sponsored by FusionBeads.com

Kristal Wick: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Abi Collins: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

GLASS

Samela Dorey: 1st place sponsored by Beadaholique.com

Susan Shannon: 2nd place sponsored by Stringing magazine

Andrew Thornton: 3rd place sponsored by Step by Step Beads magazine
Erin Strother: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Patricia Dugmore: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

HEART

Lisa Liddy: 1st place sponsored by Beadwork magazine

Heather Powers: 2nd place sponsored by Shipwreck Beads

Debra Kallen: 3rd place sponsored by VenetianBeadShop.com

Cassie Donlen: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Tracy Van Voorst: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

METALS

Ann Marie Hodrick: 1st place sponsored by The Bead Goes On

Jennifer Cunningham: 2nd place sponsored by Monsterslayer.com

Ann Marie C. J. Crosmun: 3rd place sponsored by Vintaj Natural Brass Co.

Susan White: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Melissa Fortner: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

PEARLS

Christopher McLachlan: 1st place sponsored by Merchants Overseas

Steph Kexel: 2nd place sponsored by Beaded Impressions
Mary E Dawn: 3rd place sponsored by Stringing magazine

Heather Powers: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave
Samantha Kilgore: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

PLASTICS

Bonnie Hjerppe: 1st place sponsored by The Beadin' Path

Darlene Jones: 2nd place sponsored by Step by Step Beads magazine

Doris Coghill: 3rd place sponsored by Natural Touch Resin Beads
Carina Moreno: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Amanda Klimek: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

SEED BEADS

Valerie Aharoni: 1st place sponsored by Miyuki Glass Beads
Kelly Jarvis: 2nd place sponsored by Tambrook Bead & Trade
Lola Surwillo: 3rd place sponsored by Jane's Fiber and Beads

Susan Shannon: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Carrie McMahon: Honorable Mention sponsored by We got the Bead

STONES

Ann Marie Hodrick: 1st places sponsored by Lima Beads

Wendee Brandenburg: 2nd place sponsored by Zarlene Imports

Meredith Duers: 3rd place sponsored by Cherry Tree Beads

Marcella Austenfeld: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

Edna Lucille Hendrickson: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave

UNDER $25

Myra Fierro: 1st place sponsored by Beadalon

Christina Rondeau: 2nd place sponsored by Step by Step Wire Jewelry

Darlene Jones: 3rd place sponsored by Beading Daily

Erin Beutel: Honorable Mention sponsored by Interweave
Lori Mendenhall: Honorable mention sponsored by Interweave

Web sites:

http://www.beadstar.com/

http://www.interweave.com/