It's time to enter our annual Bead Dreams competition! Everything you need to know is at BeadAndButtonShow.com.

Every year, after paying close attention to what types of pieces and how many entries arrive in the different categories, we reassess the categories to see whether we are grouping entries the best possible way. Some years, we make adjustments to the categories in order to accommodate any new trends. This year, once again our categories reflect the latest information that we have from past entries.

How do we determine the categories? We look at fairness issues: What should we judge together? Should we judge the entries by the materials or by the type of finished piece? We look at quantity issues: How many entries of each type do we receive, and so how many categories do we need? If we create too many categories, we may have too few entries in a category. The bottom line is that we consider what we actually receive when we put the puzzle of categories together. We don't make any arbitrary decisions.

In sum, Anna Elizabeth Draeger's blog from last year's judging provides some insight into how satisfying this process is for us here at Bead&Button. We feel privileged to be the first people to see these gorgeous pieces. Of course, the finalists are displayed for everyone to see at the show each year!

I hope you decide to enter Bead Dreams. We're honored to play a part in furthering beadwork and jewelry making. It's a wonderful experience.