How about it? Anyone interested?

Free pattern courtesy of Ruby from Ruby's Beadwork at www.rubysbeadwork.com

The Challenge Pictures can be viewed here:

http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/p/5716/27505.aspx#27505

Yesterday I picked up on a comment by a fellow member on another thread and thought this might be fun.The idea behind it is to see how various beaders interpret a single given pattern.

The only binding rules are as follows:

1. The pattern must be made exactly as instructed - you may use either the method of making the separate sections and joining them together, or you may opt for the continuous thread method illustrated at the bottom of the pattern page.

2. The bead size must be the exact size called for in the pattern

The variables:

1. You can use any type of beads you wish (Delicas, Czech seed beads, stone beads, hex beads, whatever!) as long as they are the size specified in the pattern

2. You can use any colors, finishes, shapes of beads you wish.

3. You can embellish the finished piece in any way you wish and with any material. Embellishment is entirely OPTIONAL. You can work up the pattern and leave it as is if that's the way you want it.

4. You must follow the pattern for the basic bracelet, but may add rows top and/or bottom - beader's choice of everything for the extra rows!

5. The clasp is beader's choice, any type of clasp is admitted, whether beaded or not beaded. You may choose to make the clasp exactly as Ruby has illustrated or you may choose to do something entirely different.

I chose an easy intermediate bracelet pattern for this challenge, for free on Ruby's website:

http://www.rubysbeadwork.com/StarBracelet.html

This pattern has no crystals involved, so as not to stretch anybody's budget or deplete anybody's stash. If you want to use them for the extra rows or the final embellishement, go for it!

Please note that the central size 5 bead, which Ruby indicates as optional - remains optional, or you can substitute it with anything else. The size 5 beads called for in the "joins" of the segments may be substituted at your discretion - any size, type, etc.

When we're done, each of us will post up a pic of the finished piece of jewelry.

Anybody interested? The more the merrier, otherwise we'll can the idea. I think a good number for participation in the challenge could be 6 and up.

How about a December 10 deadline for signing up?

For eventual  latecomers or people not sure they can fit the challenge in at this time...as long as you can commit to submit before the deadline, the December 10 cutoff for signing up is not set in stone. The February 15th deadline for posting pics of finished pieces is.

 Deadline for submission of pics - February 15

Comments? Anyone interested? Wanna play?

Note: Ruby has very generously exressed the wish to post the pics of our Challenge pieces on her website after the deadline, with a link to our websites and/or our email addresses. If ANYBODY has any objections at all, please state so on this thread! Thanks!

Participants

1. Original Sin (Andréa) - pics submitted

2. Seedbeadz (Rhonda)

3. Eeyorefan (Dorrie) - pics submitted

4. Zeldacheri (Beth)

5. Kay-Sea (not Kay please...Kay-Sea is her real name!)

6. AlexD (Alex) - pics submitted

*7. Nancy SV (Nancy) - agenda permitting

8. cm56 (Connie)

9. Beadiecat (Cat) - pics submitted

10. Pinkmoondream (Liz)

11. HedgelandsGlassLass (Michele) - pics submitted

12. Isha_ktana

13. BeadedRose (Diane) pics submitted

14. Jamama WP (Jama) - pics submitted

15. Sandygrace (Sandy)

16. Zapwoman (Elise)

17. Jobeader99 (Joey) - pics submitted

18. JanellHolter (Janell)

19. Tinkerbelle (Lynn) - pics submitted

Submitting your Challenge Photos

1. If you finish your Challenge piece before the February 15 deadline,  please wait until January 15 to submit your photographs. The Challenge participants have agreed that it's best to wait until that date to avoid influencing those of us who have not yet had a chance to start work on their own.

2. When submitting your photographs, please do not edit the photographs into one of your existing posts. Press reply on the last post on the thread, and then post up your pics! This is so everyone (hopefully) will be able to see the thread in the active topics and take a look to see if there's any new submissions.

3. When submitting your photographs please indicate the type of bead (shape of bead, type of seed bead, color(s) of each type of bead used, size and type of bead used for the "beader's choice" 5/0 seed bead).

Also, please indicate separately the beads used for the basic pattern and those used for the added rowsand or eventual embellishment. You can use the format below to make things easier to follow - this is an example submission:

LINK TO IMAGE -   Please DO NOT post the image, just post the link, images will be fully visible on a separate thread. This is so as not to influence other participants still working on their designs.

Beads used in Ruby's Star Bracelet pattern

Size 11/0 - Czech seed beads, mint green

                  Delicas, crystal AB

Size 8/0 - Czech hex-cut seed beads, metallic emerald

Size 5.0  - substituted with (if you substituted) 4mm aventurine rounds

Beads Used for Embellishment:

3mm Swarovski bicones

4mm peridot rondelles

quartz chips

Size 11/0 Czech seed beads, mint green 11/0

Size 8/0 Czech hex-cut seed beads, metallic emerald

If you want to include information about your clasp too, great! It's entirely optional though.

4. When everybody has posted their pics up, I will open a new thread in which I'll place everybody's photographs with the relative info and username so it'll be all gathered together. That way we'll be able to gawk and comment, and the Challenge pieces will be easily viewed by everybody. Should make things easier for Ruby too! I don't know if she'll want us to send her our pics or if she'll want to hotlink them from our file hosts, but we still have time for that. Just make sure you keep your photographs

Hi Andréa,  I'm up for the challenge!  LOL, you tempted me by dangling a new stitch (new to me, anyway). I'm not all that big on embellishments, so my entry may end up looking more like the sample. I can be the "before" picture.

I love the colors Ruby chose, but in the spirit of things, I'll select different color(s). Having a deadline at the end of January (which could be extended to mid-Feb. if people need more time) sounds good to me.  

1. The pattern must be made exactly as instructed

Just to clarify, I assume we can use the alternate instructions at the bottom of the page, to avoid having to add a new thread to sew the stars together?

One or two stars would make a very cute package ornament, so I might have to try making one of the stars before next week. I have a holiday "grab gift" that needs to be wrapped.

Thanks for organizing the challenge, and also for picking the pattern. This should be fun!  Rhonda

I am willing to give this a try. I will also set up  an account so I can download pics to here.

I think this would be fun and the bracelet itself doesn't look hard to make. Sign me up!!!!!

Oh Goody! Thank you for joining up! I'll edit a list of participants into my first post so we can keep track of numbers and people.

Rhonda - Thank you! This will be the first time I actually make something from a pattern. Should be fun! I love the colors Ruby used also, and normally wouldn't change them - but as you stated, the spirit of the challenge is to  see how each of us interprets something somebody else designed and made, and color being a big part of it...we should choose our own palettes.

 You can do without the extra embellishment entirely, whatever you prefer. The bracelet is "busy" enough that it can stand on its own perfectly. I added the embellishment option just in case somebody visualizes ssomething which will work on it...I'm curious - this can't be an easy bracelet on which to pull off extra touches.

Also, yes...you can opt either for the continuous thread method (I'm still trying to figure out the diagram LOL!), or for the sections worked separately and joined together. I'll edit both of these items into the first post - thanks for picking up on it!

The date for finishing the challenge pieces is completely flexible - I just thought we should have an end date to get everything together by X day, otherwise it would be an endless trickling in of participants and pictures edited into posts (thus probably not seen by many), and would eventually get lost like the color challenge thread which pops up every once in a while. We can all agree among us on what is a good date to set for posting pics of the finished pieces. February 15 sounds just as good to me!

Dorrie - glad to have you aboard, especially since it was you that sparked the idea! As far as a filehost goes - I use Fileden. I registered, but I think you don't even have to register to host a small number of pics there. The good thing about Fileden is that the server never seems to be down - pics always visible. You can find it at http://www.fileden.com. Its a very spartan website as far as tools and stuff goes, but it does a great job for hosting purposes.

Ummm....Me? How'd I do that? What did I say? LOL I am stumped...really!!! Lead me to that thread, OriginalSin.

Hi Rhonda, Just found that thread. I totally forgot about it. LOL...Thank God, I can figure out a pattern when my meds kick in, cause I can't remember other stuff, for sure....I have to laugh at myself often, because I don't know what I am saying from one minute to the next. I will be all right, I will be all right, I will be all right........     Maybe......

eeyorefan:

Ummm....Me? How'd I do that? What did I say? LOL I am stumped...really!!! Lead me to that thread, OriginalSin.

I can answer that one, because I was just about to add a link to the "flame" pattern. This goes to the thread titled Are cheap seed beads a waste?  It's true that a handful of beaders making the same pattern, will usually interpret it in different ways, which is part of the fun of beading!  Rhonda

 http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/t/4560.aspx

Edited to add: I use PhotoBucket (also free), and Flickr is another good photo hosting website. I haven't had any problems with PhotoBucket...maybe one, early on, I was having difficulty uploading pictures one day, but contacted them, via the e-mail address that I found on the site. Someone got back to me within the hour to say they were having some problems with the server, and things would be fixed in a couple of hours. I was impressed that I actually got a response. The slide show option is a relatively new feature. It's a fun way to show some examples of your work, in a limited amount of space.

Yes!  Count me in -- sounds like fun, and Ruby's pattern is gorgeous!  

Beth 

Trying out PhotoBucket, Started an account awhile back, but never used. Here goes...

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x193/eeyorefan59/

 Let me know if it works. Gotta run...Hubby pushing me out the door right nowwwww............Pics of bracelet ideas I had and worked.

 (( Well, you think a man could drive down to the mailbox and the grocery store by himself, but, noooooo...LOL. I didn"t even know I was going with him until he said "Are you ready?" My hair made me look like a wild woman and of course, small town that it is, you run into friends. Yikes!!! Gotta love him, though, cause no one else will. :) ))

   Meee tooooo!!

eeyorefan, It didn't work, but I used the URL to go to the site and then copied the link. I usually copy the second link under the picture- direct link, and then click on the tree icon (located on the toolbar above the message field here in the B&B forum), and then paste the address under Image URL, but I'm sure there are other ways to do it. The picture is showing up in the message field and looks large, but the forum software usually resizes things automatically. BIG is good, we like to look at the details. Your bracelets are very pretty. It's nice to see some of your work!  Rhonda

Note for the signature block, I used the 4th option down  (I'll have to check to see how they list it-they call it img code), but using that option for the message field usually gives me extra x's in addition to the picture, although I haven't tried it lately.  Rhonda

Yippee~ two more people have signed up, including someone posting for the very first time!  Welcome zeldacheri (Beth), thanks for joining in, and I'm happy to see Kay-Sea (Kay-Sea) signed up!

This is a test, using the IMG code link (pasted directly into the message field).That works, and it's easier than the first method. Eeyorefan, after you read this, I can delele the pictures. [Done.]

just found this thread today, so count me in!

I will most definitly be using the one thread option. (I really really dislike dealing with loose threads & tying extra knots.

Hmmm, I will always say I'm going to follow a pattern exactly, but as I start working the threads, something new will always hit me.   It will be interesting to see if it happens this time as well.

Hi Rhonda,

 Thanks for helping me with this. I am gonna try this again. Hubby rushed me out of here earlier, so I only had time to post what I did. Give me a while and keep your directions up. You can delete the pics. Thanks for your comment on my pieces.

eeyorefan, the way you entered it gives us a clickable link that goes to the picture. Try pasting the IMG code directly into the message field. It will begin with [img] and should be the 4th option under the picture. 

Otherwise, you need to paste the direct link into the message prompt that comes up when you click on the tree icon [insert picture]. May the force be with you! Rhonda

Well there you have it. Now I can post pics. Yippee!!!!!   Rhonda, that was like the easiest thing I have ever done. Thanks!!!!!

Do I have to commit?  I would very much like to do this one, but I cna't promise right now.  I'm swamped!  (But hoping things will settle down fairly soon)

I hope you can find the time, Nancy. This is the first time for me to participate in a challenge like this, so I think it'll be fun.  As I always say "Commit, or be committed." No wait, that's what they always say to me. LOL

You're welcome, Dorrie. I was happy to help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex, I was hoping you'd join in!  Nancy, I hope you can find the time (the pattern will be easy for you).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished what may be the tiniest star ornament ever made (it's about the same size as the gold stars we got in grade school). LOL, now I need a really tiny table top tree to put in on...or I might attach it to a  gift tag, but it's way too small to attach to the gift. LOL, I knew it wouldn't be as big as the picture, but I didn't expect it to be quite this small.  

I was mostly fooling around this evening. I wanted to see how hard/easy the first part was (making the star). The instructions seem pretty easy to follow, and I'm hoping more people will join in.

One thing I'm curious about. I tried a size 5/o triangle bead in the center (the optional bead), and it seemed a little too big for my circle of size 8/o's (which turned into an oval). I know that the same size bead can vary by manufacturer. I think these are probably Miyuki triangles, and I know I was using Miyuki size 8/o's. I'd be curious if anyone else has the same experience.

I substituted another shape bead for center bead, and I can already see the possibilities. I stitched another "star" using a different kind of thread, and used all the same color beads, and got a very different look (the star seemed more pronounced). I took that one apart because the thread was too visible.  LOL, knowing me, I'll end up stitching a few more samples before I decide on a color scheme.

I thought you might like to see the tiniest ornament that I've ever made, and I've made some tiny ornaments in the past. I used to enjoy decorating table top trees, and made most of the ornaments, this was before I started beading. Rhonda  [Edited to add, I replaced the original picture with a slightly better one.]

Hi -

 I would like to give this a try, but I'm a total seed bead newbie (I've made a total of 2 freeform bracelets).  I looked at the instructions and I think I can do it.  I had actually looked at it a few days ago and had thought about making it, but couldn't find it again.  (This time I wrote the website with my notes in my sketchbook.)

 If its okay for newbies, I would like to give this a try!

 Thanks :)

Connie

I'd like to try it.  I'm glad we have until February, because I am swamped with beading from now until Xmas!  I was only doing this as a hobby, and all of a sudden everybody I know is ordering stuff.  Well, at least it's paying for my "bead addiction". 

Those instructions look a little confusing, but I'm sure they'll make more sense once I have beads and thread in my hands in January. And I will be using the one-thread method also.

Cat

I think it would be great to have you try this. We all had to start somewhere. Ruby has a Help Link in there if you have questions. I am sure we would try to help you also, if you get stuck. We were all newbies once and I found that the greater majority of Beaders out there are very helpful.

So, Please say yes. Make sure you if you decide to let Original Sin know so she can add you. We need more people!!!