1 Stop Bead Shop Gives You Lots of Ways to Show Off Your Talents

At 1 Stop Bead Shop, one of our goals is to support and expand the beading community. We do that by offering classes, and also by supporting, sponsoring, and designing contests in which you can participate. There are currently 2 contests running with upcoming deadlines for entry, and we just increased our sponsorship of the Ohio State Fair Jewelry competition. Here's what you need to know to participate:

1 Stop Bead Shop Ugly Necklace Contest

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

We want your ugliest creations! We are so used to making gorgeous things and we want you to try to do the opposite. Use your choice of colors, bead types, design styles and whatever else you think of to create the ugliest necklace possible.

Rules & Information:
1. Must submit finished piece on or before Thursday March 22, 6:00 p.m.
2. Finished piece must be a necklace.
3. In-store voting will take place Saturday March 24 through Saturday March 31.
4. Winners will be announced via phone Monday April 2. Winners will also be announced in the weekly newsletter Thursday April 5.

Prizes:
Grand Prize: $25 Gift Card
1st Runner Up: $15 Gift Card
2nd Runner Up: Bead Prize (Valued at $10)
Staff Honorable Mention: $15 Gift Card

2012 Treasures of TOHO Competition

4/6/2012 Last Day to Submit Artwork to Stores
Even though this date is only a month away, don't let that intimidate you.
Many of you already have finished designs that qualify.
If you bought your seed beads at 1 Stop Bead Shop, they are Toho!

Competition Divisions
Beginning Beader: 1-2 Years Experience
Intermediate Beader: 3-4 Years Experience
Advanced Beader: 5+ Years Experience

Competition Categories
Wearable Art: necklaces, bracelets, gloves, clothing, purses, adornments
Sculptural Art: free standing work, wall hangings
AIKO Beads: wearable or sculptural

Competition Rules
• All Work must be original.
• Designs must be at least 80% TOHO beads. Embellishing w/ crystals, stones, silver, etc. must be only 20% of the design.
• No submissions that have been published or in another compeition
• Registration forms and a complete list of rules can be found at sponsoring store.
• Entries must be turned in to 1 Stop Bead Shop by April 6, 2012 at 6:00pm.
• Store will select 1 design from entries submitted to forward to Toho to be entered in the national competition. Designers will be contacted to announce selection. Selected design will be returned after the Bead & Button Show in early June.

Competition Prizes
First Place: $300 Gift Certificate
Second Place: $200 Gift Certificate
Third Place: $100 Gift Certificate
There will be a First, Second & Third chosen in each Division and Category. Prizes will be supplied by TOHO and issued through the sponsoring store.
Please visit your local participating bead store for more information and the complete rules.

Past Winners can be seen here. Great for oogling & for inspiration.

1 Stop Bead Shop is again Exclusive Sponsor of Jewelry Division Competition at Ohio State Fair!

And, we've raised the prize levels by $200 for a total of $600 in Prizes to be given away! (Please note: Link to Jewelry Divison is from 2011 and has not yet been updated with category changes or prize amounts for 2012.)

Deadline for REGISTRATION is not until Mid-June. Watch the 1 Stop Bead Shop Website and the Ohio State Fair Website for announcement of dates.

Categories & Prizes are:
Class: Awards
1. Bead Making - defined as the art of making beads from glass, Metal Clay, paper,
textiles/fibers, polymer clay, ceramics, Lapidary, wood carving, etc
2. Bead Stringing - defined as one bead after another strung in a linear fashion
on flexible beading wire
3. Bead Embroidery – NEW - defined as any bead project using needle to sew beads onto a fabric surface
4. Bead Weaving - defined as any bead project which uses a needle, where beads are sewn to each other, including any bead weaving stitch and loom weaving
5. Knotting - defined as bead crochet, knitting, Kumihimo, pearl knotting, macramé, micro macramé, tatting, etc
6. Metal Smithing - defined as made of hand forged, textured, shaped, riveted, soldered or otherwise worked metal, wax casting, metal enameling etc
7. Wire Working - defined as wire wrapping, coiling, chain maille, wire knitting
and crochet
8. Other - defined as textiles/fibers, mixed media, resin, non-metal enameling, paper, lapidary, polymer clay, wood or anything not fitting in above categories
9. Youth - Any piece from above classes (youth ages 6-12)
10. Best of Show - judge’s pick for single best entry from all categories
Prizes:
1st Prize Ribbon & $30
2nd Prize Ribbon & $20
3rd Prize Ribbon & $10
Best of Show Rosette & $60

You can submit 1 piece in each category if you like. Don't know what to submit? Take a class at 1 Stop Bead Shop and learn something new!

(Note: If it shows up in Red or a different color from the rest of the script, click on it to be taken to that page.)