Last Chance to Secure Your Kit for
USE THE MUSE IV!
Kits are Shipping out NOW. Nearly all Kits Have Been Spoken for!
Kit for USE THE MUSE IV shown here. Secret "Muse" Component NOT PICTURED
USE THE MUSE IV Contest $35 + $5 S&H
International USE THE MUSE IV Contest Kit $35 + $10 S&H (choose if outside US or if address is A.P.O.)
When will the contest kits be shipped? Kits will begin to ship out February 24th.
When will my entry form be due? Your submission is due Monday April 12th, 2010, 11:59 MST - participants will have about 7 weeks to complete their submission once the kits are shipped out. There is an early-bird prize drawing for all submissions entered on or before Monday, March 29th, 2010, 11:59 MST.
What's in the contest kit? If you've never participated in a USE THE MUSE event before, please refer to the past contest pages for examples of the kits and Muses. Along with a super-secret Muse component - you can expect an assortment of high-quality seed beads (we have included four different styles this time around!), 3 different styles of genuine Swarovski crystals, and then a mixture of beads that includepicasso czech glass, wooden laser carved links, and tigers eye gemstones. All of this comes famously packaged in reusable metal clear top tins. The kit is meant to be a jumping off point for your creation and can be supplemented with as many beads of your own as you wish. A full list of materials (minus the Muse) will be posted on the blog so you may purchase more for your design if desired.
What if I want to order more of the beads that come in the kit? Follow this link to Artbeads.com which will provide links to all the items (sans Muse) on one easy to use shopping page.
Have any of the rules changed for USE THE MUSE IV?
CATEGORIES
You requested it! This round of USE THE MUSE has some exciting new changes which include categories for specialized techniques and 4 new guest judges that will help determine the winners for those special categories. Over the course of the event, I will be introducing these judges to you over the blog and presenting their story and expertise on the subject. My mother and I will maintain our role as judges, choosing the preliminary entries for consideration and overseeing the categories and grand prize.
There will be a field on the entry form if you would like your submission to be judged in a certain category. The categories for this round are:
*Beadweaving
*Stringing
*Bead Embroidery
*Handmade Components (includes polymer clay, precious metal clay, lampwork beads, or other hand forged embellishment or bead using a special technique *created by you*)
To enter the category, it must be evident by your submission photo that this technique is either the dominant technique in the piece, or stands out as a focal or main design element (for example, if you make a freeform beadwoven piece with lampwork beads of your creation, it's okay to enter in the handmade component category even if it's dominantly seed beads. This is your choice, but you may only enter it into one specialized category. The judges reserve the right to re-assign your category if it does not meet the requirements).
There will be one winner per category. The grand prize will NOT be based on category at all - it will be chosen from all of the entrants. If you enter your piece into a specific category it will still be considered for the Grand Prize and for the special categories that we always do such as "Most Creative use of The Muse", "Best Departure from the Kit", "Expressions in Wirework" etc. We will pin down the final special categories during judging when we are able to determine the breadth of entries. Your entry does not need to be classified in one of the four categories, these categories were chosen because they are what we usually get the most of, but other techniques will still be considered for the special categories and Grand Prize. If we receive enough in a certain medium we will establish a category for it in future rounds of the event.
Can I submit multiple entries? You may submit up to three submissions for judging - BUT you must buy a separate kit for each submission because every entry needs a Muse. You cannot purchase Muses separately.
I will add more FAQ's as I collect them.
