Marcia DeCoster, Guest Judge for Beadweaving CategoryMarcia DeCoster is famous for her innovative sparkling beadweaving designs that can be seen in:

• Carol Wilcox Wells’s The Art and Elegance of Bead Weaving
• Margie Deeb’s The Beader's Color Pallette.
• Masters Beadweaving (her urchin lariat graces the cover!)
• As a Designer of the Year for Beadwork magazine with several covers!
• and with her own book 'Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence' which we are giving away a copy of today!

You can find out more about Marcia and her work on her blog and at her website.

To enter to win a signed copy of "Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence" leave a comment answering one or all of the following questions: 

• What is your favorite beadweaving stitching technique and why?
• What one stitch technique would you love to learn and what sort of project would you make if you could master that stitch?
• What is your favorite type of bead or medium to pair with seed beads for stitching?
• What would you like to see more of available in regards to patterns for beadweaving? 

One comment will be chosen at random for this giveaway.  You must leave a comment by May 7th.  The winner will be announced May 8th.

Answer the questions above within the comments section to win a signed copy of Marcia'a book!

Congratulations to Mary Sloan!  She was picked as the winner for the giveaway of our other Guest Judge, Cynthis Thornton's book, Enchanted Adornments. In response to the questions we asked about mixed media and handmade components, Mary says:

"I have been experimenting with shells and sea glass and other bits and pieces I find near the ocean. I took a class in how to drill shells and sea glass, and made a lovely bracelet. That provided good information, but I mostly am doing it on my own. I would like to try to work more natural items into my jewelry, since they are cheap ( as in free) and I like the natural feel they bring to the piece. I also like the memories they invoke. I am not always sure if I should be doing more to make them more durable. I would like to find some information/instruction on that."

Check back tomorrow to meet our Guest Judge for the Bead Embroidery Category and continue the Countdown to the BIG REVEAL on May 6th!  USE THE MUSE IV is sponsored by Artbeads.com.

Here's a Exclusive USE THE MUSE Participant Giveaway for anyone who signed up for a USE THE MUSE kit (you don't have to have actually submitted an entry, just signed up for The Muse). Post a comment on this blog post about your experiences with handmade components.  Handmade Components are any sort of bead or element that you create on your own using a different medium including, but not limited to: polymer clay, precious metal clay, lampwork, etc... A handmade component could also be a natural element altered through an etching or patina process.  So far for Muses we have had handmade components such as hand patinad brass, laser etched shell, hand forged copper, and one other technique for the MUSE IV to be revealed.

In your comment I would like to hear about any or all of the following: 

• What other beading mediums have you tried?  
• Did you experiment on your own or in a class?  
• Are there any other mixed media techniques that you aspire to try? 
• If you work with handmade components often, what are the benefits and challenges of making your own components?  
• What types of components would you like to see involved in future USE THE MUSE Contests? 

Win a Signed Copy of Cynthia Thornton's FABULOUS BookOur guest judge from the Handmade Components Category, Cynthia Thornton, has a very inventive and beautiful book that covers a very wide variety of mixed-media techniques including resin, PMC, polymer clay, wire, and more.  By answering one of the above questions by April 31st, you can win a Free Signed Copy of this book!

Watch the video above to hear more about her creative process and see some of her designer pieces!  Cynthia shares with The Beader's Muse an exclusive peak into her process with this stunning piece:

In my book Enchanted Adornments, there is a chapter about utilizing inspiration to make jewelry components in a technique called 'deconstruction'. This necklace began when I looked out my studio window and spotted a blackbird foraging near a rock path lined with moss. I made pmc links for the shape of the stones, a long bar for a  branch lying across the path, and a fanciful spiked link, for the sun. I chose the rest of the beads intuitively, thinking of colors and textures of earth and sky and the symbols of each. The stone beads are hand carved, some loamy, others luminous, both aspects of the idea. The use of tiny faceted sapphires dangling from handmade chain adds a delicate shimmer, like bits of mica or quartz in soil. 
 
This piece illustrates how a brief moment can lead to useful and beautiful components. Its also worth noting that the piece doesn't seem to have a 'theme' at first glance. The gentle unfurling of a concept can feel more sophisticated and infinitely more wearable than a piece that spells it out in highlighter. This simple concept can be used in many creative areas and is very useful when you feel uninspired.

You can learn more about Cynthia on her blog and purchase her fabulous line of pewter, silver, shibuichi, pendants, clasps, and charms at Green Girl Studios.

One winner will be randomly selected from the comments answering any or all the above questions. Deadline to comment and be entered is April 31st. USE THE MUSE IV is sponsored by Artbeads.com!

Packaged kit for USE THE MUSE IV (Secret Muse Component NOT PICTURED)

Represent your state!  To get to all 50 States it looks like we still need participants from:

• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Vermont
• Wyoming

If you know a beader from one of these states, please encourage them to enter! 

Now onto the winners of our pre-order drawings and Blogger Rewards!  

The Winner of the "Believe" Pendant for blogging about the pre-order period for the USE THE MUSE Contest was randomly drawn from those who blogged:

Karyn with her blog post The Muse A Must on Releases by Rufydoof

The winner of $25 worth of Swaroski crystal pendants from Artbeads.com was randomly drawn from the answers to last weeks questions in the comments section:

Chris Murphy with her comment:

I have entered the Use the Muse IV because I really had a blast with Use the Muse III. This contest stretched my talent and creativity in new directions and I can't wait to experiece it all again. I preordered my kit the minute it posted to the website back in December. I urge everyone to get in on the fun. This is the best contest ever. I am even more excited about the new categories which will open up the competition into new areas. I posted about the contest on my new blog adventuresofonebeadywoman@blogspot.com. You inspired me to start a blog so that I can tell everyone about the contest and keep my friends up to date on my progress in the beading world.

I also chose a winner randomly from the pool of Pre-Order Participants to receive a second kit FREE with which they may create an additional submission or gift to a friend.  The winner for that drawing is:

Diane Alves of Grants Pass Oregon

Additional USE THE MUSE News

• The components page for the USE THE MUSE IV kit is now available on Artbeads.com for ease of shopping: http://www.artbeads.com/use-the-muse-contest-iv.html.  Be sure to use your 15% off discount card included in your kit!
• I have a new email system in place through Constant Contact so if you are on any of my lists, when you receive emails from me it will say "The Beader's Muse" in the "From" field.  At the bottom of each email their is a link to opt-out if you so choose.  But if you are a contest participant you want to stay on that list so that you will continue to get important info pertaining to your submission, such as your submission form.
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: We are at the last little batch of kits for this event.  If you want to participate you need to sign up now or you will lose out at your chance.  Nearly all of the kits have been spoken for. Don't let the Muse slip through your fingers! 

Be sure to check back next week for news on the categories, the introduction of a new judge, and the reveal of some of the amazing prizes!

USE THE MUSE IV kit pictured here. Secret "Muse" component NOT PICTURED.

I'm thrilled to share with you the final timeline for this round of the USE THE MUSE Contest!

TIMELINE

February 24th - All pre-order kits begin to ship February 24th.

February 25th - Is the LAST DAY to pre-order at the $30 price.   After the 25th, kits cost $35 (plus S&H).  

Monday, March 29th, 2010, 11:59 EST. -  There is an early bird prize of beads that will be given to the participant randomly drawn from the pool of entries that are submitted on or before this date.

Monday, April 12th, 2010, 11:59 MST - This is your final official deadline for emailing your submission for judging consideration.

The final BIG REVEAL date will be determined after the submission deadline after we see how many entries we have to process.  The date that we are looking at so far for this is May 6th, but there will be a countdown on the site when we know for sure.

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.

Next week I will be posting photos of the actual prizes, a combination of beads and Artbeads.com gift certificates.

PRE-ORDER PARTICIPANT BONUSES

Sneak-peak of Exclusive project for pre-order participants only

I have taken the time to design some exclusive content for those who supported the event by reserving their kit early.  Those of you who already signed up for the contest will be receiving a free tutorial project similar to the work I do for Beadwork's "Scarlett's Style". Above is a sneak peak of the special project.  Only those of you already signed up will receive the instructions in an email.  The instructions include many step-by-step close up photos taken with a macro camera.

Along with the free project, Artbeads.com has extended a 15% off discount code for those of you who have pre-ordered for the ENTIRE DURATION of USE THE MUSE IV!  This code will be emailed to you in the participant email that has the free project.  You can use this code to purchase any regular priced item on Artbeads.com and any additional beads you may want to incorporate into your USE THE MUSE entry.

I will also do a drawing from the pool of pre-order sign-ups and the participant randomly chosen from this group will receive a second USE THE MUSE kit free which they can choose to gift to a friend, use to create an additional entry, or just keep and create something with at their leisure.  I will post the winner of this drawing after the pre-order period is complete.

GIVEAWAY for BLOG POSTS and COMMENTS

One randomly chosen writer of a blog post reference will be the recipient of this beautfiul bronze pendant nearly a $50 value!

To enter to win this gorgeous bronze pendant, write a blog post (must be published on your site by February 24th to qualify for this specific drawing) promoting the fourth round of the USE THE MUSE contest. Your post must mention that February 25th is the last day to sign-up for a kit and receive the pre-order price and link back to The Beader's Muse.  You are also welcome to answer the comment giveaway question in your post and you will be entered in both drawings.  Then place a reference on this entry linking to your blog post. 

To win a plethora of genuine Swarovski crystal pendants ($25 value!), enter the comment giveaway below.

To enter win a prize package of genuine Swarovski crystal pendants (a $25 value!) leave a comment on this entry answering the question:

What is your main motivation for entering USE THE MUSE IV?

You can highlight any aspect of the contest experience, and even talk about your participation in previous USE THE MUSE events.  The winner will be drawn randomly from the pool of comments posted on or before February 25th.