Charm swap rules:
* Create up to five original charms. Keeping in mind that the charms will later be a part of a piece of jewelry, please keep them to 1 1/2″ in diameter or smaller.
* Your charm must be free of any text or images that are protected by copyright, unless you have the expressed written permission from the person or institution that holds the copyright and you provide that written permission with your submission.
* Attach a jump ring to each charm.
* Fasten a card to each charm’s jump ring with your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. …read more

Belle Armoire Jewelry is published by Stampington as a quarterly magazine. The deadline for submissions for the next issue is April 15, 2009. From the website: If you’d like to share your inspiration and detailed how-to instruction for creating beautiful jewelry with readers, we want to hear from you. Belle Armoire Jewelry covers a broad range of mediums, from art clay to polymer clay to found object to fiber to wire to beads and much, much more. Whether you are a creator of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches, pendants, rings or other jewelry, we welcome you to submit your artwork …read more

Finding creative uses for old items is nothing new to artists, but the spirit of preserving the planet is more important than ever before and GreenCraft Magazine is here to honor and inspire those who find artistic applications for normally discarded resources.
GreenCraft Magazine will provide ideas for repurposing trash to treasure by showcasing projects where waste is repurposed into ecologically chic creations.
To be considered for our Publication, please submit your recycled, reused and repurposed items to GreenCraft Magazine no later than April 14, 2009.

The competition is open to professional and amateur beaders from the U.S. and around the world. All work entered in the competition must be original.
Deadline: April 6, 2009
Bead Dreams contest information
Finalists will be on display at the Bead&Button Show, June 3-7, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
To enter the Bead Arts Awards – Fill in the online form

WhimBeads
I have declared February to be Seed Bead Mania Month!  Show us your seeds…come on, you can do it.  Don’t be shy!  We want to see what you’ve made, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert with the little darlings 
Whether you string, weave off-loom or on a loom, embroider, glue, or whatever else you can think of doing with seed beads, either wearables or non-wearables, we want to see your work.  Please send your artist statement of one to two paragraphs, and up to three images (72dpi res) of your work, along with a link to your site …read more

If you buy supplies from Fire Mountain Gems, then you should seriously think about entering their contest! I did for the last three years, and won a first, second, and third place in three different categories. Not quite as nice as being the grand prize winner, but hey!  The closing date is April 15, so get moving. And beading! Here’s a link to all the information available.  Check out the brand new categories!
From the website:
Gold medal winning designs in each category will go on to compete for the Grand Prizes and may be showcased in the following:
* 2010-2011 Jewelry Maker’s …read more

What’s Up Wednesday!
It’s not that easy to do ugly. I mean to do really gut-twisting ugly.
It’s easy to make a necklace that isn’t that great, but how about to make one that breaks all the rules of good design and leaves your viewer feeling squeamish? I can’t show you a picture of my entry from two years ago here, because I used plastic vomit as the base. If you’d like to see it, it’s on their website as a semi-finalist from 2007. It’s called “Queasy”, and you’ll have to scroll down just a bit. You’ve been warned!
The …read more

What’s Up Wednesday!

Altered Couture
A hand-me-down sweater … a raggedy old skirt from the thrift store … a plain T-shirt … Using just a few tools coupled with your creativity, all of these items can be transformed into fantastic works of wearable art! The publisher of Belle Armoire and Somerset Studio invites you to submit your own altered and embellished clothing and accessories to be considered for the second volume of this exciting publication. Chapters will include Skirts & Dresses, Pants & Overalls, Jackets & Vests, Shirts & Tops, Children’s Wear, Sassy Shoes, and Accessories.
Deadline for artwork to be received: March …read more

What’s Up Wednesday!

500 Found-Object Works
Juror: Suzie Millions
Editor: Suzanne Tourtillott

Entry deadline: March 15, 2009
Lark Books seeks one-of-a-kind images of found-object art to publish in a juried collection representing the most creative examples in this exciting genre. While material options are endless (recycled/repurposed wood, paper, plastics, electronics and the like), we will accept only professional quality photography. Due to trademark considerations, very few works featuring recognizable brand names or logos will be accepted. This publication is scheduled for release in Fall 2010. There is no entry fee.
Download an entry form here.

What’s Up Wednesday!

2009 contest for the best creations made from Rings & Things products
We invite you to show us your favorite handmade design — it can be anything!
Entries accepted from February 1 through February 28, 2009. Winners announced the first week of May.
Winning entries (with credit to the designer) could be featured in our catalog and promotions. That’s exposure to more than a million people a year, worldwide! You can turn around and use this for “as seen in” promotions of your own.
Grand Prize: $750 R&T credit
Five Category First Prizes: $250 R&T credits
Honorable Mentions: $75 R&T credits
Information from Rings & …read more