Bead Cruise Inspiration & Giveaway

I just returned from my annual Bead Cruise adventure.  Every year we gather up sponsors to donate items for our gift bags.  This year we felt like super stars getting swag that was worthy of the Oscars! It's was filled to the brim with art beads!  Pictured above are some of our goodies.

Polymer clay heart: Artist Accents by Staci Louise. Ceramic Connector: Captured Moments. Flower & sari ribbon: Humblebeads. Ceramic Ring: Firefly Designs. Bead Glass: Glass Beach Sea Glass. Porcelian Urchins: Blueberri Beads. Sun Pendant: Jenny Davies-Reazor. Ceramic charms: Tori Sophia.  Copper button: Downtown Glam. Pewter Button: Mamacita Beadworks. Ceramic Disk: Marsha Neal Studio.  Leaf Pendant: Tesori Trovati.  Purple Ceramic Disks: Elaine Ray.  Lampwork Eggs: Sue Beads.  Porcelian Pendant: Lady Brook Beads.  Tiny Lampworkwork Wing Ding: Genea Beads.  Lampwork Heart Bead: Sparkling Waters Studio.  My Elements donated a fun mix of components to each us, but they escaped my photo session!

 Just had to show off how nicely everything was packaged for us!

And our non art bead sponsors included: Objects & Elements, TierraCast, Nina Designs, Ornamenta, Vintaj, Belle West and Allegory Gallery. Kalmbach donated Bracelet project booklets for us along with a cute idea notebook. 

Other thanks goes to Soft Flex, Cindy's Crafts, Lisa Peters, Metal Me This, ClayWorks, Kerry Bogert, Ronna Sarvas Weltman, 2nd Hand Rose and Fire Moutain Gems who were door prize sponsors.  Visit our site for a complete list of sponsors and links.

On the Bead Cruise we have a design contest featuring the items from our gift bags and here are a few pieces I whipped up to play along - just for fun.  How could I resist such a great collection of inspiration and not make something?

This necklace was inspired by the project example from TierraCast. I used their ring, clasp and jump rings as the focal point of my design.  I added Marsha Neal's ceramic bead through a double strand of gold plated chain.  Below I included the brass lotus charm from Nina Designs and a few beach glass pieces from Glass Beach Sea Glass - and yes, it's the real stuff!

My next design features the lampwork eggs from SueBeads, I showed these off to the students in my Nest Pendant class as a design alternative.

This Zen inspired pendant features a polymer clay Simply Truths from Tesori Trovati, an old coin from Objects and Elements, one of my disk beads and a trio of beads from Glass Beach Sea Glass.

 The back of Erin's pendant held a secret message.

My final design is another alternative project sample from my Filigree Blooms class.  I created this version using components from Ornamenta, the butterfly from Vintaj and a tiny Wing Ding from Genea.

Now not to make you feel sad about all the art beads and the tropical vacation you missed out on - I come bearing gifts to cheer you up!

The first is a free digital issue of the 2013 Bead Cruise program that features three amazing projects from designers Lorelei Eurto and Rebecca Anderson along with color inspiration and resources from our sponsors. 

And now, just to be even more gifty and fab I have ONE gift bag to giveaway.  

Yep,one lucky winner will get one of each of the items donated by our sponsors and a printed copy of the Bead Cruise Program.  How do you win such sweet prize?  Pin or Facebook this post and let me know in the comment below that you shared it.  I will pick one winner next Tuesday.  (Make sure you can be easily reached via email.)