What’s Better than Receiving Beaded Polymer Clay Jewelry as a Gift

How about winning a course on how to make beads so that you can create your own personalized fimo jewelry whenever you feel like it!

Well we have a winner for the 2008 Summer Polymer Clay Treasure Hunt contest. And the prize is my Basics Course On Bead Making. But before I announce the winner, let me tell you about the 2 main reason’s why I put this contest together in the first place.

1) To give you a fun excuse to spend time discovering all of the valuable learning information published here at my blog.

AND…

2) To show everyone that “chatting” is allowed and ENCOURAGED at my site. This is a friendly and supportive community where you can come to get answers for all of your polymer clay and bead making questions. Answers from me… and from others who are also willing to share their ideas, experiences and stories.

Well I have to say that this Summer 2008 Treasure Hunt has been a resounding success. Below are just a few of the email comments that were sent in by contest participants. These are in addition to the emails that I already posted on July 22 [See: Bead Making Conspiracy – Polymer Clay Tutor’s Evil Plan Exposed]

I just loved doing the treasure hunt and I feel like that is just what I received a lot of treasures.  This was certainly different than any other site has done and I am sure that every one had a good time.  Thanks for doing this. ~Linda

I just finished the treasure hunt. It was so much fun that I forgot most of the time to find the chests… I just kept reading article after article. I will say, that I have been very intimidated to try polymer clay, but after reading all of your information, I am no longer a scardy cat…LOL Thanks so much for all your hard work and effort to make polymer clay fun for all of us. ~Lisa

Cindy your website has so much info. Recently I have retired and have picked up on my crafting, which of course is polymer clay. Over the years I have thrown away so much clay because I just couldn’t figure out something I was doing wrong and years ago there was not that much info out there and not the internet either. No I am back into the clay and hope to be doing some craft shows soon and guess what’s for Christmas this year???? Thanks once more, and Treasure Hunt has been great idea. I don’t usually comment much just read but not this time, and it’s been fun. Keep us on our toes!!!! ~Yvonne

This was so much fun! I learned so much. Thanks for your time and effort to put this together. And what a cool way to get comments on your blog. You ROCK! ~Kim

I just finished the treasure hunt, although I found clues 4 & 5 before 1-3, so had to go back and start over, LOL.  Many of these articles I had already read in your weekly emails, which I really enjoy and read as they arrive.  I especially enjoy your articles on color mixing and theory as that is a weakness of mine.  Your articles regarding plastic wrap really struck a funny nerve with me, as when I was fairly new at Polymer Clay, not knowing any better I used whatever I had around the house.  I used Reynolds plastic wrap.  Shortly after I went to a class and on passing around some of my canes for people to see one of the gals started snickering and then guffawing and by then was laughing so hard she could hardly tell us what was wrong.  I had noticed the problem, but didn’t get the same impression that she did. . . She finally got out that it felt like a used men’s personal product, by that time we all knew what she was thinking and she was soooo right.  I’ve never used that wrap again and warn others, although it always raises a good memory kind of laugh with me.  Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Hugs, ~Sue

I have enjoyed the contest so much. I have learned so much this afternoon and I promised myself I would make a habit of coming to the site and reading, reading reading. Anyway, thank you for the opportunity to enter your contest.  I agree with the others, your style of teaching is great.  I can visualize what you are doing as I am reading and the videos are just frosting on the cake.  Just the one little tip that I tried to convey, felt like I had marbles in my brain trying to figure out how to write it so others could figure it out. I would love to win, of coarse. But, either way I win because I have learned bunches and have been introduced to your web site a lot better than I would have left to myself. I am going back to where I just came from since I just was getting to information about fingernails which I think is so cool. Thank you for all your work, ~Marianne

arrgghh me found all the clues on me maps & the treasure of ye polymer clay articles. thank for the fun hunt & information I believe I will be sanding beads better now thanks to you! thank you & happy claying!!! ~Abby

This treasure hunt has been so informative for this newby in clay. I have all my clay and supplies stored at my moms and on the weekends we get together and have “Clay Dates”. 4 generations of clayers. Mom, me, my daughter Jennifer and then my 2 grand daughters from my other daughter that I am raising. The prize would be a wonderful tool to teach the girls, 6 and 4. Thank you again. ~Jeanie

I have moved my way through the treasure hunt – in hopes of winning – and now I am going back to finish reading all the articles.  In the process of hunting treasure I have learned so much, which is the most important thing!  Thank you for all your creative energy from the articles, to the ideas, to the videos and the hunt!  Let the bead making begin. ~Pamela

I have finished your really fun treasure hunt, learnt heaps along the way.  I think you should do something similar again some time. I love your site Cindy and your generousity of sharing your knowledge. Learn and Grow from each other! I love sharing new things it makes it more special to see others smile when they have learnt something new too. In a nippy Australian Winter, ~Linda

I finished the treasure hunt. It was nice to do and I’ve seen a lot of (for me) new tips. Thank you! Greetings from Holland, ~Marijke

And if you are interested in seeing all of the blog comments posted for this polymer clay contest, here are the links to the 5 contest article pages:

1) Polymer Clay Color Mixing (Summer Sunflower Colors)

2) Baking Flat Fimo Sheets (Bubbly Gingerbread Men)

3) Sanding Clay Beads (For That Professional Shine)

4) Polymer Clay Cane Designs (Dainty Spring Flowers)

5) New Premo Formula (Beginner Cane Making)

Now a winner must be chosen. This is the tough part for me because I absolutely loved reading all of the comments from from all of you!

To be fair, I’ll first explain HOW the winner was picked. As you can see from my Main Point 2 at the beginning of this article, I was really focused on encouraging all of you to get “involved” at my site overall. Although the contest only called for commenting on 5 article pages, many of you ended up “chatting” all over the place… which was great!

In fact, over the last 28 days since the treasure hunt began, the total number of new comments posted was 553… and ALL of them were thoughtful! Thank you to everyone who participated. I sincerely hope that the experience was rewarding even if you didn’t win.

So without further adieu [drum roll please]… ringing in with a grand total of 38 comments for the WIN, is Cindy Erickson. And NO… her first name had nothing to do with the decision :-).

In addition to Cindy Erickson’s 38 comments (only 4 more than the next highest score), I also gave her marks for an “off-site” comment that she posted here: Polymer Clay Video Review

So that’s a wrap for this contest folks. But please do keep all of your wonderful comments and questions coming in. You’ll definitely benefit by getting involved here at the Polymer Clay Tutor blog. And you just never know what your ongoing tally of “thoughtful” comments may win you in future contests. Oh yes… I’ve got lots more creative ideas for contests that will be even more fun than this Summer 2008 Treasure Hunt was. So stay tuned…

NOTE TO CINDY ERICKSON: Send me a message and I’ll show you how to access the 39 Part Bead Making Video Course that you have deservedly won. It will definitely put you on the right track for making lots and lots of beautiful polymer clay jewelry and beads.