“I cannot tell you how lovely it was to receive Cindy’s beads. So intricate and meaningful! Felt like it was my birthday!” ~Jocelyn-C
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2010!!! One of my goals is to always be coming up with creative ways for you guys to spend more time actually applying the polymer techniques that you learn each week from my video tutorials.
And in line with this goal, I would love to get your feedback on a bead giveaway idea that I’ve been thinking about launching.
Basically, there would be a monthly draw where one lucky winner would receive a gift package filled with polymer clay beads that I’ve made.
I cannot tell you how lovely it was to receive the package of Cindy’s beads. So intricate and meaningful to me! Felt like it was my birthday! Thank you Cindy. For the memory so special, for the effort, for the art, and for you. Can’t wait to use those beads in the lanyard. They are spectacular, so perfectly finished. I am having trouble putting them down, they feel so soothing in the palm of my hands. Much fondness, girl! ~Jocelyn-C
To participate in these regular bead giveaway events, you would send in photos of beads or jewelry that you have made… projects based on, or inspired by, pre-selected video tutorials at the library.
The photos and descriptions of your work, would be displayed here at the blog for everyone’s enjoyment, inspiration and discussion.
What a surprise I got to see the photo of my ear rings posted here at your blog. Learning the techniques and applying them like with these ear rings is what I recently joined for and have appreciated the videos, thank you. I hope it enthuses your other members to put their work in too. Thanks for the comments and thanks for thinking enough of my little effort to put in here. ~Elizabeth-K
Today what I am looking for is a sense of whether this would be of interest to you guys. If there are only a handful of takers that would participate from month to month, then it probably would not work. So I am really hoping to hear from as many of you as possible.
If you don’t like this idea, or if have reasons for not wanting to participate, I want to hear from you too. If you have questions about the details, let me know what they are. And if you have constructive suggestions on how ensure this giveaway meets it’s main objective, please do share your thoughts.
The main objective is to give you guys yet another incentive to spend more time making stuff with your clay. A reason to play.
Hello to all… Merry Christmas (late) and Happy New Year to you and your family Cindy. I have been terrible towards the end of this year. I have not made any time for Cindy or her videos. I moved the end of October and just finally unpacked the very last box. I have a whole craft room to myself now with a door and everything. Anyway… for the start of the new year my goal is to watch your videos every Friday and actually make what you teach. I have done quite a bit in the past and was doing really well. But then… life got in the way. I miss you! I promise, I will be a good girl the new year and will not miss a thing. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to all the excitement you will bring in the new year. ~KlayKisses
So everyone… please let me hear your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, votes and ideas about this new bead giveaway idea. I’m excited to do it, if you guys are willing to participate.
I love that idea! I found your website when I started making polymer clay canes, to put the slices on a flat piece draped over an upside down bowl to make candle holders. Now you’ve gotten me interested in making beads. I made a beautiful badge lanyard for work. And when my best friend just spent 2 weeks in Nepal, with Accupuncturists Without Borders, she took 13 necklaces I’d made from my beads. The kids, nuns and monks all loved them – it’s so much fun creating new things.
It’s interesting how different every cane is, using the same technique. I’d love to see what other people are doing with your new ideas, and to share what I come up with. And it would be a treat to get some of your beads, too.
I’m in! Happy New Year everyone!
Lovely idea! It fits right in with my personal intentions of small goals throughout the new year! Go for it!
@sarahwww:
ditto!
As for photographing your work…I believe most point and shoot digitals have a ‘macro’ setting. This setting is absolutley essential for capturing really close up shots. Please let me know if this helps!
I love the idea. Will we all be able to see the pictures that are sent in or just the winners?
Can’t wait for the January videos, they sound so interesting.
Sounds like a great idea. I would never turn down the opportunity to get something from anybody in this group but to get some beads made by Cindy would be fantastic.
My biggest challenge in sending pictures is the picture quality. I am still struggling with glare on my photos and use a light box. I sent some cute picture of our 4 month old kitten deciding to sleep in the light box but they were blurry. I now have a small tripod and that has helped keep things more steady. I am taking a community education class on Photo Shop and am hoping I can tweak things a bit.
Just to let you all know what an inspiration Cindy has been to me, I taught 2 polymer clay community ed classes last fall. I am teaching three more in January and Feb; Polymer Clay 101, Steampunk, Skinner Blends. One class is already full. It is nice to have some extra cash to support my PC habit.
Happy New Year.
Anna (Des Moines, Iowa)
@Anna Sabina: Congratulations, Anna, on teaching the community ed classes. I am interested in doing the same thing here in New York. Would you mind sharing a couple of pieces of information with me? I’m wondering how many people you allow in each class and whether each class is a one shot deal. Also, do you provide the materials or do you provide a list of needed materials that the students must take to class? If you don’t feel comfortable sharing the info, that’s okay. But if you do, that would be great.
In either event, best of luck with the January and February classes!
Sherry
I would also like to do this, but I’m not much of a photographer. I’m right now trying to set up a place to photo some beads, but not having much luck.
I would appreciate some pointers from anyone that has photoed their beads. Thanks.
I like the idea, Im in :)
Fantastic idea. I’m in….
i would like to participate too .and would also like to have some advice on how to photograph finished projects. thanks to everyone for all the brilliant know how you contribute to this blog and thanks again to Cindy for making it such a marvelous place to be.
I love it! I’d definitely participate, I’m always looking for feedback for my work.
It might help to spur me into doing more clay stuff as I’ve done very little recently (haven’t been very well for months).
And if I managed to win some Cindy beads in the process, so much ther better! :)
Count me in, I’m interested..!
I hope you all have a happy, healthy, prosperous new year!!!
:)
~Lisa
If I ever get my painting and renovating done and can actually get into my craft/knitting room and get at my clay – I’m in too.
The incentive I need to finish my projects in PC! I’m in! I also could use tips on photographing although I see Cindy has already posted some things on that. Happy New Year everyone!!
I am going on my annual holiday in two weeks always in January i hate the cold and then sorry to say i have to have surgery so i may be out of action for a couple of months but after that i am definitely in
I would LOVE to be a recipient of some of your beads. To actually hold a beautiful bead that I have seen you make on a video or have seen in a picture would be wonderful! I hope you do this giveaway so my addiction to lovely beads can be further fed! :)
Yes, that is a great idea count me in!
@Rose, here is an idea on how to take better photos. Take an empty box, place it on its side and cut “windows” on three sides about 1 1/2″ from the sides. (Left side, right side and top.) Cover the “windows with tissue paper or thin white paper.
Use a light source, light bulb, flash flights, or anything else that is handy. Place the light source so the light shines through the “windows.”
Decorate the inside to enhance your piece (scrape book paper, fabrics) and place your piece inside the box.
Set your camera to the type of light source being used (Tungs, florescent…) Some cameras may call this setting, White Balance.
If not using a flash use a tripod or steady the camera on a table, pile of books…
Try with and without the flash to see if your are getting the effect you want.
Use natural light as much as possible to keep colors more accurate. Winter makes this hard but take advantage of sunny days near a big window.
This is cheap, easy and can save a lot of headaches.
Thanks, Catalina, for the instrux for photographing beads.@Catalina:
Will it work if you scan the beads on your scanner?
Sounds like fun to me! Happy New Year everyone!
I love the idea and would be eager to participate as much as I could.
I’m in too!
That would be neat.
I must say, careful sanding and buffing is way better than sanding and Future-ing. Cannot get over how nice my Jupiter pendants turned out… and the lentils, and the mica shift pendants… I was busy this week.
I would love that idea, but what if you are not a member and you have not seen your video’s so you could do the techniques? I have seen the teardrop method of yours when it was up for a limited time,but that is the only one. Lynn Watts
Hi Cindy,
I also agree that is a wonderful idea. Just another example of your caring and sharing on your site. I think its also another way to give those of us that need little extra nudge sometimes. I have a hard time getting through the holidays, when it would get especially hard I would sit and read all the inspirational things that my new friends on here have said and it always helped. So this a New Year and New Beginning for me. So Yes I am in.
It might be nice if Cindy put one video together demonstrating the bead photography techniques all of you have shared here prior to the start of the contest.
Would sure help me, lol.
Can just imagine the galleries of bead that will be posted for these contests. Cannot wait.
I just checked You Tube and there are a lot of Photography tutorials. Maybe as a group we can review some of those and make a suggestion to others.
I got the impression that maybe Doug Lietz was the photographer in the family. Maybe he can suggest a site for us to review.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! I’m going address the comments and questions that have come up in this thread, in a separate post. Thanks so much for all the feedback so far. Please keep it coming.
Count me in. It would probably make me start photographing again and put some PC related items up on Flickr as well.
I think this is a wonderful idea, Cindy. This would give me, a somewhat new clayer, more incentive to jump in and try what I’ve learned.
Great idea, this is a fun way to keep motivated. Will do my best to contribute.
I guess I’m going to be the lone voice of dissent. Not for the first time! ;D
While I like the bead give away idea in principle, I’m enough of a control freak that I would only ever want “my” pictures presented “my way” (size, etc.). And “my way” doesn’t really fit in with the blog’s standards and technical limitations, so I’m a “thanks, but no”.
I think it is a great idea! Not only an inspiration and incentive, but wow the chance to win beads made by Cindy too. I would love it!!
I notice alot of people posting concerns about taking good photos, so I am adding a link to a tutorial from jewelry lessons.com it costs $6.00.
jewelrylessons.com/tutorial/homemade-jewelry-photo-light-box.
I can’t wait till school starts back and I can play clay all day!!!
Happy New Year to all.
Tiffany
That’s a great idea Cindy. I love sending pictures of my stuff to friends and hearing what they say.
I’m going to send you pictures of my extruder flower beads that I made. I think I over cooked them, they are a little beige but they are pretty.
I am more than willing to give it a try. This is great I have never read so many comments on one days blog before. I will have to have hubby help with pictures and also can’t promise full commitment every week but will try my very best. I also need to get going on a picture of myself so everyone can put a face with my name. Hope to have you see me soon and I can’t wait to hear more about this wonderful idea Cindy.
Love and Uuuuuuuuuuugggggggggs to all, Peggy
Hi Cindy: Any opportunity to win something made by you is incentive enough for me. Please count me in! Now that Christmas is over, its time to get back to the PC.
I can’t wait to hear more.
Thank you for offering some of us an incentive. I have all your videos but because I have gotten sidetracked with facepainting and cake decorating I have fallen off the polymer clay track. I want to practice each one of your videos this new year and as soon as I have my studio back (had lots of company for Christmas and it is still in guest room mode) I will start practicing in order to get a chance of winning some of your original beads.
@Sue
Could you please explain a little more about the issues in getting your needs met? Novice at this, and you sound like you know what you are talking about.
Not sure how the sizing or format restrictions here limit the viewing of the digital images you download.
Love the idea….You are terrific in what you do and have so many followers as I have been since the beginning. I follow you religiously and look forward to many new ideas to follow and create.
Great idea, Cindy! I’m in when I can… :)
Love the idea! I am in as well. Would it be possible to display the photos sent by “the competitors” :)?
Opps!! I posted my vote for this contest on the wrong spot. Well it won’t hurt to cross post this once. Let the fun begin. Having your beads up close and personal would be a tremendous bonus. See how you have things assembled up close would be of benefit to all who make jewelry. Tried tested methods are always the best. Looking forward to this.
I would love to join the contest to win Cindy’s beads.
I’m very new to PC but would appreciate the critique aspect of this contest concept. Would you focus on one video tutorial each month? Personally I think this would be a good idea – get us all on the same ‘page’ for each month’s contest. I’m still not sure how to post photos in a blog. I just recently got my gravatar photo up in place of the symbol by my name. That was a great accomplishment for me. Now what do we do to post in a blog? The whole blog concept is as new to me as PC – this is the only one for me.
Oh, I wanted to tell you that my family was here for several days and I was able to ‘play’ with clay with my granddaughters (10 & 6 yrs. old) and the last night my d-i-l and son even tried their hands at making lentils. It was so much fun – my son & d-i-l are brilliant (on faculty at U of Penn teaching mechanical engineering) but they had a hard time getting their lentils to look right. I guess Mom still excels at some things as I have made some really gorgeous (if I must say so myself) lentils. All of this clay play helped us during this first holiday season without Don.
As for being interested in winning some of your beads, all I can saw is “where do I sign up”! I love bead exchanges because you get to see how other people take and use the clay and what they can come up with. I can only imagine that yours will be fantastic!
great idea, it would be really good to see some fellow ‘students’ work and the bonus of someone getting a lovely surprise gift too would make it even better.
What a great idea! I would love the opportunity to win some of your beads, Cindy. And I think it might just be the push I need to try photographing my work. After all, my dreams of selling my jewelry online won’t be realized if I can’t show potential customers what the work looks like! Thanks to all of you who have offered tips on photographing pc jewelry — goodness knows why, but I have been afraid to even try. But with the extra incentive of winning a Cindy package…
I like this idea very much. Someone also mentioned that they were interested in organizing a bead exchange, and I think that would be great fun too! I like the idea of taking one of your bead tutorials Cindy, and seeing what each of us could come up with as an application. Sounds like some great ideas for 2010!
What a terrific idea. I always look so forward to Fridays
I even try everyone of your videos, some work for me some don’t, but I keep right on trying. Because of your videos I know have entered challenges and swaps.
Thanks Cindy for the great work you do on your videos.
Elly Moore
what a great idea, it would be wonderful to receive some of the beautiful beads we can see in your tutos and blogs and so….even if the picts and video are so perfect, to be able to feel the finish, colors and everything in real would be a dream. Thank you again for this idea, and thank you for the great work you do for us,
Nathalie, France
I’d love to participate but am a bit nervous about showing my work to all you experts out there. I’m also not sure how to post the photos to you either.
Cindy,
I think that is a generous plan you have and it would be a lot of fun for all!
You guys ROCK! Thanks for all of the incredible feedback everyone! I posted an update about this contest and answered specific questions, at a brand new post. The link by my name will take you there.
Sure I think posting and sharing is a great idea – even if I don’t win. LOL!
@Maureen, Yes, you could use your scanner to “take” photos! I have done this when I was out of batteries for my camera. Lay a piece of fabric or color paper on top of your beads and then place the scanner cover and scan. This way you can have a nice background too.
I made a light box out of a transluscent/ opaque plastic storage box (Rubbermaid or Sterlite). It is the same concept as the cardboard box with cut out windows. The plastic filters light so not ned to cut windows. Put lights on the sides, outside of the box. I am currently taking a Photo shop class, the instructer suggested doing the same thing with a plastic milk jug, take the picture through the opening at the top m of the neck, where the lid had screwed on. I will try and take pictures of both and send them to Cindy.
Hi Cindy,
I’ve finally been able to take some pictures for the contest but I need your email address now to send them. This has been so much fun.
Hi Susan – I just sent it you so please check your in box.
And just a note for anyone else who needs my contact info, you can use the return email address for the Guest List Newsletters you receive each Friday. If you are not subscribed to this newsletter and want to be, follow the link by my name.
For your convenience, I’ve put together an index with links to all of the articles in this Bead Giveaway Article Series:
Article #1: January 1, 2010: Feedback Needed… About a New Polymer Clay Bead Give Away Idea: “I cannot tell you how lovely it was to receive Cindy’s beads. So intricate and meaningful! Felt like it was my birthday!” ~Jocelyn-C
Article #2: January 8, 2010: The “Win-Some-Polymer-Clay-Beads” Giveaway Contest is Going Ahead: “Not only an inspiration and incentive, but wow, the chance to win beads made by Cindy too!” ~Tiffany-M
Article #3: January 15, 2010: Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Starts Today – Step 1) Submit Photos: “If you could, please post pics of the prize beads we are eligible to win.” ~Jocelyn-C
Article #4: January 22, 2010: Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Update – Happy Dance Side Effects: “Posted my pics of watercolour beads on Facebook… now people are asking where they can buy my jewellery. Yay!” ~Silverleaf
Article #5: January 29, 2010: Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Contest – Step 2) Post Your Comments: “Wondering where the entry pictures are… I was thinking you were going to start showing them last week.” ~Freda-K
Article #6: February 5, 2010: Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Contest – 24 More Photo Entries: “How long into February will you accept pictures for Contest #1? Is it too late for me now?” ~Phaedrakat
Article #7: February 12, 2010: 42 More Photo Entries for the Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Contest: “Isn’t it wonderful the feeling of achievement when something turns out like it should.” ~Carole-H
Article #8: February 19, 2010: The Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway Contest is About to Wrap Up: “Your contest gave me the incentive to try different techniques that in the past I didn’t consider.” ~Susan-D
Article #9: February 26, 2010: Polymer Clay Bead Giveaway: And the winner is… Lupe Meter: “All I can say is that I am glad to be included with this talented bunch of artists!” ~Lupe-M
I have FINALLY started to explore more on the sight.. I was so excited to see Cindy doing tutorials with the Wilton Gum Paste Flower Cutter Set
, I had my husband at Walmart looking all over for this set for me for Christmas.. YES they do carry it at some Walmarts.. It was a bit ironic since I had printed it out on my Michaels wish list the day before Cindy posted the poinsettia tute. I too was not a flowery person but as I sit at my computer this morning I have seven sculpted Roses in front of me.. I cant wait to make the dogwood flowers.. I do believe that alot of Clay Artists think alike… I wonder what I will think of next, just to see Cindy doing a tute the next day on that very same idea…. It must be true great minds think alike…I am so glad we have Cindy because I might be able to think of a great idea, but Cindy actually makes her great ideas come to life..Thanks Cindy you are the best….