Rise to the Challenge!

There is nothing like a design challenge to kickstart your creativity, especially when your creative get up and go feels like it got up and went.  The magnificent Paulette Walther of Kazuri Beads has issued such a challenge on her Many Hands Marketplace website and there are so many wins for those who enter.Firstly, the sale of Samunnat beads provides an income for my beloved Samunnat ladies.  Secondly, this is a way to spread the word about their beautiful loose beads. (Please send the links about the competition FAR AND WIDE!!) Thirdly, winners can win wonderful prizes and fourthly, it helps to strengthen and nurture this amazing creative connection that exists in our community.  One of the judges, Pearl Blay, is a talented, generous, inspiring lady who has written about the ladies on her fabulous Beading Gem blog and made it possible for them to own a Modahaus Table Top Studio after I loved mine so much.She has created several designs like the one above to inspire people entering the competition and you can see them here.  Because every bead the ladies make gets sent to Paulette, I don't have many here in Australia to play with but that is about to change as I am giving myself the challenge of creating one piece a month using Samunnat or Kazuri beads.  Here's one which does not use our sliders but does use the Bindu beads in Black/ White combined with black ceramic beads from an exotic bead market in Rockdale. I was inspired by the shape of those seeds that have a tail to carry them across vast distances.  You will also see the influence of ethnic and tribal jewellery because that's what I love!!  Stay tuned as I grow in my role as part of the Kazuri West-Many Hands Marketplace with several other designers. Over the next few weeks, I will introduce you to them!La, back to packing a box of Samunnat goodies to take to Canberra. More piccies soon!  Why don't you respond to Paulette's call to make a piece of jewellery using Samunnat or Kazuri slider beads? Or tell others who might.