Contests, Challenges and why we do it.

I've been subscribing to a newsletter Art Bead Scene.

Each month they have a challenge, create a piece of jewelry inspired by a particular painting. It has to be original, and must include an original art bead.

"The inspiration for this month's challenge is Gustav Klimt's painting, The Kiss. Our theme this month was picked by Beverly Herman of No Easy Beads. It's the perfect painting for the month of romance! Your entry this month can be inspired by the colors, pattern or whatever you choose to focus on for your creation. Just remember to include at least one art bead in your design. A few places to start: wood beads, gold foil beads, frit lampwork glass in floral hues, brass filigree, and bronzite. We can't wait to see what you create!"

Immediately I thought of all the luscious chocolate and coffe au lait pearls I have. I had just created a necklace using these pearls, but alas, it didn't have an art bead, and I sure wasn't going to restring 5 strings of tiny stones to enter the contest. But I couldn't get this out of my mind. The contest isn't based on winning...entries are posted on the website and the winner of a prize is chosen at random, not necessarily because it's the judge's pick. And yet, I still couldn't resist.

Last weekend there as a bead show put on by Know Just Beads. I was wearing my new pearl necklace, when I discovered the beautiful work of Sher Berman...yep, lamp work beads that perfectly blended with my pearls. $35.00 later I had a bead to use in the challenge. Yesterday morning I finally sat down and put together a necklace that I'm really proud of. http://www.flickr.com/photos/35836077@N03/3313662893/

But why bother? Maybe it's just about stretching creativity. Maybe I just love a challenge of any kind, even if the only one I'm competing against is myself. Maybe because last month I became a contest junkie when I did win a judges choice for my winter necklace entry in www.making_jewelry.com
Inspired by the energy of New Year's Eve. I'd been pondering these sapphires for 6 months and suddenly they came together with a string of green quartz brios. I started off with a simple one strand necklace, but when my husband called it "cute", I got more creative and by adding a gold chain was able to stretch one string of sapphires into a 2 strand necklace that is stunning rather than cute. I wore the necklace to a drumming/meditation (great way to bring in the New Year) and the theme of the evening was all about intentionality and dreams. When I got home I looked up the properties of the yellow and rose sapphires and it's all about intentionality and prosperity. It felt like an incredible way to celebrate the New Year by making a necklace that has such wonderful properties. I think every woman in the group wore this necklace for a while on New Year's Eve...and everyone had a hard time taking it off. I sold it on New Year's Day to my favorite customer...but she was lovely enough to let me hang on to it for a few days...I wore it constantly, and it even looks great with my leopard-print bathrobe."

What did I win? A mention in a group within a group, and a bead kit. It's certainly not about fame, fortune and huge prizes. But it sure is fun. Maybe it's just the challenge of seeing if I can create something new and beautiful. That's never a bad thing.

How Does A Chance Event Change Your Life?

It's not every day that going to a trade show can totally change your life. It did mine. I must have been ready for a drastic change. I just didn't know it.

I went to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee. The show is an entire convention center filled with beads, baubles and semi-precious stones. After the 1st day I looked over my purchases that night and realized I didn't have enough of some for earrings. So I went back with a friend who normally is the voice of reason, if I got carried away she’d help me stop. Joke was on me.

I was unable to resist all those incredible goodies. My friend turned out to be a very bad influence, she’d find fabulous things and hold semi-precious and even precious stones in front of me saying "Have you seen this?". How can a woman resist all that beauty? I can’t! I couldn't. I walked out with a suitcase full of beads and stones. The only problem was, I didn’t even know how to make jewelry.

I spent the summer taking classes, reading books, practicing jewelry making. Immediately people were stopping my in the street asking about the jewelry I was wearing. It finally dawned on me that just maybe I was meant to design and share my creations. Thus Carolyn Creation was born. (It’s creation, not creations, because each piece is a one-of-a-kind hand-made creation).

I still laugh about this whole process. Obviously the Universe or someone was guiding me. Looking back it should have been obvious I was buying enough to start a business. But at the time, it just felt like the right thing to do. Not a conscious plan. Sometimes following your gut can change your life.

In the fall of 2008, I felt a pull to examine how various gemstones could enhance the protective and healing effects of the BioElectric Shield. I also wanted to wear great jewelry and my gold and diamond Shied at the same time, so I created something new so I could do that. (A little more about the BioElectric Shield below) After making a few “Shield necklaces”, I was convinced that not only was my jewelry beautiful and fun to wear, it had additional healing qualities as well. Since then I’ve been immersed in studying stones and their properties, paying particular attention to the magical transformation that happens when stones are combined. Much like the Shield, the combined properties of the stones in my jewelry are more powerful than the same combination of stones loose in your hand.

I’ve had a varied career mostly using my accounting skills in a variety of industries. Keeps things interesting. I moved to Montana and joined the BioElectric Shield Company in January 1994 when the shipping and order department consisted of one computer and a card table. With my help, the company grew to what it is today. From 1994 to 2000 I traveled and did approximately 100 trade shows, talking to people, muscle testing and really finding out how much difference the Shield makes in people’s lives.

The Shield www.bioelectricshield.com is an all natural product that balances and strengthens the energy field and deflects the emf’s from all our technology and it deflects other people’s negativity and stress. An empath and natural intuitive, I have personally found the Shield to be one of my most important and valued possessions, as it assists me in not taking on everyone else’s stuff. That ability has also been invaluable when I talk to and connect with clients in person, over the phone or even via email. I am frequently able to “tune in” and help advise on the best Shield choice for an individual.

I felt a strong pull to move to California and left the company in 2000. While in California I met the love of my life, David on Match.com. Yep, one of those success stories. We got married and moved to Wisconsin in 2006. Through the magic of the internet I was able to return to working with the company in January 2008 and am fully involved and even more excited about the Shield’s benefits and the need for people to be strengthened and protected.


In addition to making jewelry and working for the BioElectric Shield Company, I had a full time job as an accountant in a CPA firm. The more I worked with the Shield Company and my jewelry, the more I realized that I needed to make a change. I was feeling exhausted and unfulfilled in the accounting job, and only came to life when I was at home working on my jewelry, or on details for the BioElectric Shield Company. In one week, my doctor, chiropractor, and massage therapist all told me it was time for a change. You may think it was just working too many hours, but that wasn’t really the issue. The real issue was just a generally draining atmosphere and a job that wasn’t fulfilling my creative needs or providing a way to connect with and help people. When I had that realization, I quit my day job and am now devoting myself full time to the Shield Company and Carolyn Creation. Although I’m actually working many more hours, I’m happy and energized and continually excited about what new projects are coming up, whether it’s making jewelry, or writing an article for the website. It’s all fun, and it’s great to be working and playing at the same time.

Creating the Unpredictable

I'm pondering the ins and outs of the creative process.
Yesterday I was at a bead show and bought some spectacular stones. One group was some turquoise points that makes a perfect collar.
I came home and although I attempted to come up with something creative, I just couldn't get the predictable idea out of my head. So I sat down and made a beautiful collar design. Stunning. But also expected.

I woke up this morning and started going thru one of my design books and saw a couple ideas using spiky stones that mixed them in with other shapes and styles. Instantly I had an idea, I'd add the points to some Kazuri (clay) beads that I have been wanting to use. So I rushed to my work table and pulled out stones. Did I make the Kazuri necklace design? Nope. Instead I started working with some other stones I purchased yesterday, irregular Aqua Terra Jasper and some turquoise rondels. Love the final design.

It funny though, sometimes I must do the first design that pops into my head...seems to release it somehow. Then I can do the more over the top, unexpected thought. But then even after that, I'll have an idea, but when I actually sit down and start working it morphs into something completely different. I had this same thing happen many years ago when I was designing clothing....I'd sit down to do one thing, and what actually came to be had little or no relation to my original thought.

Does any one else have this experience?
Turquoise Drama - Predictable





Turquoise Drama Intense - Unpredictable
And the second, less predictable one


This is the first, predictable design.