When it comes to designs, Kristina Joseph's Briar Rose was far and above the favorite of the judges for the amount of detail. Not only was it "glamourous and innovative," as one judge called it, the central stone could pop out and be swapped! Kristina's work was time and time again commented on for being able to draw the judge's eyes to it, even when looking at other pieces. The judges all agreed this was the most difficult contest to judge, but that didn't stop Briar Rose from standing out.
Chris, especially, became enchanted by Briar Rose's beauty, going so far as to say, "It tells a fun story, it's flashy and yet colorful at the same time."
Jewelry designer Ezartesa made the judging process even harder to pick from when it came to her Fancy Squares set. The on-trend style of geometric shapes, with the combination of blues, greens, and red seed beads, created a jewelry set that spoke to the judges. Calling on inspiration from ancient Egyptian jewelry trends, Ezartesa found the perfect blend to classic meets modern.
Chris found it "so hard to select from so many good pieces," but she couldn't pass up on this gorgeous set, that "embodies how this contest is more detailed, more beautiful than ever before."
Drawing from Nordic myths, Cath Thomas created this gauntlet for the goddess of snow and hunting, Skadi. Included into the seed bead "metal" of the gauntlet are symbols of good health, good luck and peace--a detail the judges and Chris realized and couldn't believe. As its name suggests, the Ice and Iron Gauntlet of Skadi resembles art created by the master blacksmithing dwarves Brokkr and Eitri in their forge.
"The patterns are so detailed, it truly is an incredible piece," said Chris as she admired it in the light.
It wasn't hard to follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz with Ruth Spiekerman's entry. The detail work on its many surfaces and attention put into every scene and reference showed Ruth's passion for her art. When Stuart first entered the room, he was immediately drawn to the piece. Due to the popularity among employees, Yellow Brick Road to Oz became the clear Employee's Choice award winner.
Chris called it, "Unbelievably different with such a wonderful theme"--the employees agreed!
Mariana Vasileva knows how to warm things up, and her The Hot Dragon could not be cooled off. Its punky, sharp and bold style choices were outstanding and left an energy in the room that wouldn't be denied. It was for this reason that The Hot Dragon was the winner of the Trendsetter award!
Chris has this to say about it: "It is trendy and wearable as is."
Shoko Kimura took the judges on a voyage with her piece, but it was Stuart who fell in love with her design. While there were so many wonderful pieces, he found this one particularly superb and he couldn't stop smiling as he marked this as the winner of the President's Award.
When Stuart was asked why he loved the piece so much he said with a laugh, "It's dynamic."
Sometimes art refuses any category other than its own, which is why AtypicaLab di Cristina Patratanu's piece Wind of Spring is the winner of the Whimsy Award! The color used on the piece itself kept drawing judges, Chris and Stuart back again and again for another look.
Not only did it shine for the different techniques used in its creation, but as Chris said, "Everybody loves butterflies!"
Drawing inspiration from your surroundings is easy for art. What is difficult is creating a piece of art that in turn inspires others! Cathe Campbell rose to the challenge and her Native Spirits, which embodies her experiences with Pacific Northwest culture, is walking away with the Pacific Northwest Inspiration Award.
Chris was impressed by the quality of the necklace and said that it "Captured the spirit of the Pacific Northwest perfectly."
When it comes to sculptures, Gui-Ja Yang has a few things to teach people. Her piece, Weeping Willow and Pansies, is such a wonderful snapshot of still life that masks so much detail. Each leaf on the willow tree is made of seed beads! There is so much detail in this sculpture the judges could not think of any other award to give it than the Spectacular Sculpture award!
Chris gushed over it, saying that it was "so darling."
"Oh my God, oh my God, O M G," exclaimed Judy when she found out she took Grand Gold in the 2019 jewelry-making contest featuring metals with a special bracelet. "My granddaughter, who's three, will love that!" Judy was ecstatic, "Wow, oh wow, just wow! Thank you so very much."
Enter a whimsical world of imagination when looking at Judy Larson's Mormor's Fairy Garden bracelet, inspired by the childlike wonder her granddaughter experiences when in her other grandmother's garden. From the moment the judges laid eyes on the piece, all were in love.
"The detail in this!" exclaimed Chris Freedman. "The more you look at it the more you see." Everyone took turns pointing out the amazing details. "Look at that with the mushrooms and dragonfly!" "Don't forget the gnome!" It was summed up best by jewelry designer, Esther: "It makes you happy because it's full of discoveries." Each of the links is unique and even the back of each is as brilliantly finished as the front.
"Exquisite," exclaimed Chris. "Unbelievable." "The detail in this!"
"I love organic-themed jewelry," said designer Barbara Briggs about her intriguing Silver Medal winning necklace Harvest. The judges obviously do, too! The necklace is not over the top or boastful in its intricacies, but the amount of techniques and attention to detail that went into its creation speaks volumes about its beauty. Each double-sided component is different, there are difficult soldering points, the layered enameling in the focal is breathtaking and such unusual terminators could not be overlooked. Not to mention, this piece is completely comfortable to wear.
"This intrigues me," said Chris Freedman. "Unique." "Incredible."
Filigree is king ... or rather empress. Empress Catherine by jewelry designer Marielle Teasdale was inspired by the Romanov collection and how filigree was used to create objects. "I was inspired by the empress Catherine jewelry to create a choker necklace entirely made of fine silver filigree." The result is truly an amazing piece. The granulation is incredible and detail on the filigree work is precise--not an easy feat! There was no doubt in any judge's mind this Bronze Medal winning piece deserved recognition.
"An amazing piece." "This is art," praised Chris Freedman.
Employee Choice Award winners, Golden Ratio in Ruby and Venusian Green, were two three-dimensional pendant necklace designs created by Gabriel Starchild that caused all the judges to pause and thoroughly examine them. In his explanation of what inspired the pieces, Mark said, "It is my intent to blend science and fantasy into a singular aesthetic design to make something magical. I try to merge complex three-dimensional shapes with an other-worldly aesthetic." This was achieved in spades. The intricate pendants draw in your eyes with a look that appears as though they have both ancient and futuristic qualities, not to mention beautiful craftsmanship!
"Wow," exclaimed Chris Freedman. "That's amazing."
When Chris asked Stuart which piece he wanted to bestow with the President's Award, he walked right over to All Geared Up by Betty Neve. There was so much to look at. "I am always inspired by the intricate colours, sizes and shapes of cogs and gears so tried to incorporate these in my design," said Betty regarding what inspired her piece. The design certainly got the judges' gears going!
"Oh my!" "Ingenious," Chris Freedman declared.
Jewelry designer Rachel Livingston wanted to create her own chainmaille weave and add glass beads that complemented the design. This distinct combination was beautifully achieved in Geometry of Elegance, a choker-style necklace with a graceful shape. Winner of the Trendsetter Award, the design capitalizes on the appeal of geometric shapes in jewelry while looking both fierce in its metal construction and feminine in its tapered silhouette.
"That's very pretty," remarked Chris Freedman. "Fun."
The 2019 Gold Metal in Crystal went to Anthea. Giannella Cau said she had invoked the mythology of ancient Greece and their Graces, the goddesses of charm, beauty and human creativity. Particularly, she drew inspiration from Anthea, the golden blossom, and the flowers that she was known for. Floral arrangements made of crystals heighten the beauty of the piece which kept drawing the judges back to it.
Chris and Stuart both commented on how truly great the piece was, with Stuart walking right up to the piece as soon as he entered judging!
With inspiration drawn from the Arabian epic One Thousand and One Nights, Stefania lucci brought the mythical Scheherazade to life. Sherazade (and love triumphs) impressed everyone that saw it for the "breadth of technique and selection of crystals used." Stefania can now tell her story about how this piece won her Grand Silver for her piece that Chris called "absolutely gorgeous"!
Melinda Baur knows how to light up the night with dazzle and gleam which is why she created the Knitted Party Swing Dress with 3000 crystal bicones (placed by hand!), winning her the Bronze Medal. Because of her training as a biochemist and professor, Melinda says her inspiration for her dress came from things both in and outside of the lab. She combined not only wonderful beading technique but also amazing knitting skills to make the entire dress. Our designers were impressed by the hemwork, saying that it was "very difficult to do well, and she did this very well!"
Stuart was in awe of all of the different entries into the contest, but this one in particular struck his attention. The Indian Wedding Necklace by Shenna Lehmer drew his eye with the bold, vibrant colors. Inspired by the wedding necklaces that she had seen online, her use of pearls and crystals really captured every stunning detail. That is why Stuart awarded this design with the President's Award.
Get a boost of confidence with this Trendsetter Award-winning piece Queen of Hearts by Ekaterina Uskova. She said that the piece fills her with confidence with the large gemstones and bold colors, and after our designers looked at it they agreed! One designer said that Ekaterina "finished the back exceptionally well for detail and quality" while Chris said that it was "So fun, so unique looking, I absolutely love this piece."
When it came time to pick the Employee's Choice, Kristina Joseph really captured everyone's attention with her Snap Judgement. Drawing inspiration from comic book culture, she not only created a beautiful piece, but also a fun nod to pop culture that shows you can find inspiration anywhere for your art. Between the detail that went into it (it's extremely customizable!) and the stunning quality, everyone had fun with this piece including Chris, who said with a laugh: "I want to have the gauntlet and stones in real life! I'd never have to commute to work again!"
For Sheila Christie, Greece and the Pacific northwest meet into one piece. Icarus Falls, The Phoenix Rises draws from the warning of hubris for Icarus, told not to fly too close to the sun or else his wings would melt, and the power of the bird of fire. As Icarus' wings melt away, the flames reinvigorate the phoenix, allowing it to take flight. This style of necklace, the use of feathers and the warning draws many parallels with the stories of the trickster Raven for many indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
"Just wonderful and fun, like all art should be" is what Chris had to say about the White Swan by Glitzystones&beads. She drew her inspiration from watching a swan swim its way gracefully over the surface of a lake, drawing parallels with the famous ballet Swan Lake. It was a whimsical piece that made everyone laugh with joy, earning it the Whimsey Award.
"Thank you for sharing this happy news with me! I am truly honored to have received such a wonderful result. I would like to thank not only you, but everyone from the office for your help and support."
Every one of the judges who laid eyes on Atsumi's Gold winner piece ''Kojiki'' Legend of Japan fell in love with it. The beautiful detail put into it, and the giant pearl earring that was made as well was just an added cherry on top. One of the most striking and amazing features was the beautiful but massive pearl earring, that had many of the judges stumped by the breath-taking sheen across the surface. Regardless of how it was made, Atsumi created a compelling and wonderous story in her work!
Chris was blown away by the design calling it "Incredible. It's like a painting you wear around your neck. I've always been drawn to this style of artwork, but this is exquisite."
Elissa Hishikawa made everyone so happy when they saw her Silver winning necklace entry, Happy Croaker. And it earned her much praise from the judges. It was a piece that made everyone laugh and smile, even though this piece was changed halfway through by Elissa because she wasn't having fun. It was a good idea to change!
When asked why she liked it, Chris said with a smile and a laugh, "It's playful. How can you not be happy when you look at it?"
The Bronze Medal went to Bowl of Summer. Laura Burlis created this incredible piece of décor that everyone had to double- and triple-check to take it all in! It was deceptively complex, and every time the judges looked, they found another detail hidden inside. You can really see the natural beauty from which Laura drew her inspiration from one day out on a lake.
Chris said, "It's the kind of place where you want to go on vacation and have great memories of. There are dozens of things in it like daisies down by the stream. So much to see."
Nichole Joy White took the judges, and Chris specifically, on a journey with her incredibly detailed I Come to the Garden piece. Combining beautiful attention to details and just the sheer amount of work that went into the creation of this necklace and the stand itself that it sits on, Nichole told a compelling and beautiful story. It quickly became a favorite of employees and that is why it was awarded the Employee Choice.
Chris said, "It reminds me of when I had to sing this song for the first time in front of a crowd and how nervous I was! I froze up as soon as I started to sing (laugh)."
Drifting Dragon, sent in by Laura Burlis as well, was enjoyed by the judges for just how large and colorful it was. Laura put plenty of work into this piece, turning this giant piece of driftwood into a wonderful design, earning the President's Award.
Chris said of this with a smile, "It's over the top fun!"
While some might say that winter has come, for Stephanie J. Eddy there is never enough protection for what may be lurking in the frozen nights. Her Trendsetter piece, entitled Winter is Coming: Heart of Thorns, shows that fashion doesn't have to be dainty and can instead be something a warrior might wear.
Chris was impressed by Stephanie's submission, saying, "I love this. It's trendy".
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