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Ukraine's Fairy Beads Jewelry-Making Contest for Children

by Leslie, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®

At the 2016 Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, WI, there was a unique display of contest-winning jewelry and home décor designs. What made these jewelry creations so unique? They were made by Ukrainian children. The detail, the craftsmanship and color selection of every jewelry design are testaments to the talents of each young artist. The editorial board of the Ukrainian Fashion Magazine is also the organizer of the Masters' Golden Hands International Craft Show that is held twice a year. In 2015, this editorial board decided to organize a jewelry-making opportunity specifically for children called the ''Fairy Beads'' Contest.

Organizers of this contest believe beading and crafting allow the children to express their talents and personality by working with seed beads. Creating the designs improves dexterity, self-esteem and could eventually become a profession. Schools, teachers and parents were notified of the contest through email and ads in Fashion Magazine. The result was a total of 147 designs submitted by 119 talented students of secondary schools from 25 cities or towns in Ukraine. There were three age categories: 8-10 years old, 11-14 years old and 15-16 years old. There were few guidelines, allowing students to explore their imaginations. Winners of the contest each received kits of seed beads provided by Charivna Myt of Ukraine and the Czech glass company Preciosa. The finalist pieces have been or will be published in Fashion Magazine and the editorial board plans on organizing more contests for young artists.

Now, meet the exceptional children behind the winning jewelry creations and see their spectacular designs for yourself.

Marat Abramov

Hello, my name is Marat, I live in Ukraine. I am ethnic Assyrian, of Armenian ancestry. And the fact that I started to be engaged in women's needlework made my father rather upset. I have two elder sisters, I sewed dresses for them by hand, as I didn't have a sewing machine. They wore them. And I even learned how to knit and crochet, weave macramé, bead in the school circle. At the same time, I was lucky--my chairwoman, was left-handed, as me. There was a time when my father forbade me to deal with women's handicraft. I had to forget about everything for some time. Then I pretended to be asleep under a blanket, turned on a flashlight and beadweave jewelleries. My mother supported me, I am very grateful to her for that. I started to attend again the circle of beading undercover. My chairwoman dealt with some publications and television, I began to be written about on the Internet.

Elizabeth Antoniuk

I was born on December, 25, 2001, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. I came to the ''Beadweaving'' circle at the age of 9. I have been taking part in all possible circle contests held both in my native Kharkiv, and throughout Ukraine for 6 years of attending the circle. Almost always I win prizes. With the help of these lessons, I learnt to make decorative home furnishings, a variety of jewelleries that give pleasure to all the relatives, friends and acquaintances.

Eugenia Bahnovskaya

I am Eugenia Bahnovskaya. I study in the 8th form of Kherson school #36. Now I am 14, and I got interested in beadweaving when I was 7. At first, I created volume floral compositions, participated in many beading competitions. Now I bead pictures, make weaved bead decorations.

Anastasia Vernyhor, Kherson

I've been attending beadweaving courses at model group-club of art ''Charivna Namystyna'' in Kherson Center of out-of-school education since 2011. The club is headed by Anna Kubarova. My hobby brought me rewards of district, regional, nationwide and international exhibitions, and also gives an opportunity to make my family and friends happy with handmade presents. Moreover, I've been going in for sport dances since 6 years old: ballet dances in "Silhouette" studio and modern dances (hip-hop, house, contemporary) in "Insight" studio. I and my dance team took part in filming singer Ariella's music video "We'll Live!" I became a prizewinner of the VI Ukrainian show-festival ''Talented Children of Ukraine'' in 2013. I'm fond of learning English and German, dream of being a translator. I like singing, learning something new, taking part in amateur talent group of my class and school #52 named after Taras Schevchenko. Also I perform with charity concerts for handicapped children at Orthodox Sunday school. My credo is, ''Great success consists of small victories.''

Daria Holubchenko

Hello! My name is Daria Holubchenko and I am 15 years old. I live in the city of Kherson. Perhaps the love of creativity was passed on to me from my mother, so she is also a very creative person. It was she who took me to art school, to dancing and of course beading clubs for the first time. Beads have been my hobby for nine years. For this time I had time to visit many exhibitions in many cities and get acquainted with many people. I also tried out many different techniques, but recently I have been engaged with beaded jewelleries. I like beading cabochons around, working with ropes, and of course enjoying the results of the done work. I would really like to achieve mastery of Irina Wilson, Natalia Savelieva and Svetlana Dubinskaya. My last jewellery was made in Petrykivka painting style, as I love Ukraine and wish Ukrainians wore stylized jewelleries.

Alyona Gontar

I am 15 years old. I was engaged in a circle "Charivna Namystyna" from 2008 to 2015. I got a certificate of master of beads. I'm a multiple winner of the international, nationwide and regional exhibitions. In 2010 I received a diploma "Talanted Children of Ukraine." I participated in the exhibition "Kaleidoscope of Wonders" as a part of the campaign "Help to Save a Child!!!" I held a workshop in the Onco-hospital and in kindergarten for deaf children.

Angelina Ivanyushina

My name is Angelina Ivanyushina, I am 9 years old. Three years ago, I got interested in beadweaving and plunged into the world of seed beads. At first, there were beaded toys. I have a small aquarium with fish and other habitats of seabed, and a small zoo with different animals, and little birds' families. But I like machining weaving the most, I make small pictures with animals, flowers and various jewelleries. With each new work my pictures become bigger and figures more complex. And I am absolutely confident that the beads for me--it's forever. So there is still a lot of works and a lot of contests.

Anna Klimenko

I began to attend bead classes at school recently, mainly I looked after my friends. Flower theme for personal jewelleries for me is the most interesting. Wild vines, tiger lilies, tender roses and all the variety of flowers always attract me. Outlines of compositions in jewelleries are done by the circle chairwoman, then we choose seed beads, stones together and let's get to work! New variants appear almost always in the process of creating jewellery, and almost always the end result isn't even similar to the initial idea. That feeling when the last bead is sewed is not transferable! I like to combine several types of materials in a single work--leather, fabric, ribbons and seed beads, natural stones. Now I work with macramé and beadwork for more interesting projects. Only so little time remains for creativity, because in addition to beadweaving I play in women's football team. Our school team reached the Ukrainian level. Therefore, I have the desire to win in everything. I do not like to make jewelleries of the beginners' level. I need to tease myself, to sit at night--that's when the work is fun. I wish you all not to lose time, be not just observers, but to create and enjoy your work!

Katya Martynyuk

My name is Katya Martynyuk. I'm already 15 years old, I have been attending a model club of art "Charivna Namystyna" of the city of Kherson, Ukraine, for 7 years. My interest hasn't died down under the direction of an experienced and creative teacher Anna Nikolayevna, who gave advice. I've learnt a large number of techniques, taken part in many exhibitions and have got a large number of diplomas, prizes for rather short period. I do not like staying in one place and constantly improve myself. I know that today beads are the top of fashion, so I pleased my relatives, acquaintances, friends with my works. I found a lot of new friends in the club. We discuss new techniques, improve our tastes, find new ideas for our works. Also I love learning languages and singing. I study at the Kherson musical school No. 3 perfectly. And I go to school singing clubs. But most of the time I spend on the beads. It is a way of expressing myself and my favorite hobby.

Taisiya Pylypenko

I was born on December, 17, 2005. Graduating the kindergarden in 2011, I began to attend the circle of beadweaving. I went to school in 2012 and continued to do what I like. Thanks to Olga Petrovna, I learned how to make beautiful beaded flowers and jewelleries, now my works become more interesting and complicated. I have won prizes in contests, festivals, exhibitions. Also I take vocal, painting, ballroom dancing and sport dancing classes.

Alexandra Pichura

I'm Alexandra Pichura. I was born and live in Kherson. I'm 11 years old. I study at Kherson specialized school #52 named after Taras Schevchenko. I passed to the sixth form. When I was nine, I began to attend model group-club of art ''Charivna Namystyna,'' which is headed by Anna Kubarova, here I learn how to beadweave and embroider. Nowadays, I've got a lot of beautiful works. I always take an active part in different exhibitions and contests of arts and crafts. I've got 22 diplomas and documents of different levels and degrees, among them there are the diploma of the international festival of arts and crafts ''Fairy Beads'', the first place (2016), the second and third one (2015), diploma and document of the VIII open contest of beadweaving ''Bead Mosaic 2015''--the first place and others. I keep an active school and out-of-school life. I'm an excellent pupil and actively take part in all contests and competitions. I'm fond of modern dances. I also go in for variety and academic singing at music school and learn to play the piano. My family always supports me and is proud of me.

Taras Trifanov

I was born on April, 24, 2002, in Kharkiv. In 2008, I went to school. My teacher of Design and Technology introduced me to seed beads. At the end of the 1st form, I came to the circle of ''Beadweaving'' where Olga Konova was a teacher. She taught me the basic techniques of beadweaving, which turned into more complex. I take part in different contests of local, regional and nationwide importance. In 2011, I went in for archery. In 2013, I entered the art school. Beadweaving, drawing, as well as archery, have grown into my daily routine since childhood. My beading passion was highly estimated. In the 2014/2015 school years, I received a scholarship of the Kharkiv City Council as the ''Best student of the educational establishment.'' It inspires me to new achievements. Each of my work is a small piece of my soul.

We can't wait to see what the next Fairy Beads contest entries will be and look forward to marveling at the talent of these young Ukrainian jewelry artists.

Additional Resources ...

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