Melissa Ingram Beadwork: Three in Three Years ... the dream faded.

2012 and 2013 were consecutive and successful beading years for me. Four of my beadwork designs were selected and made their long journey to Milwaukee USA from Australia to be inside the Cabinet of Dreams.

What cabinet is this I'm talking about you ask?? .. At the entrance to the Bead & Button show every year is a glass cabinet that contains the Finalists and winners of the Bead Dreams contest for that particular year. It is hallowed ground for beaders.

This year I beaded a single design to enter the Bead Dreams 2014 contest with. Dearly hoping I could achieve 'Three in Three Years with my work being chosen to be either a Finalists or even a winner of this epic contest.

Now I understand completely that there were no guarantees that my work would have even made the cut this year, but everyone can dream .. right .. This is the Bead Dream contest after all.

Despite gruelling hours of beading right up to the last few hours before the contest closed I was unable to complete my design. I packed it away and sulked for a few days.

I achieved Two in Two years and I am grateful and happy with that achievement. I will enter my 'as yet unfinished' design into the Bead Dreams 2015 contest. I have more than plenty of time to finish it graciously.

I have many friends whose work has already been chosen as Finalists. Currently their work awaits final judging that will be announced around when the Bead & Button show kicks off. I wish all of them the very best of luck.

Happy Beading my friends .. x