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2010 Boudoir Beautiful Competition - Midnight Mistress

It is becoming clearer and clearer that if you do not have a vast network of support you will fail to secure a seat on the Swarovski train to designer glory. Some entrants to this contest have in excess of 2000 votes, yet Midnight Mistress is struggling to reach 250 votes. I have exhausted every avenue of support. I really do feel that Midnight Mistress is a worthy entrant but how can one compete against an entrant with 2000+ votes. I do not know if a contest has successfully be carried out like this before, whereby a finalist is determined by the public popularity vote.

How can the playing field be viewed as a fair when the voters per each entry are an unknown quantity. For instance 'Butterfly' is sitting in first place of the Top Ten on the e-beads entry site with a 3.3 average. Yes this is a pretty necklace but by no means is it a first place entry, it is ordinary in every sense of the word. Yet it holds first place based on its count of votes and the quality of its votes, so I ask does the entrant have a vast network of supporters? I say yes. Butterfly captures absolutely none of the Boudoir Beautiful theme elements as stated in the contest pitch. Nor does 'Peacock Garden' with a vote count of 158 votes and a 2.7 average. Many hours and much skill have gone into the creation of this entry, but it is not following the theme.

The purse by Blair Scott has 251 votes and a 2.7 average, yes a great design but the central design does not even sit centrally on the purse? Avante Garde by Marta Brennan is a lovely design but again, by no means does it capture Boudoir Beautiful yet it has 1372 votes and a 2.9 average. Firecracker..? great design and colour choice but there is nothing Boudoir Beautiful about this design. Seriously am I the only one that is dissilluisoned by this contest .. I would love to hear your thoughts ..

Midnight Mistress | Boudoir Beautiful UK

Midnight Mistress Boudoir Beautiful UK

2010 Boudoir Beautiful European Competition - Midnight Mistress

I am seeking your support for my recent entry into the 2010 Boudoir Beautiful European Competition. If you like Midnight Mistress and would like her to go live in the London Swarovski Gallery please give her a 5 star vote!

This competition is one that is some what different in that the entrant must promote their entry. Ten entries are selected based on their popularity which is determined by the votes and the vote average. No votes, no hope basically .. an odd way to run a competition and I am unsure if competitions have been run in this way before; and if so how successful? The judges then choose 7 entries who then go on to be a finalist. There are two other international websites for international non-speaking entrants entering this competition. If you like my entry and have 30 seconds to vote please visit the link .. may good karma follow you my friends.

http://competition.e-beads.co.uk/competition/midnight-mistress-by-melissa-ingram

New Jewellery added to the website www.sbj.com.au

Some examples of new jewellery that has been added to the website www.sbj.com.au today.

Come and have a browse ... thanks and best wishes Mel

Another Swarovski Design Entry ...

Autumn Rose by Melissa Ingram

This piece is a wire wrapped (gold filled wire) using only Swarovski crystal bicones, there are 196 bicones in this design. This entry was submitted to the Creative Challenge section, you can only use bicones to a maximum of 200 crystals, any size. The piece is quite large and really nice to wear. I will include one of these with my up and coming beaded bridal range.

The Breast Cancer Journey ..

Last week I submitted my entry "The Breast Cancer Journey" to the Swarovski Crystal Design Beading Competition, Open Division.

This beaded pink silk breast cancer awareness ribbon was created to highlight the journey that each individual is forced to take once a breast cancer diagnosis has been received. My inspiration for this piece is my wonderful friend Jen, who had to take this journey last November, she has undergone multiple surgeries, painful treatments, sickness and terrible pain, test after test, hair loss and then adjusting to her physical self after all of these treatments. Treatments and surgeries that are still ongoing, but thank fully the cancer is gone but the havoc it slammed onto her has been just unimaginable.

I could not help Jen or really make a difference to her and her breast cancer journey, but she loves my beadwork as much as I do (she owns a truckload of Social Butterfly Jewellery all kept in their own special jewellery box!!) so I decided to honour her dignified but painful journey with this disease through my beadwork. Thus this silk beaded breast cancer ribbon was created.

Back in February 2010 I began the ribbon ...First I made the silk ribbon armature with the intent on beading it. I cut out the ribbon shape, included padding/wadding within and firm plastic to allow it to keep its shape. The first photograph is the very first attempt at beading the silk ribbon ... I absolutely hated it ! I then had to remove every bead! This left an awful mess on the fabric as I had used Fireline (a braided polyetheline beading thread) to sew on the crystals. Crystals can be very abrasive, so to prevent them breaking the thread and falling off I had to use expensive Fireline.

Also I did not like how I had finished the seam around the armature, it looked really amature. Hmmm what to do ... I cut out another ribbon and decided on recovering it and starting again. After doing this I remembered how difficult it was beading directly on the padded silk ribbon so why not bead onto something separate like an applique then sew it back on the ribbon later. That's it !!

I dug out an embroidery hoop from the studio and put in a piece of calico, drew directly onto the calico and started to bead .. perfect.

Once I had completed this beaded design I cut it out, placed the beaded applique carefully at the top, inside of the armature and sewed it into place. I then began to bead around the edges where I had attached the 'applique' and sewed scattered crystals all around the applique. I used Swarovski 2mm crystal beads in light rose and rose. I am a seed beader first and foremost so it is an ultimate challenge to create something with beads without using seed beads. I included a silk flower at the centre of the beaded applique, small Swarovski pearls adorn the centre of this silk flower.

Next how to embellish the pink ribbon ... I had been experimenting with making singed silk flowers and so I began cutting out petals from polyester (this is best in my opinion when it comes to singing the raw edges of fabric specifically for flowers). I am unsure how many actual petals that I have sewn onto this ribbon, but I can assure you it was alot. Each petal was sewn on using the Swarovski 2mm crystal beads. Petals have been sewn on front and back, basically all over the silk ribbon armature. Then the actual silk flowers were cut out, singed and placed together. I decided to use different shades of pink just to shake things up a little, plus I did not want them getting lost in a sea of light pink. Beneath the silk flowers are groups of beads in shades of green all sewn to reflect a beaded base for the flowers.

I then photographed it and submitted it to the competition. I am unsure what to do with the beaded silk ribbon once the competition is over.

.. 'orrible .. The beginning of the beaded applique.


The beaded applique in place on the ribbon. Hmmm this requires change ...


Yeah . that is a bit better ... Yes I am loving those silk flowers ...

Another change, change out of silk flower, removal of some crystals .... that's better ...