The 2019 Bead Challenge

Call for Entries!
“Recycled Plastic”

In the United States, every second of every day, 1,500 plastic bottles are discarded. Americans send more than 38 billion water bottles to landfills every year, the equivalent of 912 million gallons of oil.  91% of plastic waste isn’t recycled.  Since most plastics don’t biodegrade in any meaningful sense, all that plastic waste could exist for hundreds or even thousands of years.  Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in our oceans. It’s equivalent to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world. 

Your challenge is to “upcycle” some of this plastic into either an ornamental or a wearable item.  That means you take some of this plastic & make it into something better. There is no fee to submit – & prizes will be awarded to winners! Submissions are to be entered at this year’s Bead Society Member Holiday Party on Saturday December 14th, 2019 at the Bowers Kidseum, 1802 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92706. Jurying will also take place at the holiday party with prizes awarded. The type of prizes will be published during September on this web page.

DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM

Challenge Rules:

1. The Challenge is open to Bead Society members only.  One entry per member.

2. Your entry must contain at least one single use item of plastic – something made out of plastic that would otherwise have been discarded (i.e. plastic straws, caps, bottles, grocery bags, credit/hotel cards, utensils, cups, toothbrushes, Styrofoam trays).   

3. Your entry must also include beads. The amount is up to you. It may also include findings, other objects and materials.    

4. The item has to be newly created for the bead challenge.  

5. You may create any piece, using any techniques.

6. Your entry can be either a sculptural object or a wearable item (jewelry, clothing).  There is no size limitation.

7. Entries will be numbered to remain anonymous

8. The Bead Challenge is due by 10:30 am, December 14th at the Holiday Party. Judging will commence at 10:45 am and end at 11:30 am.  Members attending the Holiday Party will be the judges.  Votes will be tallied after 11:30 am and winners will be announced at the end.   There will be prizes!

9. If you are willing to leave your piece with us, we will photograph it for the website and return it to you at the January 2020 meeting.

Members will pick their favorite in each of the following categories:

  1. Best Fits the “Upcycled Plastic” Theme  
  2. Best Technique(s)
  3. Most Imaginative
  4. Best use of Color

Members will each vote for one winner in each of the 4 categories. Votes will be determined starting with the highest category, with no repeat winners.  If an entry wins in one category, it can’t win in another category.  The prize for the lower ranked category will go to the entry with the next highest votes. The Best of Show will go to the entrant with the highest number of votes overall.  A tie for Best of Show will award each winner the same amount.  The Best of Show prize can go to an entry that has already won one of the separate categories. Prizes:  For each of the 4 categories, the prize will be $100 cash. Gift certificates can be hard to use, based on where a winner lives.  The prize for Best of Show will be $100 cash plus a swag bag.  Ties will each get equal prizes.

 

Contact Doris Weinbaum dorisweinbaum@gmail.com if you have questions.