As I promised in my last blog, I have set up a brilliant competition to celebrate International Beading Week 2022. So, consider this your invitation to enter the Decorate Beaded Cakes Competition. If you’re intrigued, let me tell you all about this.
What is the Decorate Beaded Cakes Competition?
I have created a fabulously simple, basic beaded cake. I am inviting you to follow my tutorial to make this cake (in the flavour of your choice), and then use your creativity to decorate it.
This competition has been generously sponsored by CJ Beaders, with additional prizes from Chloe Menage of Pinkhot, and from me. And, I am so grateful to the generosity of these wonderful beaders… The prizes you could be winning are amazing!
First Prize
This is worth around £175 in total! Wow!
The lucky winner will receive:
- £100 Delica beads gift card from CJ Beaders
- A free online beading class of your choice from Chloe at Pinkhot
- £35 gift voucher to spend on the Beadflowers website
Second Prize
This prize is worth almost £100 in total! Again, wow…that’s pretty phenomenal for second place!
So, whoever wins this one is going to get:
- £50 Delica beads gift card from CJ Beaders
- Three free beading tutorials of your choice from Chloe at Pinkhot
- £25 gift voucher to spend on the Beadflowers website
Third Prize
This prize is worth just over £50…again, absolutely fabulous!
And so the lucky winner of this will receive:
- £25 Delica beads gift card from CJ Beaders
- Two free beading tutorials of your choice from Chloe at Pinkhot
- £10 gift voucher to spend on the Beadflowers website
Who is eligible to enter the competition?
Beaders from anywhere in the world! So, you may be wondering about whether you would qualify, or be able to use the prizes if you’re outside the UK. The answer is YES!
CJ Beaders will ship your chosen Delica beads anywhere in the world.
Chloe’s online classes are set up to cater to different time zones. You can check them all out here on her website.
Chloe’s beading tutorials are also sent out as downloadable PDFs, so you don’t need to worry about shipping on those. If you want to get a taste of her wonderful work, check out this link to view her tutorials.
And, for those of you who may be resident in the EU, and worried about whether or not you will be able to use the Beadflowers vouchers, the answer is, yes you will… I’ve got a plan to cover that! For anyone outside the EU, you already know how easy it is to shop on the Beadflowers website!
So, you’d better start dreaming about what you could be winning… Now, if you haven’t shopped with CJ Beaders before, you can use this link to start by browsing their incredible range of Delica beads!
How do you enter the competition?
Well, it’s very simple. I have created a detailed beading tutorial to teach you how to make the cakes you see in the photos. And, in order to open this up to all levels of ability, you have some choices.
So, for those of you who are new to dimensional beading, you can make a very simple 3D ornament. If you’re feeling a little more confident, you can make this as a beaded box with a lift-off lid, or a beaded box with a hinged lid. And, you don’t need to decide which to make in advance. The tutorial gives you instructions for all three options, so you can just work with whatever feels comfortable.
What beading techniques does this use?
This box, or ornament, is made entirely from Peyote stitch. You will be using a special variation of circular Peyote to create a triangular shape. (You can preview how that works at this link). So, you could even use that blog to try out a little sample and check if you can do this technique.
You will also be using basic tubular Peyote stitch (that’s explained here).
Now, normally, my beaded boxes would also include some decreases and some stitch-in-the-ditch technique. But not this design… No, I’ve come up with an even simpler way of constructing the box lip and lid, so you will only be using those two variations I’ve just mentioned.
That really does mean that this should be achievable by pretty much anyone. Provided you’re happy to follow instructions and work out new things, you will be fine!
What beads will you need?
I’ve chosen to use size 10 delicas to make the cakes you see. But this will also work with size 11 Cylinder beads (so that could be 11/0 Delicas or 11/0 AIKO beads). If you are using size 10 Delicas, then the smaller cakes require about 29g of beads, the taller Rainbow cake uses about 40g in total. If you choose to work with size 11s, then you will need about two thirds the quantity (roughly 20g or 26g).
Is one size better? The only reason to choose the size 10s is that they are slightly easier to work with when it comes to the structural design. They also create a larger box, without needing to bead more rows!
But you will have the choice.
And, as CJ Beaders are sponsoring the competition, they are also going to be providing kits for anyone who wants to follow my cake designs exactly. You can find the kits at this link. And they have a fabulous range of colours for anyone who is planning to create a different flavour cake! So, be sure to check them out as well.
CJ Beaders are offering all entrants a very generous discount on bead kits for this competition and packs of size 10 delicas. Your discount code will be included when you purchase your tutorial.
Then, you will also need beads to decorate your cake. But that is entirely up to you… After all, this is what this Decorate Beaded Cakes Competition is all about… Your creativity in designing and making the decoration for your cake.
Of course, while you’re grabbing your kit or beads, you can also check out CJ Beaders for decoration ideas!
How long do you have to make your cakes?
The competition is being judged by an amazing international line-up of judges…which I will be revealing soon!
In order to enter, once you have made and decorated your beaded cake(s), you will need to submit four photos. The judges will use these photos to determine the winners.
The submission deadline is 11.59pm (British Summer Time) on 31st July 2022… So, in other words, at the end of International Beading Week!
To give you some idea… It has taken me about 6-8 hours to make a basic, undecorated beaded cake box. The ornament will be a couple of hours less than that. And, obviously, beading times will vary according to your speed (I’m a fairly speedy beader) and how comfortable you are following the instructions. But, the point is, this isn’t a hugely time-consuming project.
Then, of course, the time it takes to decorate your beaded cake is really up to you!
What will the judges be looking for?
First and foremost: creativity. So, this is not a measure of your beading skill or experience. A novice beader could just as easily come up with, and create, a stunning design.
We have so many wonderful shapes and colours of beads available nowadays, that you can create something amazing simply through a clever combination of different bead shapes. You don’t need to be making fancy things, or using advanced techniques…unless you want to!
You will also earn marks for the technical merit…in other words, a structure that is neat and stable, no visible threads, no loose beads, etc. Again, this is something that you can achieve at any level of experience.
And, finally, you can get an extra point or two for your photography. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be using expensive equipment, or hiring a professional photographer. Getting an excellent photograph is actually very simple with the right tips. And happily for you, I have all those tips on offer in this free beading course. So, there’s no excuse for a bad photo!
Click here to view the Beaded Cakes in Miniature ebook
Will you be entering this Decorate Beaded Cakes competition?
If all that has got you raring to enter the Decorate Beaded Cakes Competition, then here’s what to do next…
You will need to purchase your copy of the tutorial, which comes with the full competition rules and loads of top tips for success. If you prefer to pay for this in UK £ sterling, then please follow this link. The price is £6.
If you would rather pay your entry fee in US $, then please follow this link. The price is $8.
And, even if you decide later that you would rather not actually compete, that’s fine. You can still enjoy making and decorating a beaded cake for yourself!
You can find the official competition rules at this link if you wish to check them before you purchase your tutorial. But they are also included in the tutorial as well.
If you have beading friends who would enjoy this, then make sure to let them know about it as well!
And I can’t wait to see the beaded cakes that you all create.
