We continue featuring Fashion Colorworks 2011 winners, and today we are interviewing the Second Place Winners. Angelika Motzkin from Israel is the Second Place winner in Beaded Objects category, she is already well known artist in beading world and she was our guest in March, 2010. Svetlana Karimova from Poland was a participant of the Fashion Colorworks last year, she did a great job, but this year she has surpassed herself and won the Second Place in Finished Jewelry category. We were happy to have bead artists from Japan in our contest; they create intricate and exceptional beadwork. We were right; the Japanese bead artist Fumiko Sekine came Second in Seed Bead category! So, Second Place Winners, from left to right: Fumiko Sekine, Svetlana Karimova, Angelika Motzkin.

1. Have you ever taken part in bead competitions? If so, in which ones?

Fumiko:
I've never challenged to entry any bead competitions.

Svetlana:
Yes, I've got some experience. The first contest where I risked submitting my beadwork to was Fashion Colorworks 2010. Later on there were international Haute Couture Beading Contest 2010 and Fairy Beads 2011, after that three my contest entries were published in June's issue of the Fashion Magazine. The last contest I participated was the challenge held by Polish online bead shop www.beading.pl where my earrings came third.

Angelika:
I participated in contests "Colors of Soul" in Minsk, "Magic beads" in Moscow and Kiev, and Bead Dreams 2009 where I made the final.

2. Do you think it is important for you to participate in contests? Why?

Fumiko:
Yes, of course. I wanted to try how my beadwork was regarded and also to showcase my work to people.

Svetlana:
I think it's very important. The first is the ability to express themselves, or, as they say, the ability to see the others and be seen. Secondly, a competition is a very powerful incentive to development, an answer to the question to himself: "I wonder if I can do?" and then the desire to do something special, amazing. And thirdly, it's just fun!

Angelika:
Yes, I think I need to participate in exhibitions and competitions to test my craftsmanship and abilities.

3. Why did you decide to participate in the Fashion Colorworks Contest?

Fumiko:
A friend of mine told me about that competition, I liked it and decided to give it a try.

Svetlana:
After my first Fashion Colorworks 2010 I decided I would definitely take part in the competition in 2011. I really liked the friendly atmosphere of this contest, besides the apparent complexity of the color combination makes one think of the careful selection of media and design. And yet I really wanted to show what I could learn over the past year.

Angelika:
Taking part in "Fashion Colorworks" was my another test for my possibilities as well as for the quality of my teaching because some of my students also submitted their beadworks.

4. What place in the competition have you expected to win?

Fumiko:
I didn't think anything about what place I could win.

Svetlana:
To be fair to the end, when submitting my application I was not thinking about that! It seemed to me that most of the beadworks already had much higher chances, especially because the contest was "bead" contest, but my entry had very little beads.

Angelika:
I haven't thought about that. The most important for me is just participation.

5. Why did you choose the category in which you took part?

Fumiko:
I've learned and enjoyed beading and bead embroidery for a long time.

Svetlana:
I learned macrame weaving many years ago. I've woven different things: bags, belts, wall hangings, etc. So, after reading the contest rules at the end of 2010 and seeing color triads, there wasn't any doubt that my work would be done in the first palette and it would be a macrame for the Finished Jewelry category.

Angelika:
Designing accessories is less extensive area of creativity, and there is very plenty of room for imagination and for combining different techniques in one whole.

6. When did you start to working on the design that won?

Fumiko:
It was around the end of April, 2011.

Svetlana:
Immediately after Christmas holidays I began my "raids" to online stores in search of the necessary materials. First, I just ordered beads of necessary colors. Later, having received my bead orders, I carefully sorted purchased items because in reality many colors turned out to be not such as in the photo. By the end of March, all I needed was taken and I started, yet mentally, draw my future project.

Angelika:
A month before the competition.

7. What inspired you to create your winning beadwork?

Fumiko:
I felt vital energies (and strong power of the Earth) from the suggested color combinations.

Svetlana:
It was originally intended to weave a necklace in the Native American style consisting of several diamond cells that grow toward the center, but everything went to cut me with a painted sketch. There was a feeling that I had not a plain thread in my hands but Ariadne's thread that led me forward. And I put aside my sketches and went where I was led. Somewhen in the middle of my work, I suddenly realized that it's not Pocahontas, but Jurata, the daughter of the God Perkun who plowed land area which is now Denmark for one night according legends, or the Baltic Queen that gave the ancient hunters an amber bear figurine. Or Mermaid from another legend who fell in tragic love to a fisherman and whose tears are believed to be small pieces of amber...

Angelika:
In my garden there is a small ornamental pond, where are water lilies and magnolia trees around. During that spring time trees were in bloom, and being impressed by their beauty, I decided to make a handbag like a magnolia flower.

8. How long have you worked on your contest beadwork?

Fumiko:
I have no idea exactly. When I could find time I was working on my piece. I think it took about one month.

Svetlana:
In total, the work on "Jurata" took me two 2 weeks. I was so inspired that all of the daylight hours I spent in weaving. At this time, even my husband told the children that their mother was in a creative assignment and asked them to take over all work at home.

Angelika:
It took me about a month.

9. What difficulties have you had during your work and what was easy for you?

Fumiko:
The most difficult for me was to keep right beads arrangement and the beauty of lines.

Svetlana:
The difficulties were only of a technical nature: how to put on the thread each individual bead (I used not only glass 8/0 beads, but also 11/0, and even 16/0 in some places), my fear that the threads could be entangled and I wouldn't be able to untangle them (to the center the number of threads has increased from 16 to 140 on each side), maintaining the symmetry of the necklace.

Angelika:
It was difficult to make a frame and "to make" it keep the form, and to cover it with leather and fabric. And as for all the beads were easier.

10. Are you satisfied with the results of your work?

Fumiko:
I am highly satisfied with the results of my work.

Svetlana:
Tying the last knot, I felt a sense of profound satisfaction. Despite some errors in execution, the first time I did not want to redo my beadwork, and wanted to shout: "Look, I've done it!"

Angelika:
I always have notes to my beadworks, and I always hope that the next item will be better than the previous.

11. What do you think is particularly good in your design and what is not?

Fumiko:
My most satisfied point is the unsymmetrical design of paisley motif.

Svetlana:
I myself like the most central part of the necklace symbolizes Denmark, a little fairy country located on a peninsula and numerous islands.

Angelika:
Everything connected with the beads was successful, and the shape of the handbag leaves much to be desired.

12. What interesting for yourself have you noticed in the other contest entries?

Fumiko:
I have no ideas at this point because I haven't looked at the entries carefully.

Svetlana:
Looking through the work of other participants, I realized that there are many techniques that I would like to learn: embroidery, and working with leather, and ganutell, and soutache...

Angelika:
Some of the interesting designs can be applied not only to creating beaded jewelry, but also to making other beaded items.

13. Do you think the results of the competition are logical and correct?

Fumiko:
I believe the results are correct and fair.

Svetlana:
In general, yes, although I as an amateur first of all assessed work on a "nice-not nice" and "like-dislike" basis and, of course, my list of finalists is much longer.

Angelika:
Yes, of course.

14. Do not you feel disappointment that you did not win the first place?

Fumiko:
No, I didn't.

Svetlana:
No, I am immensely happy on the contrary, that my humble work was so highly praised by the jurors.

Angelika:
No, not at all.

15. Have you received satisfaction from the contest or not? Why?

Fumiko:
Yes, I have.

Svetlana:
Of course, because my "Jurata" was among so many wonderful works of great artists and is seen saw by many people from around the world. In addition, I became the owner of a wonderful Certificate and received a great prize from Rings & Things.

Angelika:
I haven't tracked the entire process since I don't spend much time at the computer, but the last days of the contest has been exciting and enjoyable.

16. How does the competition affect your creative plans?

Fumiko:
I could have confidence in my own work at this competition. I would like to continue making beadworks with my original design.

Svetlana:
I plan several projects in new techniques. In addition, after the competition I started receiving offers to teach classes.

Angelika:
I've got a lot of plans but where can I find enough time? Thank to the contest, it nudged implement the idea with the bag, otherwise I would have postponed it for a long time.

17. What weaknesses of our contest could you mention?

Fumiko:
I have no idea at that moment.

Svetlana:
Maybe someone thinks I'm not objective but I see no weaknesses in "Fashion Colorworks".

Angelika:
I don't see any.

18. What could we do to Fashion Colorworks became even more interesting?

Fumiko:
Maybe you need to provide more publicity.

Svetlana:
World wide geography, ability to submit beadworks in different categories and contest tasks are already doing "Fashion Colorworks" one of the most interesting bead contests.

Angelika:
Likely, you need to add categories for beaded objects like beaded shoes or beaded clothing, handbags, hair adornments, hats and so on. Give more advertising on the contest in other magazines and websites. My student from Israel did not know about the contest though beadwork is popular in our country.

19. Are you going to take part in Fashion Colorworks next year?

Fumiko:
Yes, I would like to take part in the Fashion Colorworks competition next year.

Svetlana:
Yes, I'm already looking forward to hearing about new color triads and the rules of the next contest; and I hope this time I will be able to submit not just one but three works - one in each specified color combinations.

Angelika:
Yes, I'll give another try.

20. What three words could describe Fashion Colorworks best of all?

Fumiko:
Creativity. Inspiration. Dream.

Svetlana:
Openness. Kindness. Holiday.

Angelika:
Inspiration. Creativity. Success.

21. What do you wish the present and future participants in our contest?

Fumiko:
I'd like everybody to take part in the competition with courage.

Svetlana:
Do not be afraid to experiment, believe in yourself and you will succeed!

Angelika:
Good luck and perfect craftsmanship!

Thank you so much!
We at MyLovelyBeads.com wish you further success!

Beadwork by Fumiko Sekine
 
Beadwork by Svetlana Karimova
 
Beadwork by Angelika Motzkin