This was my entry for the Beadworkers Guild Challenge (The Exotic) in 2004. Three ropes of twisted herringbone and one of “Diane Briegleb’s” faces which just asked to be used - I embellished with lots of different shapes and colours of beads and threw in a few Swarovski crystals for added sparkle. Much to my surprise and with competition from many wonderful and beautiful pieces, Turkish Delight took first prize in the Intermediate section. If you are thinking about entering the next Guild Challenge, then just “go for it” - it’s great fun to do and it’s the taking part, not the winning, that counts - let your imagination and skills be stretched and you might just be surprised at what you can achieve - I was !

My entry was a small wall hanging. I graphed a picture in peyote stitch to represent our young cat “Spike” in the “full bloom” of his life and surrounded him with an abundance of flowers. It was quite a cathartic experience but quite intense and I only just managed to beat the deadline!

If you would like to view the winning entries for the Challenge 2005 then visit the Beadworkers Guild website (on the Links page). The Members’ Choice was Claire Crouchley’s beautiful “Flower Fairy” and you can see this by visiting her website.