the envelope please

when you apply to shows you want the reply envelope to be a thick envelope, not a thin one because the thick envelope has all of the contracts and other information you need when you are selected to get in -- while the thin envelope just says "thanks, but no thanks"

when submitted stuff for competition, this is not so true

back at the end of September I sent in my packet of entry information and photos to Fire Mountain Gems for the Swarovski Elements Jewelry-Making Contest

I hadn't originally intended to do that contest this year, but when one of the competition judges from last year called me and encouraged me to participate

well

so yesterday, when I got the mail, there was an envelope from Fire Mountain, and since the "good" envelope (yes you've been selected, please send us your actual piece of jewelry for the next stage of judging) and the "bad" envelope (thanks for entering, but your piece was not selected) look just the same in this case, it felt like a very long walk from the mail box to the house where I could get the letter opener to slice it open

I got the GOOD letter!!!
once again this year my design has made it through the first round of judging

and since a lot of rather you make it through this stage has to do with how well you photographed your piece, it says volumes about my improved photography as well as good things about my jewelry design!

I will be packing up the piece and shipping it off to Grant's Pass for the next round of judging

I'm pretty excited about doing this two years in a row!!

and because they split up their competitions this year so they end at different times during the year, I'm now in the designing stage for another piece that is due March 1, 2011 that is mostly seed beads -- and I hope it is equally well received

this is SO COOL!!