We're Celebrating 500 FB Likers - Win a $100 Gift Voucher!

Welcome to our 500 FB Likers Giveaway!

To be in to win a $100 voucher from Beads Galore NZ, please post a comment with your name, email address and a description of your favourite item on the Beads Galore website.

Please note that any entries with incomplete details will not be valid.

Entries close at 5pm on Sunday 31st July and the winner will be notified via email shortly after.

Shipping is free, wherever you are!

Good Luck!

Congratulations to our Winners!

The winners of the April Beading Challenge are:

Beginner's Category
Entry No. 3 - "Autumn Cascade" Bracelet by Sarah Aska - congratulations Sarah!

Open Category
Entry No. 7 - "Blaze of Beauty" Necklace by June Butt - congratulations June!
Both winners have been sent notification along with their prize, a $50 Beads Galore voucher each :-)
Thankyou so much to all who took part and those lovely people who voted!

The Beading Challenge Is Launched ... !!!

Hi Everyone!

The challenge is officially launched!

We have a total of 10 entries this time. I love the range of entries - each captures the season perfectly and there are some very original ideas. Truly inspiring - choosing your favourite is not going to be easy ... There are only two entries in the Beginners Category (No. 3 and No. 6) so each has a pretty good chance of winning!

To view the entries, please go over to our Facebook page

Once you have chosen your favourite from each category, please email your 2 choices to us at info@beadsgalore.co.nz , or post your vote right here on our blog. All votes must include your name and email address, plus a few words explaining your reason for each choice.

The entries with the most votes in each category by 5pm on May 8th will be the winners.

Please refer to the list of guidelines on our website if you require further information on voting, or any aspect of the challenge.

So, it's time to choose your favourite and get those votes in!

Happy Beading and Voting!!!

Jo

website

New Ring Shanks Have Arrived!

A lot of you have been waiting on these - they're great and very affordable!

Full details can now be viewed on our website under New Products.

Our latest newsletter is also now available to view on our News page.

Happy Beading!

Jo =)

April Beading Challenge Update

A long overdue February newsletter has just gone out to our subscribers with details on the April Beading Challenge.

Staying with a seasonal theme, you can choose from either "Autumn Glory" or "Winter Wonder" as an inspiration for your creation(s) this time.

All the details are here

I've also created a new page with all the entries from the last 2 challenges for any first time entrants to peruse or if you want to refer back.  Just click here

If you're not a subscriber, the latest newsletter can be viewed on the news page of our website.

Looking forward to it!

Jo :-)

Hello Beaders!

Hi folks - just a quick update to let you all know that we're back at work.

New orders have been placed from India and Asia, plus we have some lovely new Swarovski lines on the way.

Our next beading challenge will be happening in April - more details on that in the next few weeks.

Meantime, hope you're all rested and rejuvenated after the summer break!

Happy Beading,
Jo :)

2011 New Year Sale | Holiday Despatch Date Changes

Happy New Year Everyone!

I do hope 2011 has started on a good note for you.

Here are details of our first GREAT sale of 2011, plus info on some changes to despatch dates later this month ...

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2011 New Year Sale - 20% off Everything for 11 Days !!!

It's the 2011 Sale - 20% off everything for 11 days!

Save 20% on all stock items, starting (officially) on 20th January and going through until midnight on 31st January !

Pssst - as a subscriber and/or blog follower, you have first dibs from RIGHT NOW, as the specials are already loaded ...

Select from a fantastic range of beads and supplies - lampwork glass, pendants, cabochons, settings, seeds, bugles, Tibetan silver, Sterling silver, charms, Swarovski, stunning handpainted wooden beads, our ever popular beading and jewellery packs, Jo's gorgeous vintage pendants, plus supplies, cord, wire and chain - over 400 specials!

PLEASE NOTE: Some stock quantities are very limited - popular items typically sell out more quickly than we can update stock quantities on the website, so please BE QUICK! (In the case of prepaid items not being available, a credit, replacement or refund can happily be arranged).
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Holiday Despatch Date Changes

Beads Galore will be "un-womanned" from Monday 24th January until Tuesday 1st February. Website orders are still welcome during this time, although please note that orders placed after Thursday 20th January will not be despatched until Tuesday 1st February.

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That's all for now. Enjoy your summer and we'll be in touch again early next month with details of exciting new lines and beady happenings for 2011.

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Happy Beading!

Jo :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Seasons Greetings!

2010 has been great in many ways - busy, challenging and full of delightful moments thanks to all the lovely, clever and inspiring bead and jewellery artists I have had the privilege to deal with throughout the year :-)

Our beading challenges have been really successful and it has been such an honour to have all you talented people involved.  The feedback has been fantastic, so I've decided to continue in 2011 with beading challenges in April and October.  That should give everyone plenty of time to design and create!

The subdued economy has resulted in lower sales these last 2 years, but we're still ticking over and gradually adding new lines.  After 4 1/2 years of trading, Beads Galore is well established and I look forward to continuing to serve new and existing customers in the best way possible, whilst increasing and diversifying our product range.

I wish you and your loved ones a very special Christmas, as well as happiness and prosperity in 2011.

Blessings,
Jo :-)

Win in December Promotion ...

REVIEW OUR PRODUCTS FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN IN DECEMBER !! ...

We've all had a busy year ... I know myself that when someone asks me to complete an online survey or review I think twice about it if time is short, unless there's some sort of reward !

We currently have 44 product reviews on our website, which are particularly valuable for other customers. What we would like you to do is choose a product you have used and write a short review about it, which should take you a couple of minutes. You can review up to five items - ones without a review already would be the most helpful :)

So, what's in it for you? You could win yourself a divine collection of Swarovski pearls and crystals, plus a useful assortment of findings, to use in your Christmas creations - valued at over $50! Each review you post will give you one entry in a draw, with the winner being announced on 16th December.

All you need to do is:
1. Post your review(s) on our website
2. Email your name and email address to info@beadsgalore.co.nz OR post them below , including the number of reviews you have posted.

We will draw the winner on Thursday 16th December to allow enough time for the prize to reach the winner before Christmas :)

1/2 Price Pre-Christmas Sale on NOW!

With Christmas fast approaching, we'd like to give you an irresistible incentive to stock up on supplies and gifts in plenty of time. What better opportunity than a really decent SALE! Grab some bargains now and give yourself plenty of time to make your Christmas creations, whether you're selling your wares or making your own special gifts. All our beading packs are included in the sale this time too - these make wonderful gifts for beginners and younger beaders, as they are a delightful holiday pastime!
Over 370 items have been reduced to HALF PRICE until 20th November, or while stocks last. Head on over to our Specials category and have a ball!

Don't delay - once it's sold, it's gone!

Beading Challenge Winners

The votes have all been counted for the Beading challenge ... a high calibre of delightful work throughout made choosing very difficult, as many of the voters commented! Without further ado, here are details of the winners:
Open Category:
1st - Entry No. 7, Spring Escape by Claudine Maulgue
2nd - Entry No. 13, Parterre de Fleurs by Jen Meiklejohn of Jenz Designs
3rd - Entry No. 4, Love Bird by Amanda Dick of Pallina Designs

Beginners Category:
1st - Entry No. 5B, Colours of Spring Bracelet by Kelly Mustoe of Iron Butterfly Jewellery
2nd - Entry No. 3B, Spring Bloom by Chantel Kent of Southern Jewels
3rd Equal - Entry No. 8B, Manuka Flower Bracelet by Sarah Aska and Entry No. 11B, Swarovski Birds by Hayley Sharp

Congratulations to our winners! A $50 shopping spree goes to the 1st place winner in each category. We have also awarded a $5 voucher to each of the 2nd and 3rd placed entrants.

It worked well having 2 categories this time - having a beginners category encouraged a few newer designers to take the plunge and showcase their work. I hope you have all found it a rewarding experience!

Huge thanks to all you lovely, talented ladies for entering and inspiring so many with your beautiful work.

I'm sure we'll be doing it again next year :)

In the meantime, a gallery of all the fantastic work can still be viewed on the news page of our website.

"Joys of Spring" Beading Challenge is Launched - Time to Vote!

Wow - 24 beautiful creations have come in during October, so now it is time to choose your favourite.

All the fabulous entries are now listed for viewing on the news page of our website, so head on over and check them all out.

You have until 5pm on 8th November to cast your vote - remember, there are 2 categories this time, "Beginners" and "Open", so please vote for your favourite from each category.

Votes may be cast by leaving a comment below, or via email to info@beadsgalore.co.nz. To be valid, votes must include your name, email address and a brief description of your reason for your choice.

Thanks to all our talented entrants for taking part ... looking forward to another fun challenge :)

October "Joys of Spring" Beading Challenge Update

Just a brief update to let you know that we have now published a list of rules and guidelines for the October "Joys of Spring" beading challenge.

The aim of these rules and guidelines is to eliminate any grey areas and answer some common questions that arise.

Here's the link ... http://www.beadsgalore.co.nz/guidelines.php

Please let me know asap if you have any further questions or if any of the information on the page is unclear :)

Please note that there are changes to the details in our previous blog post, as well as those sent out in our September e-newsletter :

Firstly, the prize will be a $50 shopping spree in the form of a gift voucher for each category winner, although if the winning entry is made exclusively from our beads the prize will be a $100 gift voucher :)

Secondly, the rules for the voting process have been fine tuned. As per previous challenges, all entries will still be shared in our e-newsletter and displayed on our blog and our Facebook page, however votes will only be accepted via email or our blog. This is because Facebook votes are just too difficult to collate - I spent way too long during the July challenge counting, recounting and eliminating duplicate votes so really need to keep it simple from now on!! :)

I trust this will give you plenty of time to plan your entry and really look forward to the challenge unfolding ...

Cheers!
Jo :)


October Beading Challenge !!!

Greetings!

Just a quick update to let you know that we are holding another Beading Challenge in October!

I have decided to go with a theme for this one, "Joys of Spring", in the hope that by then the weather will offer appropriate inspiration!!!

There will be 2 categories this time, "Open" and "Beginners" (for first time entrants).

Entries open on 1st October and may be submitted to info@beadsgalore.co.nz any time throughout October.

As with the previous 2 challenges, there is no limit on the number of pieces you enter.

Voting will open 1st November and run until midnight on Monday 8th, with the winners being announced on Tuesday 9th November.

All entries will be featured in our e-newsletter, on our Facebook page and our blog, as with the July challenge. The format for voting will also be the same, ie via email, Facebook or our blog.

The one thing that will differ is the voting period, which will be 8 days instead of 14. This is because in our July challenge the vast majority of the votes came in during the first week, so I ended up feeling that two weeks was dragging it out a bit long.

And the prize .... this time it will be a $100 voucher, so the winner can choose whatever they like from our range, whenever they like!!!

FREE SHIPPING

There's free shipping worldwide to all our customers until Tuesday 7th September and for every order placed until the end of September, Beads Galore will donate $2 to the Christchurch earthquake fund ...♥

I would also be delighted if you'd stop by our website and sign our new guestbook!! It's at the foot of the homepage :)

$5 PACKS ARE BACK!!!

Remember $5 packs? Well, they're back! A great selection of loose bead packs and strands are just $5 from now until midnight on 31st August! This represents a saving of over 50% on some items, eg faceted glass crystal, millefiore and art glass ... all on our website under specials at http://www.beadsgalore.co.nz/specials.php ...

Congratulations Pamela Elsley!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Out of all the outstanding entries in the Beading Challenge, one has attracted the most votes - Entry No. 1 - Swarovski Crystal Bracelet by Pamela Elsley of Pamelas Handmade Custom Jewellery . Congratulations Pamela, you have won the $100 prize, a selection of treasures to inspire your future creations! My thanks once again to you wonderfully talented ladies for your willingness to enter and share your beautiful work, which for the last few weeks has been viewed by hundreds ... and no doubt inspired every one . Incidentally, there were 130 votes and they were pretty evenly spread, so congratulations and well done to you all!

Still Time to Vote ...

Voting in the July beading Challenge is still open, but only until midnight tomorrow (Sunday) ... do support our talented entrants and vote for your fave if you haven't already ... thanks in advance!

July Beading Challenge is Launched!

I am so happy to annouce that we have 13 wonderful entries for the July Beading Challenge!

Photos and information on each entry, plus details on how to vote can be found on the news page of our website, where there is a copy of the e-newsletter sent to all our subscribers.  We have also added full details to our Facebook page.

You are welcome to vote here, on our FB page, or via email to info@beadsgalore.co.nz if you prefer not to make your vote public :)

Happy Voting!!!

31st July 2010

Just a quick update ... 115 Likers on Facebook - yay!  Last day for entries in our July Beading Challenge - we have 12 gorgeous ones for voters to choose from ... happy to accept more until midnight tonight.

Subscriber e-newsletter will be sent out tomorrow morning containing details and photos of all the entries -  these will also be posted here and on FB.  Voting can then commence and will be open until midnight on 15th August.  You can vote here, on FB or if you'd prefer not to make your vote public you can email it to us.

More tomorrow ...