The Instructions (trying to write clearly):

Your aim is to make a pendant type of necklace with three beads on top of each other.

The instructions for the necklace:

1. The necklace is constructed from only three polymerclay beads stringed the way shown in the picture on the right. This is so called T- stringing. There are at least two ways to do this: either you put the cord through the beads, tie a knot and go back again. The other way is to use some kind of separate bar or metallic wire to attach the centerpiece to the necklace chord.

On the back you can use a lock or button – loop closure on the necklace, but there only should be these three beads on the front of the necklace.

2. The topmost bead must be smallest of the three beads.

3. No two beads can be alike: The beads can be any color, shape and any texture, but you must make them different enough for it to show in the picture.

4. All beads must be mainly from polymerclay but you may use paints and inclusions etc. to decorate them.

(Aint this the cutest graphical instruction you have seen in a while ? Right. There is one or two things to say about my skills with computer drawing and none of them are print worthy. But you get the idea from this)

THE CHALLENGE:

This is the challenge for Polymer Clay Beads and Jewelry list. You are allowed to participate if you belong to the list. If you don't belong to the list, just go and join at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pcbj/

You are to make three beads necklace following the instructions. You can choose the colors, the clays, the textures etc. as you wish, but you must string it in a way shown and also you must put the smallest bead on top.

You enter the challenge by sending a good quality picture of your necklace to theporro@saunalahti.fi before 15^th of October. By sending the picture you allow me to use it for the voting and also to make a webpage of the challenge pictures. You also need to tell Your name, Your yahoo id, Your email address and Your website url in your email. That way I can make the links to your website when the challenge is over.

Good quality picture here means: the necklace should be pictured on white background and the picture should be sharp enough for one to be able to see the necklace.

Late contributions shall not get in. I will edit the pictures to make them more uniform size for the challenge. For that reason I would prefer pictures that are not already stamp size :)

You are allowed to send one picture to the challenge.

The challenge is two part: first I will check that the challengers meet the rules and if so, the pictures will be put on public for voting. If your picture is too low quality or if your piece do not follow the rules, you will not get into voting. The voting will happen in the pcbj lists yahoo webpage. You are not allowed to show your items or tell which piece is yours before voting ends.

After the voting ends, the pictures of the necklaces will be shown here with names and links to your websites.

The winning person will get their necklace picture with the link to their webpage on first page of polymerclay beads and jewelry group at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pcbj/ .

I dont have massive funds to give, but this free advertisement to our members can be a good thing.

And why should you participate on this ?

Because its fun, it will teach you something.

It will be WAY interesting to see what kind of variation people can come up.

Because this is actually a form of internet swap where you dont actually share the item but the consept of item. (hah, that sounds like art talk !)

More funky pictures. (Now you can tell me that you want a self published clay book FULL of these. :)

Some examples to show you that even though the rules might seem "uptight" they have a LOT freedom for you.

Also think about productive work where you make beads for 10 necklaces – but only make similar and not alike beads. You could have a full line of designs without actually doing THAT much design work.

And one more thing: some like modern dance, some ballet but both are taught by learning the moves. Both have lots of rules. The freedom in expressive art usually has some kind of boundaries. So if you feel anxiety about the instructions and rules think it as canvas on painting: you have been given the instructions where to paint. Now you can paint what ever you want.

If that was not enough about "why, how and whats the point" you can read some more from here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pcbj/message/910