The Winners of People's Bead 2013

Traditional Sayings

We are happy to have some of the most creative and loyal friends in the world, and we love to play with them. Every year we host the People’s Bead event where everybody can send in designs for a bead.

Among 100 finalists, people vote for their personal favourite. In 2013 the theme was Traditional Sayings.

These are the winning beads, now forming their very own collection.

Night Owl

For the one who tends to be more active at night rather than in the day

Designer: Kevin Powell

Kevin Powell has studied painting and drawing with the very talented oil painter and teacher, Aeron McBryde, for 3 years. From there, he went into the animation program at the Art Institute of Vancouver studying everything from storyboarding to art history.

Thoughts

Thoughts are free

Designer: Daniela Troll

Daniela Troll works as a mechanical engineer in research and development. She enjoys being creative in other fields like music or arts and design for recreation. She has done music all her life and has also always enjoyed painting and drawing. These activities help her to keep her balance and to express her feelings.

Will

If there is a will, there is a way.

Designer: Paul Krans

Paul Krans was born in a rural environment and this made him well aware of nature at a very young age. The awareness grew into love and passion for all things alive. Green became the favourite colour and spring the favourite season. As a young adult, design became his second passion. And while working as a Bartender and Model, he studied Fashion at the Higher Art School, followed by Communications at University.

Leopard

A leopard cannot change his spots

Designer: Jeannie Sanger

Mary J (Jeannie) Sanger is from the Midwest of the US and loves to go on excursions and discover what nature has to offer. Especially waterfalls she finds fascinating. She is a glass painter and works for a local winery, hairstylist, and make-up artist, and there seems to be a commonality in her likes to make things look beautiful.

Friends

Books, like friends, should be few and well chosen

Designer: Luisa Esposito

Luisa Esposito is 24 years old and lives in Piano di Sorrento, Italy, with her parents and brother. Luisa is going to graduate in Archaeology and History of Art at the Naples University “Federico II”. Luisa is creative and has played the piano since she was 14 years old. She also loves photography and art in all their forms.

Love Is Blind

Love goes beyond the differences between us

Designer: Valentina Rocchi

Valentina Rocchi was born in Rome, Italy, and still live in this beautiful city with her parents and sister. As a child she started playing violin and today she is a professional player and teacher. Music is on top of the list of her passions but she also loves reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with friends.

Little Acorns

From little acorns, mighty oaks will grow

Designer: Rachel Morris

Rachel Morris is living in South West London with her husband Oliver and their daughter Ruby. Rachel is a freelance illustrator. Her passions are cooking up a feast and enjoying it with friends & family. And she is also partial to a cold cider on a sunny evening. She also loves Trollbeads and likes the way in which each person can bring their own meaning to their jewellery, making each collection so personal.

Sakura

A cherry tree blooms at the time of a good notice

Designer: Shizue Ishiwata

Shizue Ishiwata was born in Tokyo, Japan, and today she is living in Chiba Prefecture. Shizue is a housewife and she is making hand-woven items. Occasionally she sells her original hand-woven items. She spends her spare time with her husband, doing gardening or she goes out for shopping in different areas of Tokyo. Also, she is focused on very healthy foods, reading and meditation.

This Too

This too shall pass

Designer: Iris Heyer

Iris Heyer lives with her husband in the Northwest of Germany, which in her opinion is much too far from the sea! Therefore most of the family’s holidays are spent visiting Scandinavia, Scotland or Shetland. She is a very creative person and she loves to work with her hands as a balance to the office work she does for a living.

Silver Lining

Every cloud has a silver lining

Designer: Rebecca Cresswell

Rebecca Cresswell is very passionate about art and design; having painted from a very early age she grew up entering competitions and exhibiting her work. In 2002 Rebecca graduated from the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Art and Design, in the UK after studying Illustration. Her installations are seen in hospitals and palliative care facilities throughout the UK and shares spaces with famous British artists.