Customize a Rondo à la Byzantine kit for March’s “Maillers’ Choice”!

Posted by | No Comments | Read More / Add Comment

B3’s “Maillers’ Choice” kit continues to be a hit! So much so that, in order to make sure our inventory can keep up with the popularity of these kits, we have bumped up voting by a month. Below you can vote for the kit we will release in February.


For March, we’re inviting you to customize a classic: Rebeca’s “Rondo à la Byzantine” bracelet project. We’ve offered kits for this project in solid base metal for years, but we also love playing with color in this weave.  You’ll be voting to customize the project as shown in the sample, with two colors, one used for the byzantine connectors and small helm chain rings, and another for the center connector rings that run through the middle of the piece.

 

Color Forecast: Spring 2013

Posted by | One Comment | Read More / Add Comment

Maybe it’s because we still have snow on the ground here in Chicago, but we love putting together the spring color forecast.  Looking at all the bright, floral colors we can’t help but start to feel the warmth.  After all, seasons are really a state of mind, right?  Ok, so maybe it will be a little while before we can start busting out our shorts and sandals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start creating beautiful jewelry in the season’s hottest colors!

This time around, we decided to do our color palettes a little differently and let each one be inspired by a different project.  We all know how much changing colors can change the feel of a project completely and we love looking at new color palettes as a way of inspiring creativity.

Try one of the projects below or get creative and mix and match your own.  Keep your pliers busy and before you know it, spring will have sprung! (Find instructions for all the projects below an dozens of others on our Projects page.)

Spring 2013 Color Forecast & project ideas - Blue Buddha Boutique

(click for larger view)

You can find all these products on the following pages:

Glass Rings
Seed Beads
Crystal Beads
Anodized Aluminum
Enameled Copper
Anodized Niobium

Congratulations to January’s “Featured Weave” Winner!

Posted by | No Comments | Read More / Add Comment

Voting for January’s Featured Weave contest is officially closed and the winner as chosen by you is……

 

Chrys M. with his piece “Bermuda Blue Byzantine Necklace”


Congratulations, Chrys! Your creativity has earned you a B3 gift certificate for $25! To claim your prize, please send an email to [email protected].

 

Our contest is changing for 2013!

FEATURED WEAVE FOR FEBRUARY – Dragonscale


For 2013, we’ve changed our “Featured Product” contest into a “Featured WEAVE” contest. January started the year with a bang! We featured byzantine and received so many amazing submissions (it was almost impossible to narrow them all down to the finalists above!)

For February, we’re featuring dragonscale. This weave can be tricky to learn but is a big favorite among many of our community members and was enthusiastically requested to be featured by fans on Facebook. Submissions are now open so get creative and show us what you’ve got!

 

Never tried this weave but feeling up for the challenge? You can purchase Blue Buddha instructions for Dragonscale here on our website. Like many customers we’re heard from, we’re sure they will help you conquer this beast once and for all.

Mailler of the Year 2012 is *drumroll*….

Posted by | 2 Comments | Read More / Add Comment

The winners of our Featured Product of the Month Contests for 2012 went head to head for the title, you voted and the winner is ….


Chrys M. with his piece, “Deluxe Tarzan Bracelet”!


Chrys is an avid participant of our contests and was actually our monthly winner twice in 2012.  His creations inspired us all year long and clearly, they inspired you too!  We’re thrilled to give this award to him and know he’ll represent the role well (and keep his well-earned bragging rights within reason *wink*)

Congrats also to all our finalists.  Your work was fantastic and we’re so glad we weren’t the ones who had to decide a winner!  We can’t wait to keep seeing your amazing work this year.  Keep challenging yourselves and showing off your talents!

 


As Mailler of the Year, Chrys earns our grand prize of a $100 B3 gift certificate and of course, bragging rights for the year. To earn a spot as a finalist for 2013 Mailler of the Year, submit a piece to one of our Featured Weave contests. We post details on our blog at the beginning of each month, so stay tuned!

 

Featured Weave for February: DRAGONSCALE

Posted by | No Comments | Read More / Add Comment

FEATURED WEAVE FOR FEBRUARY – Dragonscale


For 2013, we’ve changed our “Featured Product” contest into a “Featured WEAVE” contest. January started the year with a bang! We featured byzantine and received so many amazing submissions (it was almost impossible to narrow them all down to the finalists above!)

For February, we’re featuring dragonscale. This weave can be tricky to learn but is a big favorite among many of our community members and was enthusiastically requested to be featured by fans on Facebook. Submissions are now open so get creative and show us what you’ve got!

 

Never tried this weave but feeling up for the challenge? You can purchase Blue Buddha instructions for Dragonscale here on our website. Like many customers we’re heard from, we’re sure they will help you conquer this beast once and for all.

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:




Make a project which primarily uses the featured weave or a variation of the featured weave. The project can use any and all B3 supplies and can use other weaves, but the featured weave should be the star. Please see the complete rules and details below for more information about qualifications.




Take a picture of your project and submit it using our official Featured Weave Contest form (link below.) You may post the piece online somewhere and provide us with a link, or upload it directly in the form. You will be asked to provide your name and an email address we can use to contact you in case anything goes wrong with your submission—or if you are the winner of the contest!

GO TO THE SUBMISSION FORM

Submissions are closed at midnight CT on 15th of every month and are limited to 2 entry pieces per person.



Get Votes! Submissions will close on the 15th of each month at which point the B3 Staff will choose our favorites. The top entries will be eligible for voting through a survey which we will post to our blog. If you are one of the finalists, feel free to share the link with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other means.

Voting will close on the last day of the month.

 


We will award the top voted finalist each month with a $25 B3 Gift Certificate and will feature YOUR project in a special blog post and possibly even future B3 ads to inspire fellow chainmaillers all over the world.



Complete contest rules and details: Submissions are limited to 2 per person and must use the featured product of the month as determined by Blue Buddha Boutique. The project is not required to be made from Blue Buddha Boutique rings, however any winning projects that use primarily rings from another supplier or rings made by the artist will not be eligible for posting on our blog or use in our ads to prevent false advertising. Pieces do not have to be specially created for the contest but should be no more than 12 months old. Current employees and interns of Blue Buddha Boutique are not eligible for this contest. Finalists are chosen by Blue Buddha Boutique and voted upon anonymously by the public to determine a winner. Submissions may be disqualified at the discretion of Blue Buddha Boutique if they are deemed inappropriate in any way. If a winner does not claim their prize within 15 days of notification, the second place winner will be awarded the prize.