Wonder and Whimsy Monthly Challenge - October Edition

...and Giveaway!!

Yep, there's a Giveaway this month! Details are at the bottom of this entry... Keep reading to find them--or just scroll until you see it. :)

First things first, though: this month's challenge. I came up with this challenge when I was visiting my parents last month. While there, I spent a fair amount of time going through boxes of my stuff in their basement. I got rid of quite a bit of it, but I also found some treasures--like my binder of letters from my late mother-in-law, my trowel from archaeological field school, and my rock collection from when I was in 2nd grade.

And I also found some beads.

...Not only did I find some beads, I found some necklaces that I made back when I was in middle school:

Both are made with glass and metal--and, honestly, the construction has held up pretty well considering these were made in the 1990s by a self-taught jewelry novice.

Oh! And I even found the jewelry that I wore to prom... Hah!

I remember that I wasn't happy with the offerings I found in stores, so I bought two pairs of earrings and a plain beaded choker. Some simple manipulation later, and I had a matching set:

...Not revolutionary, I realize, but it still makes me happy that I was thinking outside the box even then. I guess I come by this jewelry thing honestly.

And now, to the beads.

Nestled amongst other middle school memorabilia, I found these two boxes:

Each box is full of a collection of large seed beads, some large glass, and some findings. (The one on the left has bobby pins and wire, and the one on the right has necklace and earring findings.)

Here's a close-up of the contents of the multi-themed box:

...And now, for my Monthly Challenge. 

As you might guess, my challenge is to make something with the contents of this box. My goal is to mainly use what is in here--although I'm sure other findings and such will make their way in. And! If I have time, I may even remake some of the necklaces I showed earlier to reflect my more recent skill set.

Now, you may have noticed that I only revealed the contents of one of those bead boxes. So, what about the other one? Well, that answer to that brings us to:

The Giveaway!

That's right! I want to give someone this box: 

By my best estimation, this collection of beads was put together sometime in the 1990s. (Egads, I guess that means they're vintage? Heh, I feel a little old.) While they are not gemstones or handmade lampwork, this is still a happy mix of colors--and they're a special little bit of my past. I want to share that little part of me; hopefully these beads will bring someone some joy.

So, how to win? Simply comment on this post! Oh, and please be sure to leave an email address, so that I'll know how to contact you. I'm willing to ship internationally, so everyone can feel free to enter. On Friday, October 26th, I'll draw the winner's name out of a hat. I'll post the winner here in my challenge reveal, as well as contact them via their provided email addresses. 

So! Come by on Friday, October 26th to see what I end up making... and see who the winner of the Giveaway is!

Until then, have a wonderful October everyone! And best of luck winning these beads! :)