Blurry Week...Exciting Stuff.....

Well, this week has been a blur!  Halloween was snowy on the east coast for the first time in my lifetime!  So many power outages, trees down, absolutely crazy!

My Aiden was sick, just a cold, but opted not to trick or treat.  We share all the goods anyway.  Here were my little ones................

a snow princess and a viking.  Homemade snow princess outfit is an old flower girl dress that was given to us, white gloves and hat with a tiara from her princess collection, and the viking is sisters jean jacket turned inside out to reveal the fur, sisters ugg boots, pirate hand hook from previous years, and viking hat made from tin foil and masking tape.  I loved it.  So fun to make your own costumes.

That was Monday- on sunday and monday we had some house guests that were displaced due to the power outages (my mom and poppop).  It was very nice to have some time with Poppop, and he and the kids had a blast!

Then Tuesday I spent most of the day in the ER with Aiden....asthma out of control.  He's ok.  He just needs that extra strong neb now and again.  I just wish he didn't have to suffer with it.  But its all he's known, so he's a trooper about it.

Yesterday was Halloween withdrawl craziness in my house, with Aiden home and collin tired, it was chaos. 

I did begin the patina process on my new copper clay pieces, made copper leaves and Loop T Loops for the shop and took some pics.
Here are some of my new pendants I made from the Antique Bible molds I made (in copper clay).  Here are a couple (check my Artisan Accents shop this weekend for the listings...

dragon fly- each one has little hidden crosses in the artwork (since they are from an antiqued tooled leather Bible cover)

LOVE this one and heart key with a cross

dragonfly with multi-holes for dangles

drgonfly tri-connector

heart and cross bird pendant

and last but not least, this beautiful star of david pendant

Today I am kicking butt and catching up.

NOW, for the exciting news part.

Stop by here tomorrow to find out how you can be part of the biggest art bead swap, chain, giveaway thing EVER!  (ok, maybe not ever, but maybe)  Its awesome and fun and being held by Love My Art Jewelry.

Here is a sneak peek.......

Big Huge Multi-ARtist Early Bird Sale and Giveaway

It's a huge group sale and giveaway!  Use code earlybird15 in either my Artisan Accents Component Shop or my Staci Louise Jewelry Shop for 15% off your order, plus you get a free gift with each order, plus if you comment on this blog post, you are entered in my giveaway (see picture below), plus any comment on any blog participating in the sale gets you entered to win the big $450 metal smith package from Melinda Orr.  Whew!  You ready- see below for links to everyones shops, blogs and the sales they are having!

This amazing group of designers
specialize in handmade jewelry components and findings. Take advantage of our sale this

Wednesday - Friday
October 26-28
just in time for holiday shows & gift designs ~

You can still enter for the
HUGE Giveaway CLICK HERE

to enter and see all the wonderful pieces!

Each designer is offering a free gift with purchase & discount

this Wed-Fri ~ Many of these designers rarely offer sales ~ A great opportunity!
Don't miss it!

1. Melinda Orr	2. Kristi Bowman Design	3. MarlasMud	4. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp	5. SueBeads
6. Starry Road Studio - ktotten	7. Artisan Accents by Staci Louise	8. Marsha Neal Studio	9. Regina Boger	10. Lisa Peters ART

                       
                              Click on the pictures above to visit their stores!
             Be sure to visit each of their blogs ~ We have some new additions so be sure to
                   FOLLOW AND COMMENT TO BE ENTERED TO WIN!
                     Below are the artists, the sale and gifts they are offering:

1. Melinda Orr Designs ~ 15% off entire store (Use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free gift ~ a sampling of copper ear wires, rivets, textured charms and copper cleaning pad~ Visit her blog to comment to win

2. Kristi Bowman Designs ~ 15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Also 15% off her Artfire store

Visit her blog to comment to win

3. Marla's Mud ~ 25% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD25)

Free gift ~ Goodie bag $20 with $50 purchase & goodie bag & free shipping over $75
Visit her blog to comment to win

4. SKYE JEWELS ~ 10% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD10)

Free Gift ~ surprise!
Visit her blog to comment to win

5. Sue Beads ~ 15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free Gift ~ Free pair of handcrafted ear wires in brass or copper with earring pairs
Visit her blog to comment to win

6. Starry Road Studio ~15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free Gift ~ Free ceramic charm for orders over $25
Visit her blog to comment to win

7. Staci Louise ~You are here- click here to enter the giveaway

8. Marsha Neal Studio ~ 20% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD20)

Special Gift ~ orders over $100 (after discount) receive a $15 gift certificate
Every item purchased during the sale gets you entered to win a $50 gift certificate

Extra $50 gift certificate to blog commentors ~

Visit her blog to comment to win

9. Fired Up Ladies ~ 25% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD25)

Free Gift ~ A surprise bead with your order

Special Gift ~ To the first 5 that spend over $50 an additional $20 gift certificate
Visit her blog to comment to win

10. Lisa Peters Art ~ 20% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD20)

Free Gift ~ Surprise bead or button with your order
Visit her blog to comment to win

Here's a little treasury sampling from Kristi Bowman Designs ~ thanks Kristi!

HUGE Giveaway and Group Sale

Please join in our huge sale and giveaway!

Start entering for this huge giveaway right away ~

here are the details

You can grab extra entries by:

• A comment on this post
• Comments on each participating designer's blog (one entry per blog)
• Share this event on your blog and link back to this post -leave a comment here that you shared
• Share this event on your facebook fan or personal page and link back to this post -leave another
• comment here that you shared
• Tweet this event and share this url - leave another comment here that you shared

So you see...if you visit all the participating sites, leave a comment on each

and share on your social sites you can get up to 10 entries...this gives you great odds! 

The following Saturday morning,

Melinda will go through all of the participating blogs & assign a # to each qualifying comment.

Using random.org she will choose a winner ~

Be sure to stop back here Saturday to see if you've won!

Here are the prizes~

Metalworking Package Value $200

from Melinda Orr Designs

1.5mm Metal Hole Punch

Wooden Forming Dapping Block

Jeweler's Chasing Hammer

Deluxe Riveting Hammer

Flower Metal Stamp

Vintaj Metal Shears

8" x 5" Copper Sheet 24g

10 Pair Solid Copper Earwires

10 Solid Copper Bead Caps

30 Asst Flat Head Rivets

An assortment of metal blanks & shapes

An Array of Wonderful Handmade Ceramic Components

by Karen Totten at the

Starry Road Studio

value $100

Gorgeous handmade copper and glass earrings

by Kristi Bowman Design

Value $50

Assorted beautiful handmade ceramics

from Marla's Mud

(pic coming soon)

And more as those donation pictures come in!

Stay tuned ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My giveaway (Staci L.) is pictured below.  Leave a comment, share and leave a second comment to qualify.  You know the drill, MUST have an email linked to your blog or in the comment to be entered.  Commenting below also enters you in Melinda's Huge Metal Working package giveaway!

Artisan Accents by Staci Louise giveaway includes two bronze charms, one handmade clasp, one sea thing pendant, one garnet donut bead and one copper with silver solder sea glass bezel- plus three recycled sari silk ribbons

If you are a component designer and would like to join in....

please link in to our event & I'll get the details to you right away!

More details on the Sale tomorrow!

Today is the Day for the Huge Sale and Giveaway

You shop either my Artisan Accents Components Shop or my Jewelry Shop and use coupon code earlybird15 at checkout to receive 15% off your order.   PLUS you get a free surprise gift for shopping with me.

Just look at all these wonderful shops included in this sale!!! 

This amazing group of designers
specialize in handmade jewelry components and findings. Take advantage of our sale this

Wednesday - Friday
October 26-28
just in time for holiday shows & gift designs ~

You can still enter for the
HUGE Giveaway CLICK HERE

to enter and see all the wonderful pieces!

Each designer is offering a free gift with purchase & discount

this Wed-Fri ~ Many of these designers rarely offer sales ~ A great opportunity!
Don't miss it!

1. Melinda Orr	2. Kristi Bowman Design	3. MarlasMud	4. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp	5. SueBeads
6. Starry Road Studio - ktotten	7. Artisan Accents by Staci Louise	8. Marsha Neal Studio	9. Regina Boger	10. Lisa Peters ART

Here are the artists, the sale and gifts they are offering:

Click on the pictures above to visit their stores!
Be sure to visit each of their blogs ~ We have some new additions so be sure to
FOLLOW AND COMMENT TO BE ENTERED TO WIN!

1. Melinda Orr Designs ~ 15% off entire store (Use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free gift ~ a sampling of copper ear wires, rivets, textured charms and copper cleaning pad~
Visit her blog to comment to win

2. Kristi Bowman Designs ~ 15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Also 15% off her Artfire store

Visit her blog to comment to win

3. Marla's Mud ~ 25% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD25)

Free gift ~ Goodie bag $20 with $50 purchase & goodie bag & free shipping over $75
Visit her blog to comment to win

4. SKYE JEWELS ~ 10% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD10)

Free Gift ~ surprise!
Visit her blog to comment to win

5. Sue Beads ~ 15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free Gift ~ Free pair of handcrafted ear wires in brass or copper with earring pairs
Visit her blog to comment to win

6. Starry Road Studio ~15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free Gift ~ Free ceramic charm for orders over $25
Visit her blog to comment to win

7. Staci Louise ~ 15% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD15)

Free Gift ~ surprise bead mix
Visit her blog to comment to win

8. Marsha Neal Studio ~ 20% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD20)

Special Gift ~ orders over $100 (after discount) receive a $15 gift certificate
Every item purchased during the sale gets you entered to win a $50 gift certificate

Extra $50 gift certificate to blog commentors ~

Visit her blog to comment to win

9. Fired Up Ladies ~ 25% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD25)

Free Gift ~ A surprise bead with your order

Special Gift ~ To the first 5 that spend over $50 an additional $20 gift certificate
Visit her blog to comment to win

10. Lisa Peters Art ~ 20% off entire store (use coupon code EARLYBIRD20)

Free Gift ~ Surprise bead or button with your order
Visit her blog to comment to win

Here's a little treasury sampling from Kristi Bowman Designs ~ thanks Kristi!

And don't forget the giveaway- you can enter to win mine here, and every comment on a blog included in the sale will give you a chance to win the big prize from Melinda as well, a metal smith starter kit valued at $450!!!!

And the winners are....................

The winner of my pendant is....................

MOONLITFANTASEAS #5! 

And the winner of these little guys.............

KYM HUNTER DESIGNS #14!!!!!

Congratulations to you two!  Please contact me with your address's so I can get these out to you.

Thanks to all of you for participating! 

Have a happy day!

Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways!

So, here is a list of some really cool, current giveaways right now!

First, don't forget to enter mine...I am giving away these beads from my Artisan Accents shop,

And then choosing another winner for this pendant.

You have until Wednesday, August 3rd to enter.  Click here to read about it and enter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then there is one that I would like to win....its from Heather at Humblebeads, and its a whopper of a giveaway!
Check this out!

Click here to enter to win that lot of goodness above!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And then, if you are still hoping to land some great artisan beads, you can hop on over to Love My Art Jewelry here to enter to win these beauties from Artisan Beads Plus.

Good Luck and have a fun and safe weekend!

BTW and A Giveaway or TWO!!!!!!

Well, Bead Table Wednesday is here again...and its about time I did another giveaway.  First of all, here is what is on my bead table...........

(left)This photo here is a close up of some idea's I have rolling around for Lorelei's C-Koop Enameled Shadowbox Challenge.  I think I love these little boxes.

These (below) are just some wings and such, and a bezel with a Lisa Peters Art Bead that needs to happen.  That wing focal on the bottom broke into all those pieces in the kiln.  I am still not sure why.   Maybe it wasn't fully dried.  Anyway- I was determined to save it....so I riveted it to a copper backing, and its now called, "Broken Dreams".

Ok- and now for the giveaway..................or TWO!

First I have this lovely pendant.  I made it for my sea glass and shell drilling demonstration last Saturday. 

It's a sterling silver bail and swirl, with genuine aquamarine and pink seaglass dangling from it, all adorning a large mother of pearl donut. Its bold and perfect for summer.  It will fit on most chains, it comes with an 18" silver plated snake chain.

The second giveaway is for you jewelry designers. 

This one is for two pieces of genuine sea glass, top drilled, two shells top drilled and one bronze ammonite charm, also top drilled, from my Artisan Accents store.

To enter, leave a comment, and I will pick two winner randomly next wednesday, August 3rd.  You get additional entries for facebooking or blogging or both, but PLEASE leave an additional comment for each way you shared.  Also- make sure I have a way to get ahold of you.  If you do not have a blog or your email linked to your blog, please leave your email in the comment.  If you win, and I cannot get ahold of you, a new winner will be picked.

So good luck, and thanks for checking out my bead table this wednesday!

Art Beads Design Team ~ Whats Old is New Again ~ And Some Design Advice

When I heard what this challenge was, I knew right away I wanted to use sea glass in it.  Sea glass is very old, and has been changed, into something new and wonderful, by the sand and surf.  Thus, What is Old is New Again!

I saw the Bezel Lace at ArtBeads, and thought I would try to use it with my sea glass. 

I was kinda skeptical about whether it would work or not, and well, it didn't.  There is just no way to really get them tight enough, or burnished enough to hold a piece securely (enough for my liking).  They make it look really easy, but I did not have any success.  So there are no pictures using this product.

I also got some of these Topaz Opal glass cabs~ again, to use with the bezel lace and add a "new" aspect to the old and new theme.

 But I couldn't get the bezel to work for them either, not secure enough for me to sell or wear.  I am a fanatic about my pieces being made to wear for life.  They must be able to stand up to a lot of tugging, wear and tear.  I don't want to be doing repairs, and I am sure my customers don't want their jewelry to fall apart or get caught on things. 

The cabs are absolutley beautiful though, and I did use them!

So before I get into my ArtBeads Design, let me first share with you some design techniques that are important, as a designer and buyer.  Since I make sea glass jewelry, I do a lot of wire wrapping, and I must tell you, there are many people who sell poorly wrapped sea glass pendants.  Personally, I won't sell it unless you can tug on it without it falling apart.  For example- I saw this in the Fire Mountain Gems Catalog. 

If you put any pressure on them, they will open right up and fall out.  I would have wrapped more wire around the bottom and then on the back, took it straight to the top and wrapped it around that spiral too.  You then create a bond so that they can't be pulled apart.  Its just a simple extra step to ensure that what you make is quality, and will last forever.

When making wire components or wrapping stones, you must also consider how it wears ON the person, and not just how it looks on your bead table.  This is SOOOO very important.  I have seen so many tutorials, magazines that teach you to make pieces that are not really wearable.  (actually, this rule applies to all jewelry, not just wire wrapping)

(So sorry, but this is a gigantic pet peeve of mine, and I think it leads so many new jewelry artists astray when they see tutorials made to teach them a technique, and it doesn't teach them to do it in a way that would make their work quality.)

For example..........raw wire ends sticking out.  No one wants to buy a bracelet or necklace that will get caught on their sweater and pull it.  Make sure curls and well curled under, and tight against something. 
If you want to see some quality wire work, check out Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio.  For example, this necklace of hers has swirls sticking out, but the are tight, and above the design, not hanging down to get caught on anything.  PLus, its the sort of design that works good in a necklace, but wouldn't be such a good idea in a bracelet, because they would be more likely to get caught on stuff.

Here is one of my necklace swirl designs...............

Note that I try to keep the swirls tight, so they are not swirling around in space, more likely to catch on things.
For a bracelet, I would reccomend swirls like this:
I even go back through the swirls, so that there is no way for them to bend out or catch- it holds them in place.

Although this is a necklace, the swirls are on the inside of the links, and less likely to catch on things.

Here is a great bracelet from Cindy Wimmer.....this would wear great!



If it is earrings you are making, make sure the weight is just right so it won't keep getting caught in their hair and stick out sideways (usually occurs if it is too light and has an element that can catch hair).  And swirls on earrings are tricky- and need to be tight too, or else it could be a nightmare for someone with long hair.

I guess what I am trying to say is, design it with these things in mind, and then wear it for a day.  Does it hang straight?  Does it catch on things?  Are the earrings too heavy or too light?   Then go back and make adjustments if needed.

Ok- so that is why I couldn't use the ribbon bezels from ArtBeads.  Maybe it is just me, I mean, they work, I just can't get them tight enough for my standards.  I am going to try to solder them and use them in a more traditional bezel style.  I will let you know if that works out.  I could also use them as a decorative element in some pendants, instead of structural.  Ok, enough said.

So, onto my reveal.  Here they are- What is old is new again...........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I used copper sqaures that I etched with a sun and waves theme- hand drawn onto it.  Then I added a silver bezel for the Topax Opal cabs......which I LOVE!  They add just the right amount of sparkle, without looking to flashy or fake.  I then wrapped a couple of genuine sea glass drops with silver wire and hung it all on sterling silver earwires that I made myself.  I am really happy with these!  I made all the components except the bezels, those I bought pre-made and just soldered them on.

I also like that I got to use copper and silver, because for me, that is old and new together as well.  I used to work in only silver, just one year ago.  Now copper and bronze have come into my studio and will not be leaving anytime soon!
Here are some more views in different light- I love how the cabs just glow in the sun!!!!

I am always thankful to be a part of the ArtBeads Design team, and I loved this challenge! 

Do you have any design pet peeves or tips you would like to share????

Leave a comment about it below and you will be entered to win some of the ribbon bezel to play with.  See if you can find a creative use for it!

Leave an email, winner will be picked next wednesday, June 8th.  Once chance per person.

I do not get any money to promote or review these items.  I did not pay for these items, they were provided by ArtBeads so I can share my honest opinions of them with you.