Cyber Monday SALE Last Day to Save

I am having a HUGE Holiday Sale ON NOW through Cyber Monday, in both my online shops.  

The shops are stocked with LOTS of new items. For the first time in....well, ever, I am happy with how my jewlery shop looks!!!! 

  In my jewelry shop, use code artjewelry20 to save 20% on your order.

and you will be finding lots of new jewelry for holiday parties or gift giving. Like earrings................

and in my bead shop use code artbeads15 to save 15%.

I will be adding new items here and there through the sale.  If you purchase more then once or from each shop, I will refund the extra shipping.

That is not all though. I am giving away a $20 gift certificate in each shop after the sale. Each item you purchase enters you one time. So the more items you buy, the more entries you get!!!

Names will be picked at the end of the sale by random.org.

To keep it interesting, I will also be adding random 1/2 price items to the shops throughout the sale. These items will be listed at 1/2 price, AND you can still use your discount on them. So stop by frequently and see what the deals are.  In my bead shop, much of the polymer hearts and swirl connectors have been marked down some up to 50%!

I am also doing a giveaway right here, for sharing my sale information. If you share this post, via facebook, twitter or blog, please leave a comment below (separate comments for each way you share) and be entered to win this..........

 

It's a lovely raku like polymer pendant, with a crackle finish.  If you are a jewelry lover and not a designer, I will add a bail and a ball chain with it.

I will not be reserving items for the duration of the sale. I just feel its more fair that way.

If you are shopping Cyber Monday- stop by Love my Art Jewelry to see all the shops participating in the cyber monday sale! Link can be found there.

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope some of my creations find their way into your holidays!

Holiday Sale with lots of fun Twists

First, I would like to encourage everyone to try to shop local and / or small business this year.  Let's really help the economy, by supporting companies that are completely made and run in the USA.  Being an artisan, I know first hand, the hours, the love, and the talent that goes into creating product AND running your own business.  My husband and I both have our own business's. We pay taxes, we do all the work ourselves. It's a labor of love, and it feels good.  Though we have no sick pay, no un-employment, and no benefits others then being our own boss's, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I know most business owners and artist feel the same way.  That is why I am buying handmade this holiday.  I know the love and passion that goes into each product.  I know it was made with their own hands.  I know my money will go to groceries, heat bills, piano classes, ect....right back into our economy.  And I also know how wonderful it is to be able to pay the bills by doing something you love. 

Ok- onto the sale!!!

I am having a HUGE Holiday Sale beginning late Thursday night through the end of the day Cyber Monday, in both my online shops.  

I have a ton of items to list over the next two days, so stay tuned.

  In my jewelry shop, use code artjewelry20

and you will be finding lots of new jewelry for holiday parties or gift giving.  Like earrings................

and in my bead shop use code artbeads15.

I will be adding some sugar skulls and a few other tidbits!

 

 

That is not all though.  I am giving away a $20 gift certificate in each shop after the sale.  Each item you purchase enters you one time.  So the more items you buy, the more entries you get!!!

Names will be picked at the end of the sale by random.org.

To keep it interesting, I will also be adding random 1/2 price items to the shops throughout the sale.  These items will be listed at 1/2 price, AND you can still use your discount on them.  So stop by frequently and see what the deals are.

I am also doing a giveaway right here, for sharing my sale information.  If you share this post, via facebook, twitter or blog, please leave a comment below (separate comments for each way you share) and be entered to win this..........

(to be determined by sales beginning)

 

 

I have been filling the shops with beads and jewelry, so that you can find that perfect little something for the jewelry and bead lovers on your list.  I will continue to fill the shops so they are ready to go Thursday night- and then sporadically throughout the sale as well!

I will not be reserving items for the duration of the sale. I just feel its more fair that way. 

If you are shopping Cyber Monday- stop by Love my Art Jewelry to see all the shops participating in the cyber monday sale!  Link can be found there. 

 

 

And the International Winner is.............

Since the Art Bead Love Tour is under way in the USA, I decided to give away one of my new Antique Bible Pendants to one lucky international fan, since you guys don't get to play in the Bead Tour.  I made a list in order of all the entries that were NOT from the USA (some folks entered, who didn't qualify) and random.org chose #3- which is

Louise Turner!!!!

You won this Love Sparrow Pendant!

I will include it with your order, so no need to contact me.  Congrats!!!!!!

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.......

October Art Spark

This months Art Spark Challenge at Love my Art Jewelry is Color and Movement.  Check it out here, because Mary Jane Dodd gives some great tips for ways to accomplish this in your jewelry, just to get you started.

One of the things she reccomended was creating a trapeze to invoke movement.  I really liked how you could take this simple idea and do it a million different ways!  I also enjoyed the challenge of adding movement to my jewelry, since my designs can flow visually, but be very static physically.  So for me, the challenge was to create flow in both areas. 

I made my trapeze, and wrapped the top with some great yellow recycled sari silk.  It added just the POP of color my piece needed.  After all, we can't forget about the color portions of the challenge.  If I haven't mentioned this before, I get my sari silk ribbon from Lisa Jurist or jmozart on etsy.  She hand cuts old sari's and sews the strips together to create these fantastic, organic, recycled, handmade ribbons!!!!  Check her out, you will find something you love, I promise.  Ok- back to the design.
From my trapeze I dangled one of my lentil beads, with a slight hint of yellow patina, added some copper beads and a piece sea glass that I drilled, then I added a nice dyed agate of some sort to one side, yet, it still needed more movement.  So I decided to make wire wrapped links, and connect them with large jumps, to allow them to move around.  Voila!  Just what it needed.  I added another sari silk (can you tell I just adore them???) and a handmade clasp. 

So here it is all finished up!  Hope you like it, and I also hope you will enter our challenge. There are some great prizes!!!  Push yourself to create more handmade in your pieces.  Make the clasp (here is a great tutorial by Cindy Wimmer on that), hammer some wire to make paddles, use some handmade beads to add color, and you are there!!!!  You CAN do this.  I started out simply stringing beads.  I never went to school for this.  Just try it.  The more of your jewelry that you make by hand, the more rewarding it will be, and I know you can do it.  We'd love to have you and your creations over at Love My Art Jewelry.  Hope to see you there!!!!

P.S.  each week we pick an artist to be highlighted, but the grand prize is chosen randomly.  (and we at LMAJ don't qualify to play)  So don't be intimidated, you have as good of a chance as anyone!

Love My Art Jewelry Giveaway and other stuff

Have you been over to the Love my Art Jewelry blog yet?  Its a great group of very creative gals, and they talk about and promote using handmade components to make unique and handmade jewelry.  Its a great blog, and I enjoy reading it everyday!  Well, they are having a giveaway right now!  So check it out.  They are asking for some feedback- and you will be entered to win these beauties, made by Jennifer VanBenschoten

They also have an Art Spark challenge each month, where you create within the theme, upload your picture to flickr (and if you want, write a little about your inspiration and process) and you are then entered to win some really fabulous prizes.  This months is a nature theme~ which I am very excited about.  You can check it out here!
Soon- I will be added as an author to LMAJ, and I couldn't be more excited.  I love this group of ladies, and they work very hard to bring you a comprehensive site for all things Art Jewelry!!  So I encourage you to come over, check out the site, and add your thoughts and comments, because a community isn't a communtiy without communication both ways!  We'd love to hear from you.

What have I been up to you ask????  Well, even thought I didn't have to make more jewelry for this upcoming show, I did.  I just can't seem to go to a show without some new pieces?  Do any of you get like that????  Anyway, here is what I have been up to this week.  Enjoy!  And if you are in PA- come on out to the Tinicum Arts Festival!

Like those silk cords??? I buy them from Marsha Neal Studios.  They make a great alternative to silver chain- comfy, add color and keep the cost down.  She has every color you can imagine!  You can buy them here (along with her awesome beads and pendants).
So- with my new adventure to begin soon on Love my Art Jewelry- my question to all of you is, what do you look for when reading daily blogs?  AND what turns you off in a blog?  Do you want all information?  To see designs?  Do you not want to hear about the artists kids?  Ect....  There are no wrong answers, I just want to know what you guys think.
Personally- I love getting to know the artists / bloggers.  I like to hear about their craft AND their life.  Most of all, I love information...where did you get that tool?  How do you etch with a battery?  Where did you get those fabulous beads?
So what do you look for?