Anniversary and my biggest Giveaway!

by Patti Vanderbloemen

This November marks four (4) years since I have opened up an online shop.  Do you sell your jewelry online as well?  Was it as scary for you as it was for me?  Did you drag your feet....like I did?!

So much has happened in these past four years.  I have gone from simply stringing jewelry, to LOTS of wire wrapping, and I now incorporate metalsmithing into many of my designs.  My love of artbeads has only grown deeper, and I will never tire of gemstones! I still enjoy doing this gig - so I am going to "keep on keeping on".  The greatest pleasure I have is the ability to donate my proceeds to charity - Miracle Horse Rescue.  So, I am truly grateful for every single sale!

Just to show you all how grateful I am to continue on this path, I have come up with a few items to giveaway.

First up, I FINALLY use this mixed metal cone I made a while ago - AND - I paired it with an amazingly drop dead gorgeous lampwork bead by Sarah Moran of ZBeads.  I dug through my stash and found a beautiful, coordinating "sugared" lampwork bead by Susan Kennedy of SueBeads, added some fringe in the form of copper chain with sterling silver beads, and an 18" sterling silver rope chain...It was done!

I couldn't stop at the necklace, so I made a pair of mixed metal earrings - again, using pretty lampwork beads by Susan Kennedy.  The earrings hang on hand forged, sterling silver ear wires.

I thought...necklace, earrings...you have to add bracelets...so I did!  Two bangles, forged, soldered from 10 gauge solid copper and solid sterling silver - textured, of course - and shaped into a slight oval.

I did not stop there either!  I have been making lots of tiny posts lately, so I paired these little gems with gorgeous lampwork by Maryse of GlassBeadArt.  These clear beads remind me of Winter Ice - - and, they are made from recycled glass!  In fact, almost the entire earring is recycled (except for the posts, which I purchased).  I melted down the silver, flattened the tiny little balls into discs, stamped, added a "bail" from sterling wire...and tada!

Absolutely terrible pictures - these look so awesome in person, as the bead shape is very unique!

While the earrings were in the tumbler for their final polish, I was perusing the latest issue of WireWork Magazine and came across a very simple tutorial to make a ring in 5 steps.  (Original design by Gabby Guest).  I changed the design up just a bit - I added some coiling to strengthen the shank, and multiple coils in the center of the bead.  This simple little ring, with a gorgeous lampwork flower disc by Susan Kennedy - is so comfortable - and so CUTE!

So there you have it - the goods for the Giveaway - all for one winner!

Some for the winner to keep for themselves, perhaps to give as a gift to a friend or loved one (I think there is a big holiday coming up next month...).

How to Enter

What do you need to do the win the whole thing?  (I will ship international - in case there is a question!)

1) Leave a comment on this blog post - PLEASE BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU! (Sorry for the yelling in All Caps...but...it needed to be said!)

2)  For a second chance to win, Share my blogpost link on Facebook, then come back to this blog post and leave a second comment, advising me that you shared! 

That's it!  I will pick a winner in a week or so!

Many thanks for hanging in there until the end of this long post! I am grateful to every person who has ever stopped by, and left a comment...or not!  So, thank you for stopping by today...here is to four more years?!

xo

Patti

Giveaway!!! Last one for the Year!

As I typed the title to my blog post, I realized how close to the Year 2014 we are...WOW!  It seems the older I get, the faster time flies.  Sigh.

I have so much to be grateful for...my family, my health, blah...blah.  Most importantly, I am grateful that I have been able to donate much of my proceeds from my jewelry sales to Miracle Horse Rescue.  Since doing this, making jewelry has given me a passion that I never possessed before.  It was a hobby before - and now it has purpose.  

So, thank you for supporting me!  

The Giveaway

I recently ordered the most fabulous lampwork beads from RadiantGlassWorks on Etsy (not to be confused with Radiant Minds / Beads and Botanicals, though another fabulous shop).  Anyhow, I went back to her shop and it is now closed (so sad!), so no link for you!  Anyway, they were made with the most fabulous cranberry colored glass, encased in clear.  

These are tiny little beads packed with a punch of color!  So, I made some sterling silver hoops from 16 gauge wire, made a head pin of fine silver in 18 gauge, and some Argentium Silver Ear wires in 20 gauge - 3 kinds of silver in one earring!

I made a pair and listed them in my shop and I loved them so much, I made another pair for this giveaway!

The hoops have been hammered for great texture, oxidized, buffed, tumbled FOREVER, and buffed again!  They measure 2" in length and are so lightweight and comfortable to wear!  

How to Enter

I keep trying to think of more ways for you to enter, so this is what I have today:

Three ways to enter!

1. Leave a comment on this blog post - equals 1 entry

2. Post a link to this blogpost on Facebook - equals 1 entry
3. Pin an item from my Etsy shop to your Pinterest Board - equals 1 entry

For each task above, you must leave a separate comment on my blog!  I will pick a winner sometime on Sunday - December 8.

Thanks for stopping by...best of luck!

xo

Patti

And the winner is....

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment/share my post! :)

The winner of these awesome earrings - inspired by Artist/Teacher Stacie Florer is....

Susan Marling!

Susan - please contact me via email (pattivan@comcast.net) with your snail mail address and I will get these out to you right away!

Even though it is Monday ... have a great day!

Patti

New stuff....and a Giveaway!

I have been trying new things lately...and I am LOVING it!  Like this toggle clasp..

Stone Rust Charcoal 

The gorgeous beads above are made by Jody Brimhall (Inspire Glass Studio on Etsy) . I am going to make more of these toggles...in copper and silver.  They have more punch than a wire clasp - which I still love to make!

I made a necklace this week and posted progress photos on Facebook.  I bought a set of "orphan lampwork beads" from Jody as well - each bead was different from the next - but each was a piece of art in my mind's eye so I could not justify breaking up the set.  I envisioned a double strand necklace, but I only had 20 lampwork beads.  I also did not want an extremely heavy necklace.  I had recently finished a DVD from Cassie Donlen - "Metal Jewelry Making with a Micro Torch".  Now, I have taken a soldering class (bad teacher...remember? I won't even link to that blog post because memories of the teacher give me a headache)!  I also have a few other DVD's...I watch these videos for the TIPS!  Each artist has different tips on doing this...or doing that.  And that's what makes the video worth the money to me!  Cassie did an excellent job!

Anyway, one of her projects was a toggle clasp made from fused silver - I digressed a bit and instead made these connectors for my double strand necklace:

I soldered some links from 14 gauge wire.  Now, I have copper solder, but I don't like the color I achieve.  So, I used silver solder and in an effort to cover up the silver, I simply coiled some copper wire on top- I love how these turned out!  It gave the piece incredible texture...which I cannot get enough of!

I made a smaller version of the connectors for the clasp.  And there is that "ladder chain" again!!

Can you see why I did not want to separate these beads?  So pretty!  

I love how this turned out - and it sold already....always a plus!

I loved these connectors so much, that I ventured into making some bangles.  So, I got out my 10 gauge copper (thick!!) and made a set of three bangles.

I will be making more of these - so much fun!

So, Stacie Florer had a tutorial in Bel Armoire Jewelry using thin gauge sheet metal to make earrings.  Stacie is an awesome teacher and I cannot wait until September, as I will be taking another class from her at artBLISS.  Anyway, these are the earrings I made from her tutorial:

SO LIGHTWEIGHT!!  The bottom disc is sterling silver - the top disc is copper, which has been fold-formed.  There is incredible texture on these earrings!  I placed an eyelet at the top, and two rivets on each earring.

Thanks for the tut Stacie!  

Would you like to win these earrings?  Very simple - 

Just do one (or all) of the following and LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON MY BLOG for each:

1) Leave a comment

2) Become a follower of my blog - or leave a separate comment telling me you are already a follower

3) Post a link to my blog to Face Book about the giveaway.

I will pick a winner on Monday - July 1st.

Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend!

Patti

Giveaway!!!

This is my 100th blog post!  I have had this little blog since November 2011, and I have only written 100 posts!  I must rectify that this year!  Thank you to everyone who has ever read my blog - and I relish every single comment!  Keep reading - there is giveaway at the end of this post...but first, this is what I have been up to lately:

I am currently taking the Aspire to Wire e-class from Kerry Bogert - 30 wire wrapping projects in 30 days.  O.M.G.!  It is so much fun!  She is a wire-wizard and an excellent teacher! I have had the pleasure of taking 2 of her classes at artBLISS, and I also took her e-class - Snaptastic.  I cannot say enough good things about Kerry!

Her first project entailed her two-tone wire wrapping technique.  So far, I have made two necklace / bracelet / earrings sets with some lovely jasper I have been hoarding.

 

Kerry also uses beautiful colored wire - but I used copper and sterling to go with this set - which immediately went to my mother after I showed it to her!

Yes ...another set made with more jasper.

I have also been working with some amazing lampwork beads from Donna Millard.

I made some of the most awesome bead caps for this necklace, shown below, with my new dapping tool.

The tool creates a concave circle, as illustrated above, and in the bead below.  Isn't this cool?!

I really love this affect!

***UPDATE ON THE GIVEAWAY!  CONGRATS TO SHIRLEY MOORE!!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT A COMMENT - IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME! *************

If you are still with me after all these pictures, THERE IS A GIVEAWAY to celebrate my 100th blog post!  I will be giving away this bracelet I made with gorgeous handmade lampwork beads by Unicorne and sterling silver:

There is also one spiral-wrapped Czech glass bead to round it out - the clasp is also handmade, and is wrapped with a tiny purple Czech bead.  The silver has been oxidized in liver of sulfer and tumbled.  But the beads....oh the beads...they have a beautiful shimmer and a lovely texture!

Here's what you need to do for a chance to win this silver bracelet:

1.  Just leave a comment on this blog post.
2.  Follow me on my blog (if you are already a follower, let me know in your comments-this will count as an extra chance to win).
3.  Subscribe by email to my blog posts (again, if you already subscribe to my feeds, let me know in your comment for an extra chance to win).
4.  Share the link to my blog post on Facebook - and let me know you have done this for the extra chance to win.

Please make sure I can reach you via email to let you know that you have won!  Winner will be announced sometime on Sunday, January 20th.

Thank you for stopping by!