GIVE-AWAY MARCH 2012 - COPPER ETCH BRACELET

Since I will be extremely busy and traveling for a couple of days next week I thought I would post early

MARCH 2012 - GIVE-AWAY

1. Comment in the comment section -
Optional : follow my blog - join my followers and or follow by email so you do not miss any give-aways -
2.On March 31st midnight is deadline to comment
3.On April 1 I will put names in jar and randomly pull - and I will  announce the winner and contact them for their address to ship
(no addresses will be posted)  I will mail ground regular mail to you  -

THERE IS NO CHARGE TO PLAY

This month:
 One - Copper Etched with my NEW Zentangle heart pattern (which is available in rubber stamp form on etsy) I may make PnP etch sheets available for sale soon - would love your comments on that

Nice deep etch.  It is a small - which means it was made from 18G 1" wide x 6" long solid copper. I etched my own design onto the copper and finished it with a dark patina and sealed it with Renaissance wax and buffed
Each bracelet is a signed piece (DREAD)

Side View 

Side View

Front View

GIVE A WAYS - Something new

MONTHLY GIVE-AWAY

I will be posting a  monthly give-away  (possibly moving it up to weekly depending upon response)

How it will work

On the 1st of each Month - Starting on March 1, 2012 I will post the item for the give-away.

All you have to do to qualify is post a comment.  From your comment I will put names into a jar and pull one name - one entry per person but you can comment as many times as you wish. Cut off time is last day of the month at midnight.  I will post the winner on the 1st of the month for the previous month Give-away.  (sounds confusing but it will all work out )  before I post the new Give-away.

 I will mail regular mail the item to the winner. I will post first and last name  city/country on my blog of the winner.

The best way to stay informed about my site is using "Follow by Emai"l on the right hand side of the blog.  When I put up a new post you will get an email and this way you can see what is being made and what might be coming up for the Give-away.

So join my blog and keep informed and you could win any number of items I will be making - this includes Bracelets, earrings, stamps, beads, resin kits etc....  !

Heart Zentangle Unmounted Rubber Texture Stamp- for Metal Clay, Polymer Clay, Scrapbooking, Prints

It has arrived -  and I've posted it up on Etsy
Its my  new Zentangle full unmounted sheet - rubber texture stamp - that is full of hearts
I also received a new supply of Pattern 1 & 2 so I have topped up etsy as well on those stamps.
My next stamp may be zentangle animals but I just have to figure out what size - too big and you will not see them if you use metal clay - so I may just make small animals that are within 1" etc... but I never know what comes out of my pen .......

more resin slabs

another blue slab (these take only 2-3 hours to become solid and pop out of tote) used a different tote to get a flat bottom.and is just a little over 6" for length - less waste.  The red takes longer 24 hours more like the jewellery resin and then I can pop it out

will let cure for rest of the week before I cut up

New etched Square Earings.

Was just playing this morning and cleaned up a couple of squares of etched copper left over from my bracelet
wanted matching earings.
just need the earring hooks

thinking of making a nice necklace to match

Resin Slabs for Pens

So I was asked to make pens from my work resins - now these resins set faster than any of the jewelry resins and have color to them - our color is a blue -  Part A is white and Part B is dark Blue and it makes a nice powder blue resin color.  This resin sets within a couple of hours.  I have two types once is a drain resin  (blue) and a potable resin that goes in pipes (red) . Today I mixed the blue - I wanted to make a slab that was about 3/4 thick and at least 6" long  so that I can cut it up into the pen blank and proceed from there.
I used those totes you can get at home depot for about  .90 cents - best part is that once set I can pop it out and reuse the container to set another block.

Mixed and poured 

put marks to fill too 

sample of purchased resin pen blank 

after 2 hours pops right out of tote.

will let it cure for a few days before I cut it up into blanks (as above) - will need to find a more flat mold but it does not matter on the pens as when I turn them on the lathe I loose most of the outside of the squared blank.

Learned how to turn wood pens at Lee Valley workshop 

So the next step is to let cure - slice into blanks will post each step as I complete it 

ETSY SHOWCASE - COPPER ETCHED BRACELETS ON SALE

Etsy Showcase February 19, 2012 all day.  Price has been reduced during the showcase.

If you are unable to purchase during the showcase - favour the item and use the contact seller  email and I will hold the price for you.

There are about 11 cuffs on Etsy but I also have another 15 standing by - prepped for my upcoming TBS show

Re carding some fused pieces

Another project that I have to do before my next show or possibly start putting up on etsy - was to re- card my pieces -  I'm using pieces of wire but they keep falling out so I started redoing with some bead strings.

was told today that my heart texture stamps were shipped so I hope to see them end of the week and get them up on Etsy .  I also ordered another 20 each of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 as I am running out and want to be sure I am stocked up for Etsy - may have to buy more before the show for the end of May 

Etched Copper Cuff Bracelet - Showcase on Etsy Feb 19th

I will be having a Showcase on Etsy for my Etched Copper Cuff bracelets on Sunday February 19th
I've reduced the price down by 10.00   and thinking of giving free shipping so if interested in any of the cuffs - now is the time to check them out - Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeborahRead
Will be posting approx 15 more bracelets by the time the showcase is up and running.

Hadar Jacobson Metal Clay

I've always used the PMC and Silver Clay  but I  just got my new mixed metal kit from Hadar Jacobson of Metal Clay - I have bronze and copper from the makers of PMC and still have not used it as well as other copper clay from Hadar Jacobson.  ( I have all the charcoal and the containers but still have not tried it out) One of the great things is that the price of working in Copper and bronze is that the price is right - and I love the fact that the Hadar material is in powder form.  As much as you can re-constitute the PMC clays  I like the powder version as I do not have to make sure it does not freeze in my studio - (I bring all materials that may freeze back into the house for winter)
Here is her new pack - a mix which I cant wait to use - its all quick fire -  Hardar Jacobson is coming to BeadFX at the end of March for a 3 day class that I have signed up for - so excited to finally learn how to fire this material -

Check out her website - http://www.artinsilver.com/
I want to make the Mokume cane - this kit with the variety of Bronze, Copper, Rose Bronze, Pearl gray steel and white bronze.

Finished Copper Etched Cuffs

Finally finished the next batch of bracelet copper etched cuffs from last week.  Patina and sealed and polished

Just have to pack them up and put on Etsy - Having a Showcase on the 19th and want as many as I can up in the store.  Will be offering free shipping at least with a possible discount.

Went to Pyrography Class today - Woodburning

So went off to Lee Valley today to take a basic Pyrography class - in english - woodburning
Took my 10 year old grand daughter along and she loved it
we started with practicing on a sample board to control the burner - playing with shading  - which lead to filling it up completely

Then we transfered patterns of a rose and best of all played with coloured pencils and some turps to blend colors - was a lot of fun

the colored rose is mine and the plain burned one is my grand daughters who did a great job








We finished up with a welcome sign

all in all - a great fun day 

New Square Sectional Etched Copper Bracelet

Still sick but Last night put together the etched squares
Cleaned the etch off, used steel wool, domed the squares and put in the holes for the jump rings, put the jump rings on
Just have to finish the clasp - not sure whether it will be a lobster, hand made or a toggle. But pleased with the tester. I like the sectional bracelet.

WIP - Etched Copper Bracelets

Going to do a Showcase on Etsy on the 19th so I want to finish more bracelets
The squares are going to be one  but I am finished some of the regular cuffs

I'll be cleaning tonight and bending and they will join the existing WIP for getting a patina on and sealing hopefully by tomorrow

Staedtler vs Identi-Pen marker for etching

I wanted to test out the markers for etching as well 

Staedtler red is supposed to be one of the best but I wanted to try the Identipen -

 As you can see the identipen worked better with the ferric - but I am going to do further testing just to be sure

Using the pen is one thing I need to do so I can make my copper beads and ensure the etch will not eat through the marker

What a mess - but I've got to start some where - Bracelets

Well have been waiting for the energy to start working on something - anything- got out some copper pieces  and bracelet blanks and went to work

Grabbed some squares and trimed the corners

Then using a fiber wheel cleaned up the edges for burs and rough areas 

The put on the PnP etch

Currently they are in the Ferric Chloride etching 

Going to make bracelets - connectors will be copper jump rings 

PnP Blue new Zentangle sheets for etching copper

Prepping for the weekend for some new copper etched bracelets and other items- New heart sheet (which is out being made into a rubber stamp) and another sheet I made a while back (but not into a stamp) Its hard to get a good picture of the PnP blue - its very dark