Last Call - Last Day for February 2013 Give-A-Way

find the post and enter your comment to win -   I'll pull whatever names are there tomorrow morning  - I'll edit the post as being closed   so no one enters after the fact - Good Luck everyone


Finished Tile #2 - Engraved Dichro

Finally finished
Now I can slice up the two tiles  this weekend into pieces ready for fusing

2 Days Left for February 2013 Give-A-way

Find the give-a-way post and enter a comment to qualify for the draw

All you lurkers - you dont have to join my blog (would love you too though) just make a comment and I'll put your name in my coffee cup on March 1st

I will mail the winner the prize of the Etched copper bracelet anywhere in the world - no charge to you !

So come on and join in -   read a bit of my blog - enjoy

Sheet 2 - Engraving Dichro with Zentangle designs

The   second sheet of 6" x 6" dichro  engraving is coming along - as I sit down I pick up the dremel and continue to work away to finish so I can cut the two sheets up this weekend
wish it was a better pic but as I get closer to finishing I'll take more time on the pic 

3 More Days to Go - for Give-a-way

Wow we jumped up in last couple of days to entries - glad you could join

Only 3 More days to put your comment on the February -2013  give-a-way post

I'll help you out  - here is a direct link

http://deborahreadcom.blogspot.ca/2013/02/february-2013-give-way.html

Get your name in by Midnight on February 28th  and see if I pull your name out of my coffee cup on March 1st -  Open to all - no charge - ship anywhere in the world !

Only 4 More Days to Give-A-Way

Only 4 more days left

Get your comment onto the Give-A-Way post  (located somewhere below )(only the give-a-way post is where I will pull the names )   that's your challenge to find and place a comment - I'll put every ones name in the coffee cup on March 1st and randomly pull a name and I will mail at no charge to you any where in the world -

Its great to see you participating  - its the most response I've had to date on the Give - A- Way which means I will continue to do them  

If you dont want to miss out join my blog and auto email and you wont miss out !


Engraving Dichro Sheet #2

Finished number 1 and onto number 2 - I'll be able to cut them up this week (I'll have to bring in the slab saw and my grinder ) so that I can fire them as soon as the weather is nice - get a bunch done to my next show

Here is the base sheet nothing done to it yet sitting in the water

Engraving - Dichro - Finally - Sheet #1

I have the two sheets of dichro I fired back in September I think - and they have been sitting on my living room coffee table since I brought them in just after the New Year -
So I grabbed one today (after attempting a wire weave as shown in previous blog)
I got a small tray so that I could put water in  and started to engrave with my dremel
after about hour off and on 

the great thing is that you can leave it and come back and forth 
took me a few hours but I finished 
as always dichro so hard to take a pic of and get the shiny image 
the above is under water 
this one is just dried from the water 
not much difference in image appearance 
these sheets are approx 6" x 6" and I will cut them up to make smaller pieces - I like this method as the patterns seem to flow from piece to piece to make them unique 






Wire Weaving -multiple weave pattern bracelets

Art Jewelry Magazine March 2012 - (you can get a back issue - at Art Jewelry magazine  )
ART120301this article is by Kaska Firor

other  instructibles on line :
  http://www.instructables.com/id/Wire-Jewelry-Making-Basic-Weaving-Techniques/
http://perfectlytwistedjewelry.weebly.com/free-wire-jewelry-tutorial-projects.html


so I assembled my goodies
 18g,16g - and 26g for wrapping -
Its not pretty but at first I was all over - then it started to come together -
The instructions are good but pics would have helped a bit  showing the splaying of the wire so you can get at it - the wrapping wire should be on a small spool  - and I was too lazy to find one so just wound it up and also to lazy to go find my magnifier   glasses that would have made the process easier 
Not exactly like the the one in the pic - but close enough 
the next one will be better - this was made to make anything just get the hang of the one weave 
and figure out what I need 
bit of a mess - - not as tight a weave as it should be - I just twisted at the end to see what it would look like and was pleased with the possibilities - 
tips of my fingers sore but I guess I could have rested - made about 1 ft in about 1 hour not so bad




Only 8 days left to get your name in for the Give-A-Way

Only 8 more days left to get your name in for the give-a-way for february -   Find the post below for the Free February 2013 Give-a-way - all you have to do is leave a comment and you will be eligible to wiin this months gift - I will mail to anywhere in the world -   I see you lurkers out there - come and join my blog - leave a message (you dont have to join to leave the message )  If you visit even for a few minutes leave your comment - only takes you tracking down the post to enter -   the countdown is on   8 days to go before I pull the winner out of my coffee cup  !

BEAD SOUP has arrived !

The mail arrived at work and my envelope from Jo Tinley in the UK  has arrived for the bead soup

I quickly snatched it and ran to my desk to open. MWAHAHA

Inside I found a little brown jewelry box with ribbon and  Daisychain Designs card
I so wanted to just tear into it but decided I wanted to savour opening the box slowly 
Once I opened all kinds of little individually wrapped packets with labels (I feel so ashamed I just put things into little plastic bags) 
I slowly opened each wonderful little packet  
and O My O My 
copper wire - patina'd beautifully, the little copper birds and hearts - so beautiful - the focal glass bead and the lampwork spacers - the beautiful silk 
OMY OMY
my brain is on overload with what to do with them 
Her note says "I hope you have lots of fun with these  - Jo" 
O Jo I surely will -  as I said my brain is on overload with what to do - what to do ....... 




Free - Give - Away - Don't Forget to Enter

Don't forget to enter the Free Give Away for February 2013
Find the post below for the February 2013 Give-a-way

Its easy to enter - just make a comment on that post  and your name will be entered to win the Copper Etched Zentangle bracelet -  

So far behind in things - have not made or created anything in a couple  of weeks - the winter blahs I think - although I'm very excited about bringing archery back into my life - I love it - its an hours drive on the weekends to go to the Archery Lanes at Saugeen Shafts but its fun and out of the house -  I can tend to be a house body.   My Granddaughter had her first lesson one on one - she loved it and found out she was a lefty - once that done she was able to shoot with some satisfaction.  It will be a lot easier when the weather lets up and I can also do it during the week at home  (large round hay bales make great target holders )

So my goal for the rest of the week is to sit and Zentangle my dichro slabs and then cut them on the weekend in preparation for firing - I hope soon

I figure there can only be another 4 weeks of winter and then we should start warming up -  fingers crossed

More Snow ........

Can you believe it - by the time I got home I shoveled another 3 inches of snow and its still snowing - I hope it stops soon - its pretty only if you don't have to drive in it.

I trekked up to the studio to get my chargers for my dremels so I can start to engrave my two dichro slabs so that I can get them cut up and ready for some warm weather where I can turn on my kilns and fuse

The Bead Soup is going real well - got those beads out to Jo Tinley in the UK this week
http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.ca/
I cant show what I sent and I dont have photoshop on this computer to to the cool blured image like Jo has done on her blog...... just to give an idea on colors -  but her pic sure looks like the same colors I've sent over - so its going to be great to figure out what to make when someone else picks your beads.  I like the fact that you can take the beads and mix them with other materials you have -   I'm very excited to see what she has sent

Remember to enter the give - a- way !  Dont just visit - leave a comment - take a chance - you could win

FEBRUARY 2013 GIVE-A-WAY - NOW CLOSED FOR COMMENTS

Finally got a chance to take some pics   -- FEBRUARY 2013 GIVE-A-WAY IS NOW CLOSED 

Here it is the February Give-A-Way
One of my unique deep etched copper bracelet - made with my zentangle stamps (available on Etsy)  using staz-on rubber stamp pad ink and etched in ferric chloride. Copper findings and jump rings for assembly


Rules:  You just have to leave a comment on this post and then on March 1st I will place all the names in my coffee cup and  randomly select a name and I will mail out to the winner.

Posting - February - Give-a-way TONIGHT !

Come back tonight and I'll have the February Give-A-Way posted - remember all you will have to do is leave a comment  on that post - no charge to you to ship any where in the world .


The Big Storm ---- Snow - Snow - Snow !

They said it was coming   but you just figure its not goning to be as bad as they say - till it happens
Terrible driving conditions - taking  hours to get only half way for a drive that should only be 20 minutes

That was Friday - Saturday we woke up to beautiful sunshine - and a lot of snow
I have to have someone come and use a front end loader to clear my driveway and parking area but once thats done I can say its pretty (till I have to put out hay and have to spend two hours clearing snow to roll it in and then find out its frozen together  - had to wait for my daughter to come help)

But let me share some pretty pics of snow
Tucker showing the way to the studio- knee deep snow once your off the plowed area 

the driveway - goes downhill and is awful to come up if you dont have 4 wheel drive or it gets icy - wish it was as flat as it looks in this pic 
the horses keep it well tramped down in the fields
This is Miss Zip and her daughter Sonny  
His name is tucker and he loves the snow - if I thought of how he sounded or the way he acts - its that Bacon Bacon Bacon commercial 


 This is sir dillon and behind him is Hollywood - in the far back is Holly's mom Stubby - (my daughters birthday present when she was 10 - my daughter is 32 this year - stubby  was 3 years old when we got her so that makes her 25 years old) 



Gathering Beads and Findings for Bead Soup

Its like trying to find the right outfit  to wear to a party

I got into my studio - thanks to some lock de-icer  (think I'll put a plastic bag or something over the lock so the snow does not get in and freeze again - but of course I didn't do that last night - I'll wait till the weekend and some daylight )

I  pulled  all my main focal bead boxes,  all my finding boxes (of which there has to be about 100) (I'll have to get some pic's as they are strewn all over the studio (really cold ) and having them open makes it easier to choose -  pulling things out - putting them back  then looking for that particular mix  - its tough  and I still didn't finish  (cant show yet what I'm pulling - not till my partner gets her package)  so tonight I want to finish  and then make sure its what I want to send as the deadline date to mail is the 10th (Sunday) so I want to get them out Saturday as she is in the UK.   right now I have mixes for about 5 different bead sets - just have to pick the right one to send.

Was actually a good exercise to see what I have in stock and what I need to make and or buy.  Handling and feeling the beads really inspires me and I should do it more often -- I always say I can spend more time organizing than actually making.  

Still working around not doing any crafting......

Last night I freed up a round bale of hay to put in with the horses - finally - was all frozen together but got it loose and put it out this morning - has warmed up  about 28 degrees -   this morning its around 30  - wish I was in Cannington Australia where its 73 degrees.

Took the bbq lighter up to studio  and it didnt want to work so tonight I know I have some lock de icer somewhere or I'll pick some up today so I can get in.  I want to post the Give-A-way  by tomorrow

we are in for 2 ft of snow evidently tomorrow afternoon and into the night - so that should be a fun drive home.

I'll see if I cant post tonight the Give-A-Way  Plus I need to pick my beads to send to my Bead Soup Partner in the UK and that could take some time - Its like choosing a dress to go out in - how many times you change your mind .....


BEAD SOUP UPDATE- 2nd reveal posted for partners !!!!!

  Lori Anderson has posted the 2nd reveal group and I have a partner -

 this is totally cool

Hey out there to Jo Tinley   http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.ca/

I just visited her blog - and joined - what a wonderful blog to find !  Such great things - take a look







UPDATE

Congratulations to the clayguy58 - the winner of January's Give-A-Way
 I've been busy "fletching" arrows (putting new feathers on some arrows the mice got at) went  to the range on Saturday to shoot and strengthen my wrist and arm (in pain but my wrist is starting to be more agile)  and was thinking of prepping for the upcoming Bead Soup I have joined.

I will be posting the February Give-A-Way this week - just as soon as I break into my Studio - Its in the negative numbers up here (freaking cold)  and the lock on the door is frozen - tonights plan is to take one of those bbq lighters up and heat the lock so I can get in - as I need to get something for the Give-A-Way and pick my Bead Soup Beads to send out this week .  I also need certain glass and frit so I can make some beads I need

So I have not been sick all week - what a change - feels great not to be coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose and feeling absolutely awful.    I am ready to start do some things and get going on making some items for my future shows and for Etsy.   so stay tuned - more to come


AND THE WINNER IS ............................

PUT EVERY ONES NAME IN MY COFFEE CUP




Clayguy 58 - please email me your full name and address to my personal email  dread@deborahread.com
and I will send   the copper etched Zentangle Earrings  out to you by mail -  asap

I want to thank you all for participating -  I will post February's Give-A-way within the next few days.


Winner on Give-A-Way to be announced around Noon EST

Will put the name together and do a draw this morning and have the winner posted around noon my time EST