Recently I have been participating in more and more networking opportunities on the web. In reality it feels like Im playing games. And Im having fun, and I want to play more!
I am enjoying the interaction. So far things are small-short term participation event. I am only currently participating in one long term guild/ etsy street team thing. Everything else has a limited shelf life.
RAW: ring a week
THaW: Thing a week
OWOH: One world one heart
and the random share my blog give aways.
I want to play more!
Ideas Im finding, things to look for:
charms swap
give aways
destash swaps
mystery goodie box destash
pay-it-forward swaps
collaborative construction
dos a day/ a week
dare I sign up for local meet-ups in crafts?
dare I organize a swap?
hmmm the ideas are endless
the participants are out there
hmmmm
Ok I need to go make something now
wish me luck, I hope its cool!
Monday, January 31, 2011
One World One Heart
For those of you you found me via OWOH: WELCOME!
My name is Laura, and I am an eclectic crafter. Or rather, I attempt to be one. I share my crafting misadventures and what I am currently up to here. Please poke around, and leave a comment. Remember to leave your blog address!
For those of you who are not familiar with On World One Heart:
One World One Heart
One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy.
This looks like fun so I am participating! From Jan 31 to Feb 17 2011.
My "door prize goodie" is a fairy door.
A lovely unique door for an indoor fairy. It can only be open by the fairy it belongs to.
This is going to show up on my Facebook, since I have linked the blog to it, please visit the blog to comments and participate.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Just as Im talking about give aways...
Stumbled across this little gem of a prize
Metal stamps.
Hey I bet I could find a use for them.
I also like the method of getting the prize. Networking the blog post.
So if you are interested (I know I am!)
go here
http://lorianderson.blogspot.com/2011/01/metal-stamp-giveaway.html
and visit Lori Anderson's Pretty Things blog
Friday, January 21, 2011
Give aways give aways give aways
So, one of the things that is supposed to drive or lure traffic to your blog, and thus expose you, your work/product is give aways.
What does one give away on a craft blog, especially a selfish craft blog like this one?
Would you, my 14 followers be interested in back issue crafting magazines, such as Step-by- Wire jewelry, or Bead and Button?
Or would you rather it be random hand made goodies? Or both?
Let me know what you think in the comments, pleeeezzzzzzz
What does one give away on a craft blog, especially a selfish craft blog like this one?
Would you, my 14 followers be interested in back issue crafting magazines, such as Step-by- Wire jewelry, or Bead and Button?
Or would you rather it be random hand made goodies? Or both?
Let me know what you think in the comments, pleeeezzzzzzz
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Learning new skills
I am using my participation in Ring a week (RAW) and Thing a Week (THaW) as a concerted effort to build skills. One of the ways I am doing this is to actually follow some project how-to instructions from magazines. I certainly have enough magazines!
This week I ended up practicing book/magazine instructions for both RAW and THaW
This week's Thing is a pair of coiled earrings using copper wire.
I had intended on making a chain bracelet, but I did not have enough of this spool of wire. I did have enough to finish the spool up and have some earrings.
I made this pair of earrings following directions from:
The Best of Step by Step Wire jewelry 2010. Egyptian Chandeliers by Jeanette Ryan.
After following the directions I modified a tad because the directions in the magazine included crystal drops -I just used swirls, and the way the two middle pieces hung, they fell off and did not lock onto the main ring.
I ended up putting one on facing the other direction. Visually you can't tell a difference, structurally it keeps the dbl spirals hanging and not falling off.
Check out the other amazing jewelry pieces being created for THaW 2011
I need to practice making coils, and my needle nose pliers are crap, they torque out of position with a simple twist, not good, will replace.
This week's RAW was "Hi I'm Bob"
Bob- big obnoxious bling, named so by my daughter after I created my first ring using this rhino head mold. We came up with a bunch of silly ring titles for a series, as if they were 1960's movie title "Bob" "Return of Bob," "Son of Bob" and so forth.
This one is is "Hi, I'm Bob" inspired by the blob-type character Bob from Monsters vs Aliens.
Hes a little too textured to be transparent, but that was the goal.
Wire wrapping techniques from Dale Armstrong's book, I combined the cocktail ring base and prong set the head.
Yes I prong set a resin rhino head!
Check out the other fabulous ring creations at the RAW flickr pool
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Ring a week-week 3
Here we are at the tail end of week 2 and the beginning of week 3.
I decided I needed to share some of the AMAZING FABULOUS rings that are being created for this.
I will share my creations more than enough, but I am so blown away by the rings being made. Some Im floored by the design and creativity, some its a technique I had no clue about, others its pure skill and craftsmanship.
So how do I decide? I struggled with this last night. How do I choose which ring i love the most at this moment to share?
It actually stopped me from sharing at that point. Too many fabulous works.
So I just decided to go for it. This weeks lucky winner is....by Reagan Hayhurst. This is the Morphing Mushroom ring. I think it looks like a trifid and should start walking around any minute now.
Come look at all the pretty pretty rings on flickr, I can't blog share them all, though I would like to!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/ringaweek/
I decided I needed to share some of the AMAZING FABULOUS rings that are being created for this.
I will share my creations more than enough, but I am so blown away by the rings being made. Some Im floored by the design and creativity, some its a technique I had no clue about, others its pure skill and craftsmanship.
So how do I decide? I struggled with this last night. How do I choose which ring i love the most at this moment to share?
It actually stopped me from sharing at that point. Too many fabulous works.
So I just decided to go for it. This weeks lucky winner is....by Reagan Hayhurst. This is the Morphing Mushroom ring. I think it looks like a trifid and should start walking around any minute now.
Come look at all the pretty pretty rings on flickr, I can't blog share them all, though I would like to!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/ringaweek/
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Inspiration comes from anywhere at any time
Love these books
and Im finally getting off my butt and doing some Mesopotamian styled things, have been wanting to forever, just needed an extra push.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
my things a ring of pure green
I wrapped this weeks RAW and THaW projects up into one. Oh, and yes its from a jewelry magazine "how to."
The how-to was Belle Amoire Jewelry Dec/ Jan 2010 "Ring Creatures by Orna Willis.
It was fun, and a tad more obnoxious than the magazine directions.
Lessons learned:
mostly skill practice
making jewelry is my happy place
clustering the bead groups then placing onto the ring loops seems to help maintain that full look
So far I like doing this. This practicing projects out of magazines, this making sure I will make artistic jewelry every week, this making and building my ring skills.
The how-to was Belle Amoire Jewelry Dec/ Jan 2010 "Ring Creatures by Orna Willis.
It was fun, and a tad more obnoxious than the magazine directions.
Lessons learned:
mostly skill practice
making jewelry is my happy place
clustering the bead groups then placing onto the ring loops seems to help maintain that full look
So far I like doing this. This practicing projects out of magazines, this making sure I will make artistic jewelry every week, this making and building my ring skills.
Monday, January 10, 2011
I can see clearly now
In the middle of this playing card is a color chip of Pardo Translucent.
Its just a small chip about 3/4 square, and the thickest setting (7) of my pasta roller.
AND its the clearest I have ever seen.
I didn't have to do anything tricky like quench it in water, or use a heat gun until it smoked.
Just amazed. I like Pardo more and more.
Its just a small chip about 3/4 square, and the thickest setting (7) of my pasta roller.
AND its the clearest I have ever seen.
I didn't have to do anything tricky like quench it in water, or use a heat gun until it smoked.
Just amazed. I like Pardo more and more.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thing a week and practice techniques--all in one
I have joined the flickr THaW jewelry challenge. Inspired by Ring a week- RAW, its a jewelry thing a week. My THaW is going to serve double duty. One of the things I want to try to do is justify my obsessive purchasing of jewelry making magazines. I decided I needed to actually start doing some of the projects in them.
Wire frame bracelet based on Curlicue Cuff by Sally Stevens from BeadUnique fall 2010.
This makes a pretty good frame, and I think I would like to try it with a wire wrapped center piece. A little more planning, and a base ball bat so I have something large enough and round to use as an anvil. (or start off with slightly harder wire).
Lessons learned:
--these projects are always written for a set of specific products, make sure you understand what you are doing before trying to modify it
--even though I managed to bead up the end of a piece of fine silver using the gas burners on the stove, it does not work on 14 gauge copper
--the epoxy/plastic coating most craft wire does not smoke or burst into flames, it just burns in color
--oh yeah I found out the wire I was using was coated
--read all the steps of the article before you begin, this was designed to use 24 inches of wire to make a 6 inch cuff. I have an 8 inch wrist, I didn't get the big groovy curly cues
--adjust sizes accordingly and don't be afraid to cut more wire
Wire frame bracelet based on Curlicue Cuff by Sally Stevens from BeadUnique fall 2010.
This makes a pretty good frame, and I think I would like to try it with a wire wrapped center piece. A little more planning, and a base ball bat so I have something large enough and round to use as an anvil. (or start off with slightly harder wire).
Lessons learned:
--these projects are always written for a set of specific products, make sure you understand what you are doing before trying to modify it
--even though I managed to bead up the end of a piece of fine silver using the gas burners on the stove, it does not work on 14 gauge copper
--the epoxy/plastic coating most craft wire does not smoke or burst into flames, it just burns in color
--oh yeah I found out the wire I was using was coated
--read all the steps of the article before you begin, this was designed to use 24 inches of wire to make a 6 inch cuff. I have an 8 inch wrist, I didn't get the big groovy curly cues
--adjust sizes accordingly and don't be afraid to cut more wire
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Better Business
One of the steps to reclaiming my "muchness" (my only resolution/goal this year) is to actually pay attention to business strategies and tips.
One sure way for me to do that is to share them out again once found.
So to start here are the 21 Best Resources as defined by Danielle over at Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/the-21-best-resources-from-the-2010-business-blogosphere-11378/
One sure way for me to do that is to share them out again once found.
So to start here are the 21 Best Resources as defined by Danielle over at Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/the-21-best-resources-from-the-2010-business-blogosphere-11378/
Monday, January 3, 2011
Koi Dreams ring (RAW 1)
This is my first ring for the Ring a Week challenge (RAW)
I'm calling it Koi Dreams
The band is printed with water waves and peaks of koi. Never a full fish, just a glimpse of scales here and there.
The stone, an agate of some sort--I didn't pay proper attention when I purchased it beyond "oh pretty"--is a deep rich orange color and is patterned like scales.
I will most likely list it on Etsy soon. I need to get an accurate size on it. Its a large-ish ring but a smaller size--around a 5 or 5.5.
lessons learned:
my anvil is for show not work--its pretty shiny surface chipped off (good thing I learned the safety goggles lesson a while ago)
I did my first set rivets
I need a proper hammer for this
ring building technique a la Kate McKinnon--makes for a smaller ring than anticipated
I'm calling it Koi Dreams
The band is printed with water waves and peaks of koi. Never a full fish, just a glimpse of scales here and there.
The stone, an agate of some sort--I didn't pay proper attention when I purchased it beyond "oh pretty"--is a deep rich orange color and is patterned like scales.
I will most likely list it on Etsy soon. I need to get an accurate size on it. Its a large-ish ring but a smaller size--around a 5 or 5.5.
lessons learned:
my anvil is for show not work--its pretty shiny surface chipped off (good thing I learned the safety goggles lesson a while ago)
I did my first set rivets
I need a proper hammer for this
ring building technique a la Kate McKinnon--makes for a smaller ring than anticipated
Ring a week
Last year after joining Metal clay heads Etsy team, I became inspired to make rings again. The again part was inspired. I never felt like I actually succeeded in making rings, but I always liked the idea a whole lot.
So I made some truly obnoxious rings.
And I love them.
I found out about RAD= ring a day in 2010 by following a metalclay head member's blog. And it was amazing. The creativity was astounding. Some folks really went all out, some went for get-it-done. All were exercises in planning and creativity.
Well, there is no way I can do a thing a day type challenge. I have proven that to myself time and time again.
When I found out about RAW=ring a week, I thought, well I *could* do that.
The week leading up to Jan 1 I spent looking through my backlog of magazines. I figure I could start there. Yes I have a bazillion ideas of my own, but I also have a bazillion magazines for inspiration, and I need to practice some skills. I have a line up of rings from magazines to "develop my skills" on.
Whats really amazing for me, is come Jan 1, I didn't leap up and make my first ring. Well I guess I had better go get started then.
So I made some truly obnoxious rings.
And I love them.
I found out about RAD= ring a day in 2010 by following a metalclay head member's blog. And it was amazing. The creativity was astounding. Some folks really went all out, some went for get-it-done. All were exercises in planning and creativity.
Well, there is no way I can do a thing a day type challenge. I have proven that to myself time and time again.
When I found out about RAW=ring a week, I thought, well I *could* do that.
The week leading up to Jan 1 I spent looking through my backlog of magazines. I figure I could start there. Yes I have a bazillion ideas of my own, but I also have a bazillion magazines for inspiration, and I need to practice some skills. I have a line up of rings from magazines to "develop my skills" on.
Whats really amazing for me, is come Jan 1, I didn't leap up and make my first ring. Well I guess I had better go get started then.