Black Friday/Cyber Monday ... and Tuesday!

Running late as usual, seems to be a theme with me lately. Couldn't drag myself to the computer after eating turkey yesterday to post my Thanksgiving weekend sale so here it is.

10% off in both my shops.
Etsy Shop
Please use this coupon code at checkout, BLOG2010THX
Yes, Etsy has the coupon feature now!

Artfire Shop
Please use this coupon code at checkout, BLOG2010THX

Giveaway Item


And since the Fire Divas just did a breast cancer research promotion I thought it would be nice to do a pink heart for the giveaway. Everyone on my mailing list has a chance to win this beauty! Sign up in the right column of this blog...there's still time. A winner will be chosen next week after the sale is over.

Here's the list of Fire Divas current sales too.

Karen - Friday - Tuesday, 10% off in both shops, http://www.etsy.com/shop/giapet and http://www.artfire.com/users/Fire-n-Sand

Holly - 20% off my shop http://Hollysfolly.com or Artfire shop http://www.artfire.com/users/HollysFollyGlass or my Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/HollysFollyGlass - use coupon code THANKFUL upon check out. Addition savings for fans.

Lori - 10% off my Etsy http://www.ashlyndesign.etsy.com/ and ArtFire http://www.artfire.com/users/AshlynDesign shops from Friday to Monday

Kathleen -10% off http://www.etsy.com/shop/UglyDucklingBeads

Sonja-10% off http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverRiverGlassWork and http://www.artfire.com/users/SilverRiverGlassWorks

Lara - 10% off at Artfire and Etsy + free shipping
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=22129
and http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lutrick

Janel 20% off at Etsy from Friday to Monday http://www.etsy.com/shop/JanelDudleyBeads

Patrice - 20% off my ArtFire shop: http://www.artfire.com/users/shepherdcreations : Use coupon "FIREDIVASTHANKSGIVING2010"

Barb - 15% off on my AF shop from Friday-monday http://www.artfire.com/users/riversedgeglass

Melanie - 20% off on ArtFire http://arensea.artfire.com/ or Etsy http://arensea.etsy.com/

Amy 20% off on ArtFire shop coupon code TURKEY: http://www.artfire.com/users/AmySimsDesigns


Theresa - Free shipping on all items in my Artfire shop until Monday:http://www.artfire.com/users/teasebeads

Lea - 20% off my Artfire http://www.artfire.com/users/LAJewelryDesigns and Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/LAJewelryDesigns from Friday to Monday - use coupon code HAPPYTHANKSGIVING upon check out.

More goodies coming soon...but running late for work now......poof!

Bug Bitten

I've been bitten by a new bug! More like a few bugs that go hand-n-hand. This coming Feb it will be 3 years (yeah I know it's embarrassing) since I bought an electroforming kit. I had the solution and everything needed to play with it but just never got around to it. Not surprising since I once kept an unfinished macrame wall project almost 20 years, lol. Hey...those wooden beads I salvaged from it are vintage now!

Anyway, this electroforming stuff is pretty cool! It is like electroplating except it deposits a heavier layer of metal on the pieces you have in the solution. Once they come out of the chemical bath you can patina them to different colors using homemade recipes or pre-mixed ones.



I've always loved the green weathered look copper gets when exposed to the elements. There is a copper domed roof on a church in Grand Rapids, MI that you can see from the highway... I just love the color of it. Last time I drove past it they were putting a new roof on it, it was bright and shiny again.

This process adds all kinds of possibilities for my glass work. Some of the above pieces came from nature like the mini pine cones, twig, acorns, and leaf. The ones in the photo are in various stages or being patina-ed or sealed to hold the color of the patina. Having a blast finding things to use.

Trying to decide to what to use for the blog giveaway, glass or metal? I'm way overdue for a drawing so stayed tuned to see what it will be.

I HEART YOU SUMMER SPECIAL!

I HEART YOU SUMMER SPECIAL!

From now until the end of the month, if you spend $25 on glass or jewelry items in my etsy shop you will get a Free Heart Pendant Bead ($12-$15 value) sent along with your order!

You will also get to pick the heart you want from this page, http://www.fire-n-sand.com/2014b.jpg on a first come first served basis! Please put your first 3-5 choices in "notes to seller" during checkout. I will make more if needed.

The Catch.....
I will be without computer access from Thurs. July 22 - Aug. 1st. , all packages will ship after Aug. 1st. I appreciate your support and hate to close the shop (or have my family take care of it ) and hope you like this special as a way of saying thanks for your patience and understanding. ;-)

Three Winners!

New bead in my etsy shop.

The three lucky winners have been randomly chosen to receive one of the heart beads shown in the previous post. Their initials are L.S., C.F., and D.L. Congratulations!

Plan to do another drawing mid August, so keep your fingers crossed...the next winner could be you!

Have a Fantastic Day!

I Heart You

Ahhh... once again I can't believe it has been over 3 months since I have updated this blog. No wonder my "hits" on it are down, lol. Never claimed to be any good at this blogging thing, just trying to go with the internet social flow.

With summer in full swing I find myself torn between projects, routine chores, and the stuff you can only accomplish during the warm months up here. Sometimes feel like I'm failing at it all miserably. My gardens needs help.... serious HELP. Mom still needs the jewelry I promised to make for her birthday/anniversary (March/April) gift. She should have never said "No hurry, I know you're busy." Only when she recently asked specifically for them did I manage to get a pair of navy blue and white earrings made to match a shirt she wanted to wear this summer. I know I'm not alone, most everyone talks or writes about how busy they are this summer.

Since I haven't done a free bead drawing in so long I'm going to pick 3 winners this time to cover May, June, and July. I made 25 hearts yesterday, the winners will get to pick the one they want. You are automatically entered if you subscribe to my Glassbits Newsletter. Winners will be randomly chosen tonight. After 2 weeks if I don't hear back from them with a shipping address a new winner is drawn.

You still have time to enter by signing up for my newsletter using the form in the right column. People on my mailing list also receive other perks like special discounts and advance notice of sales. And of course, I don't spam your inbox daily or evenly weekly with it. I'm lucky to get it out every 60-90 days.

Hope you all have a great summer and take some time to kick back and enjoy a cold beverage. I know I am as soon as I finish reupholstering those foot stools and moving the rocks back into the garden. =)

And the Winner is...

Today was numbers day again. Usually I ask a family member to pick one between and x and x. When googling "random number picker" this site came up, now bookmarked for future use.

It was also used to pick the winner of the April Spring Flowers bead drawing, which is Debbie Stokes. Congratulations! She has a couple weeks to claim her gift or another winner will be chosen.


Just a picture of a big hole bead I made recently. I like the simplicity of if it as I can sometimes overwork a bead until it is as busy as a Chicago highway during rush hour. And I believe every blog post should have a pretty in it.

Happy beading until next time!

April Flowers Bead Drawing

Win this Pendant Bead!

Spring is here, time for a spring flower freebie. This handmade lampwork pendant bead would make a sweet focal surround by pink and blue accent beads. It is also just the right size for a key chain or purse charm.

If you want a chance to win this beauty all you need to do is sign up using the box on the right. I promise not to flood your inbox, usually just zero to 2 times a month at the most. Every person on my mailing list has a chance to win. The drawing will be April 6th (my folks anniversary). The winner will be announced here (initials only at first), then contacted for their shipping address and permission to use their name on this blog. If no reply is received in 2 weeks then another winner will be chosen.

Have a Beautiful Spring Day!