I'm a bit late in posting this to my blog.  Been busy (obsessed with really) sewing doll clothes for Christmas presents.  Offering a whopping 50%  off in my esty shop for at least a few more days.   You'll get a great deal on American handmade glass art either as a gift or for your own jewelry designs.  Make sure you use the coupon code "CYBERMONDAY" during checkout to apply the discount.  My shop is here, http://www.etsy.com/shop/giapet

Also should mention the sign-up for the newsletter is broken at the moment. Didn't realize it till I tried to use my mailing list the other night. They made some changes in the software and it won't work till I work on re-configuring it.

Exploring Handmade ~ Holiday Shopping Event

Recently I was invited by Debi of Designs by Debi to be a featured lampwork artist in her "Exploring Handmade" Holiday Event. Debi is a wonderful jewelry designer who loves to use handmade artisan glass beads in her creations. The following is directly off her blog explaining what this event is all about.

Exploring Handmade Online Holiday Shopping Event!!

Are you ready to Occupy Wall Street (from the comfort of your home in your slippers)?

Are you ready to send a BOLD message to Congress, Corporate America and the 99%?

Are you ready to support Artisans and Small Businesses to send that message?

Excellent!!

So I guess that means you're also ready to find some really great gifts for yourself and your loved ones, huh?

Alright then let's go....

I'm very happy to see you here and hope you'll enjoy following along this 13 day event. I didn't have time to put out all my fancy decorations so please excuse the accommodations... I've been spending my time searching for handcrafts and artisans to introduce you to ;) Every day I'll show you a handcraft or two and some of the artisans that lovingly create items using that particular craft.

There are soooooo many benefits to buying handcrafted items direct from the artisans who make them. I discuss them in an article I wrote called "Why Buy Handmade Jewelry" ...... it ended up being about a whole lot more than jewelry ;) Artisans care about you and give a special touch to your items. We also give you custom one-on-one service and many ways to work with us. You'll notice most artisans are on facebook and twitter... we want to talk to you and share with you. Come join the fun and we'll show you just how amazing personalized service can be!

We're all pinching pennies and gift-giving budgets for sure aren't what they used to be. But the people you'll meet during this event make gorgeous things... truly special things... things that, even if they are the only gift you give or receive, will fill your holiday with meaning and love.... from our homes to yours.

So, take advantage of this opportunity... Do your shopping for your loved ones AND don't forget to use the Amazon Universal Wish List to help your loved ones shop for you! If you're not familiar with it, please read my previous post so you can use this useful tool.

I'd appreciate it if you would share this event with your family, friends and fans so they can enjoy it too :)

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous Holiday Season!

Thank you for coming by!

and

Thank you to everyone who is taking part in and promoting this event!

♥ Debi
***************

Thanks so much for supporting handmade during this Holiday season! Please follow Debi's 13 day shopping event on her blog.

Tis The Season Diva Challenge

The Fire Divas are doing a Holiday Season Challenge! Take a look at these beauties! Please cast your vote in the poll on the right side of the Fire Divas Blog The poll closes at midnight on Sunday, November 20th. Make sure to leave your comment below after you vote-the winning comment (randomly chosen) will win a 20% off coupon to Susanne's ArtFire Shop!

Entry 1



Entry 2



Entry 3



Entry 4



Entry 5



Entry 6

Sizzling HOT Summer Sale! 40% Off

It's time for a hot sale! I've been so busy with warm weather projects that I haven't been at my torch as often as I'd like so to boost some sales I'm doing the biggest discount ever!

40% Off

Use this coupon code at checkout.

" SIZZLINGHOTSALE "

Great time to pick up new beads for your fall and Christmas season shows! The sale will end on Thursday the 21st.

Are you following me on Facebook? Here's the link, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fire-n-Sand-Glass-Art/163583837011756. Hope to see you there!

That's about it for now. Worked a night shift last night and going kayaking with my glass buds in a few hours, I really need to catch a nap.

Auction for the BOC, Beads of Courage

This ebay auction features a collection of beads made by the Fire Divas team I belong to. We also made a duplicate set that has been set directly to the Beads of Courage Program to be distributed to the kids.

The proceeds of this auction will be donated too so we're all hoping that it gets many bids. Most of these beads can used as focals in designs. Please click on the picture and take a look. The winner will also have the option to donate the beads to the kids in the program and we'll even mail them for the winner if they choose that option. Great opportunity to "Pay it forward!"

Beads of Courage Program

Beads of Courage provides Arts-in-Medicine for children with serious illness.
This is a picture of some of the beads I've been making for the Beads of Courage program. This wonderful program was started by nurse Jean Baruch in 2005 and has spread to 60 hospitals.

I've linked the picture to their about page so you can read more about what they do for the kids and families who are going through so much. They even have a Beads in Space program where beads are selected to ride the space shuttle and then return to earth and the BOC. How cool is that!

Many artists also donate their work for auctions and web sales with the money going directly to this cause. The artist site can be found here http://www.artistsgive.com/

The Fire Divas, an Etsy Team I belong to is having a sale for the next week. There are 16 of us participating with varying discounts and coupon codes to apply them. You can read more about it and see the list of shops on the Fire Divas Blog.

Gotta run and get ready for work. Next up here is another freebie drawing as soon I make a piece for it. Get on the mailing list (right hand column) to be entered for a chance to win!

Until then, Think Spring!

Customer Appreciation Sale!

Having a 20% Off Sale to say "Thanks" to all of you who have made it possible for me to continue to work with glass all these years. I appreciate you as a customer and will continue to treat both you and your information with the utmost respect.

Now for the sale info. You'll need to use the coupon code 20PERCENTOFF during checkout and the 20% off should be applied to the cart. The code is good in both my Etsy and Artfire shops. The sale runs now through Sunday night, April 3rd. If you do happen to run into issues on either site please contact me and we'll figure it out.

Here's a couple new items from me.

Budding Tulips

Classic Ribbed Rounds

That's it for now, I have more beads to make!

Cabin Fever & the Winter Blues

It's here. I'm restless

Cabin Fever has set in a little earlier this year (seems to that every year now)
The older I get the less I like the cold weather and snow. There are days I don't notice whats going on outside because I never look outside, how sad it that? Do love a good snowstorm though and we have plenty of them living close to one of the Great Lakes. The promise of spring emerging in just a few short weeks (keep telling myself) helps me keep the faith, lol.

The iced Chapel Hill shoreline picture above is a photo sent to me via email with a bunch of other beautiful shots from MI. I'll be posting them on this blog over the next several weeks until spring catches my attention. I don't know who originally took the photos, if I find out credit will be given to them.



In the meantime my 20% Off Winter Sale is still active until Tuesday Midnight. Use code WINTER2011 during checkout in either of my shops, etsy and artfire

THINK SPRING!

Winter 20% Off Sale

Having a Winter 20% Off Sale! For the next week or so I'm having this sale in my Etsy Shop to raise money for taxes. Etsy has a cool coupon feature now so you'll have to enter the code WINTER2011 at checkout for the discount to apply. No more waiting for refunds from paypal!

I'm going to run the same sale and same code to my Artfire Shop too! I've added a few new things there and hope to add many more in the next week.

Edited to add...
Artfire is doing unscheduled maintenance right now, I won't be able to add the code there till later today.

Cleaning Beads

When you're a bead artist one of most dreaded chores you have to do is clean your beads, often dozens of them at a time. Ask most bead makers and they'll say this is the chore they like doing the least. This and dipping mandrels.


Recently I saw a post on LE (Lampwork Etc., the best lampwork forum there is) about cleaning out big hole beads, specifically pandora style ones made on a 3/16 mandrel.

I had completely forgot that I have a large stash of diamond coated bits just the right size for pandora and other euro style beads. When adding a sterling silver core to these beads you need a 5mm hole for the tubing. The bits I use are 5mm and have a pointed end which helps to center the bit when cleaning.


I also use these for cleaning vessels and dread beads since they work much faster covering a larger area than the small bits. If you haven't tried these I encourage you to do so, at $3 they won't break the bank and you'll have those bracelets beads ready to core in no time. These are in both my Artfire and Etsy shops.

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!

Spring Is Here!

Spring is my favorite time of year, always has been. Maybe because the snow is finally gone or at least on its way out for good. Or maybe because new life starts to spout out of the ground. Not sure, just know I love the energy it gives to both the landscape and myself. Makes me feel young.

Guess that little pedestal I got from Hobby Lobby couldn't handle all that energy, it was fine a couple weeks ago when we still had snow on the ground. Wonder if the MI glass girls want to try making some Hypertufa stuff. Bet a pedestal made of that would hold up year after year. I used to spend an enormous amount of time in our yard working on my gardens. Now a days, not so much.

I freecycled the veggie garden's fence just to get help pulling it out. Still need to get that spot cleaned up and spread some grass seed over it. That leaves me with 4 other garden areas and the plantings around the house to care for. They mostly look like crap now, especially the back of the house where we had a tractor pull out 6 tall overgrown shrubs. That was about a year ago. Think DH is waiting for me to get sick of the mess and fix it, hope he's not holding his breath, lol.

If you are checking into my blog to see what the next newsletter giveaway is going to be I haven't decided yet. I'm thinking flowers, just seems like the thing to do this time of year. Of course I'll post it up here once I decide.

I also have a couple of glass "science projects" rolling around in my head, (scary). They both involve power tools, chemicals, fire, and trial and error. If anything becomes of them I'll blog it. Don't worry, my science projects aren't near as toxic as the ones we find in our daughter's bedroom. Hear my torch calling me, have to run. ;-)

Mailing List Management & Software

If you've been selling your wares online for any length if time you should have a mailing list. If not you're missing out on potential sales. It is a way to keep in touch with your repeat customers and build your client base for custom orders.

What you should consider with your email/newsletter.

• Frequency: Don't send it too often. No one likes their inbox bombarded every day or two by the same person or company! Once or twice a month is enough.

• Layout: Make it interesting and pleasing to the eye, add only a few pictures to keep loading times to a minimum.
  

• Offers: Grow your list by offering a giveaway, free shipping, or special sale on a regular basis.

• Permission: Never, I repeat never add past customers without their permission. Doing so and making them opt-out is rude and unprofessional. Use sign-up forms on your website, blog, and emails instead.

• Keep it simple: People are more liking to actually read what you write if you keep it simple. Everyone's busy and in a hurry these days so make it a quick read for them.

Like many of us I started my email list using my computer's regular pop mail program. It didn't take long to outgrow it. I needed to find and pay for a program to manage my list. I've been using the same one for the last couple of years. It does what most of them do. You can create separate lists, track messages, create messages with design content, send test emails, etc.

The cost of this service was $10 monthly. The thing that bothered me, there were some months I didn't use it at all, just overlooked it or was too busy. And now I'm close to having to upgrade my account to the next level for the amount of subscribers I have which will up the monthly bill to $15. So just like car insurance it pays to shop around. I found another service that will handle twice the amount of emails for half (yes, 1/2) the cost. I should explain that my new service is based on emails sent out monthly where the old one was based on total subscribers.

And they offer a 15% discount (use code 264XUF) to boot! So if you think you're paying more than you should for your mailing list service please check this place out, http://ymlp.com/psignup_promo. You'll save an extra 15% over their already fantastic value. The pro account is 500 emails monthly for $3.75 , the pro plus is 500 emails monthly for $5.00. The next level includes 2,500 emails monthly, pro $7.50, pro plus $10.00. Don't ya just love finding a great deal!

Shop Update Today!

Just a quick post today to show some of the bright beads I put up today. Don't know about you but I'm ready and waiting for spring!




It's my husband's birthday today, we're going to see Avatar tonight. Have to get going, have 3 people asking me stuff at once, lol.