And the winner is...................

Alice!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Fashion Show and those who hopped along!

Alice contact me at staci.louise@hotmail.com with your address so I can get your prize out to you:)



Artisan Clay Fall Fashion Show Blog Hop

by staci l. smith

It's time for the Artisan Clay Fall Fashion Show Blog Hop!!!!

In case you missed the last post about the design team this month, here is what is going on- ILO a regular design team this month, we are doing a Fall Fashion Show of Artisan Clay Components in Jewelry.  The cool thing is, everyone can join in, even you!!!!
Just link up below, and make sure your blog is all about your Artisan Clay designs!

Make sure to visit all the blogs!  Because then you can stop back here and leave a comment (just one please) and let us know what your favorite design or component was.  You are then entered for a surprise giveaway~ I will be sharing one of my Artisan Clay components with one lucky winner.  Giveaway ends at the end of the day!

Like always, please make sure you leave an email or you have one linked to your blog to qualify.

Most of all~ have fun hopping!!!!!!!

An opportunity--and look what I made.

You can skip to the bottom colored area for the opportunity part--

I found my jewelry making desk last night.  

  It had been hiding behind a pile of half sorted Artisan Clay beads and bead trays that had gone out of control with dividing and combining and newly made additions and half finished projects and ideas to be kept for future reference.   I was nervous to get started, since it has been so long since I have made any finished jewelry.  What if I had forgotten how to make jewelry?  What is my style at this point in time?  And then there is  the stubborn part of my nature who simply cannot handle being like the crowd... What if ~gulp~  I end up making something that looks trendy?  I know, I'm a little bit weird, and there are tons of folks who do very well in life by being agreeable, but I am not those people.  Alas.... always searching out a challenge, always being difficult. 

-I'm not saying that I don't like the current trends or that popular styles aren't popular for a reason ;-)

-I'm not saying the things I made last night were the most inventive new jewelry pieces in all of the world or anything, I just always want to be sure to be the me I need to be, that's all :-)  I was experiencing a little nervous block.

So-- I did end up making a few new things.  I made a secret necklace for the Button Swap with 3 of the buttons that my partner Shannon Chomanczuk (For my Sweet Daughter)  sent me.

I made the chain necklace above with some of my new "porcelain chain link" beads.  It felt good to make.  Those beads have been sitting in limbo for quite a while, stewing in my brain.  So- now I made something with them and so now I can make more beads and let other people have a few :-) 

And I made a pair of earrings.  Now my Etsy shop is back to having an earring section once again.... (with 1 item in it) 

So I've made and sold what seems like a million beads these past months/year/decade.  I wonder what has become of them.  I want to see them in use.  I want to be inspired by the way you use them to make more! 

This is the opportunity part...

I would like to start a design team.  I would like you to be a member.  Artisan Clay Design team members will receive Artisan Clay beads for their use in their artwork.  I ask that you blog/(or otherwise share on social media) how you use them.   

Interested parties should contact me via email at artisanclay @ hotmail.com Please tell me why you would like to be an Artisan Clay design team member, your website links, and what types of my beads you like the most. 

I look forward to hearing from you and getting to know you better.

And the Winners Are....

And the winners are....
Mimi!  and Carol Dean!   Thank you all SO MUCH for coming to the blog yesterday and all your wonderful comments...  I really love hearing from everyone.  Mimi-- Could you please email me with your address?  artisanclay @ hotmail.com
 I think I am going to have to make some more of those flowers!  All the pieces I added to the etsy shop yesterday are already gone. 

Today I hope to get the rest of my Bead Cruise Sponsorship beads packed up and carded up and on their way to Heather Powers.  Here's a picture of @50 or so pieces bagged up to go.  I wonder if I can get my daughter to tape business cards onto the bags for me before she heads to kindergarten for the day.  ?

And then maybe get more beads ready for my next Trunk show and work on the kids room some more and, and, and.....    I see a lot of evening bead making in my future this week....

Mondays are always so busy while I try to finish up all of Artisan Clay's business from the weekend before I head to my office job with my brother for the week.
?Do you have a "busy studio day"?

SALE TIME!

SALE! It's Beads-of-Clay Open Studio Blog Hop time again! COUPON CODE BOCOPENSTUDIO gets you 25% off your order and special Spring Cleaning HANDMADE BEAD SURPRISES IN YOUR ORDER! ~Now through Sunday March 6th.~


I will also be posting my Open Studio Blog Giveaways and Spring themed posts on Sunday Morning. 2 Winners will be announced on Monday. Tons of great Ceramic Bead goodness will be going on by many of our Beads-of-clay members.

There will be new work added to the shop this weekend, but not til late afternoon on Saturday and mid-morning on Sunday..... There's actually a little bit of a bead shortage around Artisan Clay land... even though I keep making more, much of it is promised out already.


I did get the kiln loaded up yesterday and start to fire as soon as I can get the nerve to go outside in the dark cold of this end of winter-- so close to spring- morning ;-)
 
I have been packing up beads to head out to Heather Powers for her Bead Cruise at the end of the month-- WOW-- It's fun packing them up, but it looks like I only made 50 or so disc beads in my last firing... time to make some more :-)  
 
So....SALE and new work coming to the shop this weekend... then probably there will be less new work in the etsy shop for a time while I make things for trunk shows, and get my jewelry retailers restocked and I do a bit of traveling-- ok for me it is a lot of traveling :-)  4 trips before June-- how am I going to pull that off?  It should be fun.

Trunk Show EXTENDED! And Open Studio BLOG HOP SALE this weekend!

Philly folks!

  The Artisan Clay Trunk Show at The Bead Garden in Havertown has been extended for one more week! 

Get 'em while they're hot folks!  After this week my beads will be packed up in a big box heading to Kansas City, MO...   So, if you are in the Philly area... go to the Bead Garden... If you are in the North Kansas City area.... check back for more details about my next Trunk Show scheduled to begin around Mid-March....

And if you are nowhere near either of those areas..... come by this blog and my Etsy Shop this weekend and SHOP my BEADS OF CLAY OPEN STUDIO BLOG HOP SALE AND GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!    ha!

If I'm really hardworking and I don't get dressed and don't stop for food ( for either myself or my children) than I might have some really fun experimental beads to share with you... on Sunday..... to giveaway.... maybe. 

And if I don't then I will still have a killer sale and great bead studio spring cleaning surprises in every order.

SandFibers 5th Anniversary Giveaway!

Carol Dean has just celebrated her 5th Etsy Anniversary!  I am very thankful for that!
I met Carol through her work on Etsy and Flickr.
She is giving away this Gorgeous Necklace Featuring a handmade Cabochon by Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay-- Hey that's me!

That's not all-- Carol is also giving away Gift Certificates to her Etsy Shop.
You can stop by Carol's Blog and enter to win one of the many prizes...... or not and leave me with better chances :-D

Fancy Like in the Magazines- and the winner is....!

So... I'm so fancy.  You know, fancy like in the magazines :-)
Bead Unique featured my beads in the gallery section of the current issue.
So fancy!  and it's a really good issue!  You know, sometimes I just don't like the projects in some magazines in every issue.  This one I do!   SO there!  Good ONE Bead Unique!
Some cool folks like Diana Ptaszynski (Suburban Girl Studios) and Diane Hawkey have their work in this issue too!

That's my blue pendant in the bottom corner there :-)

So Who won already?
The winner is Shannon C!  Who Hoo!
She said--
For My Sweet Daughter said...



What a lucky girl! I would love, love, love a copy of bead unique. $ is tight and magazines are def. not in the budget right now!


Shannon C 

Hey Shannon--- send me a quick note with your address and I'll get it out to you ASAP!
Thanks to everyone who entered! 
Look for some fun stuff coming up in the next weeks since it will be my birthday soon and that also corresponds with my etsy anniversary....

Also, I had my 600th sale!  yay!  I am still deciding what to send with her order for a special surprise... I'm stalking her this evening, trying to pick up on her sense of style :-)  That will go out in the morning!

Giveaway winner! and working working

Thank you so much for all your great comments for my Blog partner giveaway! 

And the Winner is........  Staci Louise and I didn't even rig it!  At least I know you will check back to see if you won ;-) 
Also, I have an extra copy of Bead Unique Magazine that I would like to give away.  They sent me 3 copies!  Please leave a comment below if you would like to have a chance to win the magazine.  I'll announce the winner within a few days :-)

and working working...
I made some new beads pendants and buttons yesterday with my morning off because of the snow.  I was really happy with how some of them were shaping up.  I used a bisque fired pendant as a stamp and I think I love it.  More concentric circles for me as usual but these have a rough edge to the concentric circle orderliness.  As of now they are reminding me of oyster shells, but that could all change as I glaze them and get them fired.

And buttons!  I am really working on the buttons!  This firing may be 1/3 buttons.  Fiber Artists rock my socks and I want to offer  more for the great fiber artist and knitting/quilting/fabric/yarn shops out there.

So this weekend will be all about firing the kiln and getting ready for my next trunk show.  I think it would be awesome to get a ton of trunk shows scheduled for this spring/summer..... then I could just go to all the bead shows and shop, instead of setting up booths.... just thinking out loud ....  could be fun!

I heart U!

I love her :-)   I think this is the cutest, most gorgeous photo of my sunshine. 

I made a few quick necklaces with the new heart charms this weekend.

It all started with this one that I made for myself.  Then all of a sudden the kids had me making one for each of them and also for their friends. Both of my girls had sleepovers, on the same night! WHOOT!!!  So I ended up making 5 necklaces, packing up the girls and EVERYONE went out to play with friends.  You can tell I don't get out much-- but I sure know how to party when I do :-)

This photo of starshine got a bit blurry, but you can still see her cute necklace.

I picked up my trunk show at Bucks County Beads on Sunday.  It went really well.  I don't know how I am going to refill my stock before dropping off my next trunk show at The Bead Garden on February 5th!  I'm sure I'll manage, but it will be tricky to pull off another firing before then.  I ended up selling so many charm sets on etsy and at the trunk show in the past month and I'm running really low even though I just made more! 
This is a good thing!

I am also REALLY REALLY close to my 600th etsy sale!  I was thinking that it would be good to reach 600 before my birthday on 2/13, but at this rate I better figure out my fabulous prize for lucky #600 right away!  Only ~5~ to go! 

You guys are the BEST! and don't forget to enter the giveaway one post down :-)

I hope you had a great weekend!

Blog Partner Giveaway

It's time for a giveaway!

I have been meaning to post this giveaway for quite a while.  I received several great finds as part of the Rings and Things Blog Partner Program.  Items were sent to me for free, for me to blog about etc...  And I want to share them with you.

Aren't these little heads a riot?  I can see them as frogs, lizards or aliens.  I love those big kissable lips!

It was nice to see that Rings and Things has these fun jewelry blanks by Amate Studios.  I met these guys at Bead Fest Philly 2 years ago.  This should be great for all you resin lovers out there.

And lastly a set of my porcelain heart charms--

Leave a comment below, and I will choose a winner from your comments next Friday....as long as I don't have to set up a Trunk show that day.  If I do, then I will announce a winner on Saturday.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Thanks for letting me know you are out there, and thank you to Rings-and-Things for the fun blog partner giveaways!

Giveaway Coming soon...

Just a little post to let you know that I will be hosting a giveaway tomorrow or Saturday with some of the goodies that I received as part of the Rings-and-Things blog partner program.... and some of my new heart beads :-)

Also, I am inching up on my 600th Etsy sale.  That is the coolest thing EVER!  You guys are the BEST!  I LOVE YOU!  You make making things awesome! 

I have been blogging since before my 100th sale... and every time I hit another 100, I send a random thank you prize of FABULOUSNESS to the person who makes that little number counter hit the next 100.  It might be beads, it might be pottery, it might be a tile box.... It could be anything, but I will have made it.

My goal it to hit the big 600 before my birthday next month.  Think of me as your early valentines date :-)


anyway-- I didn't want anyone to miss the giveaway :-)

Giveaway Winners Announced!

The winner of my Cyber Sale Giveaway is Gerry-- of Clay designs by Glee

Gerry has won everything in this picture above.... a gift certificate, Smokefired beads and these great focals from Rings and Things that I received as part of the Rings and Things Blog partner program.

And the winner of a set of my Disc Beads is My Life Under the Bus!

CONTACT ME with your addresses via my etsy shop, Artisan Clay

or send me an email at artisanclay @ Hotmail.com

Thank you to everyone who played along and stopped by to say, HI!

I really love it when you guys speak up and leave comments here on the blog.

There will probably be more giveaways coming up since I have gotten word that I will be getting another Rings and Things Blog partner package soon.  Yay!

And don't forget to stop by the Beads-of-Clay blog where I often post giveaways and our wonderful authors often post challenges with great clay beady prizes :-)

Last day for my SALE and GIVEAWAYS

I added all these items to my Etsy shop this week.  Today is the last day to get them for Buy One Get One Half Off.  and get a surprise smokefired bead of my choice with every 2 items purchased. 

So--- you are warned.  Also enter my 2 giveaways TODAY if that sort of thing interests you :-)

The one giveaway os on the Color Chip Challenge post, and that is for a set of my disc beads (kinda sort of similar to the style I used in the Urban Midnight necklace)

And the other Giveaway is for a $25 gift certificate and a pile of smokefired beads and a pile of great Stone Donut-ish focals from Rings and Things.  That one is Titled Cyber Sale and Giveaway. 

I may or may not add more charms and disc beads to my shop this evening/later today.   I will see how family life plays out.  We are excited to be headed to a Organic Farm for purchase our reserved Lamb and make Gyros for Dinner!  Whoo Hoo Meat!  I'm hungry!  I am used to my husband hunting and I avoid the meat section of the grocery store so this is WAY TOO Exciting for our family.  Ha!  I'm a freak!

I hope you are having a great day!
-k

Color Chip Challenge ----Red Rebellion and Urban Midnight

Red Rebellion

 I have to tell you how much fun I had working on this Challenge!  It speaks to me!  I love color, and I had been feeling swarmed with "stuff" and not knowing what to do next.  I make so many decisions for other people and organizations and I really was thrilled with someone telling me what to do.  Weird, yes, but there is a certain measure of freedom in it. 

 This is my first color scheme.  MicroChip, Barely There, and Red Rebellion.  It was suggested that the kind-of Grey green Microchip be used as the wall color, Barely there as the trim and Red Rebellion as an accent.

 So this is what I came up with.  The Splash is the Red Rebellion Stone Coin bead gifted to me by my friend Staci of Staci Louise Originals.  She stopped by last weekend to shop my Etsy sale via my home..... because she gets to root round in my entire stash that way :-)  Smart girl :-)

In her beady friend awesomeness she came bearing gifts of fancy stones and pearls,  and that big gorgeous Rebellion was one of them.  I pulled out my color chips and let out a big "Ah ha!  That's what I needed for this"  So, Staci is Awesome...

Back on track--  I did use my own handmade ceramic beads in this piece, but true to name, they are in the Barely There part of the piece.

Lastly, the Microchip portion was made with Sesame Jasper and a Green "Marble"  It was hard for me to see the true color of Microchip.  It looked grey in the sample but green in it's use in the color chips' example room.  So grayish green it is.

 Urban Midnight

 Here is my second color scheme... Because I lost my original and Erin kindly sent me a great assortment of replacements.  Thank you Erin!  I think I will make them all as I get the time. 

OK the Colors are, Restoration Green, Urban Midnight, and Theatre Dress.

Here it is!  Urban Midnight.....  I have made this necklace design before, and I have been wanting to make it in more colors.  I really like doing that.  Finding a design that speaks to you and making it work in different color combos.... because I am all about the color.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a set of Disc beads by yours truly, Kristie Roeder, Artisan Clay.... 
Oh Yeah!  If you're into it, I posted a giveaway on my blog last week as well.  The winner will be announced Sunday or Monday :-)

And hop on folks!

A blog hop wouldn't be complete without some hopping!



Be sure to stop and hop over to the other participants on the list below.

( I hope the links work!  If not AND Just because.... Go to Erin's Blog for a full list and Giveaway--http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/ )

•Amy Freeland

•Beth McCord

•Brandi Hussey

•Cary Scholes

•Catherine Pruitt

•Cindy Wimmer

•Claire Maunsell

•Courtney Breul

•Cristi Clothier

•Cynthia Riggs

•Emanda Johnson

•Holly Westfall

•Janea McDonald

•Jeannie Dukic

•Jennifer Cameron

•Karyn White

•Keirsten Giles

•Kelly Morgan

•Kristie Roeder

•Kristin Stevens

•Lisa Godfrey

•Lisa Tracy

•Lori Anderson

•Mallory Hoffman

•Marie Voyer-Cramp

•Mary McGraw

•Nicole Keller

•Nicole Valentine

•Paige Maxim

•Patty Gasparino

•Rebecca Anderson

•Renate Stark-Krammer

•Sandy Richardson (Emanda's mom - bonus hopper!)

•Shannon Chomanczuk

•Sheila Summers

•Stefanie Teufel

•Yelisa Rojas

GIVEAWAY and CYBER SALE!

CYBER SALE! BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP!

(not including gift certificates) 

Enter to win everything pictured above by leaving a comment on this blog post below.

That  includes a $25 gift certificate, A pile of Smokefired Art beads valued at @$100 and Four faceted funky Stone Donuts from Rings-n-Things.  I received these stone pieces as part of the Rings & Things blog program.

 There's more-- you will get one free smokefired bead of my choice with every 2 items purchased.  Buy 2 items, get one smokefired bead-- buy 4 items get 2 smokefired beads,.... buy 10 items get, 5 smokefired beads--- ALL while getting the buy one get one half off sale pricing.    Why?  I just love surprise giveaways!  They make me smile-- that's why!

Also you will get one giveaway entry for every item purchased now through Sunday 12/5/10.

There is no purchase necessary to win, just leave a comment below.  If you would like an extra chance, you may leave a comment linking to your favorite item in my etsy shop or you may share the news of my sale on Facebook, twitter or your blog :-)

So there is about a million and one ways to enter for ya! 

All of these items have been photographed and will be added to my etsy shop in the next day or so as family responsibilities permit me to do so.  I will be adding as much work as possible to the etsy shop during the duration of the sale which will run now through 12/5/10.
  Thank you!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Giveaway and SALE coming up......

I am going to be having a giveaway and Cyber Monday sale later this week.  I am so THANKFUL FOR YOU!   I hope to post it on Thanksgiving and let the giveaway run through the weekend..... 
Thank you for being a friend!

Giveaway #2

 Leave a comment below for a chance to win this three loop art bead :-)

Here is the link back to the BOC participants page--

http://beads-of-clay.blogspot.com/2010/10/boc-ceramic-artists-open-studio-event.html

Giveaway #1

Leave me a comment below to be entered to win this set of beads.

 Posies in my Ox Blood Glaze

Here is the link back to the BOC participants page--

http://beads-of-clay.blogspot.com/2010/10/boc-ceramic-artists-open-studio-event.html

Who won?

First of all--- Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

I started off by listing everyone's names on a big piece of paper, dividing up the international entries from the Bead Box entries.  We ended up with 41 comments for the bead box and 3 comments for the grab bag!  That's a lot of entries!

When I won the box, it happened at a time when the good news was plentiful.  I felt the beady world was smiling at me and I was smiling back.  I think that the Bead Box Goddesses sensed that again because my instant reaction to learning the winner was..... "Some girls have all the luck"

The next stop of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads Box is New York State and the home of Lorelei Eurto!  Congratulations Lorelei!   Katie Nelson stocked the box with TONS of Art beads from many different artists prior to my turn with it and now the box is HEAVY with Artisan Clay beads. 

The winner of the Artisan Clay Grab bag is Maria from Edinburgh, UK!

Maria--Please contact me via my http://www.artisanclay.etsy.com/  shop or send me an email thru blogger with your address

 I really enjoyed the freedom I felt by cleaning up and destashing my work area!  I get the feeling that there is still going to be tons of my beads in that box all the way to it's last stop..... which is OK if you like my work.

I feel like I am allowed to fire up some more beads now..... and make some new jewelry with my great new stuff!     I am free!  and inspired!  This is such a great idea!  I am so glad you started this Heather!

So... Thank you for stopping by!  and while I have you here, I'm going to let you know about some fun stuff that I am involved in :-)

We are having a big Open Studio Blog event over at The Beads-of-Clay group this Sunday!

A large group of Ceramic Bead Makers are having special sales and giveaways on their blogs and websites from 2-5pm!

I am not officially on the list since I will not be home on Sunday, BUT I am still going to be posting for the Open Studio and holding the same giveaways.  My winners will be chosen on Monday and my SALE is going on now thru Sunday.  

The destash feeling from the Bead Box is wonderful and I have decided to mark EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop at 40% off their regular prices!  I see some of you noticed the sale prices even before I got a chance to announce it :-)  Thank you!

I will be adding new work to my etsy shop over the weekend at the sale pricing and if all goes well I will be adding some WHOLESALE LOTS and GRAB BAGS as well :-) 

Last but not at all least--- Check out the Best Little Bead Box project and follow along on that bead box's travels before it is finally divided up to benefit Beads-of-Courage....  this week it is headed someplace pretty fancy if you ask me!

OK commercial over..... back to the beads :-)