Monster Giveaway!!!!

Monster-SIZED I mean! I don't see any monsters in the photo above. Kelley Wenzel of Kelley's Beads is giving away a sh!tpile of beads on her blog! A full pound and-a-half of mouthwatering stones and beads guaranteed to make you SQUEEE! with delight. All you have to do is go to her blog and comment on the post, mentioning your favorite blog and/or Etsy shop. CLICK HERE to go to the post!!


Good luck!

Just When I Was Enjoying My New Lampwork Addiction

Along comes Barbara Lewis with a new kind of crack for me to try. Enamel Crack. She and Kelley Wenzel went to the same Crack Dealer School. Send the kiddies free crack, get 'em hooked, and then they'll pay you whatever you want for it. For the rest of their miserable lives. This is the fiendishly sly ploy behind Ms. Lewis' giveaway.

Well, fine, Ms. Lewis. I'll take your free crack. And I'll be back for more.

Here's a photo of the free sample of "Mandarin Orange" up for grabs:



Soooo pretty. Something so pretty must be harmless, surely? But it's not. No. It's. Not. You'll cash in your 401K to get this stuff; run right over the top of your own grandma on the way to the Enamel Crack Store; hock your diamond wedding ring to get more. It's dangerous.

But I don't care. I don't care I tell you!! I want it!!! I WANT IT!!!! I WANT THE ENAMEL CRACK!!!!

Please, pick me. Please? Pretty pretty please? I mean, I need something to tide me over between the boro beads. You know, man? I'm in bad shape. Bad shape. I haven't bought any lampwork in like four hours.

And apparently my readers need to become followers of Ms. Lewis' blog so I can get the enamel. So, hey, buddies of mine! Hey, do a girl a favor--follow Barbara's blog! I'll share the Enamel Crack with you, I swear.

If I Had This Hammer, Could I Do This?

If I had this hammer


Could I do this?


And this?



Sweet Bead Studio, a jewelry artist I just discovered thanks to a post by Lorelei Eurto on Facebook, is having a giveaway. The hammer, the necklace, and the bracelet above. I can only assume the hammer, or one like it, played a role in producing the pendant and the bracelet? I see little dimples on the copper and brass that look suspiciously like they might have been made by the hammer. Checked out her Etsy shop and I just melted with covetousness, and envy. I'm not exaggerating, it made my heart hurt it was so beautiful. Seriously, look at this:




And look at this:


As if that weren't enough:
(do you believe this is only $42.00? for all that sterling, and handmade glass beads?)

I want to make jewelry like that, and I want to make it NOW!!! *Sigh*. The tools, you gotta have the tools. It's all about the hammer, right? Maybe I need some different pliers. And some more time. A LOT more time. And some classes. And maybe an art history degree. Probably need a torch. And some butane. Or propane. Or methane or whatever you put in a torch. And an asbestos shower cap.

I could add more photos from her shop, but it would just be sycophantic* and creepy.

As sometimes happens, I started this blog post purely for the sake of winning a hammer, and became a genuine fan. It's like a movie.

OK, just one more:



*Sycophant: A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.