KayzKreationz

Pips Jewelry Giveaway

2012-02-02T21:01:00.000-06:00

Aren't these gorgeous? Well Pips Jewelry is having her first giveaway on her blog for a set of these beads or another in a second picture on her blog. So click on the title of the post or here on Pips Jewelry to rush over to her blog and check it out. The giveaway lasts until Sunday, the winner will be picked Monday, Feb. 6th. It's open to everyone. I'm really hoping I win either the Bronze Flower or the Petal Capped.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz gifts for your Home or Garden or Wire-wrapped, Beaded Jewelry for yourself or a loved one, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. I make Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz.

Havana Beads: GIVEAWAY

2012-01-06T17:29:00.000-06:00

I love her beads and headpins. I have a couple of sets and I'm always amazed when I get them. Well guess what? She's having a giveaway of a set of her headpins! Be sure to check it out. Here's a n appetizer and the link: Havana Beads: GIVEAWAY: You guys know I can't just show you pictures of head pins I just love and not share right? Up for grabs is a set of my new Honeycomb Head P...
Looking for Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden? Check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for that unique piece for yourself or as a gift.

Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: Win a Set of Fusing Classes from Beaducation.com

2011-12-30T08:05:00.000-06:00

I love Beaducation. They have great supplies and wonderful online classes. Some of their classes are free and the rest are very reasonably priced. Plus you can get some of their classes on DVD now for those that want to be able to watch them over and over again without using up their internet (like me). So check out their newest class giveaway. But try not to enter too many times, because I really want to win. LOL Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: Win a Set of Fusing Classes from Beaducation.com: FUSING! Seriously, fusing fine silver wire is the best thing. Simple, classic, no firescale. Shiny! Can you tell that I have renewed my lov...

Last HAF featured artist-Dahlish Knits

2011-12-04T18:04:00.000-06:00

This weeks HAF featured artist is Dahlish Knits. It's run by Gina, who lives in North Dakota, and has to divide her time between her knitting/creating and her husband and 2 children. Looks like she manages to get it done though. She also has a blog that she has to keep up with. If you love handmade, and love knitted things, you need to check out her shop, Dahlish Knits for the most adorable items like these:

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz, whether it's Stained Glass, Mosaics (like my birdfeeder that was featured in Birds and Blooms) or Fused Glass, or even some Beaded, Wire-wrapped jewelry, be sure to check out my shop, KayzKreationz. Here's one piece I have up for sale.

Day 7-Last Day of the Virtual Craft Show

2011-12-02T07:34:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day of the Virtual Craft Show. The last of the 70 talented artists are listed along with their sales, discounts, and giveaways. Be sure to check out Pretty Things Blog to see them and perhaps find a new artist you've never seen. It's the last day to comment on her blog for the giveaways, so don't delay.Tomorrow will be the wrap-up with all the artists listed along with their links.

Here's the link again to my DAY 5 with my giveaway. While I'm at it, how do you like my Pot Charmers? They're jewelry for your plants. Are they something you would like for yourself or as a gift? I'm trying to decide whether to make them a regular sale item in my shop. This is the pair of Pot Charmers I have listed at KayzKreationz and they come with free shipping. So if you really like them, hurry over. It's the last set I have right now.

Virtual Craft Show Day 6 is live-Check out my Feature, too

2011-12-01T07:58:00.000-06:00

Well, Day 6 of the Virtual Craft Show is here. It runs for 7 days with 70 VERY talented artists being featured (10 each day). There's giveaways, sales, discounts and lots of fun. Check out Pretty Things blog for all the fun and be sure to leave comments there to be entered. I was featured for 3 days starting yesterday. Here's the link to my giveaway in the Craft Show. Be sure to check it out.

On a side note, the Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder featured in Dec./Jan. issue of Birds and Blooms magazine sold!I'm trying to get more made to list in my shop, KayzKreationz, so keep checking back here on my blog or in my shop. I do have one last Texas Mosaic Birdfeeder listed right now, plus some other great Stained Glass, Mosaic and Fused Glass Kreationz and of course, my Beaded, Wire-wrapped Jewelry for yourself or as a gift.

Challenge of Color Blog Hop is Here! Plus Day 5 of Virtual Craft Show-I'm Featured!

2011-11-30T07:00:00.005-06:00

Not quite a month ago, Erin of Treasures Found blog issued a color challenge. 54 of us decided to take that challenge. We signed up on her blog with a color we'd like to work with (or challenge ourself with) and she picked a color palette for us from Jessica of Design Seeds. Jessica has wonderful color palettes on her blog to give you inspiration. We had to make an accessory using one or all of the colors in our palette. I picked purple and Erin picked Autumn Spectrum for me to work with. Here is my color palette I was given:

I love the colors and had just the right beads to start this challenge off with. I was wanting to design a choker to wear with purples so this fit right in. I added the small purple czech glass crystals, the small muted green and purple oval beads, the purple/light green/bluish leaf beads to the gold chain and went to work. I wanted to add some ribbon with it, but the blue/teal I had just didn't look right. I may add some later if I find the right color. So without further ado, here's my piece by itself and on the color palette to see how well I matched everything up. What do you think? Be sure to check Erin's blog, Treasures Found for the rest of the participants and click through to their blogs to see what they created.

AND today is the day I'm being featured on the Virtual Craft Show! It's day 5 with 10 more great artists and their shops, sales, discounts and giveaways. Be sure to check out Pretty Things blog for the giveaways and the way to win! Here's my giveaway. Have fun.

So check out Pretty Things for the Virtual Craft Show and my giveaway. Then check out Treasures Found for the Color Challenge Blog Hop and all the other participants.

Virtual Craft Show Day 4 is Here!

2011-11-29T07:27:00.000-06:00

Have you been shopping yet? Day 4 of the Virtual Craft Show is up and running. 10 more great artists frome the 70 artists that are participating are featured today. You'll find an adorable Teddy bear, a gorgeous Turquoise, Amazonite, Coral necklace, Poinsettia pendants and so much more. Plus chances to win these and other great prizes. There's also sales and discounts on many of the shop sites. So for your chance to win and find 70 Great Artists in 7 days, check out Pretty Things blog and follow the instructions. I'll be featured starting tomorrow for 3 days and will have a giveaway for these cute Pot charmers.

Also, don't forget to check out my shop, KayzKreationz for that special Birdhouse Birdfeeder that was featured in the Birds and Blooms magazine this month to get the only nationally featured Mosaic birdfeeder for yourself or as a gift for a friend or loved one. And the brooch that was entered in the Glass Headpin challenge in the post below will be going up for sale shortly.
See you all there.

Sue Bead Challenge and Day 3 of the Virtual Craft Show!

2011-11-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

Susan from Sue Beads Blog recently promoted a challenge with some of her glass headpins. She picked 4 contestants and send us each a pair of her headpins. We had to create some type of accessory with her headpins and then post our creations today, Monday, December 28th. So here's my creation. I had a little bit of a time, trying to figure out how to attach the pin/brooch finding to the back of this Brass wire piece, but finally got it like I wanted. I also used some silk ribbon I had and my first enameled Copper disc! (Enameling is sooo much fun.) Then I added the little brass color feather to the end of the ribbon and attached Sue's wonderful Glass headpins with a copper chain and a little extra color for pizazz. Hope you like it. I loved coming up with something new. Check out her blog, Sue Beads for the rest of the Challenge participants.

And don't forget I'm participating in the Virtual Craft show on Pretty Things blog. My days will be starting Nov. 30th. Check out my giveaway here. 7 days, 70 artists with great sales, discounts, and giveaways. So check out Pretty Things and comment to have a chance at one of the 70 giveaways by fantastic artists. And if you want a Unique birdfeeder for your yard/garden or as a gift, My Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder was featured in the December/January issue of Birds and Blooms magazine. Get it for yourself and have the only Birdhouse Birdfeeder featured in a national magazine. (Or get it as a gift for your birdfeeding family/friends). You can check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz, for more great Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass, or Beaded/Wire-wrapped Jewelry.

Featured HAF Artist-Tams Jewelry

2011-11-27T18:43:00.003-06:00

This week's featured artist from the HAFteam is Tammy from Tams Jewelry. Although she has tried many different crafts, for her jewelry is the most addicting. She loves playing with different materials and creating artwork through her jewelry. Although she is married and has 2 beautiful daughters which take up a lot of her time, when you browse her TEXAS! (So do I, can you tell?) She can be found many places. Her Zibbet shop, Tams Jewelry, her Artfire shop, Tams Jewelry, her Etsy shop, Tams Jewelry, and her Handmade Artists shop, what else, but Tams Jewelry. She can also be found on twitter and has a blog. Here's just a couple of pieces from her shops. So check her out and buy Handmade.

Virtual Craft Show-Day 2

2011-11-27T07:42:00.000-06:00

Day 2 is live at Pretty Things. Check out the newest Artists being featured today. They're all wonderful. Some Clay, some Glass, some Metal and even some great beading magazines you can win. It runs for 7 days with 70 different Artists participating. Giveaways listed every day. I'll be featured with a pair of my adorable Polymer Clay Pot Charmers later this week. To see all the great artists and their sales, plus enter the giveaways, check out Pretty Things.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden for yourself or as gifts, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. I make Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass and Beaded/Wire-wrapped Jewelry. For the most unique gift, get yourself my Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder. It was featured in the newest issue of the Birds and Blooms magazine! You'll have the only Mosaic Birdfeeder featured in a national magazine in your yard or garden.

Virtual Craft Show

2011-11-26T07:50:00.002-06:00

It's here! The first day of the Virtual Craft Show. There will be Giveaways, Discount Codes and More!
Welcome to Day 1 of the First Annual Virtual Craft Show!

7 Days, 70 Artists, GIVING AWAY 70 things. Can you believe it????
I hope you'll take the time to visit these artisans' shops and blogs, too.

Here's how you win:

For each of the 7 days of the show, you get a point for each of the following (you don't have to do all four)....
Commenting on this page

Facebooking this page

Twittering this page

Blogging this page

Be sure to have either a blog with an email contact, or leave an email in your comment so I can notify you! Your comment has to be on Pretty Things blog post about that particular day of the Virtual Craft show. Click on the title or the box to the left to go right to the Virtual Craft show.

Drawing will be held a couple of days after the show. So check out Pretty Things Blog for all the first great artists. Stay tuned, because I'm participating in the Virtual Craft show and having a giveaway, too.

And if you're looking for that unique gift, check out my shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy. My Mosaic Birdfeeder was featured in the newest copy of the Birds and Blooms magazine! See the post below with all the details. You'll have the only Mosaic birdfeeder featured in a national magazine for yourself or as a gift for a gardening/birdfeeding friend or loved one! How great is that?

FEATURED: My Mosaic Birdfeeders in Birds and Blooms

2011-11-23T18:11:00.000-06:00

YAY! I got a copy of December/January issue of Birds and Blooms magazine today and my Birdhouse Mosaic Birdfeeder is featured on page 38 for DIY crafts for birdfeeding and gardens/yards. They contacted me back in April or May and asked about featuring it in the December/January issue. I sent it in and it is the first feeder featured in the article. There's also some tips on how to make your own. Plus, it links to my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for those that prefer buying one instead of making one. So if you're looking for a unique birdfeeder for your yard or garden, check out my mosaic birdfeeders. The link in the title takes you to one that is like the one featured. It's the Birdhouse Birdfeeder. They also make wonderful gifts for your birdfeeding/gardening friends. Here's a peek at the cover and the article. It's so exciting to have one of my Mosaic Birdfeeders featured in a National magazine.

Color Challenge

2011-11-21T23:07:00.001-06:00

Erin from Treasures Found blog, issued a challenge recently. It was a Color Challenge. When we signed up to participate, we told her a color we'd like to use. She then picked a color palete from Design Seeds. Jessica at Design Seeds designs wonderful color palettes. I'm in awe of the colors she puts together and comes up with. Anyway, Erin picked a color palette for each of us from the color we picked and we're challenged to come up with a piece of jewelry using any or all of those colors. I picked purple and this is the color palette Erin picked for me. Isn't it gorgeous? Autumn Spectrum. I love it. I had some beads in my stash that perfectly matched the main colors of this palette and now am in the process of trying to put them together. There will be a blog hop of all 54 Color Palette Challenge participants on November 30th. So stay tuned to see what we all come up with from our color palette. I'm trying to use all 5 of the colors, so we'll see if I can pull that off or not.

HAF Featured Artist: trusk4u

2011-11-13T15:23:00.004-06:00

This week's Featured HAF artist is Teresa from trusk4u at the HandmadeArtistsShop. Although her first crafting love was sewing, she now loves creating handmade jewelry using all kinds of materials, especially wire and recycled parts. In fact she says it's her obsession. She likes to learn new skills and try new techniques in her jewelry, also. She has opened a shop in Mebane, NC called Hollyhocks, LLC which sells handmade items from local artists. You should check out her online shop at trusk4u though for wonderful Jewelry designs like these:

Plus, her husband makes wonderful Key chains, Pens, and Shaving Kits in his workshop that she lists in her trusk4u shop on HandmadeArtistsShop. So check it out.

And if you're looking for some unique Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden or as gifts, plus Wire-wrapped, Beaded Jewelry, be sure to check out my shop on Etsy, KayzKreationz.

Making Metal Clay Jewelry-Review

2011-11-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking of delving into the world of Metal Clay. However, I don't really want to have to have a kiln to fire it. So I started looking at Art Metal Clay. Then I received the book The Absolute Beginners Guide: Making Metal Clay Jewlry by Cindy Pankopf and published by Kalmbach Books. It is a wonderful book. Cindy sets everything out very clearly, especially for someone who doesn't know anything about the Metal Clays. Right from the beginning she gives you places you might find instructors or classes to learn from in your area. Then she outlines what Silver clay is and what to expect from it as you work with it. She also sets out a little warning to not skip ahead so you won't get frustrated with your efforts and waste time and money. Then she delves right in to the different types of clay and varieties of clay. For instance, there's lump clay, paste clay, syringe clay and paper clay. There's also ACS clay, ACS Slow Dry, ACS 650, even Copper clay (which is why I got interested in the first place, since I love copper, but would like to be able to do more with it than just cut pieces of copper sheet.) She also mentions in the Basics that she designed all the projects in the book so as to be fired with a simple to use, inexpensive, handheld butane torch, which is great for beginners. That way you can get used to the firing process without putting out a lot of money/investment in the beginning, until you know if this is really for you. She also lists other materials you can use with your clay, like gemstones, wire and more. Then she delves right in outlining tools and supplies you'll need. Cindy tries to keep start-up costs minimal by suggesting tools and substitutes that are inexpensive and easy to come by. For instance, Freezer paper can be used for a nonstick work surface instead of Teflon-coated sheets. And playing cards can be used to measure your gauge/thickness instead of buying graduated slat sets. Olive oil can even be used as an oil to keep surfaces and your hands from sticking to the clay. She talks about the tools you'll need for working with dry clay, firing, finishing and adding patina's. There's even a section on specialty tools you might want/need. Next is the Techniques section where she talks about an easy way to figure out gram size for scrap clay you will have, storing your clay between sessions and recovering your scrap clay. There's tips about how to know if your firing too long and what to look for while you're firing. And then ways to get different finishes on your fired clay. And there's this handy shopping list you can print out for the projects in Part 2.

Are you ready to go? The projects start with the easiest and also grouped by the techniques you'll learn. I really liked that. At the top of the page it show you what technique you'll be learning with this project. For instance, with the first project: Stamped Charms, you'll learn Roll, Texture and Create a Satin Finish. Plus, a chart tells you how big the charm will be and what you'll need for this project. There's also extra tips with each project about how to do something easier or get rid of unwanted texture from your Teflex sheet. The projects graduate to harder and harder projects, learning new techniques with each one, right up to working with Paper (sheet) clay and how to assembly dry clay. with and overlay. The final project is one with Copper clay, since it requires a few more tools and techniques. There is only one that can be Torch Fired, so be careful if you want to work with Copper and make sure you get the right clay. At the end is 'Beyond the Basics' with tips on Making connections, reconditioning/reclaiming clay, how to fix mistakes and how to repair broken pieces. All in all this is a great book for the beginner. It outlines everything you need to know and what you need to begin working with Metal Clay. I think even ones that have worked with it for a while would enjoy it and perhaps learn something from it, even if it's just something they'd forgotten or hadn't thought about. I highly recommend this book if you've been thinking about starting to work with Metal Clay. Even if there's a class or instructor in your area, this is a great book to have on your bookshelf to refer to afterwards for more tips or reminders of what you learned.

Keep a watch on my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for new Glass Kreationz and Jewelry that will be featuring pieces made with Metal Clay.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Kalmbach Publishing to read and do my review.

Starseed Jewelry: A Struggling Artist -- GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-11-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

Aren't these pretty pendants? They're made by Laurel Steven's from Polymer Clay. She's having a difficult time right now and could use some help. So Terri at Starseed Jewelry is hosting a giveaway of 2 of her own gorgeous (these 2) pendants from Laurel. Go to Starseed Jewelry blog to check it out. Here's just a peek: Starseed Jewelry: A Struggling Artist -- GIVEAWAY!!!: Last March I created a necklace which sold in a nanosecond. I think a lot of the credit goes to Laurel Steven's magnificant polymer clay...

And if you're looking for some great gifts, check out my shop, KayzKreationz for Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass and Beaded/Wire-wrapped Jewelry Kreationz.

This Week's Featured HAF Artist/Team-Reef Botanicals

2011-10-31T08:40:00.001-05:00

I love handmade/handcrafted soaps and facial products. That's why I really love this weeks featured HAF shop, Reef Botanicals. Larissa and Eric are the owners of Reef Botanicals. It offers Handcrafted Soaps and other Indulgences. They handcraft all the products themselves, from their own recipes without using any pre-made bases. They use only all natural ingredients with essential oils, instead of synthetic oils. (I love essential oiles). They use the same standard for any colorants used in the wonderful products. Most of their soaps are suitable for vegans and they never test any of their products on animals. (As an animal lover, I really appreciate that.) Doesn't this just sound Delicious? Chocolate Decadence Pillar Candle? As a Chocoholic, this one sounds good enough to eat. LOL

And what a great way to relax, with these Vanilla Latte Bath Salts, scented with Coffee Essential oil and just a touch of Vanilla Essential oil. They also include Dead Sea Salt and its rare elements, unrefined Pink Himalayan Salt with its 84 minerals, well-balanced Organic French Grey Salt, Epsom Salt, and Dendritic Salt. They're formulated to give you the most benefit from the minerals and elements and to hold their scents better and longer than other bath salts. Just a scoop or two will make every bath an event. So check out their great shop, Reef Botanicals. I'm sure you'll find something to love.

Hammered Copper Wire-Wrapped Beaded Bracelet

2011-10-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

I love Copper. And copper is supposed to be a healing metal. That's why my newest listing for this Hammered, Copper Wire-wrapped Beaded Bracelet is so great. It's made of all copper and has a natural patina on it. It basically is an adjustable bracelet. The little dangles really add some bling to the copper and the wire wrapping. What do you think? Do you like Copper? You can find it here: Copper Bracelet

I also make Stained Glass, Mosaic and Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden. Be sure to check out my shop, KayzKreationz for great pieces.

Featured HAF Shop-ME! KayzKreationz

2011-10-23T18:30:00.001-05:00

Yay! I was pleasantly surprised this morning to wake up and find out I'm the Featured Shop for the HAFteam this week. I love my glass. I make Stained Glass like this Poinsettia Panel, which I'm offering 10% off this week while I'm featured, if you put "HAF blog" in your convo to me on Etsy in my shop, KayzKreationz

And I make Mosaics, like this Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder, which makes a great gift, either for yourself or a gardening, birdfeeding friend or family member. In fact, one of my Mosaic Birdfeeders will be featured in the December/January issue of a National Magazine. More on that later.

I also make Fused Glass items, like these Blue Tealight Candle Holders or this Bud Lite Beer Bottle Windchime, which would make a great gift for the Beerlover in your family or a friend.

So, if you're looking for something unique for yourself, loved one or as a gift, check out all my Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz or my Zibbet shop, KayzKreationz. Plus, watch for my Mosaic Birdfeeder feature in a National Magazine soon. And watch for the First Annual Virtual Craft Fair I'm participating in Nov. 26-Dec. 3. There will even be a Giveaway! Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to leave a comment.

First Annual Craft Show

2011-10-19T18:55:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited. I'm going to be participating in the First Annual Craft Show held by Lori at Pretty Things blog. It's going to be going on Nov. 26-Dec. 3rd. There will be 70 artists participating. We'll have specials on our handcrafted items. And there will be giveaways. Stay tuned to find out more and see what I'll be giving away. Meanwhile, check out my shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy to see if there's anything you want either now or during the Craft Show. I'll be filling it up with more great Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items, plus Jewelry before the show. And coming in December, one of my Mosaice Birdfeeders will be featured in the December/January issue of a National Magazine. Stay tuned to find out which one and get one of my OOAK handcrafted Mosaic birdfeeders for yourself and your garden or for a bird-loving friend. Here's one for you to check out.

Check it out here: Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder

Another HAF Featured Artist-Jewelry By Janelle

2011-10-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

I missed the opportunity last week to post about the first HAF featured artist-Jewelry By Janelle. So I wanted to post here about her great work and shop. Janelle was a passionate lover of handmade. She has passed on, but her shop is still open with some of her great work. She was unique in her work and made wonderful, remarkable things with wood. All of the proceeds from her shop are contributed to her estate. Zebrawood was one of her favorite woods, so check out some of these wonderful, beautiful Wooden wonders. Like this Zebrawood donut pendant which was handshaped, sanded and buffed to a lovely shine and finished with a pretty brown organza ribbon:

She has many more great Wood pieces in her shop: Jewelry By Janelle for your liking.
And don't forget to scroll down to the next post for the Featured Artist this week: Colettes Boutique. Some wonderful Wire-wrapped Jewelry!

Featured Artist: Colette Kimon

2011-10-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

This week's featured artist is Colette Kimon from Colettesboutique on Etsy. She hales from Morgantown, West Virginia and makes wonderful jewelry. She started in 2004 while she was out of work and has kept right on. She loves to discover and learn new techniques and likes her jewelry to reflect her personality. She has even had her work featured in the September 2011 issue of Art Jewelry Magazine! What an accomplishment. She is a member of the HAF (Handmade Artists Forum) team and the Etsy Project Embrace Team. She's also on Facebook at Colettesboutique. Her favorite materials to use in her jewelry are Sterling Silver, Gemstones and Swarovski Crystals. Isn't this Wisteria Sterling Silver and Amethyst bracelet gorgeous? So be sure to check out her shop Collettesboutique on Etsy and find something you can't live without.

Interview with Etsy Seller mrhanz about his Luxury Leather Goods and Coupon

2011-10-12T13:42:00.002-05:00

I recently found this shop on Etsy, mrhanz. He's from Java Island makes and sells Luxury Leather Goods, wallets, belts, passport holders and more. They're wonderful. He makes them out of exotic leathers like Python, Cobra, Buffalo and more. So I asked him a few questions about how and why he got started. Read on for his interview:
1. How did you get started making your items? In the beginning, I started making watch straps for my personal use. Then friends started asking me to make other accessories (wallets, key chains, belts,etc).

2. How long have you been making them? And how long have you been selling them? I've been making my items for a few years, but I only started selling them since last year. I've only started selling on etsy about 2 months ago.
3. Do you make these items yourself? Yes, I make my items myself, although some of the designs were created by what my friends have requested.
4. About how long does it take you to make an item? It depends on the designs and the availability of the materials.
5. What pushed you to make your items and sell them? It was a personal hobby of mine, but I've never thought that other people would like to buy them. I take pride in my products, when I go out, I usually wear my own watch strap, wallets, belts, mobile phone case. That's how I get my sales from local buyers, actually. My friends see them and buy from me. When they wear my products, their friends will also be interested. So, I got a lot of repeat buyers.
6. What prompted you to use the materials you use? The calf leathers, buffalo, python skin, cobra and others? I personally like leather products. I think they are more durable and can last longer than other materials. I use genuine materials only because I want to present my buyers with quality products. Snakeskin is one of the hottest trends this year, especially for women's products (wallets, purses, shoes).
7. How hard is it to get your materials for your items? I purchase my materials from trusted suppliers. They have a higher price compared to other suppliers, but I can rest assured because their qualities are genuine. For me, I think it's a bit harder to find calf leather that suit my needs. As I hand-pick each leather and skin myself, I will only purchase the materials that are high qualities, something that I see I can wear myself. Which is why, I have limited products in calf leather. For snakeskin, it's easier to find, but for some colors, I sometimes have to wait until it's available in my suppliers.
8. Where else do you sell your items? I sell on etsy for international orders. For local orders, I sell using my facebook page. I also get regular orders from a boutique at a high end mall. I've also been getting sales from local repeat buyers.
Here's one of his great Passport holders from Python:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82230088/python-leather-passport-cover-natural

Now, for my Blog readers, mrhanz is offering a 10% discount code valid until Nov. 7th. Just use OCTMRHANZ909 for your coupon when you check out. Be sure to check out all his other great items. 2 more are featured in the Featured Shop of the Day at the top right of my blog.

Bead Soup Blog Party-My Kreationz

2011-09-16T23:59:00.003-05:00

There's this wonderful thing I found last spring called the Bead Soup Blog Party (BSBP for short). It's created by Lori of Pretty Things. People sign up, are assigned partners, exchange beads and then create something out of the beads they receive. The partners are supposed to try to find out something about their partner and then something from their Bead stash that would push their partner to create outside their "comfort zone", think "outside the box" so to speak. The only Bead requirement is you send a Focal and a Clasp, (something other than just a lobster clasp). The creativity of the people that participate is just beyond words. Anyway, I decided to "play" this time and was assigned Loretta Carstensen, of Designs by Loretta, from California. Here is the wonderful soup she sent me:

It consisted of Smoky Quartz nuggets, a Dalmation Jasper strand, some pretty little gold seed beads, some 14K gold filled spacers, a 14K Gold filled clasp, and a shell/MOP focal, that I haven't figured out what I want to use for, yet. Anyway, here's what I created. A Fan Pull with one of the Smoky Quartz nuggets, a Necklace with the Smoky Quartz Focal and other nuggets and a pair of earrings to go with the necklace. I wire wrapped the nuggets, made my own link with a bead I had for the Focal, added some other of the same beads as links with the Dalmation Jasper and Gold seed beads and used Brass wire to bring out the gold as links to attach the Gold filled clasp. The only thing I'm not sure of is whether I want to leave the Fiber I added in the necklace or not. Although I like the extra color and texture it adds, I'm not sure I'm really fond of it in this case, since it seems to take away from all the wire work. Anyway here's my Kreationz. Hope you like them. And when you're done looking at them and hopefully leaving me a comment, you can visit the rest of the BSBP participants by clicking on the list below. (If it's not clickable, please visit Pretty Things Blog for the full list)

This is the one with the fiber.

Without further ado, go to Pretty Things for the list for you to visit:

Click on each name to go to their blogs. These are the partner pairs.

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

I'm so sorry, I had the list here, but it wasn't clickable, so I didn't do something right. But if you click on Lori Anderson or Pretty Things it will take you to the full list of participants and is clickable. Please visit all the blogs as you have time. Enjoy.

Soup's On

2011-09-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned. Tomorrow the Biggest Bead Soup Blog Party ever starts. There's over 360 participants this time. Hopefully (if I did it right) my list will be clickable so you can just go to the next participant after viewing my 'soup' from my partner, Loretta. You'll love all the creativity. We got paired up, traded beads and then had to create something from those beads. So check back in first thing tomorrow a.m. and see all the wonderful "soups". Here's a peek at what I was working with.

Beaducation class Winner!

2011-09-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry. I was out of town last weekend and just got home late Monday night. And I thought I would have internet access to post the winner Saturday or Sunday, but didn't. Then yesterday we had some friends show up to help us replace our gate and a wildfire started about 10 miles from us. We had to watch it and start packing up some stuff to put in our Travel trailer in case we needed to get out, so we'd save at least a few things and have a place to live if they didn't get it under control. So I didn't get this posted yesterday like I was hoping. So without further ado, the winner of their choice of class from Beaducation is:

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 25
Result:

3

TaDa! It's bwHeather! Yay! Congrats for Heather. She wanted to take the Pearl Hope Online Class with Dallas Lovett. So I'll be e-mailing you about your win and Kate at Beaducation. She'll get in touch with you about what to do. Stay tuned all. Hopefully I'll be able to do another giveaway before long.

Beaducation Class-Hammered Textured Metal and Giveaway!

2011-09-05T05:00:00.003-05:00

Ever wanted to take a Jewelry class of some kind, but couldn't because there wasn't anyplace within 60-100 miles of you that taught any classes? Or couldn't because they were so expensive, you couldn't afford the drive and the class? Then this website is for you. It's called Beaducation. And it's wonderful. I first heard of them when I entered a giveaway for a class on another blog. I checked them out and they have a multitude of classes. From free classes on how to make your own ear wires, or even introduction to Chainmaille, to classes you purchase on Metalwork, Chainmaille, Mixed Media, Seed Beads and so much more. After winning my class, Kate from Beaducation contacted me about doing a review. I love metal, so I checked out their classes and they put the Hammered Textured Metal class in "My Classes". After watching the class all the way through (they recommend that so you can become familiar with the class and everything you'll need) I printed out the PDF sheet which tells you all the steps and all the materials you'll need. The great thing about the Beaducation classes is, that once you purchase/win your class, it's always yours and you can watch it anytime and as many times as you want. After gathering all my materials I "took" the class. I have to say, Kim St. Jean is a wonderful teacher! She explains everything very thoroughly and even gives extra tips. I LOVED this class! My hubby says he thinks it's one of his favorite pieces that I've made. And the best part is I can watch it again and again. Some of their classes even have DVD's you can purchase now to have it right in your home. I think every time you watch one, you pick up something you may have not caught the first time or that you've forgotten. The texturing was easy to do. Although I didn't have but 2 texturing hammers, Kim explains very easily how to texture and enough ideas/tips so you can figure out how to use what you have to make do. Also, I didn't have any LOS (Liver of Sulphur) to patina my piece, so I just left it. It will patina itself eventually, and I don't mind the bright copper look for the time being. I'm hoping to use these techniques to add to my Glass Kreationz and Jewelry for my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz, shortly. So without further ado, here's my Bracelet I made with my Hammered Textured Metal class from Beaducation. I did make mine a little different. Being from Texas, I couldn't resist stamping my center piece with "I ♥ Texas" (I love stamping metal too, and they offer the classes and the stamps to do this.) In fact, I'd love to have some more of their stamps for my metal work.

Now for the good part. You can win a class of your choosing from Beaducation.

First, you have to become a follower of my blog, then go to Beaducation and come back and tell me what class you would take if you win. This step is mandatory. Leave one comment telling me you're a follower and what name and then your class choice.

For extra entries: Follow Beaducation on twitter and let me know what name.

Follow KayzKreationz on twitter and let me know what name.

Follow Beaducation's Blog and leave them a comment telling them KayzKreationz sent you.

Share this Giveaway with your friends/family and come back and let me know how you shared it. You can do this once a day till the Giveaway ends.

You can't leave anonymous comments and must leave a way for me to contact you if you win. Make sure you leave separate comments so I can keep track of how many entries you have, Thanks.

This Giveaway will run until Friday, Sept. 9th. I'll post the giveaway winner soon after that.

I did receive a class from Beaducation to review for this post and giveaway. I did not receive any other compensation from them.

New Clay Beaded Lily Flower Plant Charmer, Stake, Poke Jewelry

2011-09-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

I love decorating my plants, pots, garden. This is my newest listing in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz It is a polymer clay Lily flower, with Yellow, Orange, Green Dyed Howlite beads and Copper wire tendrils on a Copper Wire plant stake. Some people call them plant stakes, pokes. I like to call the Plant charmers. Because they just add "charm" to your plants and pots. This listing is for both and includes free shipping. So if you're looking to "accessorize" your plants and pots, check it out here: Lily Beaded Plant charmer It's jewelry for your plants.
And for more great Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items for your Home or Garden, again, visit my shop, KayzKreationz.

Design Challenge Necklace Won!

2011-08-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! Got the e-mail this a.m. My Design Challenge Necklace-"Waltz Across Texas" won the challenge. Thanks to all who helped me win. One of the prizes is a Blog feature about me and my Glass/Beading. So stay tuned and I'll post when that happens. Meanwhile, here's the necklace and earrings made to match it. They are up for sale. I'll be posting them in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz shortly, but if you're interested in them now, it's $55.00 for the set. Reply to this post or e-mail me and I'll figure shipping for you. Enjoy.

A Texas Tale

2011-08-29T17:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, being from Texas, I just can't resist Texas Tales. They are always about being Bigger/Better in Texas. This one is wonderful. When I told it to my husband and got to the end, he totally didn't see it coming. So now I share it with you, through the kindness of Cindi at Handmade in Tx. Thanks Cindi (and your mom, too)

A Texas Tall Tale
After having dug to a depth of 100 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 200 feet and shortly after, a story in the LA Times read: "California archaeologists' discovery of 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers."

One week later, A local newspaper in Texas reported the following: "After digging as deep as 300 feet in his pasture near Lubbock, TX, Bubba, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless."

Just makes you proud to live in (or be from) Texas, doesn't it?

Bead Soup Blog Party Bead Reveal

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

Just a peek. Here's the Bead Soup I sent to Loretta Carstensen, who is my BSBP partner.

There was Cherry Quartz, Rhodonite, Hammered copper washers/discs, copper beads, Jasper focal, Handcrafted Fused Glass focal with Green Adventurine glass and Dichroic glass, Handcrafted Copper clasp, some fiber beads and more.
And here's the great Bead Soup Loretta sent me:

Isn't it great? There's Smoky Quartz, Dalmation jasper, Gold filled clasp and spacers, some cute gold seed beads and a Mother of Pearl (I think) bead/focal. I must admit, I don't usually work with such large beads as the Smoky Quartz, but I've got several ideas swimming around. And I've been going through my stash to see if I want to add anything or just work with her great "Soup". Stay tuned!

Design Challenge Necklace

2011-08-22T18:36:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in a Desing Challenge put on by Jewelry By Solange. She sent us 2 Snakeskin Jasper beads and we could design anything with them we wanted. We just HAD to use the 2 beads. It had to be done by Friday August 19th, named and pictures sent to her. She has now put it up on her blog for people to vote. There will be 2 winners. The People's Choice winner gets a wonderful necklace designed by her and the 2nd winner gets a gift certificate to her shop. There's some wonderful designs in the challenge. They cover all spectrums of things, from Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, to an adorable keychain.
My entry is entitled "Waltz Across Texas". I took the 2 beads and made a focal/pendant out of them with brass tubing that had been hammered and copper chain to make them like a Bolo tie that cowboys here in Texas wear. Then I hammered, coiled, curled, etc. copper wire into links with beads attached to make one side of the necklace, and attached fiber to the other side of the necklace with 2 hammered brass discs. The clasp is a Hammered Copper Wire "S" hook. I named it Waltz Across Texas, because it has the "Bolo" Tie pendant, plus the fiber was to signify, the shawls/boas that women sometimes wear out dancing here in Texas. Of course, since I live in Texas, it had to be named "Waltz Across Texas" If you'd like to help me, you can click on the title of this post, or the title of the blog it's featured on, Jewlery By Solange and go comment/vote. Mine is the 4th design down. To vote, you have to leave a comment with my name and the name of my piece. (I.E.-Kay-Waltz Across Texas) You CANNONT leave anonymous comments/votes. Here's a picture of my piece for you to see ahead of time. Please go vote, whether for me or another design. It helps all Handmade Artists feel special when we know someone loves our work. Thanks.
By the way, this piece sold before I even got it listed in my shop, KayzKreationz. I was showing it to my Mom and sister in a restaurant for lunch the other day and the waitress saw it and bought it and ordered earrings to match. But I can design more if you like this. You have until Aug. 28th to vote.

Handmade Artists Shop

2011-08-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

Good morning all. Just a little post to tell you about a great site for Handmade Artists. There are so many places out there that we, as artists, can sell our gorgeous Handmade items. One of the newest, although it started back in December 2009, is HandmadeArtistsShop. After struggling for the first year, they redesigned the Shop site and relaunched a new reddesigned site. It's a great site. What I love most about it is that it is dedicated solely to Handmade. They're not going to allow any resellers, unaltered vintage or non-handmade supplies. So what you get is a Handmade site for Handmade artists! Isn't that great. You don't have to weed through all the resellers on other sites or storebought things being passes off as handmade.
They also are keeping Social Features off the site. There is a separate forum for that kind of thing that is completely separate. It's been going for about 3 years and is dedicated to Handmade also. They don't discriminate about where you choose to sell, but they help support Handmade artists. I've been a member of that forum for a little while and there's great support there as well as opportunities to get your shop mentioned in several ways and get more views/sales.

But back to the HandmadeArtistsShop site. They have some wonderful shops so far and gorgeous items made by Handmade artists. Take for instance this great shop where I purchased this pretty little haircomb: LifeIsSublime Isn't that great? But their goal is to keep it fairly small so it becomes the elite place to buy Handmade. So get on over there (by clicking on the title of this post or the name) and check it out. See if it doesn't fit you and what you sell and sign up to sell.

Bead Soup Teaser

2011-08-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

Ok, here's my Bead Soup Teaser for Loretta. Hope she enjoys it. Waiting anxiously for my "soup" from her and for her to get my "soup". Can't wait to see what I get and to post pictures of what I sent and what I received. Stay tuned for more photos of the Bead Soup Blog Party and the Reveal in September. Enjoy.

Mom's Sunflower Mosaic Table

2011-08-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

My mom had an old metal umbrella table that she was thinking about getting rid of. But I convinced her to keep it and put Glass Mosaic on it to dress it up for her deck. She's always love sunflowers, so that's what we decided to put on it. I did have a little bit of a hard time convincing her though that Sunflowers come in different colors. But after googling some images and showing them to her, we started drawing off the design. We started with the Sunflowers, then added the leaves, stems and branches. We decided to go with Glass nuggets around the center hole and the outside rim to keep from having any sharp points on the edges. Then we added the blue background to make it look like you're looking up at the Sunflowers towards the sky. Finally we grouted the whole thing with a Buttercream grout to blend everything together. It turned out great and she was ecstatic. My dad was almost as excited about it as she was. He would come home from work every day to check out the progress. Hope you like it as well.
For small mosaic items for your Home and Garden, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz.

Bead Soup Blog Party Coming!

2011-08-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

Yay, the Bead Soup Blog Party is coming. Lori, at Pretty Things hosts this twice a year. And although the sign ups are closed for this round you really should check it out and join us for the next round next spring. This consists of jewelry makers, both long time jewelry makers and newbies like me, that get partnered up with someone else. We swap beads, findings, whatever. The main thing is we HAVE to send a Focal, a Pretty clasp, (not just a lobster claw) and some coordinating beads. When we get our stash from our partner, we post a pictue of it on our blog. Then we have until Sept. 17th to make something and post the pictures of what we did on that day for the reveal. Then we get to hop around over 300 Blogs! And check out what everyone made. I'm partnered with Loretta Carstensen from California. She makes lovely things from Polymer Clay, something I've tried and haven't been real successful with yet. She has an Etsy and Artfire shop, plus her blog. Check out her shops by clicking on Etsy or Artfire. And check out her blog by clicking on her name. Then be sure to check back later to see what wonderful goodies I receive from her and again in September to see what I make with them.
For some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, you can check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz, too. Enjoy.

Bead Soup Blog Party

2011-08-01T08:41:00.001-05:00

This is a great Blog Party. I first saw it last spring on a blog and it looked like so much fun. The participants are astounding in their creativity. So what is a Bead Soup Blog Party? Here's how it works!

First, you must have a blog!
Second, no, you do NOT have to make your own beads!
Third, YES it is open to International beaders!

So click on the title and go check it out and register.

New Zibbet Listing-Purple, White, Mauve Fused Glass magnet

2011-07-27T11:14:00.000-05:00

Since I'll be shutting down my Artfire shop, KayzKreationz, shortly, I've started importing my Artfire items into my Zibbet shop. I'd opened it up a while back, but hadn't done much with it. So now I'm trying to get it going and see how it does. This cute Mauve, Purple, White Fused Glass magnet just went live in my Zibbet shop, KayzKreationz. I'm working on getting more magnets listed, because they're so cute and useful. So keep watching KayzKreationz on Zibbet.

Artfire Shop Closing

2011-07-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got an e-mail from Artfire that they're shutting down all their Basic shops and owners. If we want to continue on Artfire, we HAVE to upgrade to Pro. Now, I've been with them since the beginning back in 2008. I started as Basic to see what they offered different from Etsy and how it would go. I've promoted, checked in, etc. But NADA. I've never gotten one sale from my Artfire shop. I had one custom request from a seller on Etsy who was moving to Artfire and wanted to make the piece through Artfire so I would get some feedback. But that's it. I like having my Artfire shop as another venue. But without having any sales from it, I can't justify paying for it each month. At least with my Etsy shop, if I don't make a sale it doesn't cost me. So before Artfire closes down all Basic shops August 15th, I'm offering 10% off any item in my Artfire shop, KayzKreationz. I don't have much listed there now, since it will be closing, but I do have a few thing for your Home and Garden. Plus a great Fused Glass Purse holder so you don't have to let your purse sit on the floor. And for those SOBE enthusiasts, I have one last SOBE fused glass bottle candle holder/candy dish/ wall art. They don't make glass SOBE bottles anymore, so this will be one of the last. Thanks for looking. If you find something you want, please contact me first so I can adjust the price for you or send you a revised invoice. I will still have my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz so you will be able to find great Fused Glass, Stained Glass, Mosiac Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden. Happy Shopping.

En La Lumie're: Win me! Win me!

2011-07-15T07:58:00.000-05:00

En La Lumie're: Win me! Win me! You're going to love this designer and her giveaway. What a beauty of a bracelet. AND she'd featured in Bead Trends. Click on over to check it out.

And for some great Fused Glass, Stained Glass and Mosaic Glass Kreationz for you Home or Garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. You're bound to find something you can't live without. Like this cute painted fused glass Garden "Weeds" marker.

Souvenirs From Life: BTW- Giveaway

2011-07-14T08:31:00.000-05:00

This looks wonderful. Flush cutters that cut flush on both sides. Check out this giveaway on Souvenirs From Life: BTW- Giveaway: "On my bead table this morning- In my quest to perfect the jump ring cutting process, I came across a really cool tool. This is a double flus..." As a fairly new beader, I would love these. I can never get a flush cut on both sides of my wire. I love this.
And for some great Glass Kreationz, check out my shop KayzKreationz for Stained Glass, Fused Glass and Mosaic Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden.

Havana Beads: BEACH TIME GIVEAWAY

2011-07-08T08:13:00.000-05:00

Havana Beads: BEACH TIME GIVEAWAY: "Thought you guys might enjoy a Florida conch shell of your own. I love making these shells and I'm sure you guys will think of something wo..." Check this one out. I love her beads.
And for some great Fused Glass, Mosaics or Stained Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out KayzKreationz on Etsy.

women-prenuers galore: Poppyagea Shop Review and Giveaway

2011-07-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

Another great giveaway. Check it out at women-prenuers galore: Poppyagea Shop Review and Giveaway She's got a wonderful review of the shop Poppyagea on Etsy. She makes wonderful hair accessories and brooches. They're to die for. You'll love it.
And if you're looking for some wonderful Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden be sure to check out my shop KayzKreationz on Etsy. I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without.

SoftFlexGirl: First Friday Giveaway - Chain + Hole Punch Pliers

2011-07-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

Check out this great giveaway. I love their items. And they have wonderful free projects on their site, too. SoftFlexGirl: First Friday Giveaway - Chain + Hole Punch Pliers: "PLR-133.60 1.25MM METAL PUNCH PLIERS RETAIL = $15.95 CH-GLDOD3 34 IN OVAL AND DROP TEXTURED GOLD PLATED COPPER CHAIN RETAIL = $24.90 CH-..."
And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy. I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without.

My Garden Twirlers-Being Redesigned

2011-06-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

I love these little Garden Twirlers. They are my own creation. They just dangle, twirl and dance in the wind. I love things for the garden and in playing around with my glass, wanted to make something besides windchimes for my garden. Viola! The problem is, they don't really show well in pictures online. In person, they draw quite a crowd and sales at shows. But in pictures they hang too long and just don't show up well. So, I've decided to redesign them for my online shops, KayzKreationz at Etsy, and KayzKreationz at Artfire. The first one to be redone will be this Beige and Purple Garden Twirler that is featured on Artfire. It's beige and purple diamond shaped glass pieces hung from a piece of driftwood found on our small Texas Wildlife Ranch. So if you've hearted this Garden Twirler on Artfire and want it the way it is, you'll have to make up your mind pretty quick. I'll be redesigning it in the next day or so and it will be no more. Also, unfortunately the price will have to go up, since I'll be adding some extra things to it. I'm hoping to get better pricing on it, though. This Purple Garden Twirler on Etsy will be next. Again, if you've hearted it or been watching it, make your move now before it's redone. I'm hoping the new design will sell better online. I'll be posting when I get them redesigned with the new pics and the new listings. Meanwhile, if you're dying for some Glass Kreationz for you Home or Garden be sure to check out both my shops. KayzKreationz on Etsy and KayzKreationz on Artfire. Enjoy.

somethinguniquebylana: Blog Love..Fav Etsy Shops & A Giveaway.......

2011-06-16T18:17:00.000-05:00

What a great post, blog and giveaway. Check it out. Hoping I win, though. :) somethinguniquebylana: Blog Love..Fav Etsy Shops & A Giveaway.......: "Finally I Can Share The Love.......... I have been wanting to do this for quite some time now but with everything that has been going on in..."

Lori Anderson's Bead and Button adventure and Giveaway

2011-06-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

I love reading Lori's blog. She always has so much great info and pictures of jewelry she's made. She's also behind the Bead Soup Blog party. I can't believe all the creativity in that. But she just got back from the Bead and Button show and has a cute video, plus some wonderful finds and a great Giveaway for readers. So get on over there and check it out. It's Pretty Things.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, be sure to check out my shop: KayzKreationz. Hopefully you'll find something you can't live without. LOL There's Beer Bottle windchimes, jewelry, Glass plates, bowls and more. Even some Fused Glass Garden markers to maker your garden unique like these: http://www.etsy.com/listing/48963248/yellow-weeds-fused-glass-garden-marker

♥A Little of This and That♥: Huge Vintage Giveaway ~ May 2011

2011-05-28T19:38:00.000-05:00

I love her clay molds. Check out her giveaway.♥**A Little of This and That**♥: Huge Vintage Giveaway ~ May 2011: "~♥~ Vintage Giveaway May 2011 ~♥~ Vintage Pink Rhinestone Ring, Antique blue glass bottle, Vintage & Antique inspired findings and me..."

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. Thanks

Blue Fused Glass Tealight Candle Holders-Treasury

2011-05-26T10:35:00.001-05:00

My Blue Fused Glass Tealight candle holders are featured in this treasury: Shades of Blue.

In honor of this treasury I'm offering 10% off of these candle holders if you check out my Page and "Like" it, post on the treasury comment and then contact me saying you did so and I'll get you an updated invoice. My Page: KayzKreationz.

For more great Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden, check out my shop: KayzKreationz

Barbara Lewis - Painting with Fire Artwear: Bead Giveaway!

2011-05-24T23:09:00.000-05:00

I've always been afraid of fire. I have a small torch I purchased for a class I got from Beaducation, but I've been afraid to fire it up and try my class. Need to overcome that fear and jump in. But this book from Barbara Lewis may be just the thing to get me over that fear. Check it out and the great giveaway she's got going. Barbara Lewis - Painting with Fire Artwear: Bead Giveaway!: "Let's have a little fun! If you were here a few days ago, you saw my video of some pieces I had made with a technique I discovered in the s..."

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton: Thursday Giveaway...

2011-05-23T08:20:00.001-05:00

I love classes by Beaducation. They're great. Here's another giveaway for a new class they have. Check it out. The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton: Thursday Giveaway...: "This week, one lucky winner will take home the 'Metal Fold Forming' class with Kim St. Jean ! The 81 minute long class is broken down into..."

Hummingbirds are here.

2011-04-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I posted 2 different posts with some interesting facts about hummingbirds. I put up 2 of my feeders and have been rewarded with hummingbirds all around trying to get to the nectar, not only at my feeders, but also at all my plants that are blooming right now. As part of our Wildlife management, we have to plant things that will attract butterflies, small songbirds, game birds, other birds, etc. We've had some success with it. We now have turkeys hanging around all the time in the back pasture by our water trough, birds everywhere by the water trough and the birdbaths. A multitude of other birds by the plants, grasses, water, etc. We even have some resident buzzards that love hanging around for some reason. Anyway, as promised, here's a couple of pictures I got of one of the hummingbirds at one of my feeders, along with a picture of one of the turkeys, and one of our buzzards. I hope you enjoy them. And for some great Mosaic Stained Glass feeders to feed your birds, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. I'm also working on getting some Glass Kreationz hummingbird feeders made and listed.

♥A Little of This and That♥: Huge April Giveaway!!

2011-04-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

Another great giveaway. I've been wanting to try my hand at clay creations to add to my Glass Kreationz and beading. This giveaway gives you a chance to win some great clay giveaways. Check it out. ♥**A Little of This and That**♥: Huge April Giveaway!!: "~♥~ April Giveaway ~♥~ Clay canes, clay cane flower slices, flower & mini food cabochons, stickers, silicone molds and mor..."
And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz.

Lorelei's Blog: 24 hour giveaway

2011-04-13T20:31:00.002-05:00

Lorelei's Blog: 24 hour giveaway: "That's right, you have exactly 24 hours from now, 8:14am Wednesday, to leave a comment on this post to win these four lovely handcrafted bez..."

Another Great Giveaway from Beaducation

2011-03-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

Here's another great giveaway from Beaducation. You can win all kinds of goodies like this. So check it out. Click on the title to take you to the giveaway page. But you better hurry. It ends tonight/tomorrow.

And for some great Glass Kreationz, check out my Shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy. And stay tuned for some wonderful new things made from the classes I've taken from Beaducation.

Happy Mango Beads and Giveaway

2011-03-04T16:31:00.000-06:00

I just found out that March is National Craft Month. In perusing the internet to find out more about that I came upon Happy Mango's twitter and blog comments about it. And Lo and Behold, they are offering a Bead Giveaway. These are great beads. Love the color and look. So check out their Happy Mango Bead blog for their giveaway. Look at some of their goodies!

Aren't they great? And for some of my Wire-Wrapped, Beaded jewelry or Glass Kreationz, be sure to check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. Great Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden.

Spring is Coming and So are the Hummingbirds-Part 2

2011-02-20T21:00:00.001-06:00

Last week I posted some interesting facts I'd found about Hummingbirds. But the list was quite long, so I broke it up into 2 parts. As promised, here is Part 2 of the Hummingbird facts. I hope you enjoy.

13.At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute.
14.The rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any hummingbird species with a distance of more than 3,000 miles from the bird’s nesting grounds in Alaska and Canada to its winter habitat in Mexico.
15.The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during both its spring and fall migrations.
16.Depending on the species, habitat conditions, predators and other factors, the average lifespan of a wild hummingbird is 3-12 years.
17.Hummingbirds have no sense of smell but have very keen eyesight.
18.Hummingbirds do not suck nectar through their long bills, they lick it with fringed, forked tongues.
19.A hummingbird can lick 10-15 times per second while feeding.
20.Hummingbirds digest natural sucrose in 20 minutes with 97 percent efficiency for converting the sugar into energy.
21.Many hummingbird species, including Anna’s, black-chinned, Allen’s, Costa’s, rufous, calliope and broad-tailed hummingbirds, can breed together to create hybrid species, one fact that makes identifying hummingbirds very challenging.
22.The peak fall migration period for hummingbirds is from mid-July through August or early September, depending on the route.
23.Despite their small size, hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species and will regularly attack jays, crows and hawks that infringe on their territory.
24.The bill of the aptly named sword-billed hummingbird, found in the Andes Mountains, can reach up to 4 inches long.
25.Hummingbirds are native species of the New World and are not found outside of the Western Hemisphere.
Again, if it's not already listed, keep an eye out for my Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. And here's another cute little Hanging Stained Glass Mosaic Birdfeeder/Birdbath that will be listed shortly in my shop. If you love Texas or Jalapeno Peppers, you'll love this one. Enjoy.

Spring is Coming and So are the Hummingbirds

2011-02-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

Recently I saw a post with some interesting facts about Hummingbirds. It was from a newsletter I get from About.com And it reminded me that soon the Hummingbirds will be returning to our neck of the woods. I love these little birds. But they can be annoying. LOL I put my hummingbird feeders out every year and attract quite a few to our small Texas ranch. But if I dare let them feeders get empty, boy do they let me know it. They will fly all around me and buzz me until I go back inside, clean them and put out fresh nectar for them! Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy these facts as much as I did:

1.There are more than 325 hummingbird species in the world. Only 8 species regularly breed in the United States, though up to two dozen species may visit the country.
2.A hummingbird’s brilliant throat color is not caused by feather pigmentation, but rather by iridescence in the arrangement of the feathers and the influence of light level, moisture and other factors.
3.Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, though their feet can be used to scoot sideways while they are perched.
4.The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird species in North America and measures just 3 inches long. The bee hummingbird is the smallest species and measures 2.25 inches long.
5.Hummingbirds have 1,000-1,500 feathers, the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world.
6.The average ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 grams. In comparison, a nickel weighs 4.5 grams.
7.From 25-30 percent of a hummingbird’s weight is in its pectoral muscles, the muscles principally responsible for flight.
8.A hummingbird’s maximum forward flight speed is 30 miles per hour, though the birds can reach up to 60 miles per hour in a dive.
9.Hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs of all birds. They measure less than 1/2 inch long but may represent as much as 10 percent of the mother’s weight at the time the eggs are laid.
10.A hummingbird must consume approximately 1/2 of its weight in sugar daily, and the average hummingbird feeds 5-8 times per hour.
11.A hummingbird’s wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second depending on the direction of flight and air conditions.
12.An average hummingbird’s heart rate is more than 1,200 beats per minute.
13.At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute.

This is only half of the facts about Hummingbird's I saw. Stay tuned for part 2 in a week or so. Plus, keep your eye out for my new Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. They are great for your yard or as a gift. In the meantime, check out this cute Hanging Mosaic Birdfeeder that can also be used as a birdbath if you wish.

Lemon Chrysophase and Butter Bean Jasper Necklace set is in Mermaid's Song Treasury!

2011-01-27T18:46:00.000-06:00

I just got a great convo this afternoon that my Lemon Chrysophase and Butter Bean Jasper Necklace set was in the Mermaid's Song Treasury on Etsy. I love this necklace set and was honored that someone else did too. At least enough to put it in their treasury. Here's the Necklace set: Lemon Chrysophase and here's the Treasury it's in: Mermaid's Song. Please Click on the pictures and comment. Thanks.
And if you're interested in Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass or Beaded Kreationz, you can check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for great Kreationz for your Home or Garden.

Another Great Giveaway-Heart Sachets by QuiltsGaloreandMore

2011-01-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

These are the most adorable Heart Sachets. They're on QuiltsGaloreandMore blog. And they're available at her shop Pretty Pincushions. In honor of her reaching 400 followers on her blog, she's giving 5 of them away! So check out the blog and see what you have to do to enter. You'll love them. And check out her shop, too for more great items.
And if you're looking for some great Stained Glass, Mosiacs or Fused Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, or Wire-wrapped and beaded Jewelry, bookmarks, charms, check out my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without. More things being listed all the time. The newest is the Pink Breast Cancer beaded charm/cell phone charm/zipper pull.

New Giveaway for Metal Stamps

2011-01-23T00:30:00.000-06:00

I've just started metal stamping with my jewelry and Glass Kreationz. So I found this great giveaway for a set of metal stamps. They're from PJ Tools and Supplies. It's for a set of letters, The Ballroom boogie font in lowercase letters. They look fabulous. Lori was asked to review them and then a set will be given away. Her earrings and pendant turned out so cute. So check out the Pretty Things blog for this giveaway and see her items.
Also, if you're looking for Stained Glass, Mosaics, or Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, or some cute beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry, check out my Etsy shop KayzKreationz. I just added a Pink Breast Cancer charm for your cell phone or as a zipper pull.

Pink Breast Cancer Charm. Cell Phone charm, Zipper pull

2011-01-21T21:06:00.000-06:00

I had a very good friend, the girl who had cut my hair for about 20 years, die last year from Breast Cancer. There was no history of it in her family. She was only about 40 with 2 teenage children. And she died within 5 months of them finding the Breast Cancer. It spread quickly into her lungs and the rest of her body. We've all had someone we've known either fight or beat Breast Cancer. I'd been thinking about doing this for a while, and finally got it done. My newest listing is a Pink Breast Cancer charm/Cell phone charm or Zipper pull. It's in my shop, KayzKreationz, under Beaded Bookmarks. I did it for Simona.
I also make Stained Glass, Mosiacs and Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden. Check them out.

I Won!-Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant class from Beaducation

2011-01-21T08:18:00.000-06:00

Woohoo! I won the Beaducation giveaway. I'm getting set to take my online class for the "Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant" It looks like it will be so much fun. They've got lots of great classes. They even have some free classes for beginners and those interested in getting into another aspect with their jewelry making. So check out Beaducation.
I've always thought riveting, soldering and welding metal would be interesting so this class should be so much fun. Although, as my family knows, torches and I don't really get along. I forget there's fire there. LOL But we'll see if I can get through the class without any major mishaps. When I get my pendant finished I'll post it here so everyone can see it and tell me what they think.
In the meantime, if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden check out my shops at Etsy: KayzKreationz or Artfire: KayzKreationz or Zibbet: KayzKreationz.
You can also sign up for my newsletter on the left sidebar here on my blog for new items and news.

Beaducation and Giveaway

2011-01-15T08:09:00.002-06:00

In perusing through the different blogs I follow, I found this post from Andrew Thornton about a great giveaway for a "Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant" class. It's offered by a website called Beaducation. So I checked out the site and the different classes. It is fantastic. They have all sorts of classes you can take online. Very inexpensive. They show you all the materials/tools you'll need for the classes. Plus any pre-requisites you might need for that class. In some cases, they even show you a small teaser video of the class. They even have some free classes you can take. I've got several I'm going back to take over the next few weeks/months. So check out Beaducation and also Andrew's giveaway on his blog. You'll love them both.
I'm wanting to take a couple of these classes to not only make more jewelry, but also to add some unique components to my Stained Glass, Mosiac and Fused Glass Kreationz. If you need some Glass to add to your home or garden check out my shops on Etsy and Artfire, both named KayzKreationz. I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without or I even will do custom orders. Enjoy.

Transform Socks into Wrist Warmers

2011-01-02T16:32:00.000-06:00

I'm very cold natured. And I love gloves, leg warmers, etc. So when I saw this post by Little Treasures to make socks into Wrist Warmers, I had to check it out. I LOVE this idea. My hands and arms are always cold. Plus sometimes you just can't wear gloves and get done what you need to. These are adorable and so easy to make. Plus they look very feminine. I can't wait to try it out and make several pairs for me and as gifts for friends and family. You'll love it too. Be sure to check out the original post on Little Treasures blog. She's got some other great ideas:

When I saw these beige - gray speckled socks I knew I had to have them. They are kids' size but that was exactly what I needed for this project. This is a simple tutorial how to transform socks into wrist-warmers.

You need a pair of socks. Cut off the toes part. Turn the sock with the heel part upwards. Gather the part where the heel is, pin it and hand stitch it.

Add a decorative button. Add some lace or ribbon. This is important. You have to insert a tailor's ham inside before you stitch the lace. If you don't have a tailor's ham insert another pair of socks or a small pillow. Something that will expand the sock. Then (hand) stitch the lace. Your new, fabulous wrist warmers. These also make a nice last minute gift and you can make them in less than 15 minutes.

Don't you just love these?

Great Giveaway from Lampwork Diva-Glass Pearls

2010-12-25T20:00:00.001-06:00

I love this blog. She's got great posts and gorgeous lampwork beads. And right now she's doing a giveaway of some glass pearls she got from Auntie's Beads. You don't have to do much to be entered. Just subscribe to her YouTube channel and blog about it. So be sure to check it out. It's Lampwork Diva.
And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, be sure to check out my shops, Etsy-KayzKreationz or Artfire-KayzKreationz. My Glass Kreationz also make great gifts.

Unspoken

2010-12-24T07:41:00.000-06:00

This is a great new song by my youngest son. Check it out and see what you think. I miss his guitar playing around the house. He took some lessons, but mainly taught himself. He can hear a song and then just start playing it. But he also likes writing songs of his own.

Total Lunar Eclipse and some Pictures

2010-12-21T20:38:00.000-06:00

I wasn't sure I wanted to stay up late enough to see the lunar eclipse last night, but when my phone beeped and woke me up, I figured why not. Especially since the next one won't be until 2014. I got my camera out and got a few pictures of it, although with the lateness, they're not as good as I hoped. Plus, I didn't have a tripod handy. But it was exciting anyway. I'd heard it would be red, but I never saw any red. I may have missed it, since I finally gave up at about 2:00 a.m. and went back to bed. I figured I'd seen the first half, that was enough. Anyway, here's my pictures. In the last one, you have to look really close, but you can see just the last shadow of the moon before it's completely covered.

KayzKreationz is Featured

2010-12-19T17:47:00.000-06:00

I recently was contacted by Brandy at Giveaway Blogdom for a feature. She sent me the questions and I answered them as best I could, hopefully without boring anyone. If you'd like to read the feature about KayzKreationz, check out Giveaway Blogdom and find out more about me and my Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden.
If you're looking for something in Glass check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Thanks all and enjoy.

Etsy Texas Style Treasury-Blue Fused Glass Strip Plate

2010-12-17T21:16:00.000-06:00

Another great treasury! My Blue Fused Glass Strip Plate is in the Etsy Texas Style Treasury! This little plate makes a great little serving dish, jewelry holder, candy dish, candle holder. Whatever you need it can be used for. It's made of 2 different shades of blue and a light mauve glass. The edges are beveled, and it's slightly slumped for a shallow dish. Anyone that loves blue would love this dish. Be sure to check it out in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. You can also check out the Etsy Texas Style Treasury and give it some love, or find some other great items all made by Texans and in Texas shops.

Liquor Bottle Fan/Light Pulls-Cute gifts-In a Treasury

2010-12-07T17:00:00.002-06:00

What a nice surprise! I woke up this a.m. to a message that my Liquor Bottle Light/Fan pulls were featured in a Treasury. Gifts for Men-Under $20 Check it out and click on the picture of the Liquor Bottles to go right to my shop to purchase one for yourself or someone else.
For other great Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden you can also check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz or my Artfire shop, KayzKreationz. I know you'll find a Glass Kreationz you can't live without. LOL.

Another Giveaway-Earrings by Frasapeas

2010-12-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Love earrings? I do. Seems like I never have enough earrings. That's why this giveaway is SO Great! It's not for just one pair, but 2 pairs of earrings by Frasapease! She's giving away her "Margaret" earrings AND Gold Filled Smoky Quartz Tear Drop earrings! These are so adorable. So check out the giveaway and see if you're a winner. It's at MintGreenWithEnvy.

Plus if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home, Garden or as gifts for friends and family, check out my Glass shop, KayzKreationz. I know you'll find something you just can't live without, like this cute Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder.

KayzKreationz talks about a Soft-Flex Wire Giveaway

2010-12-05T22:00:00.003-06:00

If you love craft wire, you'll love this giveaway by Soft-Flex on Andrew Thornton's blog. He's giving away 6 spools of their craft wire this Tuesday. It is peel and scratch resistant and also is clear coated to prevent tarnishing. They have over 20 colors of craft wire, plus bare copper and vintage bronze. This wire is great if you have metal allergies, too, since it is lead and nickel free. And, it's made in the USA! So check out this giveaway. But don't leave too many comments, because I'd really like to win those 6 spools. LOL

Bud Lite Beer Bottle Windchime-Recycled

2010-12-03T23:11:00.000-06:00

I love making these windchimes. They're made out of Beer Bottles-Recycled. I take the labels off, clean the bottles well, fire them slowly in my kiln with wire fused in them for hanging. Once they've cooled, I take them out, clean them and decoupage the labels back on with a decoupage glue. Then I hang them from a piece of driftwood from our small Texas ranch with strong fishing line and then use screw eyes and chain to hang the entire windchime. Everybody seems to have a favorite. And these seem to be a favorite with my customers. I even did one this summer for a lady here in Texas. It had a Coors Lite, Miller Lite and Bud Lite bottle for her "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" area in her home. These make great gifts and look great hanging either in your home or outside on your deck/porch. But, I have to warn you, they make LOTS of noise. LOL. Also, if you're hanging them outside, you may want to seal the tops of the bottles so water doesn't get down in them and freeze and break your bottles. (I learned this the hard way. The man I bought my first set from didn't tell me that.) The Bud Lite Beer Bottle Windchime-Recycled can be purchased in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. I'm currently also working on a Corona Beer Bottle windchime.
And for more Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Will that Be Paper, Plastic, Canvas...Treasury

2010-11-21T08:07:00.002-06:00

I love Etsy Treasuries! I was convoed last night that my Blue Fused Glass Striped Plate was in an Etsy Treasury, Will that Be Paper, Plastic, Canvas, etc. There's some great things in that treasury. Why not check it out and maybe you'll find something you just can't live without. Or you may find a great gift for yourself or someone else.
If you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, you can check out my Blue Fused Glass Striped Plate in the treasury or other glass in my shop, KayzKreationz. Enjoy!

Andrews Reclaimed Giveaway

2010-11-18T18:18:00.000-06:00

I love this shop, Andrews Reclaimed. He makes mason bee nests, wooden seed trays, painting panels, dog feeders, and much more from eco-friendly repurposed wood. I've gotten a couple of things from him and love them. And right now he's holding his first ever giveaway on his blog. You can win a $50 credit in his Etsy shop by entering. It's very easy. So check out his giveaway on his blog by clicking on the title to this post. Or check out his shop Andrews Reclaimed. You'll love his things too.
And for Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz. They make great gifts for yourself and your friends and loved ones.
Be sure to follow my blog for more great Glass Kreationz ideas, interviews on other Etsy shops, our Texas ranch wildlife management and more.

Liquor Bottle Fan/Light Pulls-Cute gifts

2010-11-16T20:10:00.001-06:00

I love these little liquor bottle fan/light pulls. It's hard to find miniature liquor bottles that are glass though. But I finally found some while we were in South Texas. And after "having" to drink the liquor that was in them, I was able to wash the bottles, soak the labels off and fire them in my kiln with a piece of brass ball chain in them to make the fan/light pulls. After they're fired, I have to put the labels back on them. That is sometimes difficult to do and make them look good. But I think these turned out pretty good. There's 3 different types of Tequila bottles and a Brandy bottle. So if you're looking for something unique for your own home or for a unique gift, these are just the ticket.
If you're looking for something for your Home or Garden, I also make Stained Glass, Mosaic and other Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden, that are listed in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. Be sure to check it out.

WooHoo! 200 Followers-Giveaway between 250-300 followers

2010-11-14T20:01:00.000-06:00

Wow! When I checked in on my blog tonight, I realized I had finally hit 200 followers! I did a little happy dance. I've been trying to get to 200 followers for quite a while. I love blogging about my Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz for Home and Garden. Plus I really like blogging about our small Texas ranch and the wildlife management we do. I was just waiting to get to 200 followers so I could announce that somewhere between 250 and 300 followers I'm going to do a Glass or Bead giveaway. So if you want your chance to win either a glass piece or a beaded piece, just keep following my blog and checking in. I'd especially like it if you leave a comment on any post you really enjoy.

Meanwhile, you can check out some of my Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden in my shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy or KayzKreationz on Artfire. You may find something you can't live without right now. Here's a couple of pics of some other glass I've gotten done and just need to list. Enjoy.

If you're interested in either one of these before I get them listed, leave me a comment with a way to contact you and I can let you know price and shipping. They'd love to find a new home. The first is a lovely little Fused Glass windchime on a piece of driftwood from our ranch. And the second is a small Purple Fused Glass vase/tealight candle holder.

Treasuries!

2010-11-12T19:26:00.000-06:00

In a thread in the forums on Etsy tonight, someone explained that you could go to "Treasury" and put your name in the search box to see if you'd been listed in any Treasuries. Since I hadn't heard that I'd been put in any, I decided to search. And I was tickled to see that in the last few weeks my glass had been put in 2 different treasuries! Yay! The first is for the "Handmade Artist Forum Twitter Ring". This is a team I belong to, and we've formed a twitter ring to tweet about other Handmade Artist's shops and such. The curator of this treasury put my Stained Glass Mosaic Birdhouse feeder in this one. I love making Glass Kreationz for Home and Garden, so this is one of my favorite items. If you're looking for something for a friend or family member that loves gardening and feeding the birds, this is just the ticket for you.
The second Treasury is "Poinsettia" and the curator put my Stained Glass Poinsettia panel in it. If you love Poinsettia's, the color red, or Stained Glass, this panel is for you. It would look great adorning your wall or window.

If you're looking for something else for your Home or Garden, be sure to check out my shop, KayzKreationz. I also do some beading and wire work and have some jewelry, pendants listed. Thanks again to those that included my glass in their treasuries.

The Turkeys are Back!

2010-10-23T20:26:00.000-05:00

I was so excited. While getting some work done around, in, and outside the house we heard our turkeys gobbling out back. Went to look out the window and there they were! Somewhere between 8 and 10 of them in the pasture behind the house. We hear them quite often, but this is only about the 3rd time or so we've been able to get some pictures of them. The deer were not sure they liked the turkeys being out in "their" pasture. LOL And I don't think they quite knew what they were and what was going on. Or that they trusted them. But my hubby was able to get some pretty good pictures of them in the pasture.
We do wildlife managment on our small 30 acre ranch and it is so exciting and gratifying to see that our efforts are paying off. We have to plant grasses, seeds, plants and other food supplies. Plus provide water and shelter to attract the wildlife. Since we have a small acreage, we mainly manage for small wildlife, butterflies, birds, etc. Although we have lots of deer, they don't consider our acreage large enough to manage for them. But they've never been trying to drive down my drive in the evening and watching the 10-15 deer that are ALWAYS along the road and in the pasture on either side of the drive.
Hope you can see them and enjoy the pictures.

Working in the Yard-Finally!

2010-08-10T17:26:00.001-05:00

After being gone for so long, my yard really went to pot. Most of the plants died and everything grew over. Since I've been back, I've been working mainly in the house, trying to get it back in shape. But I finally couldn't stand it anymore. And even though the temps been 100 and over and the heat index has been anywhere from 105-110, I braved the sun and heat to go work in the yard. My first project was to get the bed around my miniature crepe myrtle all weeded out, the fire ants gone (got bit several times for that effort), plastic down around everything and remulched. Then I found a great RED Lantana and my little pot from Mexico that lays on it's side, which I planted with some Blue Daze and Rose Moss. Finally, got my hubby to go with me to the Landfill, which now has compost and mulch for sale and got a load on the trailer to bring home and mulch everything. And Voila! At least one bed is done. Now to get the rest of the 1-acre yard redone! But I love it. Hope you enjoy the pics.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden be sure to check out KayzKreationz for that unique addition.

New Blog Background

2010-07-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have noticed my background has changed. I'm still trying to decide if this is the one I want to keep or another one I really liked. The problem with the other one is, I'm not sure if all my posts would show up properly with the colors in it. So I may switch back and forth for a little while and see which one seems to get more comments, yay or nay. Anyway, "the cutest blog on the block" moved all their backgrounds to another site and sent out notices that we would be losing our backgrounds last week or before. I was gone and couldn't get around to checking them out. But I finally did last night and made the choice to change completely and chose between this one and one other for 3-Column backgrounds. I hope you like it. Keep checking back. You may see a different one before long or like I said, they may switch back and forth.
And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. Thanks.

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Beer Bottle windchime

2010-07-19T22:59:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! I got my first Custom request. A customer on Etsy convo'd my shop, KayzKreationz, and asked about a custom Beer Bottle windchime. She has a "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" area on her back porch/deck and wanted a beer bottle windchime, like the Miller Lite one I had listed some time back. But she wanted a Miller Lite, Bud Lite, and Coors Lite bottle on it. (One of each) I got the bottles fired fairly quick, but it took me a while to find a suitable piece of "driftwood" from off our small Texas ranch to hang it from. I finally got it finished today and listed for her. She loves it. So if you're interested in something similar, just post here, convo me on Etsy or tweet me: KayzKreationz and I'll be glad to make you your own Custom Beer Bottle windchime. (If I have the bottles, since I'm not a big beer drinker.) :) Here's a pic or two and a link if you want to check it out. Enjoy.

And for more Glass Kreationz for your home or garden be sure to check out my Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass in my shop, KayzKreationz.

A Greenie Bead Giveaway

2010-07-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

I just found this great giveaway for beads from JenJuddRocks blog. Click on the title or here to get there. She's got a great one going. After mentioning great features in some magazines, she's offering a giveaway for 2 people of some great beads. So be sure to check it out.
And if you're looking for some already finished jewelry (mainly wire-wrapped) or some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz to find something you just can't live without. I feature Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items, plus some jewelry. Thanks for stopping by.

Turquoise Copper wire-wrapped Donut Pendant

2010-07-09T23:04:00.001-05:00

Well, I was trying to list this pendant last night for sale in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. But evidently Etsy was having issues. And this is the pendant I was going to feature for Saturday Blog Shopping this week. So I'm featuring it today anyway for the Shopping event and if Etsy gets over it's issues, I'll get it listed today or tomorrow. It's a great Turquoise Donut pendant that's been wire-wrapped with copper wire and glass beads. It makes a fun, funky piece of jewelry for the adventurous person. The copper wire swirls, coils, vines and wraps all around the turquoise donut to make a unique pendant. The Turquoise isn't real, as far as I know, but it's a really nice donut pendant anyway. You'll love this pendant. If you're interested in it and it's not listed in my shop, yet, leave me a comment here or convo me and as soon as Etsy is over it's issues, I'll set up a listing for you. It's going to be priced at $30.00 with $6.50 shipping for the U.S. and $8.00 for Everywhere Else.
And while you're at it, be sure to check out my Glass Kreationz for your home and garden. Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items really set off your home and your garden. They're all at KayzKreationz.

Adorable Girl Accessories

2010-07-06T08:53:00.002-05:00

Recently on the Saturday Blog Shopping network, one of the great Etsy shops, was offering a giveaway for her special and I won! ChiggerHillCottage makes the most adorable little girl accessories. Although she is closed for the summer, you can check out her shop and sign up to be notified when she returns so you too can get in on the exciting accessories she has for little girls. And although I don't have any little girls of my own, I knew exactly who I was going to give my winnings to. It was an adorable bow holder, made to look like a little girl with pigtails. You just clip your girl's bows and clips onto the braids/pigtails and keep them all in one place. But she also sent an out of this world, very professionally made bow along with the holder as an "extra". By now I was wishing I wore bows in my hair! LOL. But they made great gifts for 2 little girls that are very special to me. To get a peek at her fantastic accessories, here's a pic of the 2 great things I won. And be sure to sign up for her notification that she's open again.
In the meantime, if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, be sure to check out my shop for your newest Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass home/garden decor, KayzKreationz.

Recycled Wine Bottle Serving Dish in "Stop Whining" Treasury

2010-07-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! It's been a while since any of my glass got featured in a treasury. But I got a surprise convo this a.m. that my Recycled Wine Bottle Serving Dish was being featured in the "Stop Whining" treasury. Here's a small peek at what the treasury looks like, but if you're really interested, click on the title of this post and it will take you right to the treasury to see some other great wine themed items. You'll love them. And if you're interested, the recycled Wine Bottle serving dish is the only one I have right now, so if you've been dying for one of these, you better hurry and order it. And for other great Glass Kreationz for your home and garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. Have fun.

Special for this weekend-Saturday Blog Shopping

2010-07-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

Things have been so busy, I haven't had much time this last week or so to get anything new listed. So this weekend, I'm offering 10% off of the jewelry on my site. You can check out Mom's jewelry/bracelet here, my Dichroic glass pendants here, or my Jasper and Copper wire wrapped pendant here. If you're interested, just convo me about the piece you'd like with the code: SBS and I'll either re-price the piece for you or send you a new invoice.

And for more Glass Kreationz for your home or garden be sure to check out the rest of KayzKreationz for unique Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz.

And be sure to check back later this weekend or early next week for a fun, new wire-wrapped pendant. Have fun.

One more great giveaway to check out

2010-06-24T22:04:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check out this great giveaway. She's having a sale in her Etsy shop, too, LiciaBeadsVault. You'll love her supplies. She has some fantastic jasper focals as well as lots of other great beads. You could get lost in there. LOL Giveaway ends tonight, so you'd better hurry.
And for some great wire-wrapped jewelry with shells, stones, copper wire and such, be sure to check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Win 4 Bars of Cranberry Glycerin and Coconut Oil Soap.

2010-06-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Check out this blog for a great giveaway. She's giving away 4 bars of her Cranberry Glycerin and Coconut Oil Soap. The giveaway only lasts until July 5th, so hurry. I love handmade soap, and you will too if you win this great giveaway.
And while you're at it, my little red fused glass bowl would make a great little soap holder for your new soaps if you win. You can check it out at KayzKreationz.

Best Bead Giveaway!

2010-06-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

Wow, this is a great giveaway! If you love to bead or are just getting started with beading like I am, be sure to check out her great bead giveaway. It has over $350.00 worth of beads in the stash. You can click on the title link or here. You do have to be a resident of the U.S., though. Enjoy.

And if you're looking for a great gift for your home, check out my Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass shop with gifts for your home and garden, KayzKreationz.

Purple Baroque Etched Flower Stained Glass Panel-Saturday Blog Shopping

2010-06-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's that time again. And this week I'm featuring a brand new Stained Glass panel just listed in my shop, KayzKreationz. It is Purple Baroque Glass with an Etched Flower Bevel right in the center of the panel. It ties in with my love for flowers and gardening. And purple is such a royal color. The center has decorative soldering around the Flower Etched Bevel. And the edge is brass ball chain soldered to the edge and then patinad to match the rest of the soldering. If you love flowers, stained glass or just want a unique gift for yourself or a loved one be sure to check this one out.
And don't forget to check the rest of the Blogs participating in our Saturday Blog Shopping network by clicking on the button to the right.

"Roses" Fused Glass Garden marker-Saturday Blog Shoppers feature

2010-06-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

In honor of Spring/Summer, my feature this week for the Saturday Blog Shoppers is my newest listing. It's my "Roses" Fused Glass Garden marker. It's an adorable little pink rose fused glass oval that can be hung from a hook or stake of some kind to mark the roses, either in your garden, or in a pot, if you have one of those miniature roses. The hook that's fused in it has been dressed up a little with a green ribbon to hide the hook. If you love gardening and plants, this is a cute addition to either your garden or your potted plants. You can check it out here or in my shop, KayzKreationz, with the rest of my glass kreationz/creations for your home and garden.
And for some more great handcrafted items check out the other blogs in the Saturday Blog Shoppers group by clicking on the button to the right.
Happy Shopping.

Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendants-Saturday Blog Shoppers

2010-05-22T08:18:00.002-05:00

For this Saturday I'm featuring my Dichroic Glass Pendants. I love Dichroic Glass. The shimmer and shine just really add to your bling. These are Dichroic Glass Donut Cabs. They have been wire-wrapped in a black wire so as not to take away from the Bling of the Glass. One is Black and the other is a Pinkish Purple. You'll love wearing one of these. So check out these Wire-Wrapped Dichroic Glass Donut Cabs or my shop KayzKreationz for other great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden. And check out the other great Saturday Blog Shoppers blogs for some great gifts by clicking on the link to the right. And for this weekend only, if you convo me with SBS (for Saturday Blog Shoppers) I'll give you 10% off! But wait for me to send you a revised invoice or change the listing for you. Thanks.

Check out this great Giveaway

2010-05-16T18:55:00.002-05:00

Solange from JewelrybySolange & BeadieandThings has decided to do a dual feature on both Latonya from Face Splash Makeup & Cheri from Orglamix on her blog. They have both decided to give away 2 very amazing prizes. Come check it out & enter for your chance to win @ http://JewelrybySolange.blogspot.com/ The giveaway is opened WORLDWIDE / All Ages and will end May 28, 2010 @ 12:00 noon Est Time.*

Saturday Blog Shoppers Deals

2010-05-14T22:47:00.000-05:00

Since it's spring and so many of us are doing things to spruce up our yards and gardens for spring, I thought I'd have my little Ladybug plant stake as this Saturday's Blog Shoppers Deal. They look so cute sitting in the pot with your plants. They really dress them up. The only one left is the orange transparent one. You can check it out here in KayzKreationz. And remember this is the only one left, so hurry and get your ladybug before it flies away! LOL
And for more Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass for your home check out the rest of my shop. Hopefully I'll be getting a bunch more things listed in the next week or two, so either sign up for my newsletter on the left or keep watching my blog and shop for new items.
"Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home..." to your home that is. Be sure to get yours.

Texas Wildflower Mosaic Table, Plantstand

2010-05-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

I love this little table. It's called "Texas Wildflower Mosaic Table". It can also be used as a plantstand, candle holder, whatever you like. It has different Texas wildflowers on it. It's got Bluebonnet's, Paintbrush, Mexican Hat, and little Yellow Daisies. Plus a little butterfly to go with them. My problem is, for the life of me I can't figure out how to package this thing for shipping so I can list it in my Etsy shop. So far, none of the boxes I've tried are big enough to allow extra room for all the extra wrapping and bubble wrap it would need to not only protect the table part, but also the Mosaic top and the grout. I'm afraid if it's not done really well, the grout would get chipped on the edges. And of course, then there would be the issue of weight to ship it also. So for now, it sits in my studio looking at me, begging me to be sent to a new home. And I have to keep disappointing it. :( So if anyone has any good ideas about how to package and ship this thing, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to send it to your new loving home. :) Meanwhile for anything else Glass to decorate your home, yard or garden feel free to check out KayzKreationz.

Saturday Blog Shoppers Deals

2010-05-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post today for Saturday Blog Shoppers. I've been so busy I didn't get anything new listed. But in honor of my Birdie getting Lunch tutorial just below, I'm featuring my other birdfeeder again, until I get this newest one listed. The birdfeeder in the tutorial below will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop KayzKreationz for $45.00 as soon as I can find a shipping box big enough for it to fit and be protected for shipping. Until then (hopefully this week) enjoy my Birdhouse Birdfeeder in your yard. And be sure to check out the other great shops participating in Saturday Blog Shoppers by clicking on the link to the right. For any other Stained Glass, Glass Mosaics or Fused Glass for your home or garden be sure to check out KayzKreationz.

And to try making your own birdfeeder, check out my tutorial in the post below. It's great fun.