Facebook Fan Drive ends with Holiday Coupon

Last Updated on Monday, 21 November 2011 07:35 Written by shendoe Thursday, 24 November 2011 07:32

Hello all,

I just wanted to share with you a short contest I just ran on my facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ShendoeCeramics) that was super fun and easy for my friends.  I was just about 16 people shy of my 2011 goal of having 400 fans, so I ran a contest asking for existing fans to share my site and if one of their friends became the 400th fan, then both of them would get one of my handmade porcelain necklaces.  It worked wonderfully and in two days I had my winners!  To say thank you to all of my friends on Facebook for participating, I gave them a coupon code for my etsy ( FRIENDS11 ).

Just thought I would share this idea with all of you … feel free to use the coupon code and join my FB page.

Thanks for being part of the handmade community,

shen…

www.shendoe.etsy.com

Shop Creativity

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 November 2011 07:07 Written by John Atwell Rasmussen Monday, 21 November 2011 06:59

As with many places, Debora and I tend to work in spurts of creativity.  She will look at her beads and wire over and over.  Then she will see a way to put together a piece.  In the past week, she has made several beautiful pieces of wearable art.  Here are two of her creations (as thumbnails), the first features a seahorse pendant “under the sea.”  The second I called a “Gypsy” necklace due to the pattern on the beads. I had a clasp that would go with the beads. 

Every time that she produces, I have the honor of adding the clasps and chain to her creations trying to maintain her vision.  In between, I try to do a little creating of my own.  My last pieces have been made with copper.  I had cut some cabochons and was trying to think of some special way of making something with them other that wire wrapping or bezel setting.  I saw a piece that Laura Bracken (in California) had made using resin in a frame of wire wrapping.  Applying that simple idea, I made a copper piece (textured, dapped and patinated) then set the cabochons in the bowl that I had made (30 by 40 mm oval) and filled up part of the bowl with clear resin.  The second piece shown here is a copper and turquoise chip “Tree of Life.”  The ring is 12 gauge soft round wire, the solder join is hidden in the base of the tree.  We will be continuing our creation of wearable art.

Saga of Life

Last Updated on Friday, 8 July 2011 06:32 Written by John Atwell Rasmussen Friday, 8 July 2011 06:32

In the continuing saga of making jewelry for my wife (she does get first chance at anything done), she chose two stones to be turned into cabochons the then jewelry.  The smaller tourmilated quartz was to be a ring, and the Peruvian blue opal to make a necklace.  After the lapidary work, the opal was drilled to make it a pendant, strung on black leather and add a steel chain and lobster claw clasp and we have a necklace.

The ring of course was a bit more difficult.  In this case, I bought the ring shank and the head from a casting company.  Then I had to size the shank, solder the head in place, pickle the piece, then polish it.  Unlike a lot of artisan jewelers, I do not own a tumbler, so I hand polish all my pieces.  Final polishing is done with Dremel and red rouge.  

This is so much fun, sometimes I forget that I have other things to do (like sleep). Everyone, have a great summer.