Handmade Holidays & Giveaways! Part 1: Wine Charms

Welcome to the first installment of Handmade Holidays & Giveaways!!!


Last year, I posted a series of holiday tutorials... this year, I'll be posting tutorials, AND featuring a giveaway of that item!

All you have to do to enter, is to comment on the tutorial and you're entered to win. Each tutorial will let you know how long you've got to enter. Want another chance to win? Simply post a link to the giveaway on your blog or on twitter and leave a second comment with a link to it.

If you don't win the giveaway, you'll either be able to create the project yourself, or in many cases, I'll be making extra's and offering them for sale... any questions? Let me know...

Here is my first Handmade Holiday project, Crystal Wine Charms. These make the perfect holiday hostess gift. They are small to store, easy to carry and even if your hostess already has a set, you can bet she'll love additional ones, especially during holiday entertaining.

Plus, they are a great way to start working towards jewelry if you haven't ventured there yet.

Materials:

• 6 Wire Hoops with Eye Loops
• 6 6mm crystals each a different color
• 12 3mm crystals each, 2 of each in the same or complimenting colors as the 6mm crystals
• 6 head pins 
• 12 3mm silver beads
• 12 other beads, I picked simple white crystal tubes
• Wire cutters
• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Tin favor tin (to hold them in.) 

Here is a picture of all the materials go into making a single charm:

Step 1 - Thread the 6mm crystal on the head pin.

Step 2 - Bend the headpin at a 90° angle just above the top of the crystal using your chain nose pliers.

Step 3 - Cut the tail of the headpin so that you've goat a tail that is about 1/3 of an inch.

Step 4 - Grasp the tip of the tail on the headpin with your round nose pliers and roll the pilers back towards the bend.

Step 5 - String the beads onto the hoop.

Step 6 - Grasp the tip of the loop (the non eye end) and bend the end up 90°.

And there you go. Repeat though each of the other colors and you've got a set of wine charms!

So there you go! Comment below to enter to win a set of the wine charms. Or visit my little online craft show and check out these plus 2 other versions I've got left over after my craft show.

You've got 'till Midnight 6 pm eastern time on Friday, November 19th to enter to win the Crystal Wine Charms! 

The winner(s) of my first giveaway!!!

(If you entered the contest, please be sure to read this ENTIRE post.)

Using Random.org's "True Random Number Service" the Grand Prize Winning comment number is:

 

Which means the Grand Prize winner is:

Which means CK wins the Grand Prize of a custom silhouette designed and framed in the style of her choice, traditional or floating. (Visit here to see the difference) Congratulations CK!!! 

BUT - here is the special twist...

This giveaway is actually part of a surprise party... A surprise party to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of my blog. And as a party favor to the 13 other guest who came to the party, I'm going to pull a bit of an "Oprah" here and announce that everyone who entered will be getting a custom silhouette!!!

You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. (That should add up to 14.)

: )

To claim your prizes please email me at mbrescia(at)cox.net with the single photo that you wish to have silhouetted along with your mailing address. Photos that work best are either profile shots for a traditional silhouette of just the bust, or a full body action shot. If you'd like to send several photos and have me choose which one that works best that is fine, I want to make sure you're getting the best possible piece.

Please have all photos to me by February 28th. Prizes are non-transferable and must conform to the original specifications of no more than 3 subjects. "Party favor" prices will mounted, suitable for framing either traditionally or on velum to be used in a floating frame.

Thanks so much for coming to my "surprise party!!!" I've truly enjoyed blogging this past year and look forward to year #2.

My First Give Away!!! A Custom Silhouette...

I've been really loving working with silhouettes, and I think I've driven my husband a little nuts and if I make another one for our house, of our kids, he is going to cut me off. (Yeah, that was as pathetic pun.)

Here are a few samples of the silhouettes I've done so far:

 

  

 
 

  

Here are the details on what you will win, 1 custom silhouette created from 1 photograph that you provide. Photo can be of more than one subject, but no more than 3. You will then have your choice of how the silhouette will be framed, either as a traditional silhouette, black matte and frame on white paper, or in a floating frame as with the first in this post.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post by 5:00pm (est) on Thursday, February, 11th. Winner will be drawn at random and announced by 9:00 on Thursday the 11th.

Please feel free to pass along the link to this giveaway...