Snowflakes . . . in a Snap!

Get ready for the holidays with some fun snowflakes.  My seasonal "Snowflakes . . . in a Snap!" tutorial is once again available for sale.  This is a follow-up lesson to my "Snap Decisions" tutorial (part 1) which you would need to understand it.

Right now, with the purchase of both parts 1 & 2 of my Snap Decisions tutorial (with or without the starter kit), you will receive the Snowflakes in a Snap tutorial at no charge (value $10).  It will be emailed out along with the Snap Decisions tutorial after purchased.  (Click on the photos below to see more about the tutorial and tutorial with starter kit.

And there is another bonus!  The Snowflakes in a Snap lesson is available in pdf format that is sent directly to the e-mail address provided when purchased but is also available with a free bonus starter pack which includes some blank snaps, a beautiful snap pendant, a rhinestone snap ring, 30 hot fix crystals and a snowflake charm for create your own mold.

To receive this bonus starter kit, just purchase this snowflake tutorial with a minimum of $50 from my Snap Supplies category (including clearance and after any other discounts are applied) at the same time.  Mention the starter kit at the check-out in the comments section and if you have a preferred crystal color rather than mixed. Shipping charges will apply for this bonus offer but we do offer free shipping with a minimum amount.  You can see our shipping charges and policy here.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas

to all of our followers!

It has been snowing here for the last few days so it really is a winter wonderland where we are.  If we are lucky, tomorrow we might see the Mountain Sheep come down the mountain looking for grass to graze on.  It is always a nice treat when they do.

Each year we make a special limited edition Christmas ornament only for our wholesale clients as a collectors item.  Since we were really into snowflakes this year we decided to go with that theme.

Another Cyber Monday Post??

Yes we are aware it was Cyber Monday (almost over) and if you received as many e-mails today as we did, I know you are probably rolling your eyes by now!  But since it has been a week since I posted last (where has the time gone?) I thought I'd better get with the program and give you an update.  Between Dave's health being up and down since his surgery in September and me trying to get over my pneumonia, I haven't accomplished as much as I would like to and still running to keep up!

First thing -- this was the last day to take advantage of the free snowflake charm and tutorial offer.   I decided to make the tutorial available but it will be for sale as an addition to our "Snap" Decisions tutorial.  This doesn't have to be used just to create a snowflake but is a variation on creating a textured snap from a mould and scrap clay.  I haven't got it listed yet -- give me a few days and I promise it will be available.

Also, if you still planning to attend the 2016 Polymer Clay Adventure Retreat, you still have the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of my new tutorial (not yet published), "From Scrap Clay to Art Deco".  We were informed that we will be receiving the names who have already signed up through us later this week and as soon as we receive the list we will be sending out copies of the tutorial to those on it.

This offer is available to the first 50 who sign up by the end of the year through us.  If you haven't registered for the Polymer Clay Adventure Retreat yet and would like this free bonus gift, all you need to do is register through the link below.

This retreat really is a good deal and they are even offering a payment plan if you can't pay it all at once.  Just think of all the new things you can learn -- all year long!

Snowflakes in Purple and Testing Mica Powders!

We love the rich jewel tone colors and shimmer effect of mica powders.  One thing we have learned is that the colors in the jar can look real exciting but sometimes don't look the same when applied to the clay and can even be a little disappointing.  One example of this is the new color Magenta by Pearl Ex.  When you open the jar you are greeted with a shade of hot pink.  When you apply it to some black clay, however, it doesn't look pink but instead it becomes a pretty purple!

So this is the powder we used to create the purple background on our snowflake items such as the "snaps" and shawl pins.

Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Necklace with Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Bracelet with Snowflake "Snaps"

Snowflake Shawl Pin in Purple

There is only one week left to receive a free copy of my Snowflake "Snap" tutorial and we still have some snowflake charms in stock.  You can read about our promotion in a previous blog post here.

Special Snowflake Promotion Offer

We made more snowflake pattern "snaps" but this time in a zircon teal blue.  We also stocked up our online store with more Swarovski crystals in the smaller sizes and popular colors.  These are the "hot fix" type used in my tutorials and are more secure as the glue is activated and melts with the heat when baking your clay pieces.

I have a new 6 page tutorial on making this Snowflake snap.  In the lesson I show a quick method for making a mould from a finding using scrap clay and then using your mould to create a textured snap that will fit into the snap bezels.  I show how to make a snowflake snap like the ones shown here but you can create other designs with your own findings or use your mould to create other items such as a pendant, earrings or even buttons.

We have a new promotion for the holidays which was featured in our online store newsletter.   We won't generally be sharing our newsletter promotions here on our blog but we didn't want anyone to miss out on this offer in time for Christmas. 

With a minimum purchase of $35 in Snap supplies, we will include a snowflake charm (limited supply) plus my new (6 page) PDF tutorial that will be sent directly to you by e-mail.  You will also receive a bonus of 10% off your total order (excluding shipping).

This offer is good until the end of November.   To receive your free items plus discount, click here or on the above photo and purchase a minimum of $35 from our Snap supply findings and then use the coupon code:  Snowflaketute  at the checkout.

If you don't want to miss out on any future offers like this, then we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter here.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow . . .

As long as the snow is in polymer clay patterns and we do not have to shovel it, I am okay with that.   We have had a nice fall season so far but we are already preparing for the Craft-a-Fair Christmas show on Sunday November 1st.  We will be in the same space as the past 5 years -- up on the concourse (turn left at the main entrance and we are the third booth on the left hand side before the concession).

We always like to have some type of Christmas themed pieces at our shows and this year we came up with a snowflake design in a "snap".  I love jewelry with snowflakes for the holidays as you can wear them all winter and not just at Christmas time.  These snowflake snaps were created from a mould that we made from a metal finding and have them available in Silver with either a black or metallic blue background.  Swarovski crystals are embedded into each snowflake center to give them some sparkle.  These are now also available in our online store.

The detachable pendant shown here is new and we recently added it to our online store.  We added the clip bail which fits the thinner buna or softglass cords (2.5mm).  These clasp type bails are great as they are not only interchangeable so you can switch out your cord type or color, the pendants stay in place so the cord does not creep it's way to the front.

We have a special promotion coming up with some cool offers and even a free tutorial, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter on our website here so you don't miss out!

10 Days Until Christmas

. . .  we are finally finished with Christmas craft fairs for the year.  Custom orders that we had to fill have all been sent out or delivered.  Now we can relax and focus on Christmas cards and gifts for our friends and family.  Even though it can be extremely busy, it is still my favorite time of year.

For the next while I thought I would share some of my favorite Christmas websites or cool things that I've come across on the internet lately.  I discovered a fun website where you can design your own snowflakes from Sandy's blog (Simple Inspirations by Sandy).  I had to try it out and found it rather addicting.  I think I will have to practice a little more as mine didn't come out quite as elaborate as some of the ones others have created but it took a bit to figure out how to make it work.

So, I think I will play with it some more and see what else I can come up with.  Hmmm maybe this could be a fun way to play around with creating some kaleidoscope canes ...