Celebrate my 5th Etsy-versary and Win!

Monday, February 28th will mark the 5th anniversary for Sand Fibers on Etsy. Pretty cool, if you ask me. :)  Etsy has been a great blessing in my life. I know the site has many detractors, but I am not one of them. Etsy has been very, very good to me.

If you examine it closely, however, the real blessing - via Etsy - is you: my friends, my fans, my customers. And to say thank you for your wonderful support these last five years and to celebrate, I am having one of my infamous give-aways.

The grand prize is a piece I made last year, using one of Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay's fantastic cabochons:

That's just the grand prize, which will be drawn first.   There's more:

I will also have my trusty random number generator draw 10 names for gift certificates totaling $220:

2 - $10 Sand Fibers Gift Certificates

2 - $15 Sand Fibers Gift Certificates

2 - $20 Sand Fibers Gift Certificates

2 - $25 Sand Fibers Gift Certificates

1 - $30 Sand Fibers Gift Certificate

1 - $50 Sand Fibers Gift Certificate

The winners can use these gift certificates in my Etsy store or to order a custom item. Or, because I will make the gift certificate transferable and without expiration date, you can give the certificate as a gift. The gift certificates cannot be used in conjunction with any Sand Fibers coupon codes nor can they be used in a 3 for 2 pattern purchase.

The "Rules"

To enter the drawing for these prizes, you can do one or more of the following. Please note that to take full advantage of these you must leave a separate comment for each in order to get more than one entry into the drawing.

1. Leave a comment here telling me what you would get with a $50 Sand Fibers gift certificate. (Don't worry: I won't hold you to your selections if you win.)
2. Blog about this give away and leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.
3. Twitter about this give away and leave a comment here letting me know you did. Be sure to reference @SandFibersRedux in your tweet.
4. Link to this post on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me you know you did. 

Please leave your email or your etsy/ArtFire/Bonanza store name or something in the comment as well so that I have a way of contacting you in case you win. Comments that do not provide a way for me to contact you will be deleted and not entered into the drawing.

If you do all four of these things, you will leave four separate comments and have four separate chances to win. You could, of course, choose to just do one of the four, or two, or three...and that's okay as well. Just enter!

Entries/comments must be made by midnight on Sunday, March 6.  I will use my trusty random number generator to determine the winners on Monday morning and will announce the winner on this blog later that day.

Good luck! Now be well and get going (but only after you leave your comment)!

Wednesday Window Shopping

As I explained in my earlier post this morning, I want to take Wednesdays to thank the curators who have chosen Sand Fibers creations for their treasuries in the last week.  Please visit these shops...and if you end up buying something, tell them Sand Fibers sent you ;)

Sunny Day Bracelet

nanouke 

 

Shredded Scarf No. 4 - Many Colors Available - Made to Order.

UrbanRevisions

12 Pillow Boxes - Pink, Purple, Gray and Vanilla

PipingHotPapers

Aqua Blue Pole Insulator

ASecondLife

TN4771 - Bright Green, Black and Silver Foil Woven Necklace

trinitydj

Unique seed beads necklace .Handmade.Peyote.

galladesign

Autumn in the Air Irish Crochet Lariet Necklace

topaz08

Rosy Evening Sun Vest

consentiodesign

TN4720 - Peach Melba - Beadwoven Necklace

trinitydj

Thank you for window shopping with me this afternoon. Be well and get going!

About Treasuries.

For several years now, I have been pretty darn diligent about sharing the treasuries my work appears in. With my energy at a premium more so now than ever before, however, and with the number of treasuries increasing now that they are no longer limited in time or number, I have to admit defeat. As of this week, the Thursday's Treasur(i)es posts are no more. I am truly sorry. I just can't manage them.

I will now start doing what others have done for some time:  link to the live treasuries on my Facebook fan page. I have been, am, and will continue to be extremely grateful to those curators who select my creations for their wonderful lists.  To thank them, I will now start Wednesday Window Shopping posts that will feature their work. The first of these will go live later on today.

Be well and get going!

Color. Glorious Color.

If you've been following this blog for a while now, you know that I am a huge of fan of Margie Deeb, author of what I consider two of the best books on color for beaders (and any artist interested in how color works):

and

She also publishes two wonderful reports each year - one for Spring/Summer and one for Fall/Winter - to help bead and jewelry designers apply the colors in PANTONE's fashion color report for the season to their own creations.  Her latest -Spring/Summer 2011 Color Report for Bead & Jewelry Designers - is now available:         

Not only does Margie give you the numbers for the delica beads that can be used for each color, she also provides the Swarovski colors and gemstones that will work within this scheme.  And as if that was not enough, she also explores dynamic color palettes in suggested proportions that will have the designer portion of your brain go into overdrive.  To top it all off, she includes photographs of over 25 beaded creations using the Spring/Summer colors by 11 guest artist. The report creates a feast for the eyes and a boost for our sometimes reluctant muses! Treat yourself!  (After reading the report, I feel less depressed about PANTONE's color of the year - honeysuckle pink. There is hope.)

Be well and get going!

Bargello Braid Pattern

Hi! I hope you are having a lovely Sunday. This is just a quick "hit and run" post to let you know that I (finally) listed the pattern for the Bargello Braid cuffs, in both "for personal use only" and "for personal and commercial use" editions.

 

Unlike any of my other patterns, this one gives you the beads used in both colorways - Slivers of Silver and Fade to Fuchsia - pictured on the cover. Speaking of colors, I'll be back later today with news about a great new color tool by the wonderful Margie Deeb. Stay tuned. ;)  In the meantime, be well and get going!

Thursday's Treasur(i)es

The truth is these treasuries are beginning to overwhelm me. I feel I need to share them with you, especially now that it's so easy for a good treasury to get lost. Yet at the same time, I don't feel like I have the energy or the time to do the curators justice. I know. I know. Poor little ol' me...too many treasuries to handle.

I'm going to modify the format of these posts a little by removing all my verbiage (hey, stop that applause...you're hurting my feelings!) and keeping what matters: the treasuries and an item for you to admire from each curator's shop.

(All these extra spaces showed up after I published the post and I don't seem able to get rid of them. I apologize! eek! Will try to improve on this next week.  Live and learn. Live and Learn.)

---

Reach Out and Touch Someone

by PipingHotPapers

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5533e172fe8eef29be1b11/reach-out-and-touch-someone?index=2

5 Birds in a Tree Pocket Mirror

PipingHotPapers

---

a taste of New Mexico

by thefuzzymonkey

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d54b260da958eef9decefc3/a-taste-of-new-mexico?index=3

special edition- fuzzy felted grey wool bowl with navy blue ribbon rose flower

thefuzzymonkey

---

African Dreams

by ShunitDesigns

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d555906dd8e8eef1a77c93c/african-dreams?index=1

Tea light candle holder

ShunitDesigns

---

Professor Plum with the Rope in the Library

by MainSqueezeGreetings

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d56134ef14d8eeffc78978d/professor-plum-with-the-rope-in-the?index=0

Romantic Anniversary - The Home Game

MainSqueezeGreetings

---

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!! #24..WAY TOO HOT TO HANDLE.....WOWOWOW!

by TabellaNuziale

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d574f15c1626d91ea7dc8ac/you-gotta-see-this-24way-too-hot-to?index=2

TabellaNuziale is on vacation right now, so all I can offer is a simple "Thank you!"

---

Colour Explosion

by Creative90012

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d58b8f76a3e6d9107ac5401/colour-explosion?index=1

Self Expression Earrings

Creative90012

---

Eclectic Favorites in a Circle

by CherishedDreams

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d59f527790b8eefecabb625/eclectic-favorites-in-a-circle?index=5

Polka Dots in Spring Quilt

CherishedDreams

---

purple and gray

by nire321

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d59eb38a2bc6d911b9250d8/purple-and-gray?index=4

nire321 does not have a store, so a simple "Thank you!" is all I can offer.

---

We Travel in the Same Circles.....

by Hilari

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5ac236aaee8eef3fec9c22/we-travel-in-the-same-circles?index=0

I've Been Spotted - Set of 10 Round Tags

Hilari

---

Spring Meadow

by trinitydj

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5b340633c36d91a86a2f52/spring-meadow?index=3

TB4735 - Royal Blue and Bright Green Crystal Woven Bracelet

trinitydj

---

taupe & cream.

by LeMollusque

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5c5952b0e98eeffbb6e904/taupe-cream?index=1

Size 6.5 Vtg Italian Leather Cherry Red 80s Slouch Boots, Handmade Sole

LeMollusque

---

Happy Blue

by shellieartist

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5c6ccd5bc16d912bada274/happy-blue?index=2

Content with being Alone - Golden Moon version - 8.5 x 11 archival print

shellieartist

---

A NON STOP ROTATION OF ARTISTS EXPOSED !!

by VickiDianeDesigns

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/de85ea1d220bca4b6db34800/a-non-stop-rotation-of-artists-exposed

SILVER SWIRLY GIRL

VickiDianeDesigns

---

Thank you so much to the wonderful Etsians who have singled out my creations for their beautiful treasuries! I get such a thrill every time I see a list with a Sand Fibers item. :D

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! Queen for the Day

Last July, a lovely customer asked if I would create a pattern with a specific type of (pink) crown for her to bead up for her daughter. She wanted to pay me for it, of course, but since I had not had a chance to "test drive" the pattern, I did not feel that I could charge her for it.

I don't know that I will ever bead this up, and so - by my own standards - I cannot offer the pattern for sale.  But it's a cute little pattern and I know there are some of you out there who would enjoy beading and wearing this, so... I've decided to offer this to you, as my gift, for "personal and commercial use." A thank you for supporting my work!  Please note that there are conditions attached to its use; they are outlined below (in the red print, so you can't miss them ;o).

Queen for the Day!

By printing this pattern, you agree to the following conditions:

• to credit either Sand Fibers or Carol Dean Sharpe with the design (or, if you modify the pattern with the inspiration for the design) in any listing/photograph/posting;
• to sell any work made and sold from the pattern ONLY if you yourself hand-created the piece (in other words, no mass production);
• to NOT resell or distribute the pattern - if your friends are interested, just give them the link to this blog post.

The gift of this pattern to you in no way implies purchase or transfer of the copyright, which shall remain with Sand Fibers/Carol Dean Sharpe. Thank you for supporting your pattern designer's rights.

As shown and woven with size 11 delica beads, the pattern results in a beaded band that is approximately 1.9" wide and 7.75" long. For a shorter cuff, you can always bead this in size 15 delicas or just use one crown (or two, if you prefer) as a centered motif.  The colors you use for this are entirely up to you. For a more diverse look, you can use a third (and perhaps even fourth) color on the interior of the crowns, as in this example:

Be well and get going!

A Pattern , Some Cuffs.

Despite what the lack of recent posts may lead one to conclude, I haven't been taking a break from beading. Far from it. I've even published another pattern. I shared the cuff with you last weekend; now you can make it one yourself:

Guns and Roses Pinwheels Peyote Cuff - For Personal Use Only PDF Pattern

A lovely customer asked me to make  a simple cuff for her using some of the gorgeous AB 24 kt. gold plated delicas. She loves her cuff.  It is now - of course! - available as a made-to-order in the Etsy store:

Gold Rainbow Peyote Cuff (2556)

That same customer wondered if I would make her one of my corrugated color ribbon cuffs using black, gold, and silver. She loved the result so much that she has asked me to make another for a good friend of hers. You can order one for yourself here:

Corrugated Color Ribbon in Black, Gold, and Silver Peyote Cuff (2557) 

I've been struggling with my vision for the last few days (can't seem to focus properly), but I was still able to get this new version of my blooming bead - blooming waves - completed in time for the latest Bead Art Originals Color Challenge, which will be revealed on the team blog tomorrow.  I love how this bead turned out and will include the pattern for it in Blooming Beads Volume Two.

Endless Blooming Tide Pendant (2559)

 

And...because the contractually required waiting period has gone by...I was able to list the two Bargello Braids pieces that were published in the last issue of Perlen Poesie:

  Achromatic Bargello Braid Peyote Cuff Bracelet (2560)

 Magenta Bargello Braid Peyote Cuff Bracelet (2561)

 

I will list the pattern for this design in the next few days as well.

Last, but not least, a new customer asked me if I would be willing to try a slate blue and grey color palette for my Blooming Copper design:

"Blooming Slate" just doesn't sound as good as "blooming copper" did, so I called this

Slate Blossoms Peyote Cuff

What do you think?

Nope, I haven't been lazy.

Be well and get going! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow!