We Have a Winner

The last person to enter the contest is actually the winner this time around. Congrats to Luck Happens, she runs a cool giveaway site that you might want to check out. 

Make Your Own Wire Jewelry

I don't actually make money on this site. I really do it more for fun. I am a mother of two and work full-time, though. So in attempt to make the site worth my time, I've signed up for the Amazon Associates program. If you buy from Amazon, all you have to do is go through my site to get there and then I earn a commission on everything you buy.

So help keep me going by visiting the link here at How-To Studio. And along the way, I'll be featuring some great finds on Amazon, like this wire jewelry making kit. It's on sale for around $16, ships for free and includes a booklet and jewelry making supplies. I love kits.

Win a $20 Gift Certificate for jewelry!

Thanks to Airy Fairy Jewelry, we're able to offer a great gift certificate this week. She's the artist behind the ring featured in this week's tutorial. And now you can win a $20 gift certificate to spent at her Etsy store. 

Want to win? It's easy. Simply go to Airy Fairy Jewelry's store and find your favorite item. Then come back and "comment" about what your favorite item is under this post. 

Entries will be accepted through Monday, January 12 at 6 p.m. central time. And if you blog about my site or giveaway, you'll get 5 BONUS entries. (You must mention it to me so I'll know, though!) 

Good luck and thanks for entering. (Here's one of my favorite items from her store. Feel free to buy it for me with your winnings!)

How-To: Wire Poppies Ring

We are back in 2009 with a great new how-to from Katie of Airy Fairy Jewelry on Etsy.

FYI: Starting next week, I'll be mixing up my how-to format just a bit. Instead of step-by-step instructions, I will be offering general how-to tips and ideas from Etsy artists (with great gift certificates each week as well). This will open things up a great deal on who can be featured. So if you are an Etsy artist but don't necessarily have a full how-to, shoot me an e-mail for the chance to be featured.

Okay, moving on to the how-to this week where you can learn how to make this amazing wire ring! And be sure to check back tomorrow where you can enter to win a great gift certificate from Airy Fairy Jewelry.

Materials: Flush cutters, flatnose pliers, end cutters, 22-gauge bronze artistic wire, 24-gauge red artistic wire, and something round and wide enough to represent your finger. (A ring mandrel is preferred, but Katie didn't have one so she used the top of this nail polish bottle. You can also use a wooden dowel.)

Step 1: Cut about eight inches of 22-gauge wire with the flush cutters and place the center of it around your ring mandrel. Cross both halves of the wire as shown.
Step 2: Pull both halves of the wire around the nail polish again making sure that the top and bottom wires are parallel.

Step 3: Twist the top and bottom wires together in a clockwise motion.
Step 4: Continue twisting clockwise, pulling one wire around the knot and then pulling the other wire around. Continue until the knot is as big as you desire.

Step 5: Using the end cutters, cut off the excess wire from the knot you just made. Try to cut as close to the knot as possible.
Step 6: Use the flatnose pliers to push the cut edges flat up against the knot, this way they won't poke anyone or get snagged on clothing.
Step 7: Cut about 12 inches of the 24-gauge wire and hold it flat against the underside of the ring. Wrap the 24-gauge wire around the ring.

Step 8: Continue wrapping around the ring until you get to the knot.
Step 9: Wrap the wire around the knot 3 or 4 times, making sure that when you are done the extra wire is sitting on the unwrapped side of the ring.

Step 10: Take the extra wire and wrap around the other side of the ring. Cut off any excess wire and use the flatnose pliers to make sure that the ends of the wire are pressed firmly up against the ring. And you’re done!

How-to Delay

I'm going to hold off on a new how-to for a couple of weeks. I have been slammed with general holiday craziness. We are leaving for a big trip later this week, and I'll be traveling when it would be time to pick a new winner. 

I will still pick my current giveaway winner tomorrow night. And then stay tuned after Christmas. I already have another how-to and giveaway lined up. 

So sorry for the delay, but stay tuned! 

New Week, New Giveaway!

I have a fabulous gift certificate to give away this week, and it's just in time for Christmas. Robin, who produced the How-To Gingerbread Ornament this week, is giving away a $10 gift certificate to her Etsy shop. It would be perfect for a holiday gift. 

To be eligible for this gift certificate, simply go to Robin's Nothing Like It Etsy store and pick our your favorite item. Then come back here and blog about your favorite item. All entries completed by December 15, 6 p.m. will be eligible to win. 

BONUS: BLOG ABOUT MY GIVEAWAY AND YOU GET THREE EXTRA ENTRIES!!! 

How-To: Gingerbread Man Ornament

I'm happy to feature the first how-to video on my blog. Robin from Nothing Like It on Etsy brings us the great how-to concept and video. She does amazing work with polymer clay, and the video is pretty fabulous, too. Check out the video via YouTube. 

Keep your eye out tomorrow for the chance to win a gift certificate from Robin's Nothing Like It shop. You could get a really unique gift for someone just in time for Christmas. 

By the way, I bought the ornament pictured here. It's just as cute in person as it is in the photo. Enjoy this week's how-to! 

Once again, here's the link to the video. 

New Giveaway: Fabulous $20 Gift Certificate

It's time for another giveaway! Have you seen our how-to tutorial for this week? We show you how to make amazing flower pens! What a great Christmas gift these would make for grandmas, teachers and friends! I'm thinking about getting some for our daycare teachers.

Don't have time to make your own? Don't worry. Now you can win a gift certificate to buy them. Mama's Little Monkeys is donating a $20 gift certificate to your choice of her TWO Etsy stores. You can choose from great kid items at her Etsy store, Mama's Little Monkeys. Or you could spend you winnings at her Fleur de Ink store that sells the amazing flower pens from our how-to.

Want to win? Just go to Mama's Little Monkeys and Fleur de Ink and pick out your favorite item from either store. Then come back here and blog about it! You must make a comment by Monday, December 8 at 6 p.m. (central time). And of course, there must be a way for me to contact you.

BONUS! Blog about this giveaway or my blog and get THREE extra entries.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway last week. My winner was Tiff!

How-To: Flower Pens

You know those gorgeous flower pens you've seen around? Well now we get to see how to make them! These aren't any run-of-the-mill pens, though. While some flower pens have uncomfortable "bumps" on the side, these flower pens are gorgeous, smooth and comfy.

Thanks to Mama's Little Monkeys for supplying this week's how-to! She has two Etsy shops; Mama's Little Monkeys and Fleur De Ink where you can find these stunning pens. Now, on to the how-to...

SUPPLIES

• Hot glue gun
• Your choice of artificial flower
• One Bic pen
• Wire cutters
• Floral tape in the color of your choice
• Ice cold drink

1. Take your wire cutters and place the grip just below the plug at the end of the pen. (You don’t want to cut anything. You just want to use the grasping function of the cutters.) Gently squeeze to pop the plug at the end of the pen.

2. Take your wire cutters again and grasp the end of the pen (that you use to write with). Being careful not to cut anything, pull the entire ink barrel out of the pen.


3. Take your nifty floral wrap tape. You can find green, white and brown at most hobby stores. (The colored varieties are a little harder to find, but you can order them from my Etsy shop.) Begin wrapping the tape around the barrel of the pen. (You’ll have to hold it in place at first because the tape sticks to itself more than the pen barrel. )

4. Once you get to the end, overlap the edge and tear it off. Then smooth the torn edge down to blent in with the rest of the tape.

5. Next, take your nifty artificial flower and cut off its wire stem fairly close to the underside of the bloom.

6. Dab a generous blob of hot glue on the tip of the chopped off stem. Insert the flower on the end of the pen barrel where you completed your wrap. (You might have some residual hot glue on the pen, but let it be for the moment.)

7. Set aside your flower and grab the ink barrel. Chop off just a smidge of the plastic ABOVE the ink line. (If you cut too short, you’ll get an inky mess!) Cutting this a tad will help it fit into the barrel with the flower bloom.

8. Insert the ink barrel in the wrapped pen barrel. Shove the pen in until it fits snug. Remember that leftover hot glue? Gently peel it off (it should be dry and cool by now), but be careful not to rip off the floral tape.


Viola! Now you have a gorgeous flower pen! Learn how you can order your own flower pens at this fantastic Etsy shop, Fleur de Ink.

New How-To Coming Soon...

A long weekend of traveling has left me tired for tonight. I have a great how-to coming up tomorrow. Check back then to learn about our new how-to and giveaway! 

Thanks! 

New Great Etsy Sponsor!

Welcome to Home Sewn by Christine, our newest blog sponsor! Christine is an amazing seamstress; I can speak to this first-hand. I bought some cute aprons from her, but my favorite item is still the dish towels she embroidered for me (sample here). A lot of the embroidered towels on Etsy are too frilly and thin; you couldn't really do much with them. But these are made from some kind of textured "waffle" material and are really great for everyday use. 

Contact Christine. She'll work with you to make a custom "set" of towels for a great deal. My choice was three regular towels, a hanging one and then a pot holder. 

Again, thanks for becoming a sponsor. We love featuring great Etsy stores!!!

Win a $20 Gift Certificate!

Lisa was the winner of the $20 gift certificate to Childish Thoughts on Etsy. Thanks to everyone who entered and to Childish Thoughts for the tutorial and giveaway. It was our biggest one to date! Now moving on to our next giveaway...

Across the Pond on Etsy is our next featured artist. She set us up with this great Wire Wrapped Ring Tutorial. And now she's giving away a $20 gift certificate to her store! Casey has some amazing items in her shop, including wooden lockets, vintage rings and more. (I like these earrings pictured here myself.) To be eligible for the $20 gift certificate, simply visit Across the Pond's store on Etsy, pick your favorite item and then come back here and comment on what that favorite item is. Entries will be received through Monday, December 1 at 6 p.m. central time. 

BONUS ENTRIES!!! Earn three bonus entries just for blogging about my blog or this giveaway. You MUST tell me about it, though, by leaving a comment here! 

Good luck! 

How-To: Wire Wrapped Ring

I'm very excited to share this new tutorial for making a ring using gauge wire. This comes to us from Across the Pond on Etsy. I came across Casey on the message boards on Etsy, and she told me about this tutorial she has on her blog. I checked it out and then jumped at the chance to feature it! 

So instead of just copying all of her how-to over to this site, I'm just going to do a link this week. I hope you enjoy her tutorial. And be sure to check back tomorrow because we have an amazing giveaway from Across the Pond. You don't want to miss it! 

It's a Variety Show!!!

I absolutely love when I find a store on Etsy that is just creative from start to finish. I also love when I find a store that has such a wide array of products that I feel like I can buy more than one item.

Katesy is definitely one of my favorite stores on Etsy. She's creative without a doubt. You can buy so many different items from hair pins to business card holders to purses!

Not only are her items cute and endlessly creative, everything is made from recycled materials. You're Christmas shopping and saving the environment one day at a time. (You can even use the fact that it's recycled as a TERRIFIC excuse to shop!---I sure do!)



Here's a water koozy to throw your bottled water in!!! It's recycled, and it's trendy.





Need another stocking stuffer? Check out this bracelet!!!!!! Katesy also does custom orders! If you have a wonderful idea, but you just don't have the time or, like me, creative hands to bring it to life, send her a convo. She welcomes and enjoys every custom order that comes her way.

I have quite a few items from this seller myself! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Don't forget to be posting your favorite stores for stocking stuffers. We could all use a little help with ideas and shopping!!!

Stocking Stuffers

Whether young or old, makeup always brings out the young in us girls!!!! Remember your slumber parties where you could spend all night putting on your makeup? Now it seems like a duty to perform everyday.....

Do you have a pre-teen or teenager? Moi Minerals has the perfect stocking stuffers for the girl in your life! Her selection is endless, and she is a pleasure to work with. She is a stay at home Mum, and all of her products are made from scratch. That's right!!!! All homeade!!!!

Her Ho Ho Ho Stocking Stuffers would be great to throw in the stockings at Christmas!!!Her selection is endless, and don't forget you would be buying handmade, one of my goals for Christmas this year!!!!

I've been searching Etsy for stocking stuffers this year! I'd love to find a store with so much variety that I can buy many stocking stuffers from one store and save on shipping! Do you know a great store that offers this? Post their link. Is it your store? Post it! Don't worry about self-promoting! The goal is to find as many stocking stuffers as possible!!!!

Start searching!