And The Winner Is....

and the winner is Abigail!!!

Abigail is the winner of my first giveaway.  She will receive a fine silver initial pendant (you choose the initial) on an 18" sterling silver ball chain.  The pendant is made from Art Clay Silver (precious metal clay). 

The winner was chosen using random.org .

Abigail's blog Ample Goodies lists different giveaways, so check it out.

Congratulations Abigail!!!

j. moore design LLC: My First Giveaway

To celebrate reaching 100 followers on j. moore design jewelry's  fan page, I'm hosting my first giveaway. The winner will receive a sterling silver initial pendant (you choose the initial) on an 18" sterling silver ball chain.

IMPORTANT Each comment counts as one entrance, you will have up to 5 chances to win.

Winner will be announced in one week, Friday, November 27, 2009. I will name the winner on both of my blogs (j. moore design and Simply Creative). So be sure to check one of these on the 27th of November. Here are the 5 ways you can enter:(All links are found to the right of this post or click the links below)

1. Comment that you have become or are already a follower of my blog
2. Check out my etsy shop and come back and paste a link of your favorite item.
3. Twitter about this giveaway, and follow me @doodlebugfairy
4. Become a fan of the j. moore design page .
5. Blog about this giveaway

I'm Addicted

It's official! I'm addicted to metal clay.  I have spent all of my spare time over the past few days making charms, pendants, and other things with silver clay.  

I start of with a lump of clay.

Then it is placed in a mold or free formed.

The clay is the dried thoroughly

Next I place it in the kiln.

When the clay comes out of the kiln. It is silver but it looks white. 

After the silver has been brushed with a brass brush, antiqued and burnished, this is what it looks like.

I'm So Excited

I finally have a kiln.  Woohoo!!!  Now I can fire precious metal clay, fuse glass, and anneal beads. 

I can't wait to start using it.  I will definately post pictures.

Creative Bloggers Featured Artist--Victoria Slutsky of ViSart

This week's featured artist on creative blogger is Victoria Slutsky from Israel. She is an amazing polymer clay artist. Her handmade beads are so beautiful. Victoria also crafts bowls from polymer clay. Because her work is handcrafted no two items will be exactly the same. This makes each piece special.

Check out her blog at http://www.visart-dali.com/ . Victoria also has an etsy shop.

Photo Keyrings

I rarely carry pictures of my kids, but I always have my keys and cell phone. So I decided to make key rings with their pictures.

First, the resin mixed according to the directions and black resin dye is added. I then poured a thin layer into the resin mold.

I waited for the resin to become tacky to the touch (this took about 4 hours). Then I placed the picture on top of the black resin. While I was waiting for the resin to set, the pictures were prepared by coating them twice with Mod Podge. This seals them to keep the resin from seeping through.

Another batch of resin is mixed. This time it was left clear. This mixture is poured over the picture. This was left to harden for 24 hours. The resin covered picture is then sanded to remove any rough edges. Then a hole is drilled so a jump ring can be inserted. Finally it is dipped in clear resin and left to dry. Once it has dried completely, the jump ring is inserted and attached to a keyring.

My First Etsy Listing

I have finally listed my first item on Etsy (http://jmooredesignllc.etsy.com/)! Yea me. I made these as a tribute to the Lakers winning the championship tonight. They are made of amethyst chips on sterling silver headpins and chain. I then attached it to sterling silver ear wires. These earrings are simple yet beautiful.

Check out my other blog (http://jmooredesignllc.blogspot.com). I will give away different a different pair of earrings every month to those who follow my blog. So be sure to click on the follow button on the right side of the page.

The Cheapest Photography Light Box I Could Make

I am learning to take better photos of my work. In my research I found that I need to light my pieces better. While researching light boxes, I came across this wonderful blog called Strobist (http://strobist.blogspot.com/). It has all kinds of information on lighting for photographers. There was this one post that described how to make a photo studio for under $10 (http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html). It was very easy to follow and this is how mine turned out. I know its messy but I just threw one together to see if it would really work. IT DOES! My pictures are coming out much better. I don't even have the lights placed on either side and I can still tell the difference.

Here's what you need to make one a box, get it to fit whatever you are photographing. You also need a box cutter, tissue paper, a ruler, tape, and a poster board. For lighting, you need to inexpensive lights. So if you are looking for a way to light your work better, here is a very cheap way to do it. I spent $3.

For complete instructions and a video click on this link http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html.