Tree!

My latest silver pendant design. I love the simplicity and sharp contrast of the dark patina against the silver.

Watcha think?

Vote for Purple Storm!

My Purple Rain challenge entry... all sparkly and shiny even after the mishap with the concrete floor. : ) I'm actually quite glad that happened; I love this new and improved pendant even better than the first one!

Please vote for me in the HandmadeMN team challenge!!


~Toni

And Now... Purple Tears

My Purple Rain piece turned out so cool. I was so pleased with it. That is, until I dropped it on my concrete floor. Sigh.




The nice thing about working with glass is that there really is no waste. I can reuse these shards in another piece, hopefully in the new "Purple Rain" pendant. At the very least they will go into the bin for my next pot melt.

Back to the drawing board.

~Toni

Purple Rain

So sorry for the long delay between posts! I should be back regularly now. At least until the next distraction. : )

My kiln is sloooowly heating up to 1460 degrees right now... with lots of "pretties" inside. And I am waiting anxiously to see how they all turn out. This past weekend I had a 'glass party' with a very good friend and her teen-aged niece. We spent several very fun hours cutting glass and making pretty pendants.

Here's one that I did.. my entry into my Etsy street team's next contest. This month's theme is "Purple Rain", in honor of Prince's hit song turning 25 years old. I had a great time playing with this one. We even listened to an awesome Prince album while we worked (well, while we played :)



Before firing it just looks like a mess of purple sparkles, doesn't it? I have no idea what it will look like after it's fired, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I'll let you know tomorrow. : )


~Toni

Unicycles on Parade

Une Petite Vie Tranquille by Eastmont

My husband and I frequently walk along the Mississippi River in Downtown St. Paul. We are never without something interesting to look at during our walks, whether that be the barges on the river, the myriad of dogs and their owners or the occasional bald eagle.

Handle Bar Mustache Man Tee by Spitting Image

This morning we were lucky enough to take our walk during a unicycle race. I've never seen so many people on unicycles, and it inspired me to search Etsy for some fun unicycle items.

Original Folk Art Painting by Wee~Mee Whimsies

Enjoy!

~Toni

HandmadeMN Team Giveaway !

The Etsy Street team that I belong to - HandmadeMN - just announced our first (of many!) team giveaways!

Head over to our blog to enter for your chance to win this awesome hand-painted silk scarf from Palettepassion.

Thanks for supporting handmade!

~Toni

Give me an opinion, win a prize!

So, I've been doing a little experimenting the last couple weeks. For quite a while I've wanted to try drilling holes in my glass pendants and then create wire bails for them. I think the look is a bit classier than the glue-on bails I've been using.

I have discovered that drilling holes in glass is not at all easy. It's definitely going to take me a bit of practice to perfect that. But I will get it perfected I'm sure. I'm almost there. :)

So what do I need opinions on? I've tried three different wire bail styles and I'd love some input on which you like best. I may use more than one style. Heck I may use all three. But it would be awesome to know if one is more visually appealing than the others.

So here they are. Please leave me a comment and let me know which number(s) you like and why. To make it more fun, everyone who leaves a comment will be eligible to win a $10 gift certificate to my shop, so make sure you leave a way to contact you (I'll do a random drawing July 1st).


Style 1. Side View

Style 1. Top View


Style 2. Side View.


Style 2. Top View.


Style 3. Side View

Style 3. Top View


Thanks for your help!

~Toni