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Learning to Saw and Torch Metal at Linda and Opie's; Berry Pod Earrings with Old Rose Ox Findings, Love Letter Locket Freebie and Winner of the April Goody Box Week of May 2, 2010
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Learning to Saw and Torch Metal with Linda and Opie O'Brien
 Yesterday Shelley and I traveled up to Lake Erie to spend the day with our dear friends (and teacher-guru's!) Linda and Opie O'Brien.
You may know them as the authors of Metal Craft Discovery Workshop, published in 2005 by Northern Light Books, or more recently, Who's Your Dada: Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media. (By the way, all I can say is if you don't have these books, get them! You can buy them directly from the O'Briens right through the link under ARTISAN'S LIBRARY on my website. It will take you to their Etsy where you can get a signed copy!)
I had been concerned because I will be taking classes at Art and Soul that require the use of the jeweler's saw. When I explained my plight to Linda, she kindly made time for me in their hectic teaching schedule to come along and spend the day learning ALL ABOUT jewelers' saws. We sawed and sawed and sawed some more; I don't know if I am ever going to really like using a jeweler's saw, but I will tell you, I surely now how to, now!
The biggest thing is to load the blade correctly and wait to hear that musical ping! you'll get when you've done so. Keep the blade lubricated and then learn to saw gently and rhythmically. Opie was sitting at the table with us working on a map for John, for the trip to Hampton (for Art and Soul) and he could tell when I wasn't keeping the blade straight and had gone out of 'the zone' just by listening, and would say, "B'sue, the blade's not straight, you're going to break the blade"!
We had a wonderful day visiting and Linda paid me the highest compliment by saying, "Oh, I wish you lived closer!" It's not so far, and we'll see them in a couple weeks at Art and Soul. I hope I can come back and see them again to make my Art Doll. That will be a great project, I've got my concept already.
You should only see THEIR dolls!
Will you be at Art and Soul in May? If so, write and let me know, I'd love to meet you!
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Catherine's Cameo Lavaliere I received a lovely email this week from Catherine Jeltes, who shared this beautiful cameo lavaliere design which she made using our 4.5mm brass ox rolo (which ack, is ON ORDER but soon to arrive!), one of our mini rose bud beads (have you checked our metal flowers section? We have an incredible selection of manipulated brass riveted flowers that you may not see elsewhere, at least not in our finishes!) and our 18x13mm Victorian mount. By the way, this mount fits the 18x13mm clear glass magnifying cabochon and is the mount I ALWAYS use when working with it. At this time I don't carry this cameo and the rose is probably vintage....but I'll check into the cameo and see what I can do. Kudos, Catherine, for a great idea! Thanks for sharing the photo with us! You can check out more about Catherine Jeltes and her work at: http://www.galleryzooartdesigns.etsy.com http://www.galleryzooart.com http://www.yessy.com/gallery-zoo-art |
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What's New In Stock and Back in Stock
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Check out SKU silwar07694 for this awesome strawberry stamping in our TRUE DESIGNER FINISH, silverware silverplate. Would it be awesome with a little wash of color, and then maybe drill the leaves and use for a great summer necklace centerpiece?
We have this stamping in Old Rose Ox, too! SKU rox07705
There are quite a number of new additions to the OLD ROSE OX SECTION. For now, as we continue to introduce product in this finish, we are putting it ALL in that section, whether it's a bead cap or flower or a filigree. In time we will split it up and put it in its own section, but for now just click on that category and you'll see it all.
There is a large X shaped filigree for manipulation, as well as several other styles of filigree. We added 9mm filigree beads in the Old Rose, and some cherries in the same style as the silverware-type finding above---in fact we have that one in both the silverware and Old Rose Ox finish. We now have the tulip bead findings as well as the acorn style bead caps in Old Rose, too. and there is some new copper curb chain that goes with nicely, in the Jewelry Chain section. You will also find bracelet bar ends for strandage necklaces and bracelets in the Old Rose Ox, SKU rox07718.
Check out SKU STN 10 for a CRYSTAL CLEAR German glass pear drop finding that is flattened, and will lend nicely to image transfer.
Also, a wonderful clock face medallion with Roman numerals in brass ox (SKU brox07656) and a fab grid for rivetting flower findings and making a necklace centerpiece, SKU silwar07687.
This is just a smattering of the new material that arrived, numerous stampings in Silverware Silverplate including the gorgeous Art Nouveau Ophelia cameo head, silwar07665.
WE NOW CARRY GRIFFITH'S DRY LIVER OF SULFUR. Honestly, I like both the Patina Gel from Beadsmith as well as the dry stuff. A tub of the dry stuff will last FOREVER. Find it in the WHAT'S NEW section of the website, right on the home page.
Unfortunately, we can only ship liver of sulfur to the 48 states, no air, no international delivery. Sigh.
Do you have a torch? Just a simple little Creme Brulee Mini Torch that you can operate with the mini canisters of gas, like the Ronson Aero or the Benzomatic that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe's? You can torch brass; copper works FAB and you can bring up some awesome hues in both as the flame really plays to the copper (brass alloy has a good bit of copper in it.) Yesterday Linda showed me how simple it is, just fire up the torch, hold the piece with a pliers or tongs in the flame for a about 30 seconds and then drop in a glass bowl of cold water. That's it.....you have some faboo patina without chemicals. You can seal it or not.....I believe I would Renwax it a little, but that's up to YOU.
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Who Won the April Goody Box Drawing?
I love sharing stuff from my personal stash! This month it will be so easy, as I've been digging out so much stuff to take with me to Art and Soul. There are boxes dredged up out of nooks and crannies everywhere! So, there's alot ready to share.
This week's winner is Maria Boitel from Jamaica, NY. Maria, I tried to email you this afternoon but the address I had for you bounced....I'm pretty sure you're signed up for the newsletter so if you see this, write me to confirm your address.
Maria has been a long time regular customer so I was really pleased that her name came out 'out of the hat'.
What do you have to do to be eligible to win May's prize box?
Just place an order of any size between May 1 and May 31 and the next box could be coming out in the mail to YOU!
But really, everyone who orders from http://www.bsueboutiques.com is a winner! You can always take advantage of the BSUE2 coupon on any order 25.00 or more. That coupon is good ALL THE TIME, we only ask that you use it only once a day, is all! All orders come out with little treats, and orders 50.00 or more get a larger goody bag that usually contains 4-6.00 worth of free samples or even vintage material from my own stash that I can share. ALSO, all of my newsletter readers are privy to that SPECIAL code every week that gets them an extra free item we've chosen.
Are you a designer with a bulk order? No codes necessary, just make an order for 250.00 or more in merchandise and 10% comes RIGHT OFF your order. 500.00 or more, and it's 15%!
Don't forget, too, that I am always looking for GUEST DESIGNERS to develop projects for our website's permanent archives. You can read more about that if you go to the site and click on FREE STUFF and scroll all the way down to the end of the page. Write me if you're interested!
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***************************************************************************** WHAT'S FREE THIS WEEK, B'sue?
This week's freebie comes with a challenge. You can play or not play, that's up to you, you will still receive the freebie. But I would LOVE it, if you would play. (There is no deadline.)
This week you can receive a free medium sized LOVE LETTER LOCKET, SKU brox02582 on our website. I have an extra stock of them and would love to share and see what YOU come up with, using images, Mica, plastic sheet, decoupage....old paper, old letters, whatever!
Just be sure that you say LOVE LETTER LOCKET in the memo of your order---any order!---placed this week, and it's yours.
THEN, if you would like to take the challenge and show me what you have done with the locket, we can share your idea in one of the newsletters. If you do something really creative and different with it, and want to set up a project, we can talk about developing it into a permanently archived project for our website! That's a paying job, too! Whoo hoo!
Also, I still have a stock of the brass stampings from last week. If anyone would like a package of those let me know. While they last, I can send those too----there are maybe 10-12 packs still out here. When they run out, we can't send them, but I'm happy to gift you some of those while they last. MENTION THEM IN THE MEMO of your order placed between the time you receive this newsletter and and next Sunday night when the next newsletter comes out! (not in your Paypal payment, not in a separate email---I might not see the request there and I can't send separately---so! MAKE SURE I see your request by putting it in the MEMO ( where it asks you if you want to send me a note with your order, right in the checkout!) and I'll send them along!
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My best to each and every one!
Brenda Sue Lansdowne
B'sue Boutiques
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This Week I Made Earrings!
 These are my 'berry pod' earrings, which I made with manipulated flower power findings layered over a tulip flower bead into which was inserted a vintage style filigree bead. All using our Old Rose Ox Findings. Below I did a very simple design using a vintage lace style filigree in the Old Rose Ox, hung from my copper ox kidney wires. I find the Copper Ox findings that we have in stock work just fine with the Old Rose Ox.  These earrings look so great, even though they are such a simple design, I don't think I can part with them. I had been making earrings to take as swaps and giveaways at Art and Soul....I guess I'll just have to make a few more pair!  These earrings are again made from the Old Rose Ox findings. I threaded a filigree bead onto a long Old Rose Ox headpin (we have those on the site) and then added one of our beautiful opening rose bud beads, topped with a gorgeous bell filigree. I wrapped the wire and then hung them on the long kidney wires....I LOVE those kidney wires! We don't have tons of them in copper ox on the site, just a few packages...but no worries! More are on the way, and again, the copper ox earring findings work GREAT with the Old Rose Ox finish.  Here is a very simple design using the lilac/pink pear beads we have in our Lucite and Fashion Beads section. They make excellent earring drops as well as hatpin toppers and pendants. These just have simple flower caps, filigree cones and wrapped wire....on kidney wires, yet again! |
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Did You Know I Have an Ebay Store?
You will find our Ebay store at:
http://www.stores.ebay.com/bsueboutiquesjewelrysupplies
We use Ebay for one of a kinds, sample
lots, clearance, overstock, and lots of times, vintage goods. You will
definitely find great buys there---including re-sale lots!!--- and it's
ALWAYS worth having a look! I add 40-50 new bargain lots every week
along with stock merchandise that can be purchased in multiples.
Note: we don't offer all the same perks at our Ebay store that we offer at our website.
The coupon code BSUE2 is good only at the website, and volume discounts are for the website only and can't be combined with Ebay purchases.
If you make an Ebay order and have a website order, too, write me at bsue1441@aol.com and let me know. If the timing is right and we can manage it we will absolutely do everything we can to ship everything together in one box for you with one ship fee.
Our Ebay store is a separate entity from our website and subject to Ebay rules, so everything you would like there must be bid out of their system. When you finish shopping there, if you can, write me for the invoice and I'll send it and get the cheapest shipping on it for you.
We offer Sunday to Sunday shopping at Ebay, meaning, you can hang out all week and their cart will save your stuff and I'll check you out on Sunday. If you want to check out sooner and get your stuff shipped, contact me through Ebay and let me know you are ready for an invoice, and I'll get that for you as soon as I see your request.
Please continue to check out at the website as you always have and by all means use the BSUE2 coupon for website orders over 25.00 by entering it into the promotional code box in the checkout of the *website*.
Any questions? Just write me!
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Hey.....don't ever forget your BSUE2 coupon code! If you remember it, you can get 5.00 off any order 25.00 or more!
Put that in the PROMOTIONAL CODE box in the checkout, and remember...IT'S CASE SENSITIVE.
THIS CODE IS RECYCLABLE....meaning, it's not here this week and gone next. You can use it once a day, if you like! But, you MUST enter it into the box to get the discount, I can't do it after the fact. Just like the grocery store, you gotta bring your coupons to the checkout!
AND.....IF YOU ARE A VOLUME CRAFTER:
250.00 and up automatically gets 10 percent off
500.00 and up automatically gets 15 percent off
No codes necessary, you hit the numbers, the site responds. No tax ID necessary unless you are in Ohio.
Special orders over 250.00 qualify for 10 percent off.
Questions? Just write me at bsue1441@aol.com!
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