Results for Anniversary Giveaway!

First, many thanks to EVERYONE who entered this giveaway - it was a delight to read your comments and see that I'm not the only person on the planet enchanted with art charms!

There were 39 separate comments (wow!!!) on the giveaway post (not including my own comment), and I used the sequence generator at Random.org to select today's winners.

If you did not win this time, I do encourage you to follow my blog and enter my next giveaway. The easiest way to follow my blog is by subscribing through FeedBurner, so that my posts will be delivered to your email in-box. (Look for "subscribe via email" in the right column of this blog.)

If you're interested in learning more about art charms, I invite you to join the Art Charms Yahoo group Peg & I created  - we have regular swaps, contests, and we chat every Thursday night! (You don't have to buy the book to join the group.)

And now, without further ado, I present the winners. Congratulations! I will be contacting you for your mailing addresses.

• Comment #26, Ruth, won the signed copy of Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry
• Comment #2, Icarus, won the Under the Sea art charm
• Comment #21, Elizabeth, won the Spring Flowers art charm
• Comment #9, Fire & Ice, won the Winged Jewels art charm

Again, thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway - I really appreciate it!

xoxo, c

Basic Wire Jewelry Techniques Class (Shipwreck Beads, Lacey, WA)

EDIT: See revised class description (we're now focusing on techniques, instead of projects). Supply list is at the bottom of this post.

I'm excited to announce that I am again teaching at Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, WA!

you'll be able to make this bracelet
using the techniques learned in this class

This class will offer beginning jewelry designers a solid grounding in ten elemental jewelry-making techniques, including working with wire and jump rings, and making plain loops and wrapped loops. Students will also learn how to create a bead dangle, a wire spiral, a bead link, and a wire-wrapped bead.

in this class, students will learn how to wire-wrap a bead like this one
(we won't be doing the collage on the bead itself - just the wire work)

With home practice, the skills learned in this class will enable students to create a wide variety of jewelry, including earrings, pendants, bracelets, necklaces and more.

you'll be able to make these earrings
using the techniques you've learned in this class

During class, we’ll be focusing mostly on techniques rather than completed projects; each student will receive a handout containing notes on the information presented, as well as “recipes” for creating jewelry at home, based on the techniques learned in class.

Instructor Christine Hansen is a glass bead artist, veteran jewelry designer, and co-author of the best-selling book, Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry.

Registration fee: $40

Class dates:

• Saturday, 9/10/11 - 1pm-5pm (7CS0911
• Saturday, 10/15/11 - 1pm-5pm (7CS1011)
• Saturday, 11/19/11 - 1pm-5pm (7CS1111)
• Sunday, 12/4/11 - 1pm-5pm (7CS1211)

How to sign up: Call Shipwreck Beads to register: (360) 754-2323, or at (800) 950-4232.

with the skills you learn in this class, you'll be able to make this bracelet and...

this beaded necklace/eyeglass holder/badge lanyard

Supplies needed for class:

It’s a great idea to make sure your supplies coordinate (ex. copper jump rings, copper wire, copper head pins, etc.). Listed below is the detailed supply list, including Shipwreck's item numbers and quantities needed.

Jump rings: 7 grams

FI208-any

Head pins: 7 grams

2FI61-any OR FI61-any

Wire: 1 spool each of two gauges (sizes) of bare round wire (don’t get anything with a coating on it).

copper:                        18 gauge – 18CW856

                                    20 gauge - 20CW856-1

OR

            stainless steel:  20 gauge - 20CW813-RD

                                    22 gauge - 22CW813-RD

Beads: You’ll need a few beads in coordinating colors, along with some spacer beads.

1 - Limited Czech Mix 125 Gram Box, CZ5130-any

AND EITHER

1 strand - Czech Rondelle 4mm, 4RL-any

OR

1 strand - Czech Seed Bead 6/0, 6SB-any

Tools Needed:

The following tools are required for this class. If you already have any of these items, please bring them to class. A limited amount of tools will be available for student use.

• 0000 steel wool 
• wire cutters – such as FI496-7 
• chain nose pliers – such as FI432
• bent chain nose pliers – such as FI433
• round nose pliers – such as FI431
• flat diamond needle file – such as FI501
• bead mat or an old kitchen towel to work on
• ruler

To complete projects at home, you’ll want the following:

For earrings:

·         ear wires - FI44-any OR FI46-any OR FI52-any OR FI54-any

For bracelets and necklaces:

·         clasp - try a lobster clasp (05x10mm or larger) OR toggle clasp (15mm or larger)

·         solid rings, similar to PW2099-any – for linking with bead links and adding dangles to

Delicious (and easy peasy) Daikon Salad

I’ve been promising this recipe to the nice gentleman who works at Hong Phat, my favorite local Asian market. I find the most wonderful food at Hong Phat – a ton of wheat- & corn-free noodles to choose from, scads of tasty fresh produce like snow peas, jicama, green onions, basil, AND daikon radishes.

For those of us who were brought up on cute little round red radishes, the daikon radish is the Godzilla of radishes, but not in a nuclear catastrophe-inspired demolition kind of way. The daikon radish is just plain big. Real big. Godzilla-type big, if you get my meaning.

There are a couple different varieties I’ve found in our local Asian markets – Hong Phat carries the long cylindrical daikons, maybe 3-4 inches in diameter, and anywhere from 1 to 3 feet (!!!) long sometimes, while Arirang carries a shorter, chunkier version, maybe 6-8 inches in diameter, and 10-12 inches long. Daikon radishes at both stores have white skin, and usually a small amount of green at the top.

Daikon radish is great peeled and cut into chunks for snacking (just ask Oofie – he LOVES him some daikon, lol), and is also terrific in stir-fries and soups. Daikon is also delicious in salads – the easy recipe below features daikon as the main ingredient, but I also make an Asian coleslaw, with shredded cabbage, carrots, daikon, and chopped green onions, topped with Moosewood’s Ginger Miso Dressing.

This recipe is from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special, a book which I highly recommend to everyone who likes food, especially soups & salads. Daily Special is packed with fabulous and tasty recipes, and is one of my most-referred-to cookbooks.

Don't be tempted to take a short cut and omit pouring the hot oil over the scallions/green onions- that's what really makes this dish so yummy!

Pilwun’s Daikon Salad, p. 282, Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Draining time: 30 minutes

2 pounds daikon

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 carrot

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

dash of dark sesame oil

3 scallions or green onions

2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

Trim the ends of the daikon, peel, and coarsely grate it. (A food processor makes this go so much faster!)

In a colander set into a larger bowl, toss the grated daikon with the salt. Set aside to drain for 20-30 minutes, until about a cup of liquid has collected in the bowl. (Squeezing some of the liquid out of the daikon from time to time will speed up the process.)

Meanwhile, peel and coarsely grate the carrot and place it in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil and set aside. When the daikon is well drained, stir it into the carrots. Add the vinegar mixture and toss well.

Slice the scallions thinly on the diagonal and mound them on top of the salad. Heat the vegetable oil until smoking and immediately pour it over the scallions – this will make a sizzling sound. Toss well.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Anniversary Giveaway!

EDIT: 7.26.11: The signed copy of Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry will be signed by BOTH Peg AND me - I'll send Peg a signed copy, then she'll sign it too, and mail it to the lucky winner.

It's been a year since the book I wrote with Peggy Krzyzewski, Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry, was published by Kalmbach, and THAT means it's time for a little celebration giveaway!

I'm giving away one signed (by me) copy of Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry, and three of my original limited edition mixed media art charms.

Under the Sea Art Charm

How to enter?
You have two chances to win.

• Chance No. 1: Leave a comment below this post telling me why art charms appeal to you.
• Chance No. 2: "Like" my page on Facebook AND leave a second comment under this post telling me you did so.

Christine Hansen

Spring Flowers Art Charm

Details:

• PLEASE include a way for me to contact you in case you win.
• EACH entry must be in its OWN comment, and maximum of two entries per person please!
• Comments must be received no later than midnight Pacific standard time, 7.28.11, in order to be eligible.

Winged Jewels Art Charm

Next Friday, July 29, 2011, I will use the random number generator thingie to select four winners - Prize No. 1 is the signed copy of Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry, Prizes 2-4 are my own mixed media, as pictured in this post.

I will announce the winners here on my blog next Friday, and will contact winners for mailing addresses. If I do not hear back from a winner by August 5, 2011, I will re-do the random number generator thingie and give that prize to another commenter.

Good luck and best wishes for a charming day!