~International Charm Day~

~Handmade Bead Charms For Charm Day 2012~

2012-02-15T03:34:00.001-05:00

These are beads which I made yesterday using polymer clay and Swarovski Vitrail light rhinestones. I will be making charms in this style with different colors and patterns to give away in April, right here on this blog.

Those who participate by offering either handmade charms, charm making supplies or charm jewelry as giveaways on their blogs or sites will be eligible to enter to win in this category. :)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
April 28th is almost here!
Start preparing now if you haven't already!

It's going to be a lot of fun this year!

Amber

CALL FOR Artists, Designers, Fashionistas and Crafters!

2012-02-03T12:21:00.001-05:00

INTERNATIONAL Call for Charm making artists, crafters and designers!
Beaders, Metalsmiths, Mixed Media Artists, Woodworkers, Fabric Artists, Crocheters, Miniaturists, Photographers, Quilters, Collage Artists, Assemblage Artists, Jewelers, Writers, Resin Artists, Scrapbookers, Clay Artists, Painters, Model Makers, Tinkerers, Graphic Artists, Doodlers, UpCyclers, Glass Artists, FASHIONISTAS & General CRAFTERS!
Create your works into wearable and portable pieces of art!

Spread the cheer/news for ' Charm Day.
April 28th!

We're looking for tutorials and pictures of handmade artistic charms.
Made of ANY MEDIUM that can be worn or used in a project or as a decoration.
Charms are usually 1 1/2 inches and smaller! (Larger pieces are accepted as pendants)
ANY skill level!
Photos of handmade charm jewelry and other projects incorporating art charms are needed too.
If you would like to promote a giveaway on your website or blog, you'll can sign up for the list to advertise it on our sites, there is a deadline of March 12th, to let me know if you will be participating.
Start sharing the news now.
Blog about it, talk about it with your friends, in your art groups, tell your art buddies, younger children, big kids and older people who may be interested in participating too.
For those who may not have computer access or a camera/scanner, offer to help them out if you know they are talented/gifted at this art form.
Get them involved :)
Start making charms to give away to people you want to share with, or even give them away as random acts of kindness to complete strangers. It's actually fun to do!
Share this post on your FB wall if you'd like. There is an email to contact me on the sidebar of my blog. Write Charm Day in the subject line. You can also post to my FB wall to let me know if you will be participating or to ask any questions.
www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com
Or leave a comment on my blog. <3 Amber Dawn<3

CHARM DAY 2012! Join in with over 13,000 other artists, crafters, designers, celebrities and collectors, worldwide!

2011-12-29T16:55:00.003-05:00

International Handmade *Art Charm Day* festivities are being planned out for April 28th, 2012. If you would like to be a part of the worldwide event, you can start planning ahead with us and send us your ideas, links and share your handmade art charm tutorials, tips, tricks, videos and website info. which will be advertised and shared via the web.

If you plan on hosting an event in a brick and mortar location such as a store, boutique, cultural center, church, community center, school, art store, coffee shop, library, home etc. please let us know about it.

If you have a jewelry supply or craft business and would like to offer a promotional sale for the event, send an email with the details.

For those of you who will be joining us via the web, you can post videos to YouTube and send us the link to be a part of the link list.

Everyone, from everywhere is welcome to participate! Feel free to post in your native language and translate to English if you are able to!

Wear, share and create handmade art charms!!!

More to come, 2012!

http://internationalcharmday.blogspot.com/ <---click here to see current posts.
If you'd like to be a part of the celebration and add your links to the list, please leave a comment below.
If you have news to share, have a question or are interested in sharing a tutorial, you can write a message with CHARM DAY in the subject line. Messages sent with attachments will not be read. Charms2Wear @ aol . com Without the spaces.

See what Amber has been busy making!
www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

~Charm Day 2012! Will you be a part of it?~

2011-10-10T22:30:00.000-04:00

If you would like to be a part of International Charm Day in 2012- please leave a comment and let us know what ideas you have!

We are looking for people from all continents- islands and territories of all ages to participate!

Spotlight on- MICRO ORIGAMI-CHARM MAKER ~Kim~ From Toronto, Canada!

2011-06-10T01:06:00.001-04:00

While browsing Etsy a couple weeks back, I spotted this amazing collection of beautiful charms, made of ever so tiny folded paper, charmingly encased in glass vials.

~*AMAZING DETAIL!*~

This is my ~*FAVORITE!!!*~ Isn't is breath taking?!

You can find Kim's work for sale here-
http://www.etsy.com/people/PaperPeaches
What a beautiful gift these would make for any origami enthusiast!

A Charming Giveaway!

2011-05-21T03:45:00.000-04:00

I'm offering the winner a choice between the two. To enter- head on over to my Amber Dawn Creations page on FB and leave a comment under the photo! https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Amber-Dawn-Creations/132876490085347

Francine V from LI NY wins the 1 pound assortment of charm jewelry making supplies!

2011-05-21T00:15:00.002-04:00

Francine! Come and claim your winnings!

I will post photos of what she won after she gets her parcel in the mail!

~Charm Day Celebration in South Africa!~ With, Elna & Benice

2011-04-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

~*Between Cupcakes And Tea*~

Benice & Elna did it again!

They hosted a fun filled workshop to celebrate

International Handmade Art Charm Day,

down in South Africa!

Complete with tea & cupcakes!

Interested in seeing what they are making here?- http://betweencupcakesandtea.blogspot.com/2011/04/international-charm-day-south-african.html

Visit their blog to read more! http://betweencupcakesandtea.blogspot.com

~*Thank you for sharing your celebration with us Elna & Benice!*~

# 6 Lynne wins! #11 Leigh gets a runner up prize! Charm Day Giveaway! Say the name & color that you'd like to make into a charm!

2011-04-28T15:43:00.001-04:00

Click on comments below this post and choose anonymous if you do not have a blog id or leave your name and website if that is how you prefer to be contacted! Leave the following info- Color of the heart and name that you'd like it to say! The winner will be offered the choice of having little rosebuds and rhinestones added or leaving it plain with just the name.

Winner- #1 Lotus ~Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry - Book Giveaway!~ Brought to you by the authors, Chris and Peg!

2011-04-28T03:24:00.001-04:00

COOL GIVEAWAY!

Chris and Peggy co-authored this book of making all sorts of mixed media charms.

Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry

You might find it to be inspirational, informative and entertaining!

(I know I do!)

Click on the image of the book and you will be brought to Amazon.com where you can take a look at some of the pages within the book & you can read some reviews as well. This might help you to decide if this is a good book for you to own.
Leave a comment below to add your name to the drawing.
The winner will be chosen on on Saturday April 30th.
The winner, once announced, will have 7 days to claim the prize!
~*Thank you Chris & Peg for sharing your book with us!*~
It's a great publication!

Winner- Monique from South Africa! ~Polymer Clay CupCake Beads giveaway!~ Leave a comment to enter! You will have 7 days to claim your prize if you win!

2011-04-28T02:27:00.002-04:00

This offer is for 2 polymer clay cupcake beads made by Amber!
Click on "Comments" directly below this post to enter your comment. Please choose anonymous if you do not have a blog and leave your name and location or your name and email if you'd like to.

Winners- #2 Francine Vorbeck #5 Carmi #8 Lynne Are the winners! ~Amber Dawn's Handmade Polymer Clay Charms & Beads Giveaway!~

2011-04-28T00:37:00.002-04:00

READ CAREFULLY!-
To enter, please comment with your name AND the part of the world you are joining us from!
If you do not have a blog ID, you can choose anonymous and leave your name. If you have a common name, please leave a unique identifier such as this example- Jane Doe, knitter and charm maker from South Dakota. If you do not mind your email being public, then please just leave your name with email and the place you are joining us from!

I moderate the comments so they will not post right away, please just enter each giveaway one time.

Specify if you'd like a clown charm or a girl bead or write either if you don't care which you win!

I'll be choosing a few winners from the comments, left on this post, on Saturday!
If your name is drawn, you will have 7 days to claim your prize(es)!
:o)
~*Happy Charm Day everyone!*~

~Otherworlds!~ Featuring artist & designer, Saffron Johns!*~ She's a sensation!

2011-04-27T16:43:00.005-04:00

~*FEATURED ETSY SELLER!*~

OTHERWORLDS

The little ladybug is wearing a tiny spotted dress and has cute silver fairy wings, striped tights and red high heel shoes, she flys in the green swirls and blue flowers.

Ladybug in fairyland miniature wire sculpture pendant. sold

~*Wonderful Wire Work by, Saffron Johns!!!*~

I am so glad to have found her on Etsy. It was love at first site for me!

If you fall in love with her work too, be sure to write her a note telling her so!

The best part is she is always creating new work!

So, sit back, relax and enjoy some of the miniature "Otherworlds" that she has so lovingly created!

Hi, my name is Saffron Johns I'm 29 years old and moved from the UK to Bulgaria with my partner about four years ago in search of a less stressful life and a place where we could work towards a more self sufficient way of life. We found a rural house with land for veggies and animals and are working at making it a wonderful place of inspiration and life with chickens, sculptures, hydroponics and much more, it's a very big adventure and a lot more work than anticipated.

I specialize in wire art of all kinds including original art, jewellery, beads, treasures, sculptures and pictures, I call this body of work, Other Worlds. In 2005 I received a BA Hons in Contemporary Applied Arts from Hereford art college UK where I spent many wonderful years making and refining my work and this is where I found colored wire. I tried and sill use many different medias but by far my favourite is wire as it is so versatile and comes in many colours and thickness. I also learnt to crochet about two years ago and fell in love with it especially after finding some very small crochet hooks so much of my work now is made by crocheting wire.

The renovation work on the house and limited space meant that I had to put on hold making my larger works until it is finished and I have a studio, this is what inspired me to make miniatures in the form of pendants, rings, charms and other jewellery. I am so glad as I really enjoy it and I love the challenge of making things as small as I can with wire, capturing them in a moment in time to make a piece of original art jewellery.

I take much of my inspiration from dreams I have and from incorporating animals and bugs in funny, strange imaginary scenes, I find making cats quite tricky which is strange as I have three pet cats and I love making ladybugs, I have collected anything ladybug since I was a child so they have always held an interest for me for some reason.
http://www.wireart4u.net
http://www.otherworlds.etsy.com

~*~*~*~

A tiny crochet crown with bead detail & banner

Little Princess tiny crown in a bottle charm.

Currently on Etsy for $18

A very cute miniature sculpture picture of a tiny hedgehog in a garden of little flowers. This little piece was made with enameled copper wire using a tiny crochet hook.

Miniature hedgehog in a flower garden sculpture pendant. Currently on Etsy for $45. US dollars

A white rabbit driving a carrot shaped car over a field of flowers

White rabbit driving a carrot car

miniature wire sculpture pendant

sold

A ladybug sitting on a cloud while his friend carefully cuts another cloud with a tiny pair of scissors releasing the rain which pours into a tiny red cup.

Head in the clouds ladybugs miniature sculpture pendant.

Currently on Etsy for $40.

A cheeky monkey swinging in the tree tops

Swinging cheeky monkey miniature sculpture pendant .

Currently on Etsy for $45

A little bee perching on a daisy smiling out at the world from inside his bubble

Bumble bee sitting on a daisy miniature sculpture glass bubble ring.

Currently on Etsy for $85

A dancing monkey wearing a red, white and gold jacket and tiny shoes.

He is really sweet with his cute little outfit, curly tail and cheeky grin.

Dancing monkey in a glass bottle pendant. Sold

A jolly spider with top hat looking out from inside his web

Spider in a web wire sculpture pendant. sold

Plenty of fun looking through the lens at wonderful things in close up.

Through the looking glass optical lens.

Currently on Etsy for $25

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thank you so much Saffron for celebrating

International Handmade Art Charm Day with us from Bulgaria!!!

Your work makes us smile!!!

~*~*~*~

Storm in a bottle miniature crochet sculpture

Inside a bottle a tiny teapot pours a flurry of rain into a tea cup, the waves rise and a tiny boat is swished around in the storms brew. A very tiny wire sculpture and very sweet. It is housed in a bottle just 4.5cm tall.

Here are two of Saffrons kitties! :o)

Cat amongst flowers adjustable silver plated ring
SOLD
A handmade one of a kind statement sculpture ring
of a ginger and white cat sitting amongst a bed of flowers.

Saffron takes commissions for special custom orders

so if you feel inspired to ask her to create a very special

one of a kind "Otherworld" creation, be sure to contact her

through her website or her Etsy acct.!

~Midstream South Africa- Charm Day Event!~

2011-04-27T01:52:00.000-04:00

If you are near Midstream in South Africa and don't know about Elna & Benice's event, then please click here to check it out! They celebrate with Tea & Cupcakes!

~Spotlight on Christine Hansen, co-author of, Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry.!~

2011-04-27T01:23:00.000-04:00

Chris Hansen, what have you been up to lately as far as creating charms?

I always enjoy participating in swaps – having a theme and a deadline to work with really gets my creativity flowing. I just finished a batch of steampunk charms I’m pretty happy with – which is terrific, because while I LOVE steampunk, it’s sometimes challenging for me to interpret that style in my own artwork. Currently, I’m busy cooking up ideas for two of *your* swaps (Music & The Orient), and in the Art Charms group, I’m hosting two swaps (Winged Jewels & Adopt-An-Ancestor), and have signed up for Barbara Finch’s Celestial swap.

Do you have a special medium that you enjoy working with at the moment?

Glass!!! I am in love with melting glass! In fact, when I’m thinking up design ideas for a new swap, I usually try to figure out if I can do it in glass first. I’m delighted with the glass hearts I made for a recent Valentine’s themed swap – they were so much fun to make. I’m also grooving on the awesome sparkly Preciosa flat-back rhinestones I just purchased from Shipwreck...and paper. I LOVE paper. Paper is good. :)

How has making charms and being a part of the charm swap community changed your life?

Making & swapping charms has had a profound effect on my life. Aside from the incredible creative expression I find in making my mixed media charms, I have been generously blessed with many wonderful new friends. And too, art charms led to the realization of a lifelong dream – that of writing (and publishing, LOL) a book.

What 3 tools do you find absolutely wonderful to use while making your charms?

I have to narrow it down to just three tools? Hmm. What about three non-tangible tools? (1. a sense of humor, 2. a sense of curiosity and adventure, and 3. a willingness to explore and try new things) As far as tangible tools, I can’t live without five: my torch, my pliers (chain nose, bent chain nose, round nose, and flush cutters), my trusty scissors, my (and Jerry’s) drill press, and files to smooth all those edges and corners.

Do you have a favorite piece of charm jewelry? If so, please share...

I think my VERY favorite is my charm cluster pendant, which is currently on my eyeglass necklace. It has my charms and fractal swirl beads on it, as well as a few charms made by my dear friend and writing partner, Peg Krzyzewski. I love how all of the different colors and elements come together so beautifully - and the best part is I can add new charms all the time!

What do you enjoy most about the whole art charm movement?

Three things: I enjoy making new friends through swapping art charms with others, I enjoy expressing my own creativity, and I really enjoy nudging others into playing with art charms, because it’s such an inclusive format.

The art charm movement feels to me like we’re in new territory as artists and as a community – we’re taking odd bits & pieces, often recycled or re-purposed, adding to them, sharing & building connections with other people, and then putting the results together into a unique combination with layers and layers of meaning.

Have you celebrated International Handmade Art Charm Day before?

EVERY day is International Handmade Art Charm Day at my house, LOL.

Do you have any plans to celebrate this year?

Absolutely! Peg & I are donating a signed copy of our book, Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry, for you to give away, and too, I will be blogging about IHACD with links to your blog, and doing a giveaway of my own art charms.

~*~

Thank you Chris!

~*~

Moniques' International Charm Day Giveaway In South Africa @-

2011-04-19T18:12:00.000-04:00

Monique's giveaway

Amber Dawn's ultra quick YouTube demo/tutorial, how to make a polymer face cane.

2011-04-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

Lower your volume if you dislike loud music, before pressing play.

Here is the link to see it full screen on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fIC81HuLc

GIVEAWAYS!!! & Send me your blog links if you will be posting on Charm Day!

2011-04-01T15:09:00.000-04:00

Start sending me your links and tell me what your plans are for April 28th's Charm Day!

Will you be hosting an online event, featuring charm art, spotlighting your own or another charm artist on your blog or webspace? Also, please let me know if you are promoting Charm Day because everyone who promotes will be entered into a fabulous drawing!!! The prize?
An amazing ONE POUND PACKAGE of charms & charm making goodies! Sterling silver wire, 14/20 GF wire, vintage glass beads, Swarovski components, vintage goodies, beautiful trims and buttons as well as miniature glass vials, some of my handmade polymer clay charms are just some of the lovely prizes I will be giving away the week of April 28th. Become a follower of my blog to keep up with the posts! www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

~Some of the pieces I am preparing for International Charm Day!~

2011-03-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

Charm Day will be a lot of fun this year!

Have you started to make charms to give away and trade?

I'll be leaving charms like these
in random places around the streets and in select spots around New York City.

What are you making to share on April 28th of this year?

Are you going to be a part of the world wide party?

:o)

Come on and join the fun!!!

I'll be giving some of these away on my blog too!

Stay tuned!!!

Amber

~I'm making LOTS of pretty and cool charms to give away for this year's Charm Day!~

2011-03-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

Join in on this years' International Handmade Art Charm Day! It is celebrated by taking time out from your day to relax and enjoy the company of friends, family, strangers and people you pass everyday but never stop to actually say hello to.

This year, take a moment to stop, smile, say hello and if you have a handmade art charm with you, pass it on to someone else. Make a connection with the good in the world. Be a better, brighter and happier person! :o) www.InternationalCharmDay.blogspot.com

I made these as gifts. They are handmade with polymer clay and each have a little teeny micro cupcake embedded into it. :o) What are you making to give to friends, family and strangers on 4/28?

FIXED IT! The link is now correct! It's www.InternationalCharmDay.BLOGSPOT.com !!! Thank you Lorie!

2011-03-11T23:45:00.003-05:00

CORRECTED THE FLYER!!!

The last one was missing "blogspot" in the address.

New designs are welcome! Design a new blog event button for Charm Day!!!

2011-03-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

If you would like to design a new blog button for this year's Charm Day event on April 28th, go for it! I am taking submissions until March 15th!
:o)

They will need to say "International Handmade Art Charms Day" and April 28th

I am looking for ones in different languages as well! International submissions are welcome!

Amber

Come on over and sign the guest book! It takes some patience to do, but worth it!

2011-03-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Guest book for Charm Day & everyday. <---click here
It might be hard to post at first, just keep trying!

Let me know if you will be hosting an event, celebrating in a special way, organizing fun and mysterious RAKs or just celebrating quietly! I want to hear all about it!
:o)
Join the world in celebrating!
It's fun, it's free and it's beautiful!!!

Charm Day is coming! Start the planning!!!

2011-03-02T10:34:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Among other things, I'll be giving away a special ~*ONE POUND*~ assortment of quality charm and charm jewelry making supplies on charm day, April 28th. All you have to do to enter the drawing is to advertise International Charm Day on your blog or webspaces or both.
Please start spreading the word! The party this year will be bigger than last with more people joining us from around the earth.

More art & craft celebrities have voiced interest in joining in the advertising. Some are even hosting their own events in their parts of the world as well as online.

If you don't know how to grab the button to share on your blog, let me know. You can find it on the sidebar of my blog. www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

Message me here by leaving a comment or via email to let me know if you posted and if you will be hosting your own event. I will be posting a blogroll and webroll of participants in the coming weeks.
:o)

Amber

Winner!~One World One Heart!!!~ 2011 Welcome!!!

2011-01-30T02:15:00.002-05:00

The winner is...Gracie of
http://rey-gato.blogspot.com/
~*Congratulations!*~

I am so glad that you could join me in celebrating this 5th and final OWOH event!

I participated back in 2009 and I LOVED the meet and greet tradition!

*A LOT* of people from all over the planet joined in!

The friends I met through OWOH are fantastically artistic and talented.

It was such a great experience that I wanted to make it last even longer! ~*One World One Heart*~ happens to be the inspiration behind the International Charm Day Holiday!

All are welcome to participate, all you have to do is leave a comment.
If you are new here, please tell me a little about yourself! If you do not have a blog, please be sure to choose 'anonymous' when leaving your comment and you *must* leave your name and email address so that I can contact you if you win!

If you are under 18, please get your parent or guardians' permission because I'll need a mailing address to ship the prize to you if you win!

I designed a series of charms in this style.

By leaving a comment, you are entering to win this one or one very similar to it. I will choose the winner on Feb. 17th.

:o)
~*HAVE FUN & HAPPY OWOH!!!*~
Amber
www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

CHARM DAY! It's not that far away! I'm starting this year's blog roll file in preparation!

2011-01-20T05:23:00.002-05:00

I'm recruiting an art charm army! Who's interested in participating in our world wide event this year? We need to get the word out so everyone can prepare their special parties, RAKs and tutorials as well as organize the blogroll of participants and giveaways! Spread the news! International Charm Day is April 28th!
You can notify me by leaving a comment if you will be posting something special about handmade art charms to your blog the week of April 28th!
Remember it is a day to wear, share and appreciate the art form.

If you are not a blogger/google user, choose anonymous when leaving a comment and leave me your contact email. My comments are moderated; I will *not* publish your message if you leave me an email!

(((If you have never made one, you can start at any time. You can make them however you want.

No time better than now to start practicing!)))

~Spotlight on Designer Cheryl Strait!~

2010-12-30T03:17:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to, ~*CHERYL STRAIT!*~

Before she and I met in person recently, Cheryl and I knew one another's name via the Internet for a couple of years. We had both participated in a One World One Heart blog hop hosted by Lisa Swifka!

I felt an instant rush when I read her name on a sign behind a table she was vending from in Danbury CT. this past fall.

Instant recognition!

We were both excited to meet one another in person and I really enjoyed viewing and browsing through her array of hand made jewelry offerings.

The selection was so diverse and interesting! She creates a lot of wonderful eye candy!

Cheryl creates mixed media charms too!

Be sure to visit her links so that you can view a wide selection of art to wear that she creates!

Some of Her Handmade Art Charm Collection.

This Is Her Studio!

Enameled Metals

Cheryl, you design a wide array of jewelry and charms.
How did you get started?
Growing up I was always involved in something creative, be it crafts in girl scouts, , painting and creating signs for the pep club in Middle and High school ,and now Jewelry Making, My husband who was in the Army, always gave me jewelry and after his death in 1997, I thought I would never receive another piece of jewelry from him, after Soul searching and putting my creative wheels in motion, I used my savings to take classes from some of the best instructors I could, and then began working on my jewelry making skills, and growing my business. In essence I feel every time I make a piece of jewelry my husband has a hand in it, and is shining down on me from above.

What are some of your favorite materials to work with and why?
I am a metal and stone girl, I love working with Sterling Silver and gemstones, Sterling has a quality like no other, and using techniques to manipulate this material, is incredibly rewarding.
For stones I like working with Natural gemstones,Turquoise is still my favorite, there is something therapeutic to this stone for me, the colors , veins and textures are amazing.

What is your favorite method of aging metal?
I don't think I have one particular favorite, but I do love hammering on rock stone or concrete to create texture.

Do you feel that you are inspired by nature?
Yes, I love to sneak away and spend time at the Ocean , desert and Mountains, it brings me back to One, and it does wonders for my Creative Soul.

What types of charms do you collect (if any)
I love handmade charms.

Do you have any special memories that involve charms?
.....Actually the one that sticks out is when (you) Amber Dawn traded your charms with me at Art is You, in Danbury Ct. This year. It was just so touching , the moment is forever in my heart!

Thank you SO much for sharing part of your world with us Cheryl!
Amber
One of my favorites!!!- UrbanRomantic on Etsy!

http://urbanromantic.etsy.com

http://itsmyurls.com/cherylstrait
http://www.cherylsstudio.theshoppe.com
http://cherylstrait.etsy.com
http://cherylstrait.wordpress.com
http://www.senseofashion.com/cherylstrait

~Cynthia Deis~ Charming Tutorial & Interview- December Spotlight Feature (#1)

2010-12-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

This month I will be shining a spotlight on a few artists and designers.

~*I'd like to share with you, one of America's great sources for beautiful, stylish & trendy charm making ideas, supplies and components, CYNTHIA! Well, not exactly-. ~*Ornamentea*~

The selection of merchandise is wonderful*~

Cynthia Deis is the owner of the famous bead and jewelry shop Ornamentea & one of my Spotlight Features for this month. I met her through a charm swap I hosted & liked her right away.

She has a bright personality and a lot of design ideas to share. I enjoy her blog & tutorials. She is an ornament to the art charm design community & has added a lot of goodness to it.

Without further ado...

Interview with Cynthia Deis by, Amber Dawn

Hi Cynthia, would you please introduce yourself?

Hello! I am Cynthia Deis. I am from Ohio, although I am settled in North Carolina. I have been a maker my whole life and was lucky enough to grow up in a family where the expectation of all of us was that we'd be engaged in productive, crafty work most of the time.

Do you have a charm bracelet?

If so, what are your favorite charms on it (why?)

Oh yes! I have several! I love both the idea of charms as tiny bits of wearable art and the idiom of the charm bracelet with the narrative and thematic possibilities it presents.

I think my favorite of all my bracelets is one that features charms related to my husband and children. It has a variety of charms and hand-made beads that remind me of my family and I wear it every time I travel. My favorite charm of all is on this bracelet. It is a sweet soldered-glass charm that has my daughter's name and the word 'big sister' on it that was made for me by Denita Purser, a good friend and talented artist. Denita actually gave the charm to my daughter when her younger sister was born but I have been 'saving' it for her on my bracelet. I love that the charm has clear glass in it, somehow the heart floating in the clear glass really appeals to me. I think that was also one of the first hand-made charms I was ever given, and so that makes it extra special. On this bracelet I also have a crab charm/bead made by Bob Burkett (my husband is a Cancer, so that's for him), a Green Girl metal-clay charm that I wore when I was pregnant and other things like that. The bracelet also has ribbon and bits of cloth tied along the chain-they are scraps from a baby jumper my mother made for my oldest daughter.

What is your earliest or happiest memory of making jewelry?

My earliest memory is of discovering some brass wire in our garage as a young teen and curving spiral swirls of the wire that opened out into earrings. I hammered the wire on the concrete back porch and left chips in the porch! I made so many pairs of those earrings and sold them to other girls at school. I should have recognized then that I would be a jewelry designer but somehow it took me another 15 years to really get that straight

Some of my happiest memories of making jewelry involve being with other artists around a table. I love the give-and-take of conversation that occurs when you are making something with your hands and eyes. Somehow the heart opens up and the most wonderful connections are made between the artists.

What is it that you love most about designing jewelry?

That it is wearable. It's hard to walk around with your newest painting under your arm but a new bracelet can immediately be taken out and shown to the world.

How did Ornamentea come to be?

After I finally realized I should be a jewelry designer I started designing and selling my work under the trade name Bedizen Ornaments. I sold to small boutiques and did private-label work for catalogs and better chain stores. I really enjoyed the challenge of designing for different types of specific customers and the pace of designing several large collections a year. The work involved a lot of travel and I was lucky enough to meet and make friends with so many talented designers and store owners from around the country. After several years the company grew to the point where my husband left his corporate job to help me with the business side of the operation. He had the idea to open the store when the neighborhood around our studio began to gentrify and he actually built the very first store, shelf-by-shelf. We opened with a store that sold some of my jewelry, work by some of my friends and lots and lots of beads. I loved having a store and teaching people to create their own jewelry! As the business grew over the first year I realized that I could stay home more and concentrate on the store and on working with people and helping them with their creative projects. I gave up designing for production clients the week after I taught the first class at our store. It was so much fun to teach people how to make their own jewelry, I wanted to do that every day.

Can you tell us how you have celebrated International Handmade Art Charms Day in the past?

I have participated in swaps but this last year I set upon the perfect way to celebrate. I placed wrapped charms around town that day with a message saying that I was celebrating International Charm Day and letting the person know they had received a gift from me. I put in my blog address, too, in case the recipient wanted to contact me. A few did and it was fun to see that they enjoyed the discovery! I think I will do the same thing this year. I have been saving charms all year for this! I didn't travel anywhere special, just went along on my normal errands to the library, grocery store and shoe repair shop.

Do you have any favorite jewelry components that you recommend we try?

On of my very favorite things to use for making charms is fold-over or crimp-on ribbon ends. They aren't just for ribbon! I have used these for paper, mica, cloth, chain and just about anything else. I love using them to anchor tiny books.

Here is a tutorial that Cynthia designed in which she shows us how to use one of her favorite components to make mini book charms with, the fold-over or crimp-on ribbon ends. <---link (you just need to scroll down a little once you click the link to find them)

Reminder Charm

Designer, Cynthia Deis

This tiny charm is composed of dictionary definitions from a French-English dictionary. The words chosen remind the wearer to detortiller, to relax and untwist themselves. Like many of my favorite charms, it addresses a need I have to untwist myself from the daily whirl of activity from time-to-time. I’ve added a safety pin to the charm so that it can easily be pinned to a collar.

Ingredients

1 antique copper crimp-on ribbon end bar, ½ inch

1 antique brass square jump ring, ¼ inch

1 silvertoned safety pin, 1 inch

1 small plastic blossom

dictionary pages

Tools

Scissors

Chain nose pliers

Flat nose pliers

1.Trim the dictionary page into strips ½ inch by 1 ½ inches so that the selected words will show. Allign pages and place them inside the crimp-on ribbon end. Using your flat nose pliers slowly crimp the ribbon end until the pages are secure.

2. Using your chain nose pliers open the jump ring. Feed the ring through the loop on the ribbon end and through the safety pin and blossom. Check the alignment of the blossom and the pin before closing the jump ring securely.

Variations

Choose pages from old maps depicting locations you’d like to visit.

Print images of family members and pin this to your collar before you head out of town on a long trip.

Use fortune-cookie fortunes for the pages.

Ornamentea
919-834-6260
509 N. West St. Raleigh, NC 27603

Follow her store on twitter, search Ornamentea
Can't get enough of her? Read Cynthia's blog at beadfreak
Read her weekly newsletter
Sign up for a free weekly project idea with the Dot Com Dispatch

~*Thank you Cynthia!*~

-Amber Dawn

~Featured Charm Maker for October, Mandy McDonald!~

2010-10-22T14:58:00.001-04:00

I thought that it would be nice to share with you some of the charm makers that I have and continue to meet from time to time. Some have been swapping with me for years and years while others I have met more recently.

My first spotlight feature happens to be someone whom I met through a charm exchange a couple of years ago.

This is a spotlight on Mandy, she recently joined in another charm swap that I hosted last month. The theme, Birds. I absolutely adored her charm presentation... Please enjoy!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your history with charm design.

I started making jewelry and charms back in 2001 and have been taking classes, reading books, and learning by trial and error ever since. I love to be creative & I've played around with a lot of different types of mediums. Working with wire, metal & glass tend to be my favorites. I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, close to a lot of family, my mother, aunts & grandmothers had a great influence on my love of being creative.

What is it that you like about making charms.

I like figuring out how to make common objects on a tiny scale.

Do you have a favorite piece of charm jewelry in your collection? If so, please tell us about it.

My favorite charm is not one that I made nor was made by anyone I know. It is a small sterling starfish charm my sister gave to me as a Maid of Honor gift at her wedding. I'm a pretty sentimental person, I put the charm on my key chain so that I have it with me every day. Every time I start my car I think of my little sister.

You participated in a bird theme swap, can you tell us how you came up with your design?

We just moved into a new house and a bird built her nest on our front porch. Every day I would go out and check on her and there she'd be there just sitting in her nest. About two weeks after we moved in her babies hatched. I didn't think about it until you asked me this question, but I think subconsciously that little Mama bird sitting on her eggs in her nest is what inspired this design.

Bird Swap Photos

Birds are made out of paper clay, acrylic paint and sealed with varnish. For the package I made a paper mache "Egg" from newspaper, glue, & acrylic paint.

Flower Swap

I made tiny boxes out of cardboard to be able to keep them small; they are only about 5/8" square. I used vintage Forget-Me-Not flowers & surrounded them by German Glass Glitter on one side and on the other side words saying Forget-Me-Not cut out of vintage books.

LasVegas Swap

I found vintage Bingo chips with everyone's lucky number and cut out their lucky number out of vintage bingo cards then soldered around the edges and backs. For the package I scanned the Bingo cards and made them about the same size as a playing card to hold their new "Lucky Charms".

Romantic Swap
I took miniature dried roses and covered them with resin. The resin makes them hard as rocks, I drilled a hole in the stem and then wrapped them with wire to make them into the charms. I made vintage inspired Valentines Day cards for the packaging.

Wizard Of Oz Swap

I made a broom out of copper tubing, silver & copper wire. I cut disks and then used metal stamps to punch the saying onto them. The packaging is just fabric & ric rac glued onto card stock.

Mandy started a new blog recently, keep an eye out for more of her charm art posts!

www.awhimsicalfleamarket.blogspot.com

Charm day exchange!

2010-10-19T15:13:00.000-04:00

Is there interest for a charm day celebration charm exchange?

I started a FaceBook Group for International Charm Day! Please Join!

2010-10-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162655203762888&ap=1
This link will take you to a new FaceBook group that I started for International Handmade Art Charms Day, International Charm Day for short!
Join in and share your handmade art charm pictures, links and tell us where you are from if you'd like!

#4 is the winner chosen by random.org

2010-10-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

Carol, #4... Please send your mailing info!
Congratulations!

New Video - Tiny Polymer Clay Cupcakes & Sweets on YouTube

2010-09-25T14:37:00.003-04:00

CLICK the video 2X to go to YouTube or click the link here-http://www.youtube.com/user/FunFairCreations#p/u/13/OVmP6o7xNSw

NEW VIDEO! TINY polymer clay cupcakes & sweets sure to make many, if not all smile at least once while watching! (Gotta watch all 9 minutes to see it all) The fancier cupcakes are towards the end. These are pictures that I have already posted to my Flickr and blog account. I just compiled some of them and made a video!

PLEASE share this link with all of those who you think might like it, you can even embed it on your website.

PLEASE Subscribe & leave feedback on youtube!
:o)

Free charm giveaway ends soon!

2010-09-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's not too late to enter to win!
All nations are welcome to join, from any part of the world.

Read the details here--->
http://internationalcharmday.blogspot.com/2010/09/charming-giveaway.html

Charms made by Colleen Athens & Heather Brauner of NJ

2010-09-14T15:40:00.001-04:00

I taught a mixed media charm class a couple of weeks ago and these are some of the students' results.
Colleen and Heather are both very creative and talented doll artists who dabble in various mixed media work.
Original concept designs by, Amber Dawn

~A Charming Giveaway!~

2010-09-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

If you would like to enter to win a couple of charms and bead dangles, all you have to do is leave a comment telling us how you heard about International Charm Day and if you might be celebrating it on April 28th 2011.

If you do not have a blog, you can leave a message by clicking "anonymous" on the menu when it pops up. Please be sure to include your name and country (state too) so that if you win, you can claim your prize!

~*Wishing you a Charming Day!*~

An encased abstract rose charm I made with glass and a torch.

2010-07-08T14:43:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite charm that I have made for myself a couple of years back.

Miniature cupcake giveaway!- Polymer clay

2010-06-27T11:41:00.001-04:00

Come on over to my blog, www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com
Leave a comment on the Tea Party post and enter to win a cupcake!!!

Another chance to win!

2010-06-11T22:11:00.002-04:00

If you *really* wanted to win one, it is not too late to try again!
http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2010/06/steampink-coach-car-giveaway.html
See the link above and get into the rest of the blog, it is SO entertaining!
Amber

And the winner is!...

2010-06-11T19:32:00.002-04:00

The winner is Stella (Ex Libris)

#29 as chosen from Random.Org

Please send me your mailing info. It will not be published to the blog if you leave it in the comments section. I moderate the comments.

Congratulations!!!
Amber Dawn
www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

Picking a winner in just a couple of hours! It's not too late to enter to win one!!!

2010-06-11T16:19:00.002-04:00

http://internationalcharmday.blogspot.com/2010/06/steampunk-charm-giveaway.html

What Country Are You Joining Us From?

2010-06-07T18:47:00.001-04:00

Please leave a comment and tell us what part of the world you are celebrating Charm Day in!

If you are joining in from the USA, you can just say USA or leave your State name too!

~*Thank you!*~

& be sure to leave a comment on the post below, offering a prize of a handmade polymer clay, Steampunk charm!

Charm Day in South Africa with Elna & Benice was published in Ish. 24 of BEAD Book Magazine.

2010-06-05T03:26:00.000-04:00

~*International Charm Day was celebrated in a fun way, down in South Africa and written about in a beautiful looking bead and jewelry magazine!*~

Elna and Benice hosted a workshop on April 28th, Charm Day.
A bunch of people gathered together to create, exchange and wear art charms!
You can read about the event on the "Between Cupcakes & Tea" blog here-

http://betweencupcakesandtea.blogspot.com/2010/04/international-charm-day.html

Or if you live in South Africa, perhaps you can read about it here-

www.beadbook.net

~*Thank you for sharing this with us Benice & Elna!*~

~Steampunk charm giveaway!~

2010-06-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

I designed these as charms for a Steampunk swap which I recently hosted, making double the amount needed, to have extras to use send as gifts.

I would LOVE to share one here too! Giving it away to one winner!

They were each inspired by someone really cool, who's work and personality made me smile, while thinking of them while I made them.

So, no two are alike.

I will pick one from the bunch at random and choose a winner next Friday.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment!

~*Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!*~

To see if you are a winner-

2010-05-29T18:28:00.000-04:00

You need to scroll through the page and read the title above each photo. It has the name of the winner posted.
~*Thanks!*~

Did you check to see if you had won?

2010-05-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

OK WINNERS!
Several of you have *not* claimed your prizes. I would hope that if you entered that you would *check* each prize to see if you had won.

Join the polymer clay miniature party!!!

2010-05-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/inventivesouls/

~Beautiful and fun!~ Tiny miniature charms!

2010-05-14T11:43:00.002-04:00

Come and see my newest work on *YOU TUBE!*

My ID is FunFairCreations http://www.youtube.com/user/FunFairCreations

Closeups of the charms in the videos can be seen on my Flickr acct.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/inventivesouls/

I have some FUN miniature cupcake charms and micro minis on my blog! Come and see!

2010-05-06T22:43:00.000-04:00

Please come on over to my blog and see what I have made this week!!!
Click HERE<---

Winners were posted on each of the prizes hours ago...

2010-05-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

Random.org chose the winners and I posted each one along with the prize. To see who won, scroll down through each of the posts.

I will be posting more charms to give away and I have not yet tallied up the entries for the cupcake charm offered to those who advertised Charm Day... So be back again at the end of this week to see more!!!

I made this today... It's 100% polymer clay!

Amber Dawn

I'll be choosing winners at 9pm NY time

2010-05-03T16:49:00.002-04:00

If you haven't yet commented under the items you wish to enter, there are still a few hours to get in!
I am choosing the winners via RANDOM.ORG at 9pm this evening.

:o)

Hello!

2010-04-30T18:23:00.000-04:00

Please continue to enter comments for the items you wish to enter the drawings for.

Due to project deadlines I am unable to upload the images for the additional gems and charms that I have yet to post.

I hope to continue on Monday.

~*Have a great weekend everyone!!!*~

Amber

~Tiny World In a Bottle~ by, Japanese Architectural model designer~ Akinobu Izumi

2010-04-29T10:00:00.001-04:00

TinyWorldInaBottle on Etsy <---Link to his Etsy shop.
These are some products which Akinobu Izumi has made using the same items and materials he uses for making Architectural models.
A nice example of how one's profession can cross over into charm making!

And one more great note of interest- Akinobu- Takes custom orders!!!

((Only $21.00 which includes shipping from Tokyo, Japan.))

Click here to see this listing- ~Bottle of tiny dogs~
Dogs in a field. Lady is gathering them to feed.

*Only approx. 2.5mm (0.1inch) long super tiny dogs.

*Tiny bottle, about the size of 22mm (0.9inch) height × 13mm (0.5inch) diameter

Dogs:

Dalmatian
Pug
Dachs hund
Standard Schnauzer
Flat-Coated Retriever
Shiba

Material:

*Dogs, lady - paper

*Land - plastic clay

*Tree - brass, sponges

*Bottles - glass, cork

~Bottle of a large pumpkin and a white cat in front of a tree~

A white cat is staring at a large pumpkin.

~Bottle of tiny Tyrannosaurus~

Took out only Tyrannosaurus from a museum.

~Bottle of tiny cherry blossom and a kissing couple and a white bench~

A couple is kissing beside a cherry blossom in spring.

(((All of these are also $21.00 with shipping from Tokyo)))

See his Etsy Shop for more cool miniatures!!!

~Connie Williams' charm giveaway~ A bronze skeleton bird.

2010-04-29T09:23:00.000-04:00

"I will be giving away one of my new hand sculpted bronze skeleton bird charms. it is a bronze bird with a skull head and skeleton hand wings and tail,perched on a white pearl nested in a skeleton hand. Typical my style of charm."

~Charm Day in South Africa~ With Elna & Benice

2010-04-29T08:08:00.001-04:00

Dear Amber

We had a hugely successful International Charm Day here in sunny Centurion (South Africa)!! Thanx again for your vision in proclaiming 28 April International Charm Day :)

Will you please post a link to our blog where your "fans" can see the evidence of our event...

Elna & Benice
www.betweencupcakesandtea.blogspot.com

~*Thank you for hosting this beautiful celebration in South Africa Elna and Benice! These charms are quite lovely and the diversity is interesting too! What fun. I am so glad that you had such a great turn out!*~
Please post if your event is published! I would love to see a copy of the article!

~Jayne's giveaway~

2010-04-29T00:22:00.001-04:00

Boot-C is having her own giveaway in honor of charm day~
Click "here"

More giveaways to come!

2010-04-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

There are others who will be posting their giveaways. As soon as they do I will add the links.
This party will continue on till May 1st!
It is not too late to join in!!!

Helga Strauss ~ArtChix~ Artist & Owner is offering a necklace giveaway for Charm Day!

2010-04-28T14:54:00.000-04:00

Here is beautiful Helga, modeling the very same necklace that she is giving away for International Charm Day! Helga is joining us from Canada!

Stop on over to see her blog and while you are there, enter to win, and then see all of the wonderful things that she has going on!

http://myartisticlife.typepad.com/

~*Thank you Helga!*~ Happy Charm Day!!!

Oh So Charming (a charm swap group on Yahoo groups)

2010-04-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

Dawn Sellers hosts a charm swap group named Oh So Charming.

Although I have not swapped with this group, I have participated in a swap that Dawn hosted in 2006.

She asks for a donation to join the group, but it is not mandatory.

www.dawnsellers.typepad.com/oh_so_charming

Dawn's email address ddsellers at hotmail dot com

~Win a fairy cake!~

2010-04-28T11:39:00.001-04:00

WINNERS! #18! (too funny! it's a guy I went to HS with!) Congratulations Jose! If you *really* want this, send me your mailing info please by Friday! I am going to hit random. org for another winner right now... OK, #1! Jessica in SF!

You won too!

~*Leave a comment if you are interested in winning one!*~

~Silver & Gold!~ wire

2010-04-28T11:00:00.001-04:00

WINNER! #1 Jayne Congratulations Please send me your mailing info by Friday!

Would you like to enter for a chance to win the following?-
(1 foot/12 inches of each-)
14/20 Gold Filled 24 GA wire 1/2 Hard
14/20 Gold Filled 26 GA wire 1/2 Hard

Sterling Silver 24 GA wire 1/2 Hard

Sterling Silver 26 GA wire 1/2 Hard

You might win one of these-

2010-04-28T10:38:00.001-04:00

WINNER! #3, Carol.

Congratulations!

Please contact me with your mailing info before Friday!

Leave a comment if you are interested in winning!
The winner will win a random piece (one) chosen from the photo above.

Laser cut plexiglass mirror charm connectors.

2010-04-28T10:36:00.001-04:00

WINNER! #14 Elizabeth in NM

Congratulations!

Please contact me with your mailing info by Friday!

Leave a comment if you are interested in winning! Postcard is not included this year.

Win some chain great for making charm jewelry!

2010-04-28T10:33:00.003-04:00

WINNER! #8 Bobiwash!

Congratulations.

Please contact me with your mailing address before Friday!

Leave a comment if you are interested in winning!

Semi Precious Beads & Findings

2010-04-28T10:32:00.001-04:00

2 WINNERS!

#9 Leslie Sirag and #19 Judy (anonymous)

Leave a comment if you would like to win a mix of beads, filigree and findings! The image shows the kinds of beads that may be included in your assortment. I will be picking more than one winner on this one!

~Esther's micro charm book giveaway in ~France*~ & a French Charm Day Tutorial!

2010-04-28T09:44:00.002-04:00

CLICK ---"HERE"

~*Thank you Esther!*~

Esther is also hosting a charm making tutorial in French. She shares how she makes an image filled bottle cap, with a UTEE gloss encasing.

To see this tutorial, (it's in French) click here--

"Esther's blog- Tutorial on 4/28"

~HAPPY CHARM DAY!~ Leave a comment if you'd like to be entered to win this book. Check back on the evening of the 29th Western hemisphere/30th Eastern Hemisphere, to see who wins this.

2010-04-27T23:10:00.003-04:00

WINNER!

#4 Tricia in Australia!

Congratulations!!!

Please send me your mailing address before Friday!

Thank you!

*It is one of my favorite jewelry how to books* To see some of the pieces of the jewelry that were featured in this book, look here- http://acharmingexchange.blogspot.com/

In less than 24 hours it will be charm day here in the USA!

2010-04-27T19:11:00.001-04:00

If you are hosting a giveaway, charm party, or other charm related event, have a tutorial to share, a photo of your favorite handmade art charms, wish to share a story about how art charms have improved or changed your life, SEND ME THE LINK!

Not before you post, please send the link after you post.

Check back through the 29th to see all of the giveaways and chances for you to enter to win charms, charm making supplies and other goodies!

Celebrate by wearing your art charms and giving away charms to random friends and family or even perfect strangers!

It would be nice if you have errands to run, that you bring some extra charms with you to hand out to people you meet along the way.

Whatever you do or however you celebrate, share, care and LOVE!!!!

See ya after midnight!

~*Amber Dawn*~

Hurry hurry!!! 3 days!!!

2010-04-25T10:28:00.002-04:00

Advertise it! it's in *3* days!!!

Attention to everyone!

2010-04-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

If you will be posting a tutorial, charm day give away or charm related sale on your site, *please contact me with your links so that I may post them ahead of time.

Follow this through Networked Blogs on Facebook!

2010-04-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/international_charm_day/

or click here ((( Charm Day Blog on FB)))

I keep making cupcake beads to share on Charm Day!

2010-04-14T23:45:00.000-04:00

~WINNER!~ Anne De Seny

2010-04-12T19:55:00.001-04:00

http://annedeseny.canalblog.com/ is the winner!

All you have to do to be entered to win, is to blog about International Charm day being on April 28th, and add a link back to this blog! It's OK to use the Charm Day icon in your post too! And you may also add a photo of this cupcake on your blog to let others know that they too can win it!
There will be many more giveaways and events happening ALL over the world!
So far we have participants in South Africa and Hawaii with a scheduled event!
How about you?
How will you celebrate?

Comment me or email me to tell me that you blogged and I will add you to the list of names entered into the drawing!

Win a Charm BRACELET by Amber Dawn! It's time to start promoting!

2010-04-11T15:08:00.000-04:00

If you blog about International Charm Day, add the icon with a link back to this blog, you will be entered to win a custom made charm bracelet~ themes include, but are not limited to-
Cupcakes, steampunk, crystals, semiprecious beads or mixed media charms...

If you host an event or giveaway on your site I will enter you to win a set of handmade charms and some cool supplies!
Leave me comments or message me to let me know how you are participating.
Thank you very much!!!

Amber
See samples of my cupcakes here-
www.inventivesoul.blogspot.com

Start by getting involved!

2010-02-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

Please spread the news!
April 28 is International Charm Day!
Let many know that if they add themselves to the "follow" box (widget) and follow this blog publicly, they will automatically be entered in the many prize drawings that will be hosted, right here!
And I have some cute and cool things already lined up!

Start planning your own way of participating.

Will you host your own giveaways?
Will you make charms to give to those in your community?
Will you send a charm and card to someone random?
Maybe you can send one to someone who is in need of some cheer?

It's all about sharing and caring!

Please remember this is not about selling and advertising your charmed goods as much as it is about the technique and art form.

This is a holiday. Let's spread the news!

Use the Charm Day picture on your blog with a link to www.InternationalCharmDay.blogspot.com

Remember that this is an International event and people from all countries are invited to join us!

Google Translate may help as well as other translation tools.
Many comments come to me in foreign languages.
If possible try to use English when leaving English speaking bloggers a comment.
:o)
And if you know more than one language, try and post your charm day posts multilingually!

I'll be back in the weeks ahead for an update!
Let me know if you would like to submit a tutorial or charm related story or art work!

~*Amber*~

Charm Day 2010! 4/28 Join Us!

2010-01-13T09:38:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!
Charm Day 2010 is coming up!
If you hope to participate this year, please let me know if you would like to be a part of the event by leaving a comment or by sending me an email or snail mail letter.

I've been making charms and bracelets to give away and have been assembling little prize packs as well.

Don't forget that Charm Day is all about the exchange of charms and appreciation for the art, sound and feel of charms.
If you would like to prepare your blog to have a CHARMing presentation for that day, please feel free to send me a link.

I'll begin setting up this blog in February in preparation.

~*Thank you for keeping up to speed!*~

Amber

I'm hosting a Storybook/Red theme charm swap!

2009-10-29T02:27:00.001-04:00

Interested in more info?

........

2009-10-14T14:20:00.003-04:00

I really love the colorfulness of 'Ugly Betty'!

The designers for the show are very talented.

I am happy that they film locally, here, often, it's fun!
I'm not sure if I could post any pictures... Legal?

I'll find out!

~STORYBOOK RED CHARMS!~ go Hollywood!

2009-10-13T01:21:00.002-04:00

I will be hosting a charm swap this fall-winter for the Life Through Art foundation.

The theme will be story books, however each charm must have RED as the focal color.

Red Shoes?
Red Apples?
Red Riding hood?
Red Wagon?
Red Dog?
Red Hearts?
Red Sky?
Red Dress?
Find a story book you love and incorporate your spin on the imagery, characters, objects within the book etc. Add a tag or print up mentioning your inspiration and be sure to make your charms with the color RED as the focal or main accent color.
The size of each charm MUST be smaller than 1 inch including the jumpring and any extras you might like to add. 1 inch in total size.
The number of charms to swap will be 5-10 pieces per person with a commitment to send an extra charm as a donation. Depending on the number of people who sign up, the number may be slightly higher or perhaps more than one group per skill level will be set up.
There will be 2 groups, advanced charm makers and beginner charm makers.
The quality of both groups will need to be your best work because the charms that are sent as extras will be auctioned at a fundraiser in HOLLYWOOD!
Ooh so glamorous!
:o)
More details will follow, I am just getting you warmed up to the idea.
Please pass the word on.
The swaps will be due the first week of December so you have time to think about this one.
Please leave me a comment or email me to let me know if you wold like to join in.

~Ebay Auctions for A CHARMING EXCHANGE!~

2009-10-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

A Charming Exchange, the auctions on Ebay!
Click HERE to bid!

~THINK PINK!~ We need help!

2009-08-15T10:21:00.001-04:00

SO many people asked to join and SO many people also dropped out at the last minute!
We went from almost 30 participants to less than 9!
HELP!!!

All you have to do is send in 12 nicely made mostly PINK charms and you'll get 10 back.
The extra 2 will be used to help raise funds over on Girl Gone Thread Wild (Monica Magness)

If you forgot that you signed up and are reading this, it's not too late!
PLEASE join us!!!!
We need your help!
See the details here-
www.makesawish.blogspot.com

Looking for tutorials, stories and pictures related to charm making.

2009-08-14T12:54:00.001-04:00

I am making a zine, and would like to feature other artists, their charms and techniques!
If you are interested in submitting work, please keep the following in mind-
The deadline is Monday September 7th.
I am looking for work that is inventive, clean, interesting, fun, well thought out, and wearable!.
These don't all have to be *the* words to describe each piece, these are just general terms that can be associated with the work.

If you would like to write about how your charm is made or share tutorial, please let me know.
Your information should include materials, tools and a description of steps from start to finish of the charm.
Also consider trial and error lessons if you have any to share and perhaps your own tips and tricks on how to get the unique look you have created.

I am also interested in stories-
Has charm making or charm swapping affected or maybe even changed your life?
Interesting reactions that people have towards your charms or work that you have gotten from charm swaps.
Has making charms changed your view of other art forms?
A story related to a time you wore or shared your charm jewelry in public.
Or- why not share another story about charms or charm swapping.

If you would just like to submit actual charms, or photographs of charms, you may do that too.
You will need to include your name and email address with each charm.
Photos must be clear and done well -->focused.

The zine will be a black and white (on Xerox) 5.x8. layout. Think of a folded sheet of copy paper size with a white boarder/gutter.

I will have ad space available too, if anyone would like to mention their charm related sales or charm related sites.

~*Thank you for reading this*~
Amber

www.inventivesoul.blogspot.com

August followers giveaway on my main blog this week!

2009-08-05T09:38:00.002-04:00

Check it out!
Ends August 7th!
www.inventivesoul.blogspot.com

Prizes are mailed!

2009-06-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

I've had some pleasant surprises these past two
weekends that took up most of my time.

So for those of you who are still waiting for one of the little prize charms

please be patient and know that it will be in your mailbox soon.

:o)

~*THE END*~

Charms and Pendants from 3 Valentine swaps.

2009-05-29T22:33:00.002-04:00

These were made for the Charmed_Designs group and Charms2007Swap group for a Valentine theme.

~CHARMSTERS~

2009-05-29T22:20:00.004-04:00

I would like to share some pictures from just a swap I was in this year.

"Keys to Spring" hosted by Laurel Steven, owner of "Charmsters" on Yahoo.

Please leave a comment if you would like more info about the group.

More charm group and swap info being posted next week. Prize claim time frame is over until next year.

2009-05-22T04:09:00.002-04:00

It's a wrap for the prizes.
Thank you to everyone who was able to check in on time and claim their prizes.

Next week I will be posting info for those who are interested in learning about the charm exchange groups that I know of which are open to the public, and some that aren't, for swapping and sharing.

I will also be posting pictures from several charm artists who have participated in swaps with me and pictures of several charms from swaps that I have joined in with other hosts.

Please mark your calendars for next year's I.C.D. on 4/28 and be sure to prepare for it in advance!

All are welcome to join in from all over the world.

Although I will keep the blog open for next year's event, posts will not continue on a regular basis.
See you next week!

I fixed the settings for comments-

2009-05-19T08:36:00.002-04:00

The settings have been modified for those who are not registered blog users.
Anyone can leave comments here now.
I hope this fixes things a bit!

If you do leave a comment anonymously, and you expect a reply, you will have to check back to the post/comments list where you left the comment to see any replies.

For those that didn't win-

2009-05-15T18:44:00.003-04:00

I mentioned in the previous post that all non winners could send me postage to get a couple of charm making/related goodies in the mail too.
Please send me your email address if you need more info.

:o)

~Please note there are now SMALL stars too Check in and see...~

2009-05-15T01:10:00.006-04:00

After doing 3 sets of large stars, it was getting crowded so I shrunk them down a lot and now some just twinkle on each photo or name rather than frame it.

If there is no star on your picture, it was not randomly chosen. *HOWEVER* if you want to send me postage for a prize, I will send you some charm making goodies to play with!
(I just cannot afford to send everyone a prize with the current cost of postage.)

If you see a star on your profile pic or framing your profile picture below (Or next to your name for those with no chosen avatar) PLEASE send me your name and mailing info *as well as- the color of your star and if I do not know you, please describe your picture to me OR tell me the line it is on- down and across so I can find you.

THANK YOU!!!*~

You have just 1 week to contact me!

YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURE TO MAKE IT LARGER!

The comments here are not posted to the blog if they contain your address. I moderate ALL comments -So it is safe.

Also for those who may not feel comfortable posting the info here send it to- charms2wear at AOL dot com

Non winners- If you want to send postage for a prize, contact me! :o) it's less than $2.00 for USA and a little more for over seas. This offer is open to those that are pictured above with no star, and those who may have missed the deadline and won the last round,but never claimed their prizes.

~And the winner for ~A Charming Exchange~ is #29!~

2009-05-15T00:17:00.003-04:00

Sorry to post so late, I had a very busy day!

I just pulled the number 29 from a pile of 32 slips of paper.

~*#29*~ come on down and claim your prize!
I need your name and mailing address to send to Kelly Snelling so she can mail you the book!

~*YAY!!!*~

Please be responsive :o)

2009-05-12T09:41:00.001-04:00

I'll be posting more winners on Thursday,
including the winners of the beads, findings and book.

~*PLEASE- contact me if I post your picture with a star around it
with the color of the star, EMAIL, your name ***and***Complete* MAILING address.

I cannot contact you any other way.
You can leave a comment here or send it to charms2wear at aol dot com

~*THANK YOU!!!!*~

Mailed charm prizes to-

2009-05-09T05:58:00.003-04:00

~*Anne Le Toux*~ France
~*Tracy M. B.*~ Canada
~*Gillian*~ Scotland
~*Sharon*~ USA
~*Bonnie*~ USA
~*Pat Winter*~ USA
~*Doreen*~ USA
~*Francie*~ USA
~*Cindy*~ USA
And
~*Helga*~ Canada
& ~*Maya*~ USA

11 prizes are unclaimed and are now being added to the next draw.
That includes, "A Charming Exchange"

Wishing all of you mommies a ~*HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!!!*~

A really cool Charm Day celebration by Sharon & her husband Charlie..

2009-05-07T02:39:00.002-04:00

This is an email, that made me smile, which was posted to one of my charm exchange groups...

Sent: Sat, 2 May 2009 1:09 pm
Subject: [~*CHARMS*~] Re: Don't miss out! This will be worth the time!

Mornin' ladies,
I thought I'd tell you about how I 'articipated in Dawn's special charm party. I
made 29 charms (monday was my 29th wedding anniversary) They were pc hearts with
real pearls as the dangle(like the black one I sent you Amber) and mon/tues I
hid them all over the place....they had a teeny card attached with Dawn's charm
day blog address and a little note about spreading love and art. It had no
name,just my email address on it and I asked the findees to drop me a line and
tell me where they found the charm. So far I've had nineteen replies.....I left
them at the restaurant where we ate and in the changing room where he took me
shopping,the ladies room everywhere we went.....a couple were dropped in the
fresh flowers they have at Albertson's,one at Dunkin Donuts,some where I
work...well,you get the idea. It was a blast and Charlie loved playing too!!
Thanks Amber,it'll be an anniversary to remember!! love ya
~smiles~
Sharon (MoonRae)

Five out of Twenty

2009-05-07T02:04:00.002-04:00

Just a bit surprised to have only heard back from 5 out of the 20 chosen participants.
I have info from
Anne in France-
Bonnie-
Cindy-
Sharon-
Doreen
If you sent your info and have not heard back from me, please try again?
Please?

You have until midnight tonight.

Are you a winner and cannot leave a comment?

2009-05-04T01:15:00.004-04:00

Hi~ Everyone who won!
If you have had trouble leaving a comment to claim your prize- PLEASE be sure to get in touch now this way --- charms2wear at AOL . com
Sorry about Blogger not letting you leave me comments!

You have until Thursday to claim the prizes before I put them back in the pool and draw other "names" (profile pictures) instead.

I will be mailing the first batch of prizes out on this coming Saturday.
So get back to me ASAP please.

~*THANK YOU!!!*~

:oD

Unclaimed prizes will be given to...

2009-05-03T19:45:00.003-04:00

Come on girls... Unclaimed prizes will be put back into play for others to win.
Everyone has 7 days from the date I called the winners to get back to me.
Just a heads up! I will need contact info for each winner ASAP.

Clear acrylic shapes with drilled holes to make fun and fabulous art charms!

2009-05-03T05:05:00.003-04:00

CLICK ME

Clear laser cut acrylic charms.

LunaGirl Images & Altered art charm tutorial.

2009-05-03T04:57:00.001-04:00

I've used images from CD's from this seller to make many charms during the past couple of years.
You might like the tutorial found on the blog here- LunaGirl

I posted the winners hours ago to each post with the prize.

2009-05-01T00:12:00.005-04:00

In Idaho-there is a lucky artist who won a book, and someone who just fell head over heals for charms, won Pat's silk!

It was exciting to let the random.org generator pick the numbers and for me to discover the winners.
:o)
Congrats!

I will be adding many more pictures and links to this blog that highlight art charms and the people who make them, so if you are enjoying the view, please visit often.

Members of various art charm swap groups have given me permission to post some of their handmade work here. So I am also going to share more with you about worldwide charm exchanges as well as showcase the work of several awesome and talented charm designers!

There will be many more giveaways soon.
~*Thank you to everyone who participated for celebrating with me!*~

Amber Dawn
www.InventiveSoul.Blogspot.com

~*International Charm Day*~

~*Handmade Bead Charms For Charm Day 2012*~