We Did It Again!

 We are truly flattered to be included in Copper Wire Jewelers Magazine Issue 2! We know how special it is to be part of such a prestigious group of artists, and are humbled beyond words.

 Not only does this issue highlight some extremely talented copper wire jewelry artists, it also includes articles on marketing and selling your work, to issues pertaining to taxes. One look and you will see why this magazine is getting such rave reviews!

 So if you're looking for a touch of inspiration, or just want to see what all the others are doing and writing about, check out this latest issue of Copper Wire Jewelers Magazine.

Are you ready for Spring?

 
Our winter months are quickly passing and Spring is quietly peaking it's head around the corner. If your looking forward to Spring to start your cycle of art shows and fairs again, like we are, then don't hesitate on getting your applications sent. Many of the juried events have already posted their application requirements and deadlines. Some have application deadlines that have already passed. So gather the best photo's you have of your best creations and start applying!

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Get Yourself Noticed!

In today's hustle and bustle of the internet one of the hardest things to do is get yourself noticed. We create amazing stuff, we blog or talk about it on a community site, then we wait. We wait for everyone else in the world to stumble upon our website or blog so they can be amazed too. 


Well sadly, it's no longer that easy to get yourself noticed on the world wide web. Thankfully, we have some great sites out there to help take some of the stress and mystery out of how to bring people to our site. Scoutle is one I have been checking out for some time now. I've seen it on many other sites, but never really knew that much about it. So I went there and checked it out for myself.


Being the skeptic I am, I was pleasantly surprised by what they had and how it all worked. The concept is an easy one. You sign up, create a scout, and your scout goes out and connects with blogs of a similar interests as yours. Through these connections a community of like minded individuals is formed. Thus drawing people to your site that otherwise would never have known you existed. 


You know the old saying, "I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone...". Well simply put, that's basically how Scoutle works. We all know word of mouth is the best advertiser. Well this is just 'word of mouth' the internet way.


So if your in a slump as to how to get more traffic to you site, I suggest trying Scoutle. It's free and very easy to use. You never know, one day you may look back on this as the day your business really took off!

Attention Artists of Any Kind...

 If you are a creative person, in any form of the word, then I have a treat for you. I just finished adding some great links to our link site that you might be interested in. These links will take you to some of the best art, craft, material, paint, ceramic, jewelry etc... supply sites on the web. I've also added a couple links below each main link (with one exception), that directs you to something special on that website.

As usual, I will add more great artists supply sites and deals as I come across them. So if your an artist at any level, just check out our Crystal Wand Links page and get creating!

Check Out Our BlogLog

There are so many things we want to say and do that we have found it necessary to maintain a number of blogs and sites. If you would like to try to keep up with us, then check out our Blog Log.

On our Blog Log you will find most of our sites, plus links to some very creative and interesting communities. At present we are undergoing MyBlogLog verification for this site. In essence it's just so you will know we are who we say we are.

So if you've got a few minutes it's a great time to kick up your feet and thumb through all the many blogs and sites we, and those in our community have.

Artfire (Artfire on Twitter) was nominated for a Shorty Award

Artfire (Artfire on Twitter) was nominated for a Shorty Award

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We Made Copper Wire Jewelers Magazine!

What an honor! We were chosen to be included in the first edition of Copper Wire Jewelers Magazine!
It's a great privilege to be included with such great jewelry artists. Check out the magazine and see if you don't agree! We are on page 14, but you'll see that each and every page shows a unique and very talented artist. We extend our thanks to Lois Linquist for all her hard work on putting this together. She did a wonderful job!

Copper Wire Jewelers Magazine

Winter Solstice Serenity

Well here we are in a new year. We dearly hope that 2009 was a remarkable year for everyone and that 2010 will be even more remarkable.

We opened our site “Crystal Wand Links” to help you take advantage of all the great online deals that were being offered for the holiday’s, and we hope you all had a chance to view and take advantage of some of them.

Now that the holiday’s are over and old man winter has settled in, we thought we would revise the site to offer you some great online deals that would help with that quality time you’ll be spending indoors. The new links are geared towards all the sites that will help you be a better person, inside and out. It’s that time of year when we all need to feel good about ourselves, so that’s what these links are all about.

You may see some of the same sites from the holiday list, but you will also see some new ones too. Each site offers online deals that will be offered for a limited time only. We will do our best to keep only the deals that are still active listed so you know you will be able to take advantage of each great deal. Just remember to check back often because we will be adding new sites to the list as we come across them!

From incense to music to PJ’s and craft ideas, we have given you links to some on the web’s greatest online deals for your winter solstice. We hope you take advantage of these great sites, and wish you a comfortable and relaxing Winter season!

Looking For the Unique?

Unique is where it's at when it comes to Artfire! If you need a little help finding that one-of-a-kind gift for your special someone, then Artfire is the answer. We are so excited about the Holidays that we've put everything in our Artfire studio on sale! Take a look and see if you don't agree that Artfire is the best place to shop!

Coming Attractions!

The Art Of Stained Glass 101 - Applying Patina

Your final step now is to apply a good polish to your completed piece. There are many quality polishes for stained glass on the market . I have used Kem-O-Pro Finishing Compound for years and have never been unhappy with it. There are many car wax products that would do a nice job as well; however, with some of these products you may end up with a bigger mess and more work on your hands than is necessary. If you decide to try this route I would suggest trying it in a small area first. If it works well there then gradually increase the size of the area as you go.

Here is a video on how to polish your piece using whiting compound. It’s a method rarely heard about, but one you might like to try.

Well pat yourself on the back, you’re finished! If you chose to frame yours in wood, then a frame shop will be able to assist you with that, unless your handy enough to do it on your own. In that case, you can find many stained glass places on the web that will have the supplies you need.  If you choose to hang yours up, then just apply a nice looking chain (never use suction cups!) and hang it from a cup hook screwed into you window frame, or a nail tacked into the top portion of your outer window frame. The latter will keep any holes to your window framing out of site.

Now just sit back and enjoy your creation! Don’t forget to let us hear from you and know how your projects turned out. Heck, send a picture of your project to crywnd@yahoo.com , and we may just feature it in our blog!