Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen Snyder and I've been a crafter for about as long as I can remember. I am a stay-at-home-Mama of two beautiful children with a husband who makes my dreams possible.

This blog is about all sorts of crafting. I am a paper-crafter from early days, a jewelry-maker with an unending obsession for chain maille. I make chain maille purses, many of which will be chronicled in this blog as their future owners await their completion. I love metalsmithing. I am an indifferent beader and don't get me anywhere near seed beads... they scatter, screaming to get away from me. I love to try new things, have a short attention span so if its a long-term project... I'm probably not doing it LOL.

If you have questions, ask. If you have tips, share. Same with suggestions - share! I want this to be a great forum for people to brainstorm and problem-solve with a good attitude. Crabby Apples need not respond, this is a feel-good kind of blog :)

Monday, December 31, 2012

Ringing In 2013!


As we wait to welcome the New Year, I wanted to do something fun to entertain all of us who decided to stay in rather than go out. I chose this new ring design for my give away and seriously? What better way to welcome 2013 than with amethysts and sterling! 

Beyond being pretty, this ring is a treat because it is a fidget ring. That means that all of the beads spin and turn easily on the wire base and makes it an excellent piece for those of us whose hands are never happy if they are idle! 

All you need to do to enter to win is leave a comment on this blog post - how easy is that? Please leave your Facebook name or email address so that I can contact the winner easily. I am wishing you all the very best for 2013 and good luck!

Friday, November 30, 2012

A Grandmother's Ring Giveaway



In celebration of the Holiday Season, I wanted to keep with my yearly tradition of giving away a Grandmother's Ring. This is a special nod to my own Mama, who is the very best Grandmother (Grammy to our kiddos) in the world and who inspired the original of this ring. 

There is no limit (as far as I know!) to the number of stones this ring can include. The size of the crystals can be adjusted based on the number of overall stones. Are you a grandmother? Do you have a fabulous grandmother? Do your kids have one? Well here's a chance to win something special for her!

The ring will be made of sterling silver and genuine Swarovski crystals. Winner shall choose size and provide a list of the birth months to be included. Shipping is included in the prize and delivery is guaranteed in time for Christmas (as long as the shipping address is within the US.)

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me about the fabulous grandmother in your world! Best of luck everyone :)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Celebrating Thankful II


For our second give-away, I am featuring this beautiful gun-metal chain that includes twisted wire, flat wire and round wire links. The winner can choose earrings, as pictured (and the winner may also choose to adjust the length to their preference) OR they may choose a necklace made from this chain instead! All you need to do is comment here with your email address or Facebook identity so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck everyone!

I'm Celebrating Thankful!


Here is your chance to win a Byzantine micro-maille band ring! Simply post a comment here with your email address or Facebook identity so that I can contact you if you win. Winner will receive their choice of a band in silver fill, gold fill or rose gold fill in the size of their choice. You can also enter through Pinterest if you like. Thank you so much and good luck everyone!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

A Summer Swirl Ring You Can Win!


I can't even tell you how many compliments and comments this ring has received since I made it several weeks ago. I'm usually not a big fan of orange but there's just something about the swirls of colors in this lamp work bead that scream "SUMMER!"  The ring is wrapped with silver filled wire and orange and yellow Swarovski crystals so you've got sparkle too!  The sides are finished with my signature swirls and this is a very comfortable ring.  The winner will get to choose the size they need and shipping is included in your prize.

So comment here and tell me - when it comes to colors you like to wear, do you go more for the brights, the pastels, or the neutrals? Me? I'm all over the map! I love pink (like you didn't already know that) and I seriously love every shade I've ever seen! I do tend to fit colors to seasons though - I'm much more prone to the brights and pastels in the summer and spring but I find myself wearing a lot of neutrals in the colder months.

Please leave an email address or your Facebook name so that I'll be able to contact you if you win! Thanks everyone and good luck!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Better Late Than Never!


Well this post should have gone up days ago but between Sebastian turning 6 and all of the celebrating that goes with that, the disgusting heat here in Texas and tons of sales to work on / ship out, let's just say I'm doing good to remember my name! My ultimate thanks to Marcie Clark for saving me from the Mama Dog House and reminding me that I'd never posted this give away!

So here's the thing - Sebastian was determined that we would do a give away to celebrate his birthday BUT he didn't want to do anything we'd made before. We discussed it and here's what we decided - a pair of Romanov earrings in silver fill with pearls instead of crystals! Pearls because they are his birthstone and Romanov earrings because, and I'm quoting here, "Mommy, they really are the best earrings you make."

The winner will have their choice of pearl colors from what I currently have in stock and shipping is included in the win whether you are in the US or an International fan. 

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here and please include either an email address or your Facebook name so that I can contact you if you win. So tell me - what was the best birthday present you ever received? 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

The New Bellus Ladder Bracelet


So what do you get when you take 14g square wire, bend it into Bellus curves, link them all together with 16g rings and add a box clasp? You get a Bellus Ladder Bracelet! My latest bracelet design and I gotta tell ya... I am in love with this! I've not taken mine off since it came out of the tumbler! It has the look of a cuff without being stiff on my wrist. It moves with me and I can't wear it out of the house without people stopping and asking me about it. Love that!

Now... how would you like to win one of these beauties for your very own? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with email address or Facebook name (so that I can contact you if you win) and answer this question:  What is your favorite thing about Summer?  This year, it's definitely having my son on break from school! He had such a great year as a Kindergarten student but I missed him every single day. I'm so happy he's home every day for the next few months!

Thanks so much for visiting and good luck everyone!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Today I want to celebrate by putting a $20 gift credit up for wins! You can enter here on my blog, or re-pin the image from my "Pin It to Win It" board on Pinterest!  All you have to do to enter here on my blog is leave a comment with an email address or your Facebook name so that I'll know how to contact you if you win. Thanks everyone and good luck :)




Saturday, May 12, 2012

A Bracelet for Anyone!


Here we are again on a Saturday night and it's time to give something away! Tonight's fabulous is a Half-Persian 4-in-1 bracelet in copper and it is one of my all-time favorite bracelets to wear. HP 4-in-1 is slinky and very comfortable to wear and it's suitable for both men and women!

Tonight's prize is a bracelet made in 20 gauge wire - again, suitable for a man or a woman. The winner will get to choose the length they need and type of clasp they would prefer. The bracelet will come to you shiny and bright and sealed with Renaissance Wax to maintain that shiny appearance.

All you do to enter is leave a comment below and tell me - when it comes to music, what is your favorite stuff to listen to? I'm an all-over-the-map kind of girl but lately, I've been listening to a lot of Adele and Alice in Chains (see what I mean about all over the map?) when I'm working. Please leave either an email address or your Facebook name in your comment so I'll know how to contact you if you win. Thanks for playing everyone and good luck!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

A Mother's Day Gift



Okay, who would like to win a Mother's / Family / Any way you like it ring? LOL - that's what I thought! It's so close to Mother's Day, I thought it only appropriate to put one of these up for wins. This is my own take on a Mother's ring and the winner will get to choose the size they need as well as the birth months they'd like represented. Choose to honor just your children, your grandchildren, add you and your hubby or heck - just pick some colors you like and enjoy! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here and tell me - who is your favorite Hollywood hunk at the moment? I'm pretty sure it's no secret that mine is Sam Elliott... though I gotta tell ya, Vin Diesel gets any hotter and I just might have a dilemma on my hands!

When you comment, please leave either an email address or a Facebook name so that I'll know how to contact you if you win. Thanks for participating everyone and good luck!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Who Wants to Win These?


Okay, so who would like to win a pair of these Copper Wrapped With Love earrings? This is one of my exclusive designs - the hearts are hand-formed, then wrapped with fine-gauge copper wire and a tiny copper bead is suspended from the middle. Then some basic chain maille at the top to connect them to the ear wires and you've got a fun, goes-with-everything earring! They are preserved with Renaissance Wax once tumbled so that they will stay nice and shiny.


So you say you'd like to win them? GREAT! All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me:  What are you doing with your Sunday (or Monday for some)? I'm doing laundry and finishing up a few orders today, hoping that they all go as planned so that I can work on some new ideas!