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 :)

Sunday, November 28, 2010

...And They Lived Happily Ever After!


You want to know how the fairy tale ends, don't you?  LOL!  Let's get right to it then.  The winner of the 1300 Facebook Fans earrings is comment #27 (excluding my comments) so our winner is Miss Kimm!  I have sent you an email from KSnyder169@aol.com with instructions on how to claim your prize.  Congratulations Miss Kimm and thank you for participating :)

Now for a name!  I'd like to thank every one of you who submitted a name for these earrings!  They were all wonderful!  (I'm going to ask you all for help naming pieces more often too!)  I had to choose just one though and after a lot of thought, I've decided to name these earrings "EnWraptured Maille"!  Kristen Natale will receive a pair of these earrings for the winning name submission.  Congratulations Kristen!

Thank you all so much for helping to make my business such a success and for sharing me with your friends!  May all of you receive blessings and joy this Holiday Season!

Friday, November 26, 2010

A 1300 Facebook Fans Fairytale


Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a young man named Chain Maille.  He was handsome, rugged and strong.  As he strolled along one day, he spotted a beautiful young woman.  Chain Maille was anything but shy, so he sat down beside her and struck up a conversation.  Chain Maille learned that the young woman's name was Wire Wrapping and he fell immediately in love with her strength and beauty.  Chain Maille courted Wire Wrapping, taking her to places like the museum and the theatre, and they were soon engaged.  Chain Maille wanted to do something special to show his love for Wire Wrapping and asked the Royal Jeweler (hey, it's my Fairy Tale... I can be a Royal Jeweler if I want!!!) to make a pair of earrings to show Wire Wrapping how he felt about her.  These are those earrings :)

The Royal Jeweler constructed these from pure sterling silver.  She chose to wire-wrap lovely components with 26 gauge wire and a few amethyst Swarovski crystals, then suspend them from sections of Byzantine.  The Royal Jeweler is very proud of them!

If you would like to own these Fairy Tale Earrings, simply leave a comment on this post with your name and email address.  While you are here commenting, perhaps you'd like to help the Royal Jeweler name this earring design?  If the name you think up is chosen, you will win a pair of earrings too!  This drawing will be open until Sunday evening, November 28 at 8 pm, at which time a winner will be chosen.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

And the 1200 Fans Prize Winner Is....


Drumroll please......  Tracey Nabis Knaus, come on down!  You are the winner of the 1200 Facebook Fans bracelet!  Please check your messages for one from me with the details on how to claim your prize.  Congratulations Tracey and thank you so much for being so supportive of my work!

To everyone else... well, you KNOW there'll be another give-away pretty soon.  I want to thank each of you for supporting and encouraging my work.  You all make every day I work on jewelry an inspired joy.  Thank you!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

1200 Facebook Fans Celebration


Yes!  It's true!  1200 Facebook Fans!  I am completely blown away and humbled.  This, of course, calls for a celebration and a give-away.  Forgive the quality of this picture - yet again my limited photography skills have reared their ugly head!  I promise to take a better one soon and post it!

This bracelet is made with 18 gauge sterling silver rings in small sections of Byzantine weave, interspersed with gorgeous blue and white lampwork beads.  It's currently 8 1/2" in length, which I will customize for the lucky winner, and fastens with a sterling lobster clasp.  To enter to win, please leave a comment under this post with your name and email address.  The drawing will close Saturday, October 30th at 8pm with the winner drawn immediately after.  Good luck everyone!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to every single fan.  Your support and encouragement means so much to me!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

And the 1100 Fans Winner Is...


Please join me in congratulating Anita from New Zealand!  Anita, please check your email for a message from KSnyder169@aol.com for instructions on how to claim your prize.  Congratulations and thank you so much for being a part of this wonderful celebration. 

To everyone else, please keep participating!  It won't be long before we're back here to celebrate 1200 Fans and I owe every celebration to all of you.  My thanks to you all :)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

1100 Facebook Fans Celebration


1100 Facebook Fans!  Wahooooooooo!  I'm so honored and thrilled to be able to write this blog entry and to say "thank you" to everyone who has helped make this possible.  You know me, I've got something fabulous to give away! 

I don't have a name for these earrings yet (and any suggestions would be welcome!) but they are the latest of my chain maille designs.  I finally found a way to combine fidget jewelry and chain maille!  The outer circle is made from 16 gauge sterling silver and rotates freely around a section of gold-filled byzantine weave.  The drops shown are sapphire Swarovski crystals and the winner can choose another color if they would like.

That's not all folks!  I'm so proud to say that this time, the winner will receive two pairs of earrings.  The second set, made from clear and red crystals, were designed by my four-year-old son Sebastian! 

As always, to enter you must leave a comment on this post with your name and email address.  The drawing will be open until Saturday evening (October 16, 2010) and I will announce the winner then. 

Thank you seems like such a small thing to say at a time like this.  I am grateful to each and every one of you for supporting and encouraging what I do!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

And the 1000 Fans Winner Is...

Let me start by thanking everyone for their participation and making this give-away so much fun.  All of you make it a joy to do this!  But I know you are all wondering who won, right?

Drumroll please!  The winner of the 1000 Facebook Fans bracelet is..... Junie Milam!  Junie please check your messages for one from me telling you how to claim your prize.  Congratulations Junie! 

For everyone else, thank you again for your kindness and encouragement!  It won't be long before we're back here again for the next give-away!