A Great Big Thank You!

Thanks so much to all who entered my giveaway this week! Wow, I was overwhelmed by the response.

I have contacted the winner via email, so check your in-box! If you weren't Mr Random's pick, I'm so sorry. I will have other giveaways, I promise. :)

As a consolation prize I'm offering you all 25% off all purchases at my Etsy shop through March 15th. Just enter Save25 in the notes to seller at checkout (I'll issue you a revised paypal invoice or a paypal refund.) That's the best way I know to say thanks for your support!

You guys rock!!

~Toni

WCCO and A Giveaway

Breaking news... I just found out the WCCO story was bumped to Monday night at 10pm. Tune in then!

Through my Minnesota Etsy street team (teamMN) I've found out that a local TV Station, WCCO, is airing a news story this Friday night about Etsy and the handmade movement. We are all hoping they mention our team, but even if she doesn't this will be great exposure for Etsy and the handmade community in Minnesota.

If you are local to Minnesota, make sure you check out the story Friday night at 10pm on WCCO. You can also watch it on line after it airs at WCCO.com.

And to celebrate, I'm giving away this great fused glass pendant!

The winner will be picked by the random number generator at 12 noon on February 26th.

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post. Make sure to leave a safe way for me to contact you. And now the fun part... How to get Bonus Entries! For doing each of these, you will get one extra entry...

1. Head over to my Etsy shop, pick your favorite piece then come back and let me know your favorite in a comment here. Your favorites will be considered for future giveaways!

2. Head over to the TeamMN blog, check out a shop (or several) and leave comment(s) about your favorite items.

3. Blog about my giveaway on your blog. Comment back here with the link to your blog
entry.

3. Follow TeamMN on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link.

4. Tweet about, stumble or digg this giveaway post and leave a comment(s) with your user name letting me know about it.

5. Follow my blog. Let me know in a separate comment that you are a subscriber. You can do this by adding my blog to your Google Reader or becoming a "follower" on my left side bar. If you are already a follower, leave me a comment letting me know.

Good luck, and don't forget to check out WCCO!

~Toni

Pot Melts...

What is a pot melt, you ask? Well, let me tell you. A melt is when fused glass is layered into a pot or onto a wire mesh, then fired at a high temp so that the glass melts. The melting glass drips down onto a flat, prepared surface, creating interesting color combos as it fuses back together.

I tried this for the very first time a couple weeks ago, and wanted to share my process and the results with you.

First, I applied kiln wash to the inside of a 6 inch terra cotta pot saucer, so the melted glass wouldn't stick to it. I also put a large piece of clear glass on the bottom of the saucer; I had read somewhere that this helps keep the kiln wash from peeling off and embedding in the glass.

Next, I strung wire between two 6 inch kiln posts and laid that on top of the terra cotta saucer. If you are trying this at home, make sure you use specially made wire that is safe at high temps. I got mine at a local glass company where I get my fusible glass.



Then I layered peices of fusible glass on the wire. A key here is not to use too many dark colors; they tend to overwhelm the finished piece and leave it muddy. Also use very little black for the same reason. I used a mixture of opaque and transparent glass.



And loaded up the kiln...



The finished melts, ready to carve up into some pendants...



You like?!



.