Black Friday Sale!!

My Biggest Sale EVER!!!! The more you buy, the more you will save, and the sale continues through Monday, November 29th!

If you buy one item, you'll receive 10% off your purchase. If you buy 2 items, you'll get 15% off. If you buy 3 items, you get 20% off. For 4 or more items, you'll get 25% off your ENTIRE purchase! What a deal! So stop by now, and shop from the comfort of your own home, without the crowds and the rush!

Fun Gifts under $15!

With the Facebook Pre-Sale going on right now (so become a fan! Do it!!), I thought now would be a good time to show you all some of my favorite gift ideas for under $15. The Thanksgiving Sale opens to everyone on 11/22, so make your list now!

If you are headed to a holiday party this season, the nice thing is to have a hostess gift handy - and what would be better than a Christmas themed set of wine charms?


These earrings are great for the girl in your life - they would make awesome stocking stuffers!

And THESE earrings would be perfect for wearing to your New Year's Eve bash.

Hair accessories are always a great stocking stuffer!

These earrings are a great gift as well, and the matching bracelet is under $15 also!

This ring is also available for less than $15! There are multiple other rings in my shop for under $15, so check it out!All of these earrings are under $15, as well as many other pairs in my shop. These are great for friends and family members, or as gifts for yourself!

Christmas candy makes a great gift, as does a bracelet that LOOKS like Christmas candy!!

This lovely necklace would make a great gift for your favorite teacher or baby-sitter - simple and stylish.There are many other items available for reasonable prices at Patty's Pretty Things on Etsy! The Facebook Fan Pre-sale is going on right now! The first item purchased will be 10% off. If you buy 2 items, you will receive 15% off; 3 things, 20% off; 4 or more, 25% off! The sale opens to the public on 11/22/10, and runs through 11/29/10. Facebook fans will receive a free gift with purchase.

Faux Ceramic Stars tutorial

I've really been enjoying this faux ceramic technique, so I wanted to share my method. It's really easy! Actually, most polymer clay stuff is really simple - all of the tools and different methods can make it seem intimidating, but if it is something you want to try, just get a few blocks of clay and play with it a little bit.

What you'll need:

White Polymer clay (I prefer to use Premo! as it is a bit sturdier after baking)

Liquid Sculpey or Liquid Kato (I used Kato)

Alcohol Ink

Texture sheet

Brayer or acrylic rod

Parchment Paper

You will need to condition about half of a block of clay. After your clay is conditioned, run it through on the widest setting.

Then fold it in half.

Next, create your texture! A really thick texture will make the coloring more interesting.

Next, use your cutters in whatever shapes you want

Poke holes if necessary (I'm using mine for a necklace and earring set, so I needed holes).

Then, bake at whatever setting is recommended for your clay type. For this project, I ended up using a little bit of pearlized white mixed with regular white, and since the pearlized white tends to burn, I baked at a lower temperature. Also, if you are baking on a metal pan, the parchment paper will keep the bottoms from discoloring.

While your stars are baking, you can pour some liquid clay, and mix in a few drops of ink. Let the alcohol evaporate a little bit.

Once your starts are done baking, you can use a blade to scrape off any imperfections (if necessary), and then using a small paint brush or your finger (with a GLOVE), apply the clay-ink mixture to the top of your clay piece. I recommend leaving them on the same baking pan so that the liquid clay doesn't run while you are moving the pieces.

Then bake again for 5 minutes or so, and voila! You have faux ceramic!

A couple of things to note: I almost always wear latex gloves while working with polymer clay. This is for 2 reasons - I don't want to have to sand off finger prints, and I really don't like the way it makes my hands smell. It's just a personal preference, but I highly recommend them for when you are working with the alcohol inks - those can really stain!

I used this same technique for these ornaments:

Have fun!

Ornaments for a cause

Eight and a half years ago, I married my husband, and won the Mother-In-Law jackpot. A little over 2 months ago, that same, amazing woman lost her hard-fought battle with cancer. It was her wish that her friends and loved ones make donations in her memory to causes that were near to her heart, and I am going to do the same. I will honor her memory, by donating portions of the proceeds from the sale of Christmas ornaments in my shop. For each ornament, or ornament set, I will donate $10 to a scholarship fund that has been set up in her honor - the AGEHR Deb Heine Young Ringers Scholarship Fund. The AGEHR is the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, of which Deb was a very active member. The scholarship fund will enable the next generation of ringers to attend national conferences and other meetings.

You may be wondering why I have chosen Ornaments for this particular project... well, if you knew Deb, you would know of her great love for decorating for Christmas, so I felt this was appropriate.

Below are the newest ornaments that have been listed in my shop. They will be sold in sets of 2, and you can choose your pattern and colors.

If you would like more information on the AGEHR or anything else relating to this project, send me an email at pattysprettythings@sbcglobal.net.

And the winner is...

Using Random.org for a random number generator, the winner is comment number FOUR! Congratulations, Julie! I'll send you a message on facebook, and we can design your ornament!

Stay tuned, everyone, for some new ornaments, and a special announcement about them!