Thursday 29 April 2010

1st Blog Birthday Giveaway.

Finally!

It was to have been my 100th post giveaway but I wasn't organised enough. However, my momentous first post ever was on 27th April 2009 and as it's now 29th April 2010 I'm only 2 days late for my blog's first birthday, and as anyone who knows me (not that I've told many who know me about my blog!), a mere 2 days late for a birthday is a pretty good achievement for me.

I started my blog to promote my leaded glass business. That was a complete shot in the foot! Any spare time I now have is spent blogging and crocheting (which I discovered through blogging) and my "business" has been left to languish (along with the housework!).

Anyway, on offer is a leaded tealight holder which I have managed to find time to make recently. I've made two designs to choose from...

...a robin (not just for Christmas!), or...

... a sailing boat.

The leaded glass piece is slotted into a little wooden holder which has a recess for a tealight candle. The lead has been left in it's natural finish but polished to a shine.

A word about my leadwork...

All my leaded items are decorated using the stained glass overlay method. This differs from traditional cut stained glass in that coloured films are applied to a single piece of glass, and adhesive lead is then applied on top (in traditional stained glass, pieces of coloured glass are cut to the required shape and the lead is used to hold then all together). For the small items I make I find the overlay method to be a good medium. It also means that my designs are not as restricted as they would be using the traditional cut glass method (a method which I have used in the past having completed two years of stained glass evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art). However, personally, I would not recomend the overlay method for exterior use (I just don't think it would last as well, the manufacturer's guarantee for exterior use is 10 years "with an estimated life expectancy in excess of 25 years"), or for large areas of window decoration (the effect is just too flat and you don't get such beautiful light transmission as you do with real stained glass). It is, however, ideal for the mirrors I make as it allows them be created using a single sheet of mirrored glass thus keeping the reflected image undistorted. Instead of plain film I like to use those with marble effects, wisps and lustres which have added depth of colour and interest. I use natural lead and am therefore able to solder lead joints which gives a quality finish to the leadwork. The lead is either polished as-is for a natural lead finish, or treated with a patination fluid before polishing which give the lead a darkened antique finish.

So there you go!

Also in the giveaway will be...

Some nice dark coloured tealight candles (white ones stand out too much against the wooden holder), otherwise available from good old Ikea.

One of my beaded bracelets, and...

...a pair of fridge magnets that I have made.

All you need to do (if you've managed to get this far!) is...

1. Have your own blog
2. Comment on this post and let me know...
(a) Whether you'd prefer the robin or the sailboat.
(b) Which colour of bracelet you'd like.
(c) Which two fridge magnets you'd like.
(d) Whether you prefer milk or plain chocolate (can't have a give-away without chocolate can we!)

That's all, except to note here how much I do appreciate all the comments any visitors leave on my blog. As I said, it was to have been a crafty business blog but has developed into a cycling, crochet, baking and garden blog, which I don't really mind at all!

Oh, and you have till midnight a week today to enter, good luck!









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24 comments:

Gill said...

darn - i'd love to enter this but i don't have a blog!!
gill

Simone said...

Happy bloggy birthhday. I didn't realise that you were such a talented stained glass artist! I would love to be entered into your giveaway. My choices would be a. sailboat, b.blue, c.blue floral/stripy, d. milk!

driftwood said...

happy blogiversary - wow, what lovely thing stained glass. I'd love to learn how to do it.
I like the sailboat, the blue bracelet, the pink blossom and a stripey magnet and plain chocolate.x

Lyn said...

I love to read your blog, I get to go on a bike ride with out breaking into a sweat! Oh please put my name in, you are more organised than I was!
a)sailboat
b)blue
c)any!
d)can't eat chocolate at the moment but when I do it's milk!
Thanks so much and congratulations!
Love
Lyn
xxx

Yiota said...

Hi Anne, my beautiful Scottish friend! (you know what I'm doing now, don't you? ;) .Happy blog anniversary!
I was hoping your giveaway would be some of your work and choosing between the two is very hard; I'll go for the robin to remind me of the British countryside. Now, blue bracelet, flowery magnets, plain chocolate.
PS. I would love it if I could bring my son to play with your little ones in your gorgeous garden.*sigh*

Tilly Rose said...

Hi hunny....lovely goodies! Congrats !!!!

I love the robin and pink bracelet...would love any of them.

oooh I have my fingers crossed....
Hugs
Karen x x x

Anonymous said...

Hello!

I love how things develop from the original plans, I really enjoy reading your blog and look forward to the next years postings.

Sailboat
Pink
Any
Dark Chocolate

All your giveaway items are lovely!

Beth

periwinkle said...

it's amazing what you find whilst blogging isn't it - there are so many lovely crafts out there ..
Now let me see ..
Robin,as I just love their song
Blue, not really a pink girl
Magnets, you can never go wrong with flowers.
Chocolate - a surprise :-)
Very hard choice - thank you

Diane said...

I would love to be in with a chance to win!

And I'm not fussy - as they all love lovely! Happy 1st Birthday. xxx

Dawn said...

Happy Birthday Blog!
I'd love to enter.
Sailboat
Blue bracelet
stripy magnets
Plain chocolate.

Please and thankyou!

Julie said...

I completely relate to your comment about business vs blogging. Blogging has been the ultimate, and so enjoyable, distraction for me. I must have had so much time before I started. Oops.
If I was the lucky one could I please have a) robin, b) blue, c) flowery and d) dark? Good luck for the next year of blogging. Juliex

Jennyff said...

What lovely things you are offering. I couldn't decide between them and would leave it to you. Happy blog birthday.

Cathy said...

What a lovely post Anne and congrats for your anniversary. Sorry to hear you don't get so much done these days - neither do I...lol. I would love to enter: I prefer the robin, blue bracelet and flowery magnets and I love milk choco.

Kate said...

I am so pleased that you visited my blog, not least because it brought me to yours! What a lovely blog you have, with such delicious photographs I feel quite ashamed of the stuff I post. It's a pleasure to visit, I'll certainly be back. And I see I've been lucky in my timing! Congratulations on your anniversary: my choices would be (not easy) -
boat
pink
flowers
plain.

...Nina Nixon... said...

A whole year...time does fly so.

Congratulations and I love all of your work though that little robin is absolutely adorable.

take care and have a lovely weekend,

Nina xxxx

Poppy said...

Happy birthday to your blog! Thank you for your comment on my blog. I would love to enter your giveaway.
The robin is gorgeous...as is all of it.

Love Lou xxx

silverpebble said...

Ooh how very exciting! I'd love to be popped in the hat and I think the robin is my favourite - I had no idea you made such wonderful things! I think it would have to be pink for the bracelets and the little floral fridge magnets. What a lovely giveaway.

Alex said...

What a multi-talented person you seem to be and,without a doubt,the best blog on the internet.! ( says he shamelessly)

The robin looks nice :)

Penny said...

Thanks for dropping by at Planet Penny and telling me that you too have a giveaway. And what a lovely one! As I'm from a long line of seafarers it would have to be the sailing boat, with the blue bracelet, flowery magnets and milk chocolate please.
I love what you make, the crochet cushion is gorgeous too, such jolly colours. Congratulations on your bloggy birthday! x

VintageVicki said...

Ha! Knew I'd be the opposite to my mate Country Girl!!

1) Robin
2) Pink
3) Flowery
4) Milk

Congratulations on a year of blogging :)

Jackie said...

What a fabulous giveaway! Congratulations on your first bloggy birthday too. I'd love to enter your giveaway and would love ~ robin
~ pink bracelet
~ flowery magnets
and milk chocolate :O) xx

Marie said...

Hi Anne,
Congrats on your blog anniversary, it's quite a milestone to have reached! I'd love to enter your giveaway, such lovely items; your leaded glass is gorgeous. It's hard to choose, but here goes; robin, pink bracelet, stripy magnets, and milk chocolate.
I'm looking forward to your next year of blogging and lots more lovely photos x

jamjar said...

Congrats on your blog birthday, dosen't time fly!
My choice would be....
little boat
pink bracelet
blossom magnets
any sort of chocolate!
:-)

CraftySmiles said...

Hope I am not too late!!!!
You make some very cool stuff,well done!!!!!!
Give away wise-it is hard to chose -
I like boats,flowers and milk chocolate and colors -i like all the colors.
: ) : ) : )

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