New This Week

You'll get a big kick out of this ...

Apparently - while I'm great at many things - my math is a little shaky. I think they invented a term to describe it - fuzzy logic. Anyway - last week I announced that the year was somewhat further gone than it actually is. It speaks more to my state of mind than anything else. However, not too many of you actually pointed it out - so you are all either terribly polite and forgiving, or you too feel that time is rushing past you in a blur. Either that, or you're just as innumerate as I am.

Anyway - that's not actually the big kick - the Big Kick is - quite literally - the Big Kick Machine from Sizzix/Vintaj.

The Big Kick is a specialized, mini-rolling-mill designed to texture and print patterns on metal. You may have seen it in our classroom, or read about it online. Unfortunately - it is a big box, and we can't afford to ship it at our usual pricing structure. We'd ship it at actual cost - but we can't ship it free - sorry folks. However it is available in the store. (If you are worried about it selling out before you get here - email us or call us and we'll put one aside for you.) The box contains - 1 BIGkick machine, 1 solo platform, 1 solo shim, 1 pair standard cutting pads, and an instruction booklet. There are tutorials online at youtube too - which we've found are more helpful than the printed instructions. The machine itself is 8.5 x 6.5 x 14 inches or 22 x 16.5 x 36 cm.

• Pic of box.
• Side of box.
• Back of Box.
• End of Box.
• Unboxed.
• Some of the instructions.

We do have a bunch of the plates for it though that we can ship - if you already have one of these, for instance. The plates come in two styles - the "Etch" - which is a design pressed into a slightly rubbery plate - that leaves a softer, more subtle pattern, and the "Emboss" which is like a little folder made of metal with two metal plates. To use either one, you put your metal blank into the folder, or sandwich with the "Etch" plate, and crank it through the Big Kick (think mangle from the old, old washing machines!) Your pattern gets pressed into the material.

Oh heck - I could try all day to explain this, or you can just watch this 3 minute video and it will all be completely clear!

Stones

If you didn't get enough stone beads from last week's update - well - we have more for you! I think this Golden Obsidian - with it's ethereal shimmer is particularly inspiring!

Or perhaps some glossy hematite? Or some of the beautifully striped and patterned Botswana Agate?

Or maybe, WHOOO knows, you'd like a carved, Carnelian owl. ;-) In two flavours, er, finishes - glossy and matte.

Bugtail!

Way-all - ain't this cuter 'n a bug's tail! If the satin Rattail and Mousetail doesn't give you enough options - you can now go for the Satin Bugtail. At 1 mm thin - it gives you even more options for using this lovely, lustrous cord for knotting, crocheting, or even stringing big hole beads!

Other new items to choose from around the site, so go ahead, click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Lampworking Studio is Now Open - Please call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot.

WE MOVED!

Don't forget - we are at our new location - so don't automatically drive to the old place by mistake - details on our About Us page.