Sculpey – Shape it, Bake it, Wear it! Party with Tryazon

My husband and I do like to craft, and enjoy making many things. We, however, have not crafted with clay yet. Just the usual, playing with clay, that one does with their children. The Sculpey brand has been around for over 50 years. It is a tried and true way to craft with clay. So, it most definitely is a great brand to dive into the clay world, with. I was just so excited to be a part of the Sculpey – Shape it, Bake it, Wear it Party campaign.

We received an expanded version of their Bracelet Kit. The bracelet kit, for purchase, has enough for 4 bracelets to be made, and each bracelet to have 3 charms on it. From their website, each kit contains:

“Make 4 stylish charm bracelets
Clay colors included – Teal pearl and Pearl
Kit includes: 2 oz. Sculpey III clay, 12 decals, 4 plastic squeegees, 4 metal circle cutters, 4 metal bangle bracelets, 12 eye pins, 12 6mm jump rings, 4 plastic rollers, 4 toothpicks, and instruction sheet.”

If you are new to this clay crafting world, I highly recommend watching their YouTube video for the bracelet kit. It is so well done, and easy to understand. After watching it, I was very confident that we would all do well and have a great time. You will need additional supplies. You will need a little container with water for each person to soak their decals in, an index card, or thin piece of cardboard, to place their charms on, as they are made, and then to bake on, at least one paper towel each to dab the water away off the applied decal, and to clean off the squeegee and hands, a pair of small needle nose pliers would be great. A pencil to outline the decals with, and a pair of scissors to cut out the decals. I prepared the decals prior to my guests arriving, to both save time, and to make it more relaxing and easier for everyone. I even wrote everyone’s name on the index card, so when I baked the charms, no one’s charms got mixed up. I placed the charms on their perspective index card, onto a baking sheet, and then into the oven for 20 minutes. It went so smoothly that way.

The included instruction pamphlet is bright, well-illustrated, and written. It has cut lines in it, so you can cut it apart, and then you and your guests can easily share it around the table. I decided to laminate mine, so the instructions would both, not get ruined, and be easier to use with wet hands. Also, when laminated they are sturdier, and easier to prop upright, if needed. The charms need to be baked for 20 minutes at 275 degrees F. They stress to not overbake them, so set a timer, and make sure your oven was preheated thoroughly, first. The laminated sheets ended up being so perfect. We even placed a block of clay to be cut, by the outline of how to cut one, so each was done perfectly.

Now, the clay can damage some surfaces, so make sure you put a smooth work surface down, prior to working with the clay. You can use smooth cutting boards, wax paper, foil, baking trays, and the like. You will also want to make sure you wash your hands prior to working on the clay, and wipe them in between each color, so you don’t accidentally mix the colors.

Now, we chose to invite couples to our party. Many couples love to craft and do things with each other. It is no different than the pottery and wine nights, or the paint and wine outings, that you see everywhere. This, I think, is more fun, because it can be done in home. You can relax and cut up more. Serve food and drinks that everyone will enjoy, and really make an evening out of it. It really is a no brainer. We unfortunately had 1 ½ couples cancel last minute due to both illness and family obligations, but we still had a blast.
I also chose to buy some glow in the dark clay, in case anyone wanted to use that for one of the charms, instead of the included clay. I went to our local Micheals, and they had almost an entire aisle done in just Sculpey clay and accessories. Soooo many colors to choose from. I couldn’t decide, until I saw glow in the dark, and I thought that was just too much fun, so I bought that pack quickly and then bolted, lol. One can easily get carried away with all of those choices. You can check out the Sculpey website and see all the different things they offer. You will be amazed, I promise you.

I am really impressed with the decals. They come in sheets, so you do need to cut them out. The pamphlet and the video show you how to do so. You just place your circle cutter on the sheet, starting from the bottom edge, so you don’t waste any of it. Then, take a pencil, and outline the inside of the circle cutter with the pencil. Now you just need to cut out the circle with a pair of scissors, place the decal in some water, and wait until it starts to flatten out in the water, and the decal should come right off the paper, with a little swipe of your fingers. Now, you just place the decal on the cut circle of clay you have prepared, dab with a paper towel, to get the excess water off of it, and a light scrape with the squeegee to get out all of the air bubbles. That’s all you have to do. Then, when you are done baking your beads, you have a beautiful design on your bead, that would have been impossible to do without it. I think the decals are truly ingenious.

Some of us did go a little rogue from the kit. I had holiday themed clay cutters that I bought, so we made bat designs with glow in the dark clay. One made an Easter themed charm, and my husband made a couple actual skull shaped charms. You can really be so creative with this product.
Overall, I am really impressed with both the product, and the company. They really have done a fantastic job of creating well thought out kits, individual product, incredible instructional videos found on Youtube, and instructions that are easy enough for a complete novice to understand. Thank you Tryazon and Sculpey for such a wonderful experience.

How to video via Sculpey:

Scupley sites to check out and follow:
Website: https://www.sculpey.com/
Bracelet Kit: https://www.sculpey.com/web-exclusive/161-sculpey-iii-charm-bracelet-kit-diy-party-for-4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PolyformProducts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PolyformProducts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SculpeyPolyform?s=17
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sculpey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sculpey_polyform/

Tryazon: https://www.tryazon.com/

I received this product to test. All opinions are my own and honest. I received no monetary payment for my review, and I do not make any money off of the sale of the product.

I Love Dad Giveaway Hop

We are so excited to be honoring all our wonderful caregivers that help raise us, and keep giving us love and encouragement in our adult years. Father’s day is almost here! Please enjoy our giveaway hop hosted by Parenting in Progress. My prize is being given by Sashkaco. They are offering 3 bracelets to the winner. You will be given a code from them, and will be able to order from their website. The bracelets are gorgeous. I own a few myself. They are handmade in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, by Artisans. Over 70% of their profits go back to Nepal, as part of the Fair Trade program. The craftsmanship of these bracelets is amazing. They roll on with ease, and are so comfortable on.Here are a few pictures of the ones I own:

This giveaway is fun. You get to hop from blog to blog entering the contests. By following through, you are even entered into the chance of winning the grand prize. Entrants must be US residents and 18 or older to be eligible to win.

Enter my contest here:

Enter my contest here. Click on the photo!

See below to enter the giveaway hop:

Welcome to the I Love Dad Giveaway Hop brought to you by Parenting In Progress!

Hosted By: Parenting In Progress

Co-Hosted By: Cspierdowis’ Product Review Blog & Frog Reviews & Ramblings

Each giveaway has a value of a minimum of $15, however, some are worth much more. Be sure to enter to win all of them because there is no limit to how many you can win. GOOD LUCK!

Just click on the photo below to enter the giveaway hop!

When you click the photo, and it brings you to a list. Click on each page listed, and it will bring you to the individual contests.

*Enter the Giveaway Hop Here*

I am in no way responsible for any of the prizes. All opinions are honest and expressly my own. I, in no way, was paid for my opinion.

Beautifully handcrafted jewelry from Sashkaco.

(Read to the bottom to get your discount code to order.)

I love jewelry. I believe every girl needs some sparkle in their lives, and jewelry really adds that something special to your day and to your outfit. I am not leaving men out by any means. My guys also love to wear their rings, bracelets, and chains. This company, Sashkaco, makes the most beautiful beaded bracelets. They are absolutely gorgeous. The workmanship is incredible. The bracelets are made out of glass beads by artisans in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. They truly are amazing. They are most definitely the best beaded bracelets I have ever come across. Not only are they made in Nepal, but they are handcrafted as well. These are real artists. The beading is so smooth against your skin, which makes them so comfortable to wear. The beading is so tight as well, which is really impressive. By the time they are done, these bracelets are rounded off. They are not the stretchy kind, where you have to worry about the band snapping, and losing all your beads. I have had that happen more than once in my past. These are the type of bracelets that you roll on. They are very easy to roll on and off, too.

Here is some information on this company: “ Sashka Co. partners with several organizations in Nepal that train and employ hundreds of artisans in rural communities. Our fair trade partners are focused on gender equality and empowering women. Fair trade is best known for producers getting a fair price for their goods. The women at our co-ops earn a living wage that exceeds the local minimum wage. Fair Trade enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits workers, consumers, industry and the earth.”

So not only do you look stunning wearing one of these pieces, but you feel extra good about yourself for supporting these women. When you choose to order from this company, you can also choose to sign up for their reward program, for free. This allows you to rack up points from your purchases, and eventually earn money off of future orders. I like that feature, and I really wish more companies did this.

I received three bracelets. They look very similar, but they are all slightly different. Each bracelet has a white, glass bead, base, along with some silver beading. One has a solid stripe that covers about a third of the bracelet. Another has what I refer to as a candy cane stripe effect. Lastly, the third one has a fun pattern that encircles the bracelet. They offer, on their website, bracelets in sets, solids, and patterned singles. They have so many different colors, and designs available. You may end up finding you want them all. They offer free shipping worldwide too, so getting them all may be feasible, lol. If you are ordering from another country, they have options to pay in different currencies. In regards to fit, I really didn’t see any size options available, just the one size. I wear a regular size 7 bracelet, and it is normally a flowy look for me. I do not wear a lot of snug bracelets. These bracelets fit me very well. Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with both the shop and the product. My bracelets arrived in perfect condition, and they are absolutely gorgeous.

I received these bracelets for free. My opinion expressed is solely my own, and I was not obligated to leave my unbiased and honest review.

These bracelets, and more of their jewelry are available here for purchase: https://sashkaco.com/

Enter this code to receive 25% of your order! CSPIERDOWIS25

Beads, Beads, Beads! – Liberty Imports’ 10,000 Beads DIY Bracelet Making Kit Mix & Match Style Jewelry Designer Studio.

This kit is so cute. I do not have any little girls though, just boys. So, I got to have all the fun playing with this myself. There are so many little beads that come in this kit too. So, try and make sure you can play and create with this set, in an organized manner. Well, as organized as you can be with 10,000 little beads, lol. No, I did not count them! They state this is for ages 6 and up. I’m not so sure about that. You would really have to set them up with more tools to help them, at age 6. This comes with no jewelry, beading tools, clamps, or stand. It all has to be done by hand, and that requires a lot of hand eye coordination, which normally isn’t that developed by age 6. What you do get is:

3800 decorative beads

6200 crystal accent beads

1 roll of elastic cord

3 rolls of embroidery threads (pink, red, and orange)

1 plastic Butterfly jewelry designer work station tray

Now, do not try and poor the little beads into the tray. The tray is thin plastic, and it makes for the perfect trampoline surface for the beads, lol. Boy, do they ping, ping, ping, everywhere. I was not overly happy about it, either. So, take a few out at a time, with your hands, and place them in one of the compartments directly. I had the bag close to the tray too, when I tried to pour them. I made one bracelet and one creation that can attach to a hairclip, for this blog. I made the bracelet with the elastic, and the hair accessory with the embroidery thread. I could only get so far with the embroidery thread though. That type of thread starts to unravel, and unravel. I placed all types of emollients on the end to keep it together, so I could thread the beads, and it didn’t work. You could use a needle if you had one with a bigger eye, for that type of thread. There are so many designs and how tos, that you can find online. Our internet is a great resource tool. This set is a great source of beads. The tray can definitely help you organize your beads, especially if you have a specific design planned. You can count out, and place the beads into their own compartment on the butterfly tray, making them easy to spot and use. If you are getting this for a child, you will need to help. I also advise getting some additional jewelry making tools to make the process more efficient and easier. With those additional items, this would really be a fun and creative hobby to participate in.

I received this kit for free. I was under no obligation to leave my honest and unbiased review. – Liberty Imports’ 10,000 Beads DIY Bracelet Making Kit Mix & Match Style Jewelry Designer Studio

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0CODCT/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotItFree #CheapDealMagic

Incredible craftsmanship in this Alpaca Silver “Fruit of the Spirit” Religious Cuff Bracelet (Handmade).

I lived in Mexico for 5 years when I was little. I love their jewelry till this day. This handmade bracelet is gorgeous. It was made out of Alpaca silver, which is a big stale for that Country, in regards to their jewelry making. Alpaca Silver has been around since 1823 when a contest began to find a great alternative for Sterling Silver. A German Manufacturer named Berndorf, created and named Alpaca Silver. It is actually a combination of metals normally to include a combination of Copper, Nickel, Cadmium, Zinc and Tin. It is not stated which metals were used in this bracelet.

The finish on this bracelet was done is a high polished finish. It is so pretty. My skin has suffered no irritation whatsoever with it. It is so comfortable to wear. It arrives as an open cuff design. The interior dimension it comes with is 2 ½”. It can be stretched a little to slide onto your wrist if you need it. This is not a thin and flimsy bracelet in the least. It is well made, sturdy, and quite beautiful. I love, love, love the sentiment behind this bracelet. It is religious in nature, and on each end depicts a “Jesus” fish symbol. The entire bracelet is engraved in the “fruit of the spirit” from Galatians. This bracelet is 6.5” long, and is ¾’s of an inch wide. It’s such a positive bracelet. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to wear it. The words express nothing but positive statements: Love, Goodness, Kindness, Joy, Gentleness, Peace, Self-Control, Humility, Patience. These are words everyone should strive to live up to daily.

I was afforded the opportunity to review HPP Enterprises’ Alpaca Silver “Fruit of the Spirit” Religious Cuff Bracelet (Handmade), at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives as shown.

If you would like to purchase this bracelet, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Religious-Bracelet-Handmade-Engraved-Galatians/dp/B01CRUP09Q?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

A very feminine bracelet. – Infinite Charming Jewelry “Pearl Teardrops” Rose Gold Plated Tennis Bracelet.

More beautiful jewelry from Infinite Charming Jewelry, yea! This is a really pretty one too. I love the Rose Gold Plating. It has such a warm glow and shine to it. This beautiful bracelet was inspired by The Little Mermaid. They state that this Pearl Teardrop bracelet symbolizes how she could not bear the sorrow that he did not know her love. So sweet. The links represent the teardrop with the simulated pearl at the end of each one. This pretty bracelet measures out at 6.6” long with a 1.2” extender. It fits beautifully, and flows wonderfully on my wrist. I am not a fan of tight fitting bracelets. I love how they package their jewelry. It is so gift worthy. This bracelet arrived in a velvet jewelry box, which was inside of a beautiful velvet drawstring gift bag. The bag is perfect for storing the bracelet when not in use. I find a microfiber jewelry cleaning cloth to be a great and easy way to keep your jewelry nice and clean. That will help protect the plating on this bracelet. This bracelet was made out of a base metal, with Rose Gold plating. A base metal can be any non-precious metal. Copper, Nickel, and Brass are the common ones used. My bracelet arrived in perfect condition. I have no flaws, chips, or discolorations. All my simulated pearls are set well, and in great shape. I love the story behind the bracelet. It adds a special sentiment to it.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Infinite Charming Jewelry “Pearl Teardrops” Rose Gold Plated Tennis Bracelet, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, it ccan be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019Z2PW2Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage