Win a Chainmaille Starter Pack

We always like to take an opportunity to help out our loyal friends and long time members of Handmade Artists’! Rebeca of Blue Buddha has been with us since we first started this site, her support has been wonderful and we love to return the favor! It has been almost 2 years since we have written about Rebeca and that was when she published her book Chained, which we have sitting on the shelf for reference! Anyway she is at it again and is really performing a service in my opinion with the introduction of kits.

Give the Gift of Crafting Zen

We all know someone who thinks they aren’t creative or coordinated enough to craft.  They say things like, “Oh, I could never do that,” or “Crafting just isn’t my thing.”  As someone who really knows the joys of crafting, doesn’t it kind of break your heart?  Talk to anyone who has made crafting a big part of their life and you’ll hear all about the ways crafting brings them peace, helps them relax after a long day at work and even helps them hold on to a piece of themselves, even through big life changes.  Imagine if you had never found that part of you just because you thought you couldn’t do it.

This holiday season, Blue Buddha Boutique, the largest chainmaille jewelry supplier in the US, is doing something just for the folks who think they can’t create.  Says Rebeca Mojica, Creative Guru and founder of Blue Buddha, “We’ve seen it time and time again.  We have folks that come into a class or order a kit from us with a lot of “craft anxiety”.  We can tell they are not sure this is something they can do.  After trying it though, creating their first project, they are completely different!  Having a successful experience where they didn’t think they could changes people.  A lot of them become hobbyists for life and some have even turned their new skill into a small handmade business.  They come back to us and tell us what a difference it had made in their lives.  It’s really about so much more than the craft itself.”

This month, Blue Buddha released Chainmaille Starter Packs for the first time.  Aimed at people brand new to the craft, they take all the guesswork out of getting started making chainmaille jewelry, a notably intimidating craft with its confusing jump ring sizes and intricate looking patterns.  Each pack contains kits and instructions for some of the company’s most user-friendly projects as well as a great “Get Started Guide” that shows users how to properly hold pliers and open and close rings.  The packs start at just $49.95, a pretty affordable price tag when it comes to starting a new craft, especially one that creates metal jewelry!  Thoughtfully, the packs are created in such a way that shoppers can mix and match multiple packs without any project overlap and, by keeping the tools needed to create the projects separately in their own convenient pack, people can avoid paying for them over and over just to get more projects.

“We wanted to release these in time for the holidays to give some of our long-time customers the opportunity to share a craft they’ve fallen in love with the people in their lives that they think could most benefit from it,” says Mojica.  “When we posted about the packs on our Facebook page, we were overwhelmed by the positive response.  One customer is planning to buy the packs to share with her daughter during her holiday break home from college.  Another has vowed to teach her life-long friend of 50 years the craft.  It’s just such a cool thing to help empower people to do!”

Chainmaille Starter Packs are now available on Blue Buddha Boutique’s website.  Whether you know someone who could use some crafting zen in their lives or you just want to try out a new craft yourself, we think they are a great way to jump into this quickly-growing craft.

Want to win a Starter Pack? There are 2 separate giveaways, one for Handmade Artists and one on Blue Buddha’s Blog. You must comment on both to be entered in both!!

Grand Prize Giveaway Ends 11/28/12

Visit the Blue Buddha blog and comment on this post though midnight CT on November 28th.  Your comment will enter you to win an “All-in-One” pack, complete with pliers, bead mat and their popular Celtic Visions bracelet project kit and instructions.

Handmade Artists Giveaway Ends 11/26/2012

As a bonus, the company is also giving away a Shaggy Loops kit and instructions to readers of Handmade Artists!  Enter to win by commenting below.  We will accept comments through Monday 11/26/2012.

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So again to win the Shaggy loops starter pack comment on this post below! You must register to comment. You can register as a buyer for free of course, sellers have a monthly fee.

For other chances to win the Shaggy Loops Starter kit check out these other sites in the blog hop!

The Beading Gem’s Journal - Pearl Blay
Wednesday, November 14th

Beading Daily Blog - Jennifer VanBenschoten
Thursday, November 15th

Angelica Brigade Blog - Joyce Katuari
Friday, November 16th

Jewelry Making Daily Blog – Tammy Jones
Saturday November 17th (tentative)

Handmade Artists Forum blog – Andrew Kitchen
Monday, November 19th

ChiIL Mama blog – Bonnie Kenaz-Mara
Tuesday, November 20th

Lovestruck Jewelry Blog – Sara Richardson
Wednesday, November 21st

Handmade Artists’ Winner!

 Ok the 26th has come and gone. The winner is Beverly with StartsArts! Congrats!!! Do not forget that Blue Buddha is still doing a grand prize tomorrow, so head on over and comment there to enter!

Posted in Contests and Giveaways, Handmade