A long awaited post

Sometimes life means blog posts need to wait, but when friends start to worry and send you messages to see if you are OK, then you definitely know it has been too long. My friends, it is so sweet of you to have asked if everything is OK, and I am sorry you worried about us. Everybody in our family is OK, even our poor fish, who were left with an automatic feeder that was turning around (I checked that) but apparently did not feed them at all, as it is as full now as it was three weeks ago. I feel so sorry for the little creatures, they were starving! Anyway, nothing happened to them, and they have been fed a little (didn't want to give them too much after weeks of starvation) and will be fed more tomorrow. Six happy little fish!

We had two fabulous weeks travelling... guess where? 

Getting a little bit of Olympic spirit, and taking a little girl to play with the snow:

Ok, yes, it was dirty and was more ice than snow, but for her, it was a dream come true, and considering we were in the middle of July, I think we did quite well. :)

But then came the best part. We returned only to find out we had no internet or cable TV (or telephone, but we don't use that a lot...), but we did have something much, much better. Our family visiting all the way from Peru. My brother in law, his wife, and their two kids were here for some days, and nobody remembered there was no cable or internet. It was really a blessing not to have them when we had such fabulous company to spend the time with!

They are funny, kind, warm, interesting, loving, caring, a pleasure to spend time with. And so, my friends, another week went by with lovely company and no internet. Internet came back an hour before they left yesterday (talk about timing!) and I was waiting to finish uploading all my class materials for my upcoming class before I posted here, but it really was taking too long. 

Having a final look at my HOT TRENDS 2012 classes, I can say I am proud of what I have created. The classes have tons of content, the handouts and videos look great, the layout examples are easy to put into practice but look beautiful. I don't think I will be able to use Chevrons, Twine, Decorative Tape or Doilies for some time now, but I am sure the students who enroll in the class will enjoy it for sure. If you would like to have a look at it, you can check it HERE.

Remember, if you are interested in only of of the four individual weeks, you can just sign up for that! And since I have been so bad to my blog followers leaving them for weeks until they worried, I would like to offer a FREE seat in the whole HOT TRENDS 2012 class to you, worth $49.99. If you are interested in the free seat, please write to me at cgarrido@scrapbooknewsandreview.com 

I will be back on the day classes start (August 10) to let you know what the first day feels like!

Pretty Little Studio Givewaway - Winner

I am ready to finish the Wild Kratts series today, so all the people who have written to ask for pinata instructions or inspiration for the party, you will find them in the next psot! But before I go on, I would like to announce the random winner of that super yummy Pretty Little Studio stuff in my giveaway:

Lucky number 13 is Vicky, who said:

Vicky, please e-mail me your adress so I can have the prize sent to you! Congratulations to Vicky and thank you to all the people who took part in the giveaway.

GIveaways and contests

Hmmm.... still not posting any projects, my friends, but I may work on something I can show you today. In the meantime, I have some good news for you. As I told you in my previous post, Scrapbook News and Review is getting ready to launch The Art Studio, and they are having a survey to make sure the classes really meet your needs. It is a short survey that won't take you to long to fill in, and in return you get a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to the scrapbooking shop of your choice. Isn't that a fab prize?????? To complete the survey, you need to go HERE. Good luck and I hope you win!!!

Also, Scrapbook Supplies Online has a challenge in their gallery with two new and gorgeous sketches, and a chance to win one of two $25 gift certificates. Here are the sketches to get your mojo flowing:

Hope to see your creations in the gallery!!!!!

March is here!!!!!

March is finally here and that means I can launch my giveaway today!!!! I am celebrating the fabulous new look that my blog has, by giving away this prize:

A Martha Stewart bundle which contains: 12 neon glitter (4.4 oz. each),12 hexagonal glitter (.3 oz. each), 12 iridescent vintage leaf glitter (.14 oz. each) and 12 glittered flocking powder (.077 oz. each). The retail value of the bundle is around $80. 

In order to get a chance to win, you have to do three simple things:

1.- Follow my blog if you are not already a follower

2.- Visit one of the sites below, and leave a comment saying I sent you (I have provided a link to both their sites and their facebook pages if available, choose the one you prefer!). These sites are all fabulous sites I am designing and guest designing for, and I would like for you to get to know them. Please, choose one site you have never visited before. You may be surprised by what you find!

Practical Scrappers - Practical Scrappers on Facebook

Scrapbook Supplies Online - Scrapbook Supplies Online on Facebook

Pretty Little Studio - Pretty Little Studio on Facebook

Unique Crafters Challenge Blog

Buttons Galore and More - Buttons Galore and More on Facebook

3.- Leave me a comment below letting me know you are a follower and which site you visited.

You have time to play until March 31st, the winner will be announced on April 1st. I will be taking part in a great blog hop tomorrow, so don't forget to come and visit. And if you are waiting for the winner of the Let's Scrap Blog Hop to be announced, come back on March 3rd. Good luck!!!!

New look and giveaway announcement!

Hi! If you have come to take part in:

click HERE.

Unless this is your first time visiting my blog, you have probably noticed its fab new look! I have been wanting to do this for a long time, but thought it would be hard and would mean having my blog down for some days, so I was not sure about it. Finally, when Chriss gave her blog a new look and it looked so nice, I decided to give myself a new blog look as a Christmas present and contacted Designer Blogs. It was hard to have to wait all this time, as I was patiently "standing" in the customer line, but boy, was it worth it! My new look was designed by Lauren, who understood what I wanted really quickly and didn't mind having to add those extra touches I asked for (i.e. "Can I have an extra embellie here?" - What else could a scrapbooker ask for???). I really love the design she came up with, and I am ready to celebrate!!!! Since I am hosting the blog hop during the whole month of February, I have decided I will celebrate having this fantastic new look during the month on March. And this is the prize I will give away to one lucky winner:

A Martha Stewart bundle which contains: 12 neon glitter (4.4 oz. each),12 hexagonal glitter (.3 oz. each), 12 iridescent vintage leaf glitter (.14 oz. each) and 12 glittered flocking powder (.077 oz. each). The retail value of the bundle is around $80. 

Are you ready to win this prize? If you are, come back as soon as March starts, it will be very easy to participate, and I will be thrilled to have you visiting me and enjoying this new look!!!

Guess the guestie and win!

It seems I have a new contest to announce every day... guess that's good for you, so many prizes to win! Freehand Scraps is having a "mystery" Guest Designer this week, and Suz Mannecke, DT, is having a guessing game! It's very easy to take part in the giveaway, just post a yes or no question here. You have time to play until Thursday (or until there's a correct guess!), so hurry up!

GIVEAWAY!

I am so happy to be guest designing for Freehand Scraps this month. I love their kits, their choice of papers just suits my style, and there are so many embellies to play with! And I'd like to share a bit of my happiness with you, so I have prepared a very special giveaway. I have included flowers,  stickers, alphabets, chipboard, lace, die cuts, buttons, tons of stuff. But also, I used what remained from my kit (after making three layouts, two cards, and two altered projects, it really has TONS of stuff!) to make some unique embellies for you. I have made flowers, tags and other embellies, and they are my favourite part of the prize! 

If you'd like to have a chance to win this pack, all you have to do is visit Freehand Scrap's blog and leave a comment on my post: "Ten Ways to make your projects unique". Then come back here and let me know you did (I have had some messages from people who've had trouble commenting. If you are having trouble, try this: just right click on “add comment” and click on “open in new tab” or “open in new window”. If you still have trouble leaving a comment at Freehand Scraps' blog, please leave one in their Facebook Page instead).

If you'd like to have extra chances you can:

1)become a follower of my blog and leave a comment here (or leave a comment saying you already are).

2) advertise this giveaway in your blog, Facebook and/or twitter and leave a link to where you advertised (one extra chance for each  link).

3) "like" Freehand Scraps on Facebook 

(and leave a comment here to let me know you did)

4) subscribe to Freehand Scraps' 

newsletter (and leave a comment here to let me know you did).

The deadline is September 30, the winner will be randomly picked and announced on October 1st. Good luck to all of you!

Working hard

I am working hard finishing some lovely handmade embellies with the rest of my Freehand Scraps August kit to include in my giveaway, together with Teresa Collins Blingage, Bella Blvd chipboard stickers, We R Memory Keepers foil lace, stickers, flowers, felt buttons and other yummy things that will go in the winner's pack! If you'd like a chance to win, remember to come back tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of pics with you. The first one shows how hard it is for me to take pictures of my projects, as Mia always wants to be part of the pic! She saw me with the camera and actually ran out of the pool to come and pose next to the journal!

The second one is from our weekend in Bahamas, where we played with dolphins. It was a wonderful moment, and I'm sure you'll soon see this photo in a layout!

Come back tomorrow to join the giveaway, but if you can't, don't worry, the deadline is September 30th!

Nikki Sivils Giveaway!

Don't miss the Nikki Sivils Giveaway and feature today at Practical Scrappers. There's some amazing work by the DT and some of the readers, as well a a fabulous prize. The deadline is June 1st. Check it out!

Bella Blvd giveaway!!!

Practical Scrappers  is having an amazing double giveaway of Bella Blvd products, plus some great inspiration from the DT and readers. All you have to do for a chance to win these fabulous prizes is follow the blog and leave a comment. You don't want to miss it!!!!!!!!!!!

Pink Paislee giveaway at Practical Scrappers

You will not want to miss this one! There's a yummy Pink Paislee giveaway going on at Practical Scrappers. I presented two projects for this feature: one is the layout with acrylic banners I posted some time ago, and the other is this card, created with the same paper. The trim comes from my grandmother's sewing box and, yes, I couldn't stop embossing on that day!

There are four different ways you can get a chance to win the Pink Paislee prize, so don't forget to visit Practical Scrappers and find out how!

Giveaway winner!!!

I've just used a random number generator to pick up a number from the list of comments, and the winner is...


VIVI 


You can check her blog and congratulate her at http://handmadebyvivi.blogspot.com/

Don't forget there will be a new challenge announced on January 14th for the beginning of the Hoppy New Year Blog Hop! Come and play!

Last Challenge of the Year and Giveaway! Deadline - January 9

I am hosting Let's Scrap's LAST CHALLENGE OF 2010, which actually starts tomorrow, but I am posting it now, as tonight I need to do grocery shopping (I've had a BAD cold this week and have nothing left in the fridge!!!!!) and go to bed early, as tomorrow morning we are driving to Asa Wright Nature Centre in the North of Trinidad. Given that this island has the most variety of birds in the Caribbean, people say this place is amazing, you can see a huge number of species in just one day! If I can judge from the many different animals I see in my garden, this should be great. Lots of photo ops, I'm sure!

It will be a very simple challenge, as everybody is stressed and exhausted and it is the last challenge of the year! You just need to use any Let's Scrap sketch, and include a year in the title. Tag your photo challenge83 (no space!). The prize is this My Mind's Eye Holiday 5 Pack:

 

I'll be waiting to see your work! But if you feel too stressed and exhausted to scrap after the holidays, you can get a chance to win the same prize just by leaving a comment below (or do both things and get two chances!). It would be great if you could mention this giveaway in your blog, too.

Here's my layout for this challenge, it is based on a sketch that hasn't been released yet (I have had a bad cold, as I said, and couldn't think straight, so I made a mistake!!!):

It has lots of detail, and it took me quite a long time (I'm a sloooooooooooow scrapper),  but I like the result and I can't believe I have already scrapped this year's Christmas photos!

 

August giveaway

**this post will remain on top until August 31, please scroll down for newer posts**

I´ve been thinking and thinking about what to do for this giveaway (well, I´ve actually spent a lot of time relaxing and little time thinking, but still, a little thinking is a lot for a holiday) and have not come up with a good idea so I´ve decided to keep it very simple. Just post a comment about this giveaway in you blog or a link in your sidebar (you can use the image below if you want- thanks, Denise!), and post the link to your comment/blog here. Every person who posts a comment with a link has a chance to win a 25$ gift certificate from Crafty Steals. This site has great discounts, sometimes up to 70% off, so I am sure a 25$ gift certificate can get you lots of great stuff! Will be waiting for your comments... by the pool, with a piña colada next to me!!!

I´ve just realised I never said what the deadline is (thanks, Betty!); it is August 31st, I´ll draw the winner on September 1st.

New giveaway... coming soon!

August is almost here and our last family holidays around Tripoli are coming soon. After that, we're finally moving! I am missing scrapbooking sooooooooooooooo much. I got this beautiful pack of flowers and vintage ribbons and embellies in the mail today (I ordered it in February, thought it had got lost!) and my hands are itching to scrap. Maybe if I finish the last of the toy boxes and get my suitcases ready tomorrow, I could use one of the kits I left in a suitcase for this kind of embergency and all these new flowers... maybe, does not sound likely, though. Anyway, since I won't be able to post very often during our holiday... or after it, probably, I'll organize a giveaway for you to play with while I relax and sunbathe.... not sure what I will ask you to do this time... maybe guess how many boxes I've packed already? (that would be depressing, at least for me!)... guess when I will finally be able to start scrapping again (ouch! that's even more depressing!). Well, I'll think about it, and post it on August 1st, don't forget to check it out!

Brads giveaway - New winner

I haven't received any news from Uaigbe this week, and the moving business is getting harder and harder -not much time left for scrapbooking, and even less in the weeks to come- so I'll send the prize to the second best guess, and that is Betty Anne. Please, Betty Anne, e-mail me your address at scrappingnomad@gmail.com or PM me at Let's Scrap. Congratulations!

And the winner is...

*This post will remain on top for a couple of days, please scroll down for newer posts.*

Uaigbe, who guessed 1155 brads/eyelets. The exact number is 1172. Betty Anne (1198), Denise (1134) and Keesha (1199) came pretty close, too! Congrats, Uaigbe, and please send me your address to scrappingnomag@gmail.com so I can mail your prize!

Brads giveaway!

** This post will stay pinned to the top until July 8, please scroll down for new posts.**

The giveaway is finally here! There are three sets of delicious Sassafras Lass blossoms and two sets of yummy brads waiting for the winner.

And here's what you have to do:

1.- Have a look at one of my brad containers and guess how many brads/eyelets I have in there at the moment (been using a lot lately):

2.- Leave a comment here with the number (the entry that gets nearest to the right number wins).

3.- Post a link to this giveaway in you blog's sidebar (if you have one).

You don't have to become a follower to participate, but it might help you get updates about future giveaways (there will be more to come!). You have time to participate until July 8 in the morning (GMT +2 time), when I will announce the winner!

Candy alert!

I really enjoyed the NSD blog hop and challenges last month, and all the lovely comments everybody left, so I decided to have a new giveaway in June. I will post it on Thursday 10th, but I can give you some clues, to keep you thinking... the giveaway question has to do with brads... the prize, too... come back for more clues tomorrow!

Alphabet Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the alphabet giveaway is Crafty Girl, who left the following comment:

CraftyGirl said...

I am already a follower! Love visiting your blog!!

Barb :)

Congratulations Barb, and thanks for participating in this giveaway. Please, e-mail me your address.

If you also participated in the Scrapword Puzzle, visit Let's Scrap to see who's won the other alphabet set.

Thanks to all the people who participated in this challenge, I've had lots of fun and will be doing this again soon!!!