Party Origami Giveaway

Today is the official release date of my book Party Origami! Party Origami is a booklet with step-by-step directions for 14 party decorations.  It also comes with 75 sheets of pretty double sided paper.  To celebrate, I thought I would have a little giveaway.

On to the Giveaway. . .one  lucky reader will win Party Origami. To enter, please share the first origami piece you learned to fold. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, April 2,  2013. I'll announce the winner Wednesday, April 3, 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.  International friends welcome :)

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Fashion Lights who is the winner of Party Origami!

Thank you to everyone who entered.  I was surprised to learn many of you learned to fold either a crane or boat as your first origami piece.  For those curious, the first thing I learned to fold was a cootie catcher. 

Crayola Ultimate Easter Basket Giveaway

Crayola sent me some of their products along with a $25 Michael's gift card to make the ultimate Easter basket.  Here's a little bit about how I crafted up the basket pictured above:

I purchased the white basket at Michaels and it came with a fabric liner.  I decided I wanted to have a knit liner instead.  I knit the liner in the round with a knit 2 purl 2 pattern.  Once it was the desired length for the outside of the basket, I placed half the stitches on a separate needle and knit those stitches until I had the desired length for the inside and bound off the stitches.  I repeated the process for the remaining stitches.  This allowed me to fold the liner down around the handle.

I had this idea of a scaled back yarn bombed basket so I knit a rectangle ribbed piece in the same pattern and sewed it to the handle. 

Since I have two kids and hide their baskets, I always like to make a name tag.  In the past I've printed out labels but this time I decided to sew a hand-stitched felt tag.  I also added a couple pom poms with some extra yarn to make it more fun.  For the back of the tag I sewed on a pin so the tag could be taken off the basket. 

Now, you probably want to know about the giveaway part, here goes. . .

One lucky winner will receive a Crayola Prize Pack with the following items:

Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles Big Wand

• Using the Big Wand, Kids can create massive bubbles in bright colors like “purple pizzazz” and “fuchsia,” to chase, catch and pop

Crayola Crayons

• Crayola Crayons include the colors generations have grown up with.
• Crayola Crayons are designed with a focus on true color, smoothness, and durability.

Crayola Color Wonder

• Crayola Color Wonder markers only appear on the special Color Wonder paper, so kids can have mess-free fun whenever, wherever and moms don’t have to worry about color showing up where it shouldn’t.

Crayola Chalk

• Crayola sidewalk chalk creates big outdoor art with the ONLY sidewalk chalk in bright, bold Crayola crayon colors!

A $25 Michael's Gift Card

To Enter:  Please leave a comment sharing what you would put in your ultimate Easter basket.  One entry per household.  Open to US residents only.  Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, March 3 2013. I'll announce the winner Monday, March 4 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner.  Open to US residents only.

Disclosure:  The Crayola product, gift card, information about the Crayola product, and additional gift pack have been provided by Crayola

Contest Closed 

Ccongratulations to Genevieve who is the winner of the Crayola Prize Pack Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest.

Kirigami Craft Book Giveaway

I haven't had a giveaway for a while so I thought I would host one to ring in the new year.  I actually have two things up for grabs, the Kirigami book pictured above and a pair of tabi socks.  I purchased both the items at Daiso, my favorite store.

Pictured above are some of the kirigami projects from the book.  It comes with templates printed on the paper so you know exactly where to cut. 

And here are the tabi socks.  I liked that they had kokeshi dolls on them.  Tabi socks are designed to be worn with sandals; that's why the toes look a little funny.  I actually bought a pair for myself too.

On to the Giveaway. . .one  lucky reader will win Kirigami-Chic Japanese Patterns and a pair of tabi socks. To enter, please share if you've ever seen tabi socks before or if you wear them. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, January 6  2013. I'll announce the winner Monday, January 7 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.  International friends welcome :)

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Melissa who is the winner of the tabi socks and book!

As always, thank to everyone who participated.  I loved reading all your comments!

Giveaway: Food Origami Book

I purchased this origami food book at Daiso a while back thinking it would be fun for a giveaway.  I liked that it was a little different from the traditional origami books I normally see.  The book features both American and Japanese food with directions in English.

On to the Giveaway. . .one  lucky reader will win Origami of Delicious Food. To enter, please share a food you would like to see as origami. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, June 24 2011. I'll announce the winner Monday, June 25 2012 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.

Contest now closed.

Congratulations to Sarah who said she would like to see a meatloaf origami with all the trimmings!

Thank you to everyone who entered, I enjoyed reading all you creative origami food ideas.

 

Hello Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway

Welovefine recently asked if I would like to host a giveaway and I thought that was a great idea.  One, I haven't posted a giveaway in awhile. And two, I like Hello Kitty and I'm pretty sure many of you like Hello Kitty as well. Win win. 

Above are a few of my favorite Hello Kitty T-Shirts (all adult sizes) from the welovefine site.  I especially like the Mexican inspired folk art Hello Kitty tees.  You'll find a large selection of Hello Kitty t-shirts along with other brand names such as Marvel, Muppets, and Jem on welovefine.

How to Enter. . .

Click here to visit welovefine and tell me which $25 Hello Kitty Shirt you would choose if you won.   One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, May 13 2012. I'll announce the winner Monday, May 14th on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.  Good luck.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Jennifer E who is the winner of the Hello Kitty T-shirt Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

Elmer's Look for Less Giveaway

Photo Credit: Elmer's Looks for Less Guide

Yesterday I participated in the Elmer's look for less challenge where I made a faux bronze wall art piece. Today I'm hosting a giveaway with products to help you make your own look for less. Here's what you could win (two winners)!

Black 20 x 30 Foam Board

White 20 x 30 Foam Board

CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick

CraftBond Repositionable Glue Stick

CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick

X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster Knife

Painters Assorted Colors Set (colors may vary from photo)

*Picture frames not included in giveaway.

How to enter: Leave a comment guessing which frame above is the look for less (#1 or #2). Guessing the correct frame will not increase your odds of winning. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Saturday, December 17 2011. I'll announce the winners Sunday, December 18 2011 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.

Once you make your guess check out the Elmer's Looks for Less Guide (project 6) to find out what the correct answer is. There are a lot of other great projects made with foam board in the guide. If you have a chance, check out the projects. I think you'll be surprised with some of the projects the Elmer's team came up with.

Contest Closed

For those who were curious the look for less was frame #1 !

Pom-Pom Monster Salon Giveaway

Klutz recently sent us the Pom Pom Monster Salon to test out. The book/kit comes with directions on how to make 13 different monsters, a pom pom maker, styling comb, glue, accessories for the monsters and yarn. The only other thing you will need to make the monsters are scissors.

The kit is for ages 8 and up but I had both my children (ages 6 & 8) make the pom poms. They were able to measure the yarn (book comes with a built in ruler) and wrap the yarn around the pom pom maker. I ended up cutting the yarn for them because the pom pom maker can come apart while cutting. My 8 year old probably could do it completely on his own but since we were all just learning how to make them, I helped out.

The book shows techniques on how to incorporate different colors into the pom poms. In the picture above we made a green monster with an orange mohawk out of one pom pom.

Out of all the craft kits we've tried out, this is the one kit my kids have been the most excited about so far. Everyday they're asking me if they can make more pom pom monsters.

*One important thing to note is that the kit provides only enough yarn for about 5 monsters. I recommend having an extra ball of yarn on hand in case you want to make more monsters. You can make the monsters with acrylic yarn which is reasonably priced ($3 a ball).

Arts, Crafts, & Laughs! KLUTZ books are the Perfect Holiday Gift for any Child! With Pom-Pom Monster Salon, anyone can make pom-poms and turn them into stylish monsters. Use our exclusive pom-pom maker and follow our cutting and styling instructions to create perfectly coifed mop tops, afros, pigtails, and mohawks to name a few. Add tiny hair bows, punch out feet, and foam horns and teeth for the final touches.

Find Klutz on Facebook

Get 20% off your entire order - Shop Klutz.com and use coupon code KLUTZ4U
Promo can not be combined with any other offer. Offer expires 12/31/11

On to the Giveaway. . . two lucky readers will win a Pom-Pom Monster Salon. To enter, please share your best pom-pom monster name. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Saturday, December 3 2011. I'll announce the winner Sunday, December 4 2011 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Michelle L. and Tina Reynolds who are the winners of the Pom-Pom monster salon kits!

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Giveaway: Kawaii Bento Picks

As promised, here's the giveaway I was talking about in my past post. I picked up these cute bento forks/picks at Ichiban Kan. I wanted to get something different that you don't find in your everyday store. I hope you like them.

On to the giveaway. . .One lucky winner will receive this bento fork package. To enter, please share what your favorite dessert is. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Friday, October 21 2011. I'll announce the winner Saturday, October 22 2011 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone!

* Update - Congratulations to Bean who is the winner of the bento picks! As always, thanks to everyone who entered.

Contest Closed

Shrinky Dinks Monster Lab Giveaway

Creativity For Kids sent me one of their Shrinky Dinks Monster Lab kits for the kids and I to check out. I was pretty excited about it because it was a craft kit that appealed to BOYS. I also knew both kids would like it because it contained shrinky dinks which we craft with regularly.

Here's why I liked the kit:

My kids (ages 5 & 7) could do most of it on their own. Of course, I had to shrink the monsters for them in the toaster oven.

Even though it was a kit it stilled allowed them to be creative. They could color the monsters anyway they wanted and there were other fun things to decorate the monsters with such as pipe cleaners, colored brads, and googly eyes.

This kit was a life saver when I was sick. Seriously, I'm not making this up. I was really sick a couple weeks back and could barely move. I got this kit out and let the kids go to town coloring the monsters. It kept them busy for a good hour and kept me resting for an hour. Which brings me to my next point. . .

There's enough craft supplies in the kit to keep two kids busy creating. Maybe three if your children are good at sharing.

What I would change

The one thing I regret was gluing the lab into place. I wish I made it so it could collapse and fold flat for when it's not being played with. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

Okay onto the Giveaway . . .

Two lucky winners will receive their own Shrinky Dinks Monster Lab. Here's a little more information about the kit:

• Includes 50+ pre-cut Shrinky Dinks, Faber-Castell color EcoPencils, brads, chenille stems, wiggly eyes and more.
• When you are finished, place them inside the 3-D pop-up laboratory (measures 16" x 7 3/4" x 6”).
• Winner of The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval and FunFare - All Stars Award
• Ages 7 and up
• $19.99

For more information about Creativity for Kids, visit their Facebook Page.

How to enter: Leave a comment with your best shrinky dink monster name. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Friday, July 15 2011. I'll announce the winners Saturday, July 16, 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Good Luck!

Silhouette Giveaway & Review

One of the fun things about having a craft blog is that once in a while I get to test out new craft products and sometimes even give them away! Today I'm going to be sharing a little bit about my experience with the Silhouette SD and their tattoo paper.

The Silhouette is a digital cutting tool that works through your computer. It allows you to cut all kinds of shapes along with designing your own shapes as well. Being able to design my own cut images was the most appealing thing about the machine to me. It's nice to not be limited to just the Silhouette designs (as cute as they may be). The Silhouette can cut paper, heat transfers, adhesive vinyl, stickers, and tattoo paper.

For cutting pre-made images, the Silhouette is pretty easy to use. Like any piece of technology, it does take some time to learn all the in and outs. I'm currently still learning how to design my own images. There software is very similar to photo editing software so many of tools I'm already familiar with.

Tattoos printed on Silhouette tattoo paper and cut with the Silhouette

If you're like me, you might be wondering how the Silhouette can cut out the exact image of an item printed on a separate printer? Answer, when you set up your item to print and cut, it also prints registration marks. The Silhouette then reads the registration marks and knows exactly where the printed item is. I'm telling you this because when I first set out to make the tattoos, I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure how this part would work. I was concerned I would have to line up the images to the blade or something but that wasn't the case at all. It ended up being really easy to print and cut the tattoos.

Okay, on to the fun stuff:

One lucky person will win a Silhouette SD

How To Enter Giveaway

Mandatory entry:
To enter, please share what you would make with the Silhouette SD. (One entry per household)

2nd entry (optional): Like Silhouette on their Facebook Page. Leave a second comment on this site saying you did this.

Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Monday, June 27 2011. I'll announce the winner Tuesday, June 28 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.

Contest Closed

An Elmer's Craft Party & Giveaway!

Easel Matchbox Card

Over the weekend I was given the opportunity to throw an Elmer's Craft & Tell Party. Elmer's had sent me a bunch of products for my guests and I to try out. I decided we would make these cute little matchbox cards (picture above). The matchbox cards were a great project to make for a craft party, not to complicated but they still required a good amount of time to execute. Believe it or not, it actually took us about 2 hours to make these! Plus, the project allowed everyone to put their own creative spin on the craft (always important).

Here's how I set up the party along with a few craft party tips. We have a small house so I usually use the dining room table to craft. On the table you can see what Elmer's sent me: X-ACTO retractable knife, Designer Scissors, Self Healing Mat, Decorative Edge Scissors, Elmer's Extra Strength Glue Stick, Elmer's Craft Bond Tape Runner, and CraftBond Tape Runner.

*One thing I like to do is line the table with craft paper (kind you use for kids easels). This protects the table and also helps set guests at ease. They don't have to worry about drawing on or getting glue on your table. I usually use two sheets of craft paper and tuck it under the table and tape it down. You don't want it moving around when everyone is crafting.

*To cover up the seam and make things a little more festive, I like to add a runner. I've found the best thing to use for runners is wrapping paper. It's long enough for tables and comes in just about every color and print imaginable. Plus, you don't have to worry about it getting dirty. I used a cute little owl print.

*I'm the kind of person that tries to make do with what I have around the house. I used small pails to hold the pens and scissors. Let me just add that small pails are great for parties. They're perfect for holding utensils as well. To display all the tiny embellishments I used my deviled egg tray. It worked out perfect to separate all those tiny little craft supplies.

Grandma showing off her matchbox card. The hydrangea print was perfect for her as she is very talented in ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement).

More projects from other guests. Some of the elements used for the cards were mini gift tags and clip art from The Graphics Fairy.

Okay on to the best part. Two of you will win your own Elmer's Craft & Tell Party Pack! The pack will include:

X-ACTO Retractable Knife

8” X-ACTO Designer Series Scissors

X-ACTO Self-Healing Mat

X-ACTO Decorative Edge Scissors

Elmer’s CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick

Elmer’s CraftBond Tape Runner

Elmer’s CraftBond Glue Dots pack

Elmer’s Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board

How To Enter Giveaway: To enter, please share what you would make with these Elmer's & X-ACTO products. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, June 19 2011. I'll announce the winners Monday, June 20, 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.

Contest Closed

Puppet Play: Book Review & Giveaway

Today I'm participating in the virtual book tour for Puppet Play by Diana Schoenbrun. This is Diana's second book. She also authored Beasties, a book on how to make stuffed animal monsters. Besides writing books, Diana also teaches puppet making and does freelance illustrating. To find out more about Diana you can visit her website.

Puppet Play features 20 puppet projects to make out of recycled items such as mittens, towels, and socks. You'll also find a tutorial on how to make a theater for your puppets out of a cardboard box. For each project you'll find pictures, step by step instructions and patterns to make the puppets. The construction of the puppets is mainly created by hand sewing. The projects are good for all sewing levels. In fact, many of the projects could easily be made by a child with a little adult guidance.

What I like about the projects is that most of the supplies come from cast off items and are easily accessible. Diana also incorporates lots of common craft supplies such as buttons, washers, and googly eyes. She even has a project for those socks with holes, a wizard puppet!

I also like that the projects are quick and easy to make. I started making the "Ice Cream Man" from the book and in just one hour I was half way finished. Depending on your skill level you could probably make a couple puppets in one day.

Below are a few pictures of puppets from the book.

Two Blue Mice - They even have shoelace tales!

The Five Little Pigs

Feilong The Dragon

On to the giveaway. . .One lucky winner will receive the book Puppet Play. To enter, please share what kind of puppet you would like to make (doesn't have to be one from the book) . One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, May 17 2011. I'll announce the winner Wednesday, May 18 2011 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.

Puppet Play Book Tour Schedule

May 3rd Oh My! Handmade
May 4th Craft Sanity
May 5th Sew Mama Sew
May 6th Little Birdie Secrets
May 7th This Mama Makes Stuff
May 8th Roots and Wings
May 9th Whip UP
May 10th Fiskateers
May 11th Zakkalife < You're Here
May 12th Prudent Baby
May 13th Make + Do
May 14th Craft Test Dummies
May 15th Cute Everything
May 16th Schmancy
May 17th Progressive Pioneer
May 18th Pink and Green Mama
May 19th Arrow Cabinets
May 20th The Happy Honeybee
May 21st Craft Gossip

Contest Closed

Congratulations to ***Sharon*** who is the winner of the giveaway!

In case you were wondering, during the the Blogger problem last week I lost a lot of comments on this post. However, I still had everyone's comments in my email files so no ones entry was lost. As always, thank you to everyone who entered :)

Sewn by Hand Interview & Giveaway

Sewn by Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle & Thread

Today I'm participating in the Sewn by Hand Lark book tour. The book Sewn by Hand by Susan Wasinger shares two dozen projects that can all be created without the use of a sewing machine. The book features a vast variety of projects ranging from curtains to baby bibs, there's something for everyone. Many of the projects are also eco-friendly in that the supplies are intended to come from used items for example, old men's shirts.

For those not familiar with Susan Wasinger, she's an accomplished author. She's also published Fabricate, Eco Craft, and The Feisty Stitcher. I got a chance to do an interview with her over email and find out a little more about her background and what inspires her. I really enjoyed learning more about Susan and appreciated her honest answers. I hope you'll enjoy learning more about her too.

Zakka Life: Tell us a little about yourself. how did you get started sewing?

Susan Wasinger: My Swiss grandmother taught me to sew when I was four years-old. My first project was a pair of elastic-waist pants. I was so thrilled that I could make something I could actually wear! I think if my first project had been something like a pincushion or a sachet, I might not have been so excited about sewing and maybe it wouldn't have turned into such an abiding passion. The pants were bright red, these pants were, kind of a Hawaiian print. What four-year-old wouldn't think that was the coolest thing? Oh, and by the way, my grandmother was trained as a couture seamstress, so she knew the "right way" to do things but she always encouraged me to experiment and learn by trial and error. And yes, there were lots and lots of errors.

ZL: How would you describe your sewing style?
SW: I'm definitely an "I'll-try-anything-once" kind of sewist. I love to sew things that sound impossible. I have sewn sleeping bags, guitar cases, backpacks, chairs, owl costumes, and even a few other things that I wouldn't recommend attempting.

I also really like to make regular stuff but in unusual materials, like making an apron out of an old button-down shirt or a bag for my mountain bike out of retro floral oilcloth. I also like the process to show a little, I don't mind if you can see the stitching. In fact, I encourage it! Especially in "Sewn by Hand", lots of the projects were built around the decorative charm of hand stitching. If it doesn't look handmade, then why hand make it? If its not going to look one-of-a-kind, then you might as well go down to a store and just buy it. Is "charmingly imperfect" a style?

ZL: You've published a book on machine sewing (The Feisty Stitcher) as well. Which do you prefer more, hand sewing or machine sewing? Why?
SW: When I am sewing something with a needle and thread, THAT is my favorite kind of sewing. Then when I sit down at my sewing machine, I realize how much I love to have the power at my fingertips to sew anything I want very fast. Variety is the spice of life... and of craft. I must say though that the wonderful and amazing thing about hand sewing is that you can do it anywhere. I have literally sewn an ottoman (an ottoman!!!) while watching my son's little league double-header. I can sit with my family around the kitchen table and sew things while they are doing homework or I can sit out on the sundeck and sew while looking out over the mountains of the Continental Divide. I do absolutely adore that about hand sewing.

ZL: Where do you find inspiration for your projects?
SW: Ideas often come to me out of need as in "I need storage bins, can I sew them?" Or I'm inspired by something I find, like a piece of fabric (I love printed linens from Japan) or some vintage piece of trim (I often buy "lots" that are the contents of someones old sewing box on ebay). Or I find inspiration in something I want to repurpose, like shrunken sweaters or an old vintage shirt. I like unusual juxtapositions and its usually not one individual thing that inspires me, but the odd synergy that happens when two or more things meet. Roses made from old metal zippers meet felted menswear wool meet brightly colored silk linings? Sounds weird, but with the right twists it turns into the most delectable and elegant little evening clutch. That is the kind of quirky stuff that is most inspiring to me.

ZL: What's your favorite project from your book, Sewn By Hand? Why?
SW:Uh oh, this is gonna be impossible. I have to have a big crush on anything I do or else I lose interest and I never finish it. So, I can honestly say that I adore every single project in that book. But if I have to name one... well ... I will name three: The yummy soft sherbet-colored Pilot Hat, the chic and unusual Zipper-Rose Evening Clutches, and either the Piped-edge Slippers or the Personalized Bibs...but I like the Appliqued Wool Blankets too, and the Cafe Napkins with built-in napkin rings made out of shirt plackets. See, I told you it would be impossible for me to choose just one! I'm so shameless.

ZL: What sewing project will you be working on next?
SW: I am currently obsessing over everything linen. I would love to do a book that would be nothing but 100% Linen. I 'd also like to work on a sewing book that is completely pattern-less where all the projects just require a few measurements to make them work. No printing out or untangling complicated patterns, and no fiddly cutting out. In my book Feisty Stitcher, I did some simple jackets that were made out of nothing but simple rectangles.

If you would like to learn more about Susan and her book Sewn By Hand, below is list of other sites participating in the blog tour. You'll find a variety of interviews, reviews and giveaways in the sites listed below.

Sewn By Hand Book Tour
4/4 Blog tour kickoff at LarkCrafts.com
4/6 Sew Daily blog
4/8 Click here for a free travel thread caddy project from the book!
4/11 Pink of Perfection
4/13 Artsy-Crafty Babe
4/15 MayaMade
4/19 WhipUp
4/20 CRESCENDOh Blog
4/22 MummySam
4/25 Feeling Stitchy
4/27 Zakka Life < You're Here
4/29 BurdaStyle blog

On to the giveaway. . .One lucky winner will receive Sewn by Hand along with a few other items to help you get started sewing (pictured above). To enter, please share what your favorite thing is to sew in the comments of this post. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, May 3 2011. I'll announce the winner Wednesday, May 4 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Wendy who is the winner of the giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Design Memory Craft Mix & Match Giveaway

Today I've got a crafty giveaway for you, Design Memory Craft Mix & Match sets by Faber Castell. Two lucky readers will win both sets pictured above (colors may vary). Each Mixed Media Sampler set comes in either red, yellow, green or blue. Each set was specifically created for all the mediums in it to work together. The Gelato Mix & Match set is made for stamping, blending with water and embellishing. All products are acid free.

Faber Castell sent me two packs of the their new Design Memory Craft media samplers to test out.

Click on image to get a better view of texture.

Above I tested out how the products show on white paper. As mentioned on the package, the gelatos blend well together. They were also my favorite medium out of both packs. They're described as pigment sticks and remind me of oil pastels but are a little different in texture. What's interesting about the gelatos is that you can use them in replace of ink pads for stamps. I tested this out with a clear stamp which is pictured above. You'll notice the stamped image shows up lighter opposed to an ink stamped image.

One of the mentioned features is that the metallic pens and gelatos work well on dark paper. I decided to test this out. Here's where I think you can really see the possibilities of the sets. For the masquerade mask above I used the following mediums: color gelatos, metallic gelatos, metallic PITT, pastel pencil, and a watercolor pencil. The only other supplies used was black card stock and an embossing tool to achieve the feather and scale texture.

Click on image to get a better view of texture and colors.

I feel like I've only scratched the surface with the capabilities of these mixed media sets. I'm looking forward to testing out new techniques with them in the future.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me what you would use these mixed media sets for. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, April 26 2011. I'll announce the two winners Wednesday, April 27 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.

Contest Closed

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter. I read every single comment!

The two randomly drawn winners are Clara and IctoRude. Congratulations!

Giveaway: Kids Wall Decor

Today I've got a fun giveaway for all of you, kid wall decor by Stephanie Brandt of Just Bunch Paintings. Stephanie has offered to give one lucky reader three prints of their choice (personalized paintings excluded). All prints are created from her original mixed media collages. Stephanie's artwork has a fresh and contemporary feel. One of the features that I like about her pieces is that most of the prints are created in sets of three (see pictures above). This gives you the option to cover a larger space while still keeping a polished look.

I got to choose a couple prints to see her work firsthand. I picked out the teacup and teapot print. They came packaged neatly secured between cardboard so they were in perfect condition when they arrived. The prints looked just like the Etsy listing, colors and all (very important if you're coordinating a room by color). The artwork was printed on quality archival photo paper. The prints even got a thumbs up by my 5 year old and we all know that's the true test.


To enter the giveaway, please visit Just Bunch Paintings Etsy Shop and leave a comment telling me your favorite print. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, April 3, 2011. I'll announce the winner Monday, April 4 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. International friends welcome :)

New Giveaway: Ecosystem Journals

Have you checked out the giveaway page lately? I've got a new giveaway up for these Ecosystem Journals and there will be three winners! Click here for details.

New Giveaway & Review Pages

You may have noticed I added a few new buttons to the site, "giveaways & reviews". In the past I've posted all giveaways here but I've now set up a separate page for it. So to kick off the new page, I'm giving away one roll of this cute matryoshka packing tape. Click here or on "giveaways" to go to the matryoshka packing tape giveaway.

Giveaway: Bread Cell Phone Charm

I've always been curious about these faux breads that I've seen online. So, you could imagine my delight when I stumbled upon one at my favorite store. As soon as I saw it I knew just what to do with it, host a giveaway! One lucky reader will win this faux bread cell phone charm. It looks just like a miniature bread, it's squishy and even smells like bread!

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of pastry. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Monday, September 20, 2010. I'll announce the winner Tuesday on this post and email them. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. International friends welcome :)

Congratulations to Peggy who is the winner of the giveaway! Peggy's favorite pastry is red bean paste bun!

Contest Closed

Regretsy Book Giveaway

Regretsy By April Winchell

Recently I received a copy of the book Regretsy from Random House Publishing. Some of you may be familiar with the site Regretsy, a site about bizarre handmade items selling on Etsy. Well now there's a book documenting all the strange items April came across while writing for the site. All the handmade items are broken down into seven chapters, (Pet Humiliation, Toys and Dolls, Vulvacraft, Decor, Art, WTF, and Christmas). Each item features the actual seller's online listing along with April's commentary. Included in the book is a chapter for the sellers to reply back to April's comments and the book which I personally thought was very smart to do.

Now on to the giveaway, I'm giving away one copy of the book Regretsy. Warning, there is some adult language in this book.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me something that you regretted buying. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Monday, May 31, 2010. I'll announce the winner Tuesday on this post and email them. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. U.S. residents only.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Amy, you're the winner of the Regretsy Giveaway!