This Coming Year on my Blog

Once I finish with my series (9/21-12/24) of handmade Christmas gift ideas, this weekend, I can begin doing some other things I had planned for my blog.

For one, I need to share my excitement over being in two more Etsy treasuries this month - these were in just the past 10 days. I hope to post those this weekend.

Oh, and I want to take all those 91 days of handmade Christmas gift ideas and plop the photos on just ONE page with links to the posts. It will help everyone when they want to find some gift ideas throughout the coming year.

Another thing I want to do is concentrate a bit more on Etsy tips and info. Just because the holiday buying season has ended, it doesn't mean our Etsy buying will decrease. In fact, I noticed that the opposite is true. I seem to have always had a good January.

Yet another thing I want to focus on is blog giveaways. I cannot host these myself any longer. But, I can share with you which sites are best for entering these. I can offer tips on how to enter, and which entry methods to use in your own situation. I want to share a win I just received today and how exciting it was for our household.

And, I want to continue sharing handcrafted gift ideas with you and posting the links but I'm not sure how often I will do that - weekly, possibly.

My crochet posts have almost disappeared, so I've been trying to think of a focus that will motivate me to do more in that area, including some new designs.

So, there are lots of things I want to do in 2012. I can hardly wait.

Winner of October Giveaway for $25 Etsy Merchandise

Congratulations to Renee Walters who won the $25 in Etsy merchandise from my shop.

Random.org chose Comment 6 of the 16 comments.

Thank you all for entering. I especially appreciated knowing what you all liked, and what you would like to see in the shop in the future.

Win $25 in Merchandise from my Etsy store (ends 10/31)

This is open anywhere; the giveaway ends midnight PDT Mon. 10/31/11; winners will be drawn that week via Random.org

There are five ways you can enter, but one is mandatory; see below.

The winner can mix and match anything in my shop. For example, you could get fingerless gloves for the winter, crocheted slippers, plastic canvas pattern booklets, crocheted clip-on bowtie or bow, or get 25 assorted plastic canvas cross bookmarks, hand crocheted back scrubbers. You could choose my Busy Person's Prayer Book and an angel dishcloth, or cross bookmarks; you have a lot to choose from. I will also be adding things along the way. The winner will be free to choose whatever they wish when they win. They will not be held to what they mention in their first entry. There are beverage sweaters to keep your drinks from sweating in the household heat this winter or the hazy, hot and humid days next summer. There are Genuine Buck-skin Shirts for gifts (dollar bills folded to look like a shirt).

It is possible, if all options are chosen, that you could get five entries. They do not all have to be made on the same day. You have all of October to enter.

Main entry is mandatory, before you can do any other entry options.

All entries must include a valid email address so I can contact the winner.

First entry must be made before any others can be made.

First entry: Go to my Etsy shop, browse, return here and comment on which item you would put in your shopping cart if you were buying.

Add'l entry: Go to my Etsy shop, browse, return here and comment on what you wish I would add to my shop.

Add'l entry: Become a follower of my blog and comment that you did so; if you are already a follower, just mention that.

Add'l entry: Blog about this giveaway and comment with link; let me know in a comment, with the link to your post, that you did this.

Add'l entry: Like this on Facebook and comment that you did.

Deadline is Monday night, 10/31, midnight, Pacific time. I will choose a winner by random draw through random.org. Have fun!

Giveaway Begins Tomorrow

Tomorrow I plan to begin a giveaway for $25 worth of merchandise from my Etsy shop.

It will run until the end of the month and you will be able to enter a few different ways.

I have decided to do that and consider the merchandise value as part of my advertising budget.

One Dozen Workbasket Magazines 1998 and 1999 (7/27)

For the uninformed, Workbasket magazines are little paper craft pattern periodicals, small (about 5x8) but packed. Page count averages 50 to 60 per issue. Two sites with a wealth of info about Workbasket can be found at the Workbasket Help Center and at The Workbasket Magazine - Then and Now.

Workbasket described itself as "Ideas for the Bazaar, the Home, Gifts and Sparetime Money-makers ~ with Many Inexpensive, Easily Made Articles that find a Ready Sale."

Issues may include patterns for crafts such as knit, crochet, sewing, tatting, quilting, quilling, cross stitch, embroidery. In this batch, there are at least 2 origami patterns, 1 plastic canvas pattern, one iron-on transfer (which might be too old to use), plus bazaar ideas, recipes, garden tips, and more.

Issues in this giveaway include 1999 Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Dec and 1998 Sep, Oct, Dec.

Covers for Workbasket have never been sturdy, so some covers are a little torn (I've taped them) or have pieces of mailing labels on them but all are in completely usable and legible condition, and a treat to browse and use.

Remember, any pattern that has a graph (and there are many in these magazines), can also be adapted for many other crafts, not just the one indicated.

Also, these older patterns often use discontinued yarns but you can find a substitute with an Internet search.

Giveaway Conditions
Open anywhere; Giveaway ends midnight PDT Wed 7/27/11; winners will be drawn that weekend via Random.org
First entry must be made before any others can be made.

First entry: Go to my Etsy shop, browse, return here and comment on which item you would put in your shopping cart if you were buying.

Add'l entry: Go to my Etsy shop, browse, return here and comment on what you wish I would add to my shop.

Add'l entry: Blog about this giveaway and comment with link.

Add'l entry: Like this on Facebook and comment that you did.

I will be de-stashing all my Workbaskets and many craft magazines and pattern booklets and books over the rest of this year. Stay tuned and have fun. I am trying to accomplish two things with these giveaways - decreasing my pile of craft patterns and magazines, and learning what works and does not work in my Etsy shop.

Upcycled-Accessories Book (1/18*)

Favecrafts has a great giveaway for those of you who sew, but this prize also has some recycled plastic projects that also use fusing, grommets, and other methods of assembly. What a way to start the new year - lots of recycling ideas! You can read the review on the Favecrafts webpage.

Upcycled Accessories (by Tracie Lampe) contains 25 projects. In this giveaway, you can enter once a day, plus get extra entries in several ways. Have fun with this one!

Big Book of $5.00 Crafts Book Giveaway (12/28*)

Here is a great end-of-the-year giveaway from Favecrafts! You can win a House of White Birches Big Book of $5.00 Crafts.

Go to their site (click here), and get extra entries if you blog about them, twitter, or add a link to their giveaway.

Enter daily until 12/28.

Update on $800 Etsy Shopping Sprees (9/26)*

In my post of 8/7/10 (click here), I wasn't sure if Etsy shop-owners were eligible to enter this sweepstakes giveaway. I emailed Meredith Corporation, the sponsors. I received a reply by email today.

Etsy shop-owners CAN enter this drawing, daily. Share the news with your customers and friends. Have fun!

$800 Etsy Shopping Sprees (9/26)*

Better Homes and Gardens is sponsoring a sweepstakes and will give away FOUR Etsy (handmade gifts) shopping sprees for $800 each. Here's the link...

http://tinyurl.com/3963vqs

Open to U.S. residents in all 50 states, 21 yrs of age and up, and not employees of Meredith Corp., the sponsors. Other rules can be seen at the site above.

I'm not sure if Etsy shop-owners can enter or not. I've emailed the sponsors and will update this as soon as I find out.

You can enter daily, one entry per day, until 9/26. Good luck!

Lion Brand Haiku Contest (4 $25 Certificates) 7/29

Ok, here's one to have fun with, all you yarn-a-holics out there.

Click here to go to the page to enter a haiku and a chance to win one of 4 "$25 Certificates".

One entry per person!

Open to anyone, anywhere that Lion can deliver your purchases.

Oh, and you MUST enter on their entry form, and not just on their blog. It will not count unless it is on the official form.

Good luck!

$40 Gift Certificate (7/15)

Hey, here's a really great giveaway.

Hop over to Carols Crochet Place and drop in a few entries. The prize is a $40 gift certificate that you can use in any one of 200 different stores! Talk about exciting - the deadline is July 15. Carol also has some cute things in her Etsy shop and I'll be sharing that with you in my Craft post. You can get to the Giveaway by clicking on this link, or by pasting it from here:

http://carolscrochetplace.blogspot.com/2010/06/great-give-away-has-arrived.html

Have fun!

Favecraft Giveaway - Decorating Gift Baskets Book (6/8*)

Favecrafts is one of my favorite sites for giveaways. When you visit there, be sure to sign up for their email newsletter which will keep you up to date on all their drawings.

This one is great not only for learning new ways to decorate gift baskets but also for ideas on what to put in them. Go to this link for the Decorating Gift Baskets Book giveaway.

The giveaway ends June 8 and you can enter daily so you still have time to get into this one. Have fun.

Favecraft Giveaway - Sew Fabulous Fabric Book (6/15*)

If you sew, you will not want to miss a chance at winning this book from the Favecrafts site.

Go to this link for the Sew-Fabulous-Fabric-Book-Giveaway and follow the easy directions.

The giveaway ends June 15 and you can enter daily, so you have plenty of time to get a few entries in.

Good luck.

March Winners

At the end of this week, I will be setting up a new Giveaway.

As I posted on Memorial Day, I was way behind in mailing my prizes but finally caught them up at the end of April. Next on my catch-up list was awarding the March prize, a copy of the Busy Person's Prayer Book.

When I went in to check, there were only two comments, so I am going to send a signed copy of my paperback to each commenter.

Both Linda Kish and Kelly L were just notified by email.

Now I can begin again, with a clear conscience and no backlog. I missed doing these giveaways!

Giveaways to Begin Again

It has been over a month since I posted anything here. I was in over my head in fulfilling my prize commitments, but I finally got them all out and felt so good when it was done.

I noticed yesterday that my March giveaway was never finished. I never drew a winner. I have to look at that tomorrow and take care of it.

Meanwhile, I have the itch to get going again with the Giveaways. Keep your eyes open and enter, when I post. You can't win if you don't enter.

Win 1 of 2 sets of 12 Rolls of Japanese Washi Crafting Tape (5/1)

Again, the CraftBits site has a great craft-related giveaway. The set of 12 Colorful Japanese Washi Tapes are a great starter set of pretty masking tapes, good for scrapbooking, card making, gift wrapping / packaging, and any creative craft projects!

To enter, go to the CraftBits Competitions List and scroll down to Win Japanese Washi Tape, and click Enter (or click on the link in my Giveaways sidebar). You must register, or be already registered at CraftBits (it's free).

You can enter daily.

On the Competitions List page, you will also find quite a few other drawings to enter, all free and all fun.

Win 1 of 4 Regretsy Books (5/1)

The CraftBits site has a few great craft-related prizes and giveaways. This prize, 1 of 4 copies of Regretsy The Book, is great for those days when you are all thumbs and your projects look downright laughable. It is a collection of really bizarre handcrafted items, like the World Famous Double Hummingbird Feeder Hat! This is really cute. I'm not sure where they draw the line between silly inventions and silly handcrafts, but it's all fun reading.

To enter, go to the CraftBits Competitions List and scroll down to Win 1 of 4 Copies of Regretsy The Book, and click Enter (or click on the link in my Giveaways sidebar). You must register, or be already registered at CraftBits (it's free).

You can enter daily.

On the Competitions List page, you will also find quite a few other drawings to enter, all free and all fun.

Design a Reusable Shopping Bag; Win $1000 Gift Card (5/23)

If you have a Kroger-owned grocery market (see below in listed links) in your area, you can have fun designing a recyclable, reusable shopping bag, vote for yours or for other bags, get a FREE bag at your next Smith's trip within 30 days (if you have a Smith's Shopper's Card), and have a chance to win a $1000 Kroger Gift Card.

Check the links below to see if one of these stores is in your area. Here are the links for the contest and the stores.

You can enter at any of these sites: www.kroger.com/green, www.fredmeyer.com/green, www.qfc.com/green, www.kingsoopers.com/green, www.citymarket.com/green, www.frysfood.com/green, www.dillons.com/green, www.bakersplus.com/green, www.gerbes.com/green, www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/green, www.jaycfoods.com/green, www.owensmarket.com/green, www.pay-less.com/green or www.hilander.net/green ("Website").

When you get there, you need to register if you do not already done so. Then you can have fun designing a "green" design for the front of a canvas bag.

You can email your design to friends and ask them to vote.

You can note your design number (my first one, in the photo here, is 18809 but it might take 2 days to show on their site).

And you can even buy your design by going to CafePress afterwards and have them print it for you.

The final Top Ten designs will be featured on their web site.

Prizes are: Top Bag wins a $1000 Gift Card and you might see your bag in stores; 4 Finalists each receive a $250 Kroger Gift Card; and 5 Runners-Up each receive a $100 Kroger Gift Card.

I love the idea of having a chance at a $1000 Kroger Gift Card. I also loved designing my first bag. I gotta go back and make some more!

C'mon, let me see YOURS. Leave a comment if you do design one, so I can check it out.

Glitz Distressing Stamp Set Giveaway (4/23)

FaveCrafts is giving away a set of clear-back distressing rubber stamps. These rubber stamps produce backgrounds and come in sets of five.

Per Maria Nerius at FaveCrafts:
"I’ve been rubber-stamping for almost 2 decades now and still enjoy seeing what’s new. This set of clear stamps (acrylic block handle sold separately) with backgrounds of music sheet, words, static, and vintage wallpaper are a good additional to a stamper’s stash. Perfect for adding that distressed look and feel to backgrounds, cards, collage, altered art, artist’s trading cards, scrapbooking, and so much more. I used the word image as a texture sheet for some polymer clay pendants I wanted to make. The detail was good enough for reproducing the image in the clay. I really liked this set of stamps and motivated enough to search out Distressing Set One!"

According to the Glitz site, each Glitz Distress Stamp Set is a cool distressing option for you to stamp anywhere you have a need for distressing. It comes with Script, Dots, Sanding, Grid and Numbers.

You can enter daily at FaveCrafts (click on link) until 4/23. Have fun!

Evie@PrayersnCrafts-Busy Person's Prayer Book (3/31)

This Giveaway is for a signed copy of my self-published paperback, The Busy Person's Prayer Book.

Click here for a page that includes links to sample prayers, the Table of Contents, and other information.

Rules:

1 - Leave a comment saying why you would like the book (below the window with all the other Giveaways), and be sure to give me a way to contact you (blog or email).

2 - For an extra entry, click on this link, find the link at the bottom of that page for the Table of Contents, and tell me which prayer interests you most, then leave a comment telling me which one.

3 - Deadline for entries is midnight Pacific time, Wednesday, 3/31.

I will choose a winner by random draw, through random.org. Have fun!