Giveaway from Grakilee (Personalized Jewelry)! (this giveaway is now closed)

See this beautiful bracelet (I won this bracelet in a giveaway)?


This shop was the very first block in the building of my review/giveaway blog. One of my friends posted on her blog that her sister-in-law had an Etsy shop and she was hosting a giveaway for her. Then someone commented that they found the giveaway through a site called By Handmade Giveaways. I couldn't believe all the amazing shops I found by following this new blog! I found myself writing reviews from all the shops I bought from on my family blog and then realized how much fun I was having showing people these shops. Thank you Grakilee for starting it all (thank you Christina for hosting the giveaway)!

Grakilee is full of amazing personalized jewelry and with Mother's Day right around the corner this is the perfect shop for you to go buy something for the Mother or Grandmother in your life. This is also a perfect gift to give to someone that has lost a child or someone they love.

Let's learn about this very cool shop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? Uh well I really don't remember, maybe 4 years. I lose track of time with work and four kids!

How did you start making jewelry? I have been making jewelry for maybe 6 years. I started making the photo jewelry because I wanted a piece of photo jewelry after I started having kids. I realized that everywhere I looked was way over priced for my budget. I thought there has to be a way to make personalized jewelry and offer it at a lower price. That's when I started investigating the materials I would need to start making the photo jewelry. I was encouraged by family and friends to start selling my jewelry. I work full time as a teacher and do often wish I had more time to work with of the jewelry making materials I have collected over the years. I also love rocks and beads. I make regular jewelry also. I love to make things for gifts and often get special requests for beaded pieces. I like to work with wire and leather also.

What type of things have can you do for memorial pieces? I have done several memorial pieces. People will typically pick a piece from my shop and that is what I will make. I have added little photocopy footprints for lost little ones. I really enjoy don't different things so I like when people tell me what they are looking for and I create something especially for them. I know how much this jewelry means to people who have lost loved ones. I have often thought what a cherished gift it would be for someone who has lost someone to replace traditional flowers or in addition to flowers.
What is your favorite item in your shop? My favorite in the shop would be the leather band /scrabble tile bracelet. I love leather and this piece is a one of a kind piece. I also like the polymer clay pendants. I made those from start to finish. No two are alike. They are fun to make!

Buy It - Mother's Day is 5 weeks away and anything from this shop would make the perfect Mother's Day gift!

Win It - Grakilee is giving one of my readers this beautiful, personalized Love necklace pictured above. Grakilee is will to ship anywhere so this is open to ALL readers including international readers.

How To Win:

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Grakilee and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it says (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Grakilee on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

7. Purchase anything from Grakilee and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries


This giveaway will end on April 14, 2010 and is open to all readers including US, Canada & International readers. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

The winner of the Hat from Creative Dragonfly is.........


Momtoem


Congratulations!

I will be emailing your shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I have to choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Wild Eden Workshop! (this giveaway is now closed)

I have been searching Etsy for items for men and let me tell you it is a lot harder to find shops that carry things for men. Etsy has hundreds of amazing soap shops but Wild Eden Workshop is not the ordinary soap shop. I actually found them doing a search for men because they carry a soap made for working men.

My wonderful, amazing hubby just happens to be one of the best auto technicians ever, so I knew this would be a perfect soap for him to try. Wild Eden Workshop sent me a bar of their "Rugged Lumberjack Pine Soap" for us to try out.

I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to have Chris try it out and that happened last night. I made the poor guy wait a half an hour to wash his hands until we got home so he could really tell me what he thought about it. Chris loved it and said it really worked good. This is also one solid bar of soap that I'm guessing will last awhile so it's well worth the money.

You will not believe the soaps this shop has to offer. I wish I could tell you about every single bar of soap they have to offer but that would make the entries into the giveaway too easy.

Let's learn about Wild Eden Workshop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? We opened our shop January 17, 2010.

Can you tell me about the Rugged Lumberjack Soap? Our soap was inspired by the dense pine forests of Maine. You can't go outside without smelling the strong scent of pine. Pine trees are deeply rooted in Maine history, so pine based products have long been a Maine tradition. This soap is earthy and bold, which is a perfect match for a personality that is drawn to the outdoors.

Your Theraputic Soap looks wonderful, can you tell us a little about it? Our therapeutic soaps are designed with a purposed other than just getting you clean. Many of them contain natural exfoliants to help remove dead skin and restore healthy blood flow. With our therapeutic soaps, we use soaps bases that will be rejuvenating the skin. For example our ginger and cayenne pepper bar uses natural ginger fibers as an exfoliant while the enzymes of the fresh ginger invigorate the skin and the cayenne provides a gentle warming sensation to the muscles to relieve soreness. Soon to be added to our therapeutic line, is a camphor and eucalyptus scented bar designed to help loosen the nasal passages and relieve congestion.

What is your favorite item in your shop? My favorite soap so far is the silky almond and honey with goats milk and my husband's favorite is pine soap. Our second favorite is the ginger cayenne pepper soap.

Buy It - Wild Eden Worshop has a special right now that you can get a 5 piece mini-bar sampler for $3.50 as well as a couple of bars of soap under the Sales and Seconds section for $3.95.

Win It - Wild Eden Workshop is giving one of my readers your choice of 3 bars of soap. This is open to my readers in the US only.

HOW TO WIN:

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Wild Eden Worshop and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Wild Eden Workshop on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Become a friend of Wild Eden Workshop on Facebook - (1) entry

7. Purchase anything from Wild Eden Workshop and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

8. Follow Wild Eden Workshop on Twitter - (1) entry

This giveaway will end on April 13, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US ONLY. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

The winner of the $25 gift certificate from Pokadot Penguin is.........



Desiree



Congratulations!


I will be emailing you shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Queenie Designs (this giveaway is now closed)

One Etsy product I have become crazy about is pendants. Oh my! If you haven't seen the pendants on Etsy you do not know what your missing. Queenie Designs has a shop LOADED with different pendants (this morning I looked and they had 401 products to choose from).

Pendants are full of personality and a great accessory for not a lot of money. They are also a great jewelry item for little girls. Queenie Designs sent me this very, very cute turtle pendant and my girls went crazy over it.

I also noticed in the shop that they sell the pendants in bulk so you could use them for fundraisers!

Here is what Queenie Designs had to say about there shop:

When did you open you Etsy shop? I opened in Jan 2010.

Do you take custom orders? I can customize photos, logos, team colors, etc.

What is your favorite item in your shop? My favorite item is Keep calm and carry chocolate pendant.

How did you start making pendants? I started making these by accident,I was basically using the same technique making clip boards and disc initials for hairbows. I then came across some old scrabble tiles and realized I could use them like the round discs!

Buy It - These pendants make great gifts for teachers, secret pals, teams, squads, birthdays, bridesmaids, hostess gift and FUNDRAISERS. Queenie Designs is having a special right now if you buy 3 pendants or charms, get 1 of equal or lesser value FREE (make sure to read the home page of the shop to find out how to get your free pendant).

Win It - Queenie Designs is giving away to one of my readers a pendent of your choice. Queenie Designs is willing to ship ANYWHERE so this is open to ALL READERS including international readers.

HOW TO WIN:


Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Queenie Designs and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Queenie Designs on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

7. Purchase anything from Queenie Designs and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

8. Follow Queenie Designs on Twitter - (1) entry

This giveaway will end on April 12, 2010 and is open to all my readers including international readers. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have a Winner!

The winner of the nightlight from Krysha's Creations is........





409cope





Congratulations!



I will be emailing you shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I have to choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Fiddle and Fawn! (this giveaway is now closed)

Guess what??? It's time for some BOY STUFF!!! OK, Fiddle and Fawn have some very cute girl things too but as any of you with boys know it is not easy finding cute boy things.

Fiddle and Fawn have some very, very cute shirts and they sent Jaxson the guitar shirt to try out. The shirt is so cute and it has orange stitching around the guitar.

Can you tell the little one wearing it below is all boy? Actually the shirt "WIGGLE" below fits this child very well. They have so many cute shirts and I can't wait to hear what your favorite shirt is.

Let's see what Fiddle and Fawn has to say about their shop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? I just opened my shop last month and have really been enjoying it so far!

How did you making children's shirts? I started making children’s applique tee shirts and baby bodysuits for gifts for family and friends. I really enjoyed it and my sister encouraged me to post a few on Etsy. I’m so glad I did- it’s been so much fun!

What size shirts do you offer? I offer baby bodysuits from 0-12 months and tee shirts up to ‘big kid’ sizes- up to size 8.

Do you take custom orders? Yes- love to! I really enjoy working with customers to come up with a design that is uniquely theirs!

What's your favorite item in your shop? I have a new little octopus and I really love him. It's fun with summer just around the corner to come up with some new designs that reflect all the little things I love about this time of year. Being from Maine, I’m planning to do some lobsters, sailboats and little ocean and beach critters that inspire me!

Buy It - It is time to start getting those spring and summer clothes ready so for a very resonable price you can get a very cute shirt for your little one at Fiddle and Fawn.

Win It - Fiddle and Fawn is offering one of my readers one free item from their shop (up to a $15 value). This giveaway is open to my readers in the US and Canada.

HOW TO WIN:

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Fiddle and Fawn and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Fiddle and Fawn on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

7. Purchase anything from Fiddle and Fawn and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries


This giveaway will end on April 11, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US and Canada. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

Before I get started I just wanted to remind everyone that YOU MUST DO THE MANDATORY ENTRY before any other entries count. If you do not do it and your name gets chosen I will choose another winner.

The winner of the $10 gift certificate to Earth Cookie Creations is.........


Tillie


Congratulations!

I will be emailing you shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

The winner of the covered switchplate from Maddie and Alex is..........


Samantha


Congratulations!


I will be emailing you shortly and you have 48 hours to reply before I choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Bows N Bands! (this giveaway is now closed)

Bows N Bands is a shop for of beautiful hair accessories for the little princess in your life and they were kind enough to send me this headband to try out (pictured below on one of the prettiest little princess's I know). Let me tell you this shop also communicates extremely fast and I was shocked at how fast she shipped it, I had it in 2 days.

I asked Paige to model for me this morning and she said "no momma, headbands hurt". I ask her if she would just try and she agreed and then said "this one doesn't hurt momma can I keep it on?". I love it because it is an easy way to do something with her wild hair. I'm thinking these may be a life saver when school starts next year.


I'm sure you want to find out more about this shop so here you go:

When did you open your Etsy shop? December 2009

How did you get started hair accessories? I started making bows for my daughter when she was about 2 (so, almost 2 years ago). Then I started making her headbands. I soon realized I was making more than she and my niece could ever wear, so after some encouragement from family and friends, I started up on Etsy.

This is my favorite one!

Do you take custom orders? Yes. I LOVE custom orders. It's sometimes difficult to decide what to make and post in my shop, because you never know what colors and style someone may be looking for. Often, buyers are looking for a hair accessory to go with a certain outfit or give a certain look for a big event or portraits. That's where custom orders come in. About 75% of my Etsy sales are custom orders.

What's your favorite item in your shop? The flower girl headband. It was a custom order that turned out so great I had to offer it to everyone! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42691702

Buy It - If you order really fast you might be able to get something for your princess to wear for Easter (like I said she ships fast). Bows N Bands is also offering my readers a special if you buy 2 items you get the 3rd FREE. You must enter the code "FREEBIE" in the notes to seller at check-out to get this offer.

Win It - See this beautiful bow in the picture above? This is what Bows N Bands will be giving away to one of my readers and you get to choose the main color for the bow. Available colors for the bow section include: Hot pink, Red, Chocolate brown with sky blue polkadots, red with white polkadots, yellow with white polkadots, lime green with white polkadots, pastel pink with white polkadots, hot pink with white polkadots, and purple with white polkadots. The bow back and center will coordinate with the main bow color selection. This giveaway is open to my US readers only.

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Bows N Bands and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Bows N Bands on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

7. Purchase anything from Bows N Bands and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

8. Become a Facebook fan of Bows N Bands - (1) entry


This giveaway will end on April 9, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

There were 454 entries for the Bitty Clippies giveaway and the very lucky winner is.....


J.E.


Congratulations!

I will be email you shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

MckLinky's Friday Giveaway's

Make sure you get signed up for all my wonderful handmade giveaways and then check out the giveaways in the MckLinky Blog Hop.






HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

It's Friday Follow Time and Their Having a Cash Giveaway!

Just click the link below to find out more and check out the sponsor too.






Welcome Friday Followers!

You Have Got To Check Out These Gorgeous Earrings!

There is a family that is adopting a 13 year old from China. In China the children have to be adopted before they turn 14 or they can't be adopted. They need to get their daughter home now and they need to raise $8,000 in 6 weeks.


It would be wonderful if someone could sit and write them a check for $8,000 but I know there aren't a lot of people that can do that. What I do know is that most people do have $10 - $12 and that's what these earrings are priced at.

Would you consider making the difference in the life of a 13 year old in China? Give her a chance at having a family to love her rather than her be alone for the rest of her life.

If you purchase a pair of these earrings, you get something beautiful and you make the day of a family trying very hard to get to their daughter. Just click here if you want to help make a difference.

PS They have a lot of other earrings to choose from too.

Giveaway from Sugar Robot! (this giveaway is now closed)

Oh......do I have a fun shop to share with you today! I found a shop called Sugar Robot that makes these beautiful, edible butterflies. They are so bright and colorful they just make you smile. I made my cupcakes (the ones pictured below) for someone that I was taking dinner to that had been very, very sick. I think these little beauties could bring a smile to anyone's face.

One thing I wondered about was how in the world do they ship these beautiful butterflies without them breaking and in the picture below you will see. Not one butterfly was damaged when I got mine.

**UPDATE - I was asked how long they last so I contact Sugar Robot and she said they are good for about 2 months.

This is what Sugar Robot had to say about their shop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? We opened in July of 2009 and absolutely love it. We've tried running shops in other Handmade community websites and nothing compares.

How did you start making edible butterflies? Creating the butterflies was really an evolution of many different factors. About 9 years ago I took my very first cake decorating class. I love decorating but don't like to bake all that much (go figure). After I was introduced to fondant I got the idea to start making fondant cupcake covers for the people who love to bake but don't like to decorate. Fondant evolved somehow into wafer paper. Butterflies were the natural choice. The shapes and colors work gorgeously with texture of the wafer paper.

Do you take custom orders? We do take custom orders!

What's your favorite item in your shop? Right now my favorite item is our personalized green leaves. Having custom printing adds that little extra touch to impress your guests.

Buy It - These butterflies would be perfect for birthdays, Easter, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers not to mention just to brighten up someone's day.

Win It - Sugar Robot is giving one of my readers 1 item of your choice from their Etsy shop! They are also willing to shop worldwide so this is open to all readers including international readers.

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Sugar Robot and tell me your favorite item in her shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Sugar Robot on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

6. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

7. Purchase anything from Sugar Robot and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries


This giveaway will end on April 8, 2010 and is open to all readers including US, Canada & International readers. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

The winner of the dog toys from Pittadorpets is......


KIM


Congratulation Kim! I will be email you shortly and you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.


DON'T FORGET TO SHOP ETSY FOR DOG TOYS!!!

Extra Entries!!!

Did you enter the Earth Cookie Creations giveaway? I have had a lot of problems with the link to their blog so it has caused people to not be able to use that as an entry.

If you did your mandatory entry for the Earth Cookie Creations giveway then I will give you 2 entries (must leave 2 comments on the giveaway post) for becoming a follower of Earth Cookie Creations blog at: http://www.craftyblabberings.blogspot.com/ .



Sorry about the link problem!

Giveaway from Greetings That Grow! (this giveaway is now closed)

I know I am Etsy crazy and that I get excited about most Etsy shops but I LOVE the shop Greetings That Grow! I actually like this store so much I talked my mom into ordering from this shop as soon as I got my package in the mail from Greetings That Grow.

Something that I really don't like doing is buying cards. Don't get me wrong, I love cards but spending $4 on something you read and throw away drives me crazy. The cards from Greeting That Grow turn into beautiful flowers when your done with the card. You just take the photo off the card and plant the card, isn't that cool? There are directions on the back of the card to tell how to plant them.

My favorite item I think in this shop is the seeded confetti (shredded paper). If you order really quick you could even have this to put in the bottom of Easter baskets and then the kids can plant the shred. Wouldn't kids get so excited to know they get to plant the shred and watch it grow?

This is what Greetings That Grow had to say about their shop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? I first opened up this shop and made my own paper in January of 2009, after nearly a year of researching papermaking. I found out about plantable (ie seed) paper in the spring of 2008 when I joined Etsy. I began making my greetings that grow in my photography shop on Etsy using seed paper made by a fellow Etsian, with the idea that I would learn to make my own by Jan of 2009.

I saw on your homepage there could be international restrictions, can you explain why? I have shipped internationally to @ a half dozen or so countries in the past couple years, but have to be careful b/c many countries do not want any seed items or plant related items imported--and will fine or tax the recipient or simply destroy the items. I have not yet had this happen, but have heard of it from other sellers and buyers.

I also saw you are donating part of your proceeds to Red Cross, can you tell me about that? I donate 10% of all monthly sales to the Red Cross to help Haiti. I also offer limited quantities of plantable favors for sale that are 100% donation to the Red Cross. As a mother of three young girls, it was impractical for me to go to Haiti, so this is my way of trying to help somehow.

Do you take custom orders? I always welcome custom orders.

Buy It - If you order really quick you can fill up your Easter baskets with plantable shred or send a very special card to your loved one. Also Mother's Day isn't too far away so this would be a great idea to send to mom's that love flowers.

Win It - Greetings That Grow is giving one of my readers $20 worth of items of your choice from the Etsy shop (you can get a lot for $20)! This giveaway is open to my readers in the US only.

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Greetings That Grow and tell me your favorite item in their shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Greetings That Grow on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Become a follow of Greeting That Grow's blog- (1) entry

6. Follow Greetings that Grow on Twitter - (1) entry

7. Become a fan of Greetings That Grow on Facebook - (1) entry

8. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

9. Purchase anything from either Greetings That Grow and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

This giveaway will end on April 7, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

The winner of the fondant cupcake toppers from Cakes and Kids is.......


Patricia


Congratulations!

I will be emailing you shortly and I need you to reply within 48 hours or I will have to choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Ky and Company (this giveaway is now closed)

A couple years ago we traveled to the other side of the world to bring home our son. One thing we learned while we were there is that we are truly blessed in the country we live in. We take so much for granted and that includes taking care of the things we have. As soon as we got home we started recycling and were shocked at how much stuff we thought was garbage wasn't really garbage. We have been working on living "greener" but we are still learning a lot.


One day searching on Etsy I found Ky and Company and WOW she had so many wonderful "green" things that would really save a lot of money in our house. Ky and Company sent me a whole package of goodies to try and I think I may just be hooked on these things.


My husband packs his lunch everyday and even though we re-use the baggies we still go through a ton. My kids are at an age where they want a baggie for snacks, collecting things in the yard and many other things. One other thing is PAPER TOWELS, oh my goodness the paper towels we go through just at dinner. I could go on and on about the goodies Ky and company has in their shop but how about if I let them tell you about their product?

When did you open your Etsy shop? I opened my shop in June of 2009. My mom bought me a sewing machine about 5 years ago, but I was always intimidated by it. Last winter, I finally brought it out and started making these little toy bags for my kids. Then I found I couldn’t stop. I made a handful of gifts for birthdays and baby showers, tote bags, and some bibs for my daughter. Next thing I knew, people were asking where I bought all these unique children’s accessories. A good friend finally pulled me aside and told me it was time to consider going into business. So I did. Now I proudly sell those same toy bags, called Bring Along Baggies, as well as loads of other family friendly accessories.

Isn't this bag wonderful for little toys to take in the stroller or in the car?

I love that you have such a GREEN product, how easy will it be for people to save money using your products? I think anyone can afford to live ‘green’ if they are willing to make a few small changes that fit in with their lifestyle. For my family, that was replacing disposable things we refused to live without with better, reusable versions of the same product. When you start to add up the costs of paper towels, plastic baggies, and lunch bags that the average family spends in a week/month/year the thought of splurging on some reusable ones quickly becomes a good idea.

I love these towels too because they are "kid" prints and not just reusable napkins!

Once you decide what you’d like to change, all you need to do is find a comfortable and practical way to work it into your day-to-day. I’m a busy lady, and I figure most of us are, so I made sure all of my reusable items are machine washable, easy to use, and available in prints anyone would love. That way they can be used over and over and over again, by anyone in your family, with little impact on your daily routines.

Do you take custom orders? Absolutely! I started sewing because I wanted things for my kids that no one else offered. If I can help someone else create their perfect item, I’m all for it.

Every boys dream to have a wallet like his daddy!

What is your favorite item in your shop? I love the practicality of everything in my shop, but my favorite item is the rather impractical children’s wallet. I made a felt one as a toy for my 6 year old and he immediately started telling me how to improve it so it would be more like a ‘real’ wallet. What you see now is his version of the perfect billfold, and one of my favorite things to give as a gift to kids!

Buy It - In April Ky and Company will be giving away FREE Paperless Towels in honor of Earth Day. All you will need to do is stop by and try one.

Win It - Ky and Company is giving one of my readers this very cool Tree Lovers Lunch Bag "Go Veggie" pictured above. This giveaway is open to my readers in the US and Canada.

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Ky and Company and tell me your favorite item in their shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Ky and Company on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Go to http://www.kyandcompany.com/ and tell me something you found or learned from their site - (1) entry

6. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

7. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

8. Purchase anything from either Ky and Company and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

This giveaway will end on April 6, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US and Canada only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.

I Have A Winner!

PLEASE, PLEASE make sure if your email is in your profile that it is the correct email. I just had to draw a new winner because the email was not good.


So the new winner of the BeBoDesign necklace is.....


Michele P.


Congratulations!

I will be emailing you shortly and I need to to reply within 48 hours before I have to choose a new winner.

Giveaway from Red Tulip Brand (this giveaway is now closed)

My friend Rett who is an English teacher emailed me one day and told me she had found an Etsy shop that I had to contact. I went and check it out and found these wonderful shirts. I contacted Red Tulip Brand and they were excited about having me review their shirt and host a giveaway for them.

I Knew the shirts looked fun and something that would make a little girl feel very special, but I had no idea how BEAUTIFUL this shirt was until I got one in the mail. This shirt is not made out of a cheap t-shirt but a very nice white shirt. The shirt has this amazing beading on it that really makes this shirt beautiful and stand out above any other child's shirt I have ever seen.


The owner of this shop is a perfectionist when it comes to doing these and she makes sure the wording is perfect before she actually puts it on the shirt. We sent several emails back and forth because she wanted to make sure it was just what we wanted.

They also make stationary that looks just like the shirts and the stationary can be done for BOYS too. It is so hard to find cute boy things and they wanted to make sure boys did not get left out.

This is what Red Tulip Brand had to say about their shop:

When did you open your Etsy shop? I opened my Etsy shop, Red Tulip Brand, in February because starting just this year, I have been able to take time to be home full-time with my two little girls, ages 7 and 3. I’ve been a garden/landscape designer for the last ten years and I also have a degree in graphic design, so I’m basically designing all the time and I’m constantly compelled to make 'stuff',... doesn't matter what it is. I come from a family of Italian craftsmen, tailors, painters and poets, so it’s part of my wiring. My sister and I grew up sewing, painting, gardening and cobbling together anything that struck our fancy. You name it, we did it, with whatever we could find, which was surprisingly a lot, considering our family money situation. Since we couldn’t afford things, we would figure out a way to make them. So, my Etsy shop is really just an outgrowth of what I do all the time. I’ve always got ideas for all sorts of different things I want to make. I particularly like doing detailed handiwork. I love hand sewing, making jewelry, etc. I started doing some floral beading on some of my daughter’s shirts and that led to the idea and concept of this type of shirt. I started making them for friends and family and now, here we are.

Tell me how it works for someone to order one of these shirts? It’s a collaborative process. Each one is custom made so I work with each customer on a personal level. We start with what someone would want the definition to say. It could be general or specific. Frequently, someone gives me their ideas and I make wording suggestions and help write the copy. Other times people know exactly what they want it to say and we don’t deviate from that. I recently did my first international shirt for someone in Italy and it was funny because I had to communicate to them that it had to be given to me exactly the way they wanted it, letter for letter, because I don’t speak Italian! So, I couldn’t really proofread it! It ended up working out so well and was so enjoyable that I became friends with this person who lives on another continent, thousands of miles away!

Either way, my main goal is for the people I work with to be completely happy with their experience ordering from me and with their item. I usually get to know each customer pretty well because we are communicating about the special qualities of someone in their life.


How do you care for these shirts? It’s actually fairly easy. Each shirt comes with care and maintenance instructions and it hardly takes any more attention to launder it as it does anything else. The main thing is to be mindful that it’s a beaded article. That said, I try to alleviate having to worry about that by putting a protective backing on the inside of the shirts and tote bags that covers the stitching. That prevents things from getting caught on it when the shirt goes in the washer or when you are putting things in the tote. That way your beading stays secure.

Your best bet is to turn the garment inside out and wash it normally in cold water. It can be put in the dryer on a low setting, but personally, I prefer to put less wear and tear on it, so I hang it or lay it out to dry. I also like to avoid washing it with jeans or or similar rough articles for the same reasons. The heat press system I use to apply the custom image is of professional quality. By using this process, the designs will maintain normal wear and tear durability for as long as possible.

I saw you had another Etsy shop, can you tell me about it? I opened that up in February right after my first shop. It’s called Pretty Mades All In A Row and it features my jewelry designs. I love to make jewelry that derives it’s aesthetic from nature. That’s the garden designer in me. My favorite period in design is the Arts and Crafts movement. The motifs from that particular time are my absolute favorites. I love it’s organic nature... the botanicals, insects, etc. And I like jewelry that has that vintage quality and look to it. That’s what I try to create.

Buy It - At Red Tulip Brands sister shop Pretty Mades All In A Row they offer free shipping and discount on multiple purchases and if you buy 3 pieces you get one free.

Win It - Red Tulip Brands is offering one of my readers a $15 gift certificate that can be used at either Red Tulip Brands or Pretty Mades All In A Row. At Red Tulip brands prices range from $9-$28 and at Pretty Mades All In A Row prices range from $9-$16. This giveaway is open to my readers in the US and Canada only.

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before you can gain any extra entries) - Visit Red Tulip Brands or Pretty Mades In A Row and tell me your favorite item in their shop.

**YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR THE WINNER.

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries) -
If it say (3) comments you must leave 3 separate comments.

1. Follow my blog - (3) entries

2. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - (5) entries

3. Blog about this giveaway - (5) entries

4. Heart Red Tulip Brands on Etsy (add as favorite) - (1) entry

5. Heart Pretty Mades In A Row - (1) entry

6. Enter any of my other giveaways - (1) entry for each giveaway

7. Email 3 friends or co-worker telling them about this giveaway and make sure to give them the link (I'm trusting you on this one) - (3) entry

8. Purchase anything from either Red Tulip Brands or Pretty Mades In A Row and come back letting me know what you purchased - (10) entries

This giveaway will end on April 5, 2010 and is open to my readers in the US and Canada only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a new winner.