Friday, July 23, 2010

Clay Face Magnets Giveaway

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

#122 - JASMINE1485
#67 - MOMMY2LUKE
CONGRATULATIONS!!

I love magnets! Drives hubby crazy when I find a wonderful new magnet for the fridge :) Curly Blues has wonderful polymer clay personalized magnets! What a wonderful idea for a gift!


*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself. Why did you start your business?
Well, my name is Mayra Mari. I am a 22-year old full-time college student in Miami, Florida. My brain runs at 609948583 thoughts per second. I'm always trying to come up with new ideas and projects. The products being sold in my new shop, "Curly Blues", are handmade custom polymer clay magnets made to look like my customers or their loved ones. I started making these as birthday presents for my friends and family about a year ago, and finally got the guts to start open a shop featuring them. I am a broke college student, and it became very hard for me to give gifts that were personal on such a low budget. Making these was a great solution for me, and hopefully it will be for my customers.

How did you decide on your shop name?
"CurlyBlue" was actually a screen name my oldest sister came up with for me when AOL Instant Messenger first came out. I have curly hair and blue eyes, and she came up with this as a play on Curly Sue. It kind of stuck with me.

What or who inspires you? What are things you want people to think when they see your product?
I am inspired by the creative, beautiful, and unique people that surround me everyday. When people see one of my custom magnets made to look just like them, I want them to feel special and loved by whoever gave it to them.

What do you do when you're not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?
Aside from "Curly Blues", I also have a vintage shop on Etsy called "Vintage Shouting". When I am not working on my shops, I tend to spend the majority of my
time with my family. Currently, I am actually spending my free time being the true nerd that I am, re-reading the Harry Potter books in preparation for the release of the last movies.

Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most?
I really enjoyed making the "Family Pack" set. The four magnets were based off a picture taken of my brother, sisters and I when we were kids. It is my family's favorite picture of all four of us together (it's not easy to get four crazy kids to sit down and smile all at once for a photo), and I was really happy to capture it in these magnets.

Are there other places on the net where we can find you?
I currently have a blog through my vintage shop, that has a page dedicated to my magnets.
http://vintageshouting.blogspot.com/


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
2 Winners will receive Custom Made Polymer Clay Face Magnets of a favorite person/family member etc.

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THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!
The draw will take place on: August 20 @ 10 PM Central
This is open to WORLDWIDE!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Envirosax Giveaway

AND THE WINNER IS: TOMMYGIRL!
CONGRATULATIONS!

Are you getting better at taking your own bags along shopping? Just saw on the news the other day that more stores are starting to charge for plastic bags, even some of the clothing stores. So maybe 5 cents isn't that much to pay for a plastic bag, but if you are just going to throw it out when you get home - it's a waste of money. I'm actually getting way better at remembering to take my reusable bags along every time I go to town.

If you would like some amazing looking bags, in cool colors and designs Envirosax has an amazing variety of colors and designs to choose from! I dare you to pick only one that you like :) Here are a few of their amazing styles:

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I was given the opportunity to review one of their bags and had a terrible time picking the one that I liked the most. But I decided to go for something fairly bright so it would be easy to find. This bag is from the Retro Graphic Series. Look at everything I could get into it!!! They can hold up to 44 lbs! That's a lot of groceries :)

Can you see the bag? It's in the front on the left. Love how it folds up into a small package that fits so nicely into my purse! This bag is amazingly strong and light weight. Carrying all those groceries wasn't a problem and the handles are quite comfortable. I remember the plastic grocery bags cutting into my hands if they got to heavy. These handles are wonderful.


The bags can be bought at Envirosax for $8.95 each, or as 5-in-1 Pouches for $39.95!


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
The winner can pick one bag from the Graphis Series at Envirosax!
Bag Dimensions (unrolled):19.5" x 16.5"
Bag Dimensions (in pouch):4" x 1.5"
Weight Capacity:44 lbs
Bag Weight:1.4 oz

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THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on: August 20 @ 10PM Central
This is open to US & Canada Only!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary of this product by Envirosax, for review and giveaway purposes. No monetary compensation was provided and opinions of the product are solely my own.


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Sunday, July 4, 2010

Sparkleberry Crafts Give Away

AND THE WINNER IS: JAMEE!
CONGRATULATIONS!!


Janet and I met a few years ago. It's funny how you can live in/near the same small town and not know someone :) Janet crochets the cutest hats, and not just for girls anymore either. Of course my boys are to old for hats, but hopefully they will give me some grandchildren one day! In January I actually won a hat from Janet's shop in a give away - you can see it HERE. Now - let's find out about Janet then see what she's offering as a give away prize!

*Where are you from?
From a small little town in Southern Manitoba...Sunflower Capital of Canada.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?
I really don't remember much about finding the name. It wasn't anything spectacular! I saw the word on the internet somewhere and thought it was really cute.

I used to crochet in the evenings...it was my "relax" time. I found myself with a few storage boxes full of crocheted items and not a clue as to what to do with them. That's when I decided to try to sell them online.

*What or who inspires you?
Not sure that anything in particular inspired me. I've always done something crafty. After trying my hand at cross stitch, jewelry making, candle making, and painting in past years I wanted to try something new. So I purchased a Crocheting for Dummies book, and a few supplies and taught myself to crochet.

*What do you like about being a seller?
The absolute best part about being a seller is when proud mammas send me a pic of their babies wearing my hats. It's so gratifying to see my creations on those tiny little heads.

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?
Supply addiction?? Ha Ha Yarn....lots and lots of yarn. In every color of the rainbow. I have about 80+ colors of yarn in stock, and ALWAYS find myself looking for more! (you should see the collection!)

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?
Favorite thing in the world to do when not working is spending time with the kids. Bike rides, camping, walks, or just playing games. They're the center of my universe and the reason I wake up every morning looking forward to another day.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
I love making them all, but lately am finding that I enjoy making the stocking/elf hats. The constant color changing is quite time consuming, but I love to see it take shape, right to the braided tail at the end.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SparkleberryCrafts
http://www.facebook.com/SparkleberryBoutique?v=wall
http://sparkleberryboutique.blogspot.com/
http://sparkleberryboutique.com (coming soon)


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to purchase any hand crocheted hat/headband etc. from Sparkleberry Crafts!

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THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on: July 23 @ 10PM Central
This is open to US & Canada Only!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

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Give Away Scout

Are you looking for more give aways to enter? Or maybe another site to advertise your give aways on!

Giveaway Scout is a "giveaway search engine"! You are able to submit your giveaway blog to the site and then Giveaway Scout will scan your blog automatically and update every hour with new giveaways, contests and sweepstakes! How cool is that! What's even cooler is that it's completely free and your giveaways will be automatically added to the subscriber's feeds! It sounds like a great tool for busy bloggers and a whole lot of fun for sweepers!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

2 - $10 Gift Certificates!

AND THE WINNERS ARE:
#97 - FDP 4 LIFE
#28 - MARIBEL
CONGRATULATIONS!!



Bobbie from >A Vision To Remember offers custom baby rag quilts, car seat covers, tutorials, patterns, PIF Free patterns and DIY kits.

There is nothing more special than a handmade gift. Bobbie's patterns for infant car seat tents and rag quilts are easy and to make and can be whipped up in just a few hours. She has a total of >13 different patterns to choose from in her >store! There is also a large selection of >ready-to-ship
items as well if you don't want to make them yourself!

Order a premade rag quilt or order the pattern to make one yourself!
And don't forget to create a little belly love for that changing body of yours! This Pattern is perfect for mommies in waiting!

And check out this fun hair clip! Patterns await!

Bobbie's most popular items include:
*Easy Peasy Pattern: Car Seat Tent, Baby Blanket, Rag Quilt, Nursing Cover
*Rockstar Rag Quilt Car Seat Tent/Blanket
*Brown and Turquoise Polka Dot and Paisley Rag Quilt Canopy
*Turquoise, Brown, Cheetah Rag Quilt Canopy
*Disappearing 9 Square Rag Quilt Pattern


A Vision to Remember wants to make 2 lucky reader very happy by giving them each a gift credit of $10.00 to use in their shop! Awesome right!

And they also want to give everyone the chance to get a pattern 1/2 off! Buy one pattern get the second Half off! Just be sure to make a note to seller to ask for the discount!


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
2 Winner's will each receive a $10 Gift Certificate to use at A Vision To Remember. Baby blankets, car seat covers, pdf patterns and more!

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THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on: August 20 @ 10PM Central
This is open to Worldwide!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

8x10 Art Print Give Away

AND THE WINNER IS: MISSMARLBORO!
CONGRATULATIONS!!

People who can draw faces amazing me!! I can't even draw a stick man :) Linda has a beautiful new shop on Etsy and I'm so happy she is having a give away on my blog! But you know how it works - first we have to learn a little bit about this wonderful artist.

Where are you from?
I am from Marseille in the South of France. I also lived in London, England before coming to the United States and I love California!

Why did you start your business?

I have been drawing, painting and taking pictures my whole life and I have several bodies of work under my belt. What I love most is to be published and work for magazines, that's always my ultimate goal. I thought Etsy would be the perfect venue for me because I could work for myself and experiment without anybody trying to clip my wings or telling me what to do. The name www. LindaSmartStudio.etsy.com ,is from my married name, that was easy! My Etsy shop is very new and experimental, it is a new adventure for me and it also serves as a showcase for my commissioned portraits business. It might completely change along the way depending on the
feedbacks.

What do you do beside Etsy?
I used to work as a photographer and I still do it for publications. I was also a subtitle/closed captions editor and I still do the occasional French/English translation for movies, sitcoms, etc. I am also a certified personal trainer. So many different things interest me.

What inspires you?
This is going to come as a shock, but beauty inspires me and I don't mean Beauty as a shallow superficial thing, it is much deeper than that. I think the world is becoming uglier and I am not going to follow that trend. I could say that about a lot of things right now, but it feels like we are on a road to perdition, regressing fast with no one and nothing to inspire us. We can either elevate a wall with a beautiful mural or destroy it with negative graffiti, the first one can beautify and inspire and the other can bring down a whole neighborhood and the people who live in it. People have to stop destroying and uglyfying because it leads nowhere, think about it...

Which piece of work did you enjoy making the most?
- After My little essay about Beauty ( which is also the giveaway print, by the way) it should come as no surprise that my painting "Beauty" is the one I enjoyed making the most. It was the first one I did in that style and it came out of nowhere! It was as if somebody was holding my hand and guiding me and it took a life of its own right before my eyes. It was almost a magical experience and the never-ending quest for that feeling is the reason why I draw and paint. "Beauty" doesn't even exist really, I don't even know who she is. But here she is: a symbol carrying my message. It's very Zen in a way. I also have another body of work made of recycled material that I plan to introduce very soon! Audrey would be happy to hear...

I just hope you'll enjoy my little gallery, understand my message and come visit my shop often, thank you! www.LindaSmartStudio.etsy.com


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
Win an amazing 8x10 Art Print from Linda Smart Studio!

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Beauty illustration reproduction print made to illustrate
the many facets of women represented by the icons
of capitalism displayed in pop culture and mass medias.
The print is 8x10 with a small border
suitable for matting and framing.
It is signed and dated on the back by me.

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on:
July 23 @ 10PM Central
This is open to
WORLDWIDE!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

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Friday, July 2, 2010

Pretty Flower Earrings Giveaway

AND THE WINNER IS: BECKIE!
CONGRATULATIONS!!


I am always on the lookout for Fellow Canadians in Etsy. Sparkling Bliss is a wonderful Canadian jewelry shop, with some of the most unique pieces I've seen to date!

Where are you from?
Toronto, Ontario Canada

When did you start selling?
I started selling more than four years ago. I opened my Etsy shop January 11, 2007 and haven't looked back since.

What's the story behind your company's name?
My husband gave me the nickname "twi" and I chose sparkling because it reminds me of sparkling jewels. I later changed the "twi" to "bliss" to better reflect my shop.

What is your favorite product?
My "London Night" earrings are my favorite because I love vintage lucite and the frosted appearance of the beads. Come take a look!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/49540159/london-nights-black-and-white-frosted

Where do you find inspiration/how did you come about making these items?
I find inspiration all around me. It might sound cliche, but nature, music, sights and sounds all add to the design process. Sometimes while I'm browsing for beads, I envision how I can bring them together. I can visually create a piece and it's exciting when I bring the beads to my studio and they mesh, just as they did in my mind.


What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?
I'd like people to see my jewelry as elegant, transitional, functional, romantic and fun.

When you're not creating what do you like to do?
I enjoy shopping, spending time with my husband and my cat "Buckets", feasting on chocolates or anything else sweet and daydreaming about my next design.

Where else can we find you?
Blog: http://sparklingtwi.blogspot.com
FBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparklingtwi/186281241828?v=wall
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sparklingtwi


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
Win this beautiful Pink Flower Glass Dangle Earrings with Copper Circles!

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Vintage inspired and oh so pretty.
Designed and quality hand-crafted with loving care by jewelry artist Michelle Hynek.
These earrings were created using pretty white glass lily beads dangling from pretty copper hoops with copper findings.
They measure about 2 inches and are finished off with copper French hooks.

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on: Aug. 14 @ 1AM Central
This is open to US & Canada Only!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

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Make Ahead Meals Cookbook Giveaway

AND THE WINNER IS: PHRANNIE!
CONGRATULATIONS!

I love to cook and try new recipes. Luckily I have taught my boys to try anything, and they aren't picky eaters :) So when I was given the chance to do a review/give away for Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron - I jumped at it! After all, one woman can never have too many cookbooks!

After looking through the cookbook, I picked 3 recipes to try right away. Don't get me wrong - there are so many more that I want to make yet, but I don't have air conditioning in the house - so they will have to wait for cooler weather.

I made mini meatloaves first. This was really easy. The recipe suggests placing them in the freezer uncooked for when you need something and don't have time to make them from scratch. However, because they are perfect for sending with Luke back to College, I baked them right away. We did get to try one and it's really tasty :) Will be making this recipe again.

The 2nd recipe I tried was the Blueberry Bread. The local grocery store happened to have blueberries on sale that week, so it was the perfect recipe to try :) This is amazingly moist and yummy!!

The last recipe was for the Broccoli Salad. We all loved it, though Logan thought it needed more bacon :) Well - he's a meat and potatoes guy.



The majority of the recipes supply instructions for preparing parts of the recipe ahead of time. This is wonderful for the really busy mom. But if you are a stay-at-home mom like me, the recipes can also be made right away, which is what I did. I love this cookbook, and can't wait to try more of the recipes.

Jane has a wonderful BLOG with Recipes, and the option to purchase the cookbook as an E Book. You can also purchase the cookbook at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon.


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One winner will receive a copy of "Make Ahead Meals from Busy Moms"!

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THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

The draw will take place on: August 20 @ 10PM Central
This is open to US & Canada Only!
Good Luck Everyone!!



Audrey's Country Crafts is in no way responsible for the mailing of the prize. After the name is drawn I will contact that person. They have 2 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded. Thank-you for entering!!

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary of this product by Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, for review and giveaway purposes. No monetary compensation was provided and opinions of the product are solely my own.