Handmade Decorative Tassels!

And the winner is:

Deborah
CONGRATULATIONS!

While searching for recycling shops, I came across Megity's Handmade. Making tassels was something totally new to me. They are amazing!

My name is Megan and I love to craft. I have three young children and they like to demand. Together, we meet their needs, wants and just plain spoil day in and day out. But, late at night, after the kids are asleep, I slip downstairs and work on my never ending list of projects. And they make me happy and that my friends, is what I'm all about.

I dabble in all sorts of crafts, but I mostly make tassels and fabric banners. Ever heard of a tassel? It's a pretty little decorative touch that makes a big punch! I love to make seasonal tassels and I am always on the look out for something that would make an interesting tassel. 99% of the tassels that I make are one of a kind. Sometimes, when I can get more than one topper, I will duplicate a design, but even then, no two are exactly the same.

I am addicted to ribbon, high-end fringe and bird toppers. Friends and family know where to go if they are ever in need of ribbon. :)

My shop is Megity's Handmade. Megity's is my nickname from my parents. I kind of fell into the tassel making business. In November 2008, my Papa had to have unexpected heart surgery. It was stressful for all and true to my personality, I had to keep my hands busy. I started making tassels for my home and when my family came to visit, they wanted them for their homes. And then my friends saw them and they told their friends and so forth. Before I knew it, I was in the business of making tassels.

Come and visit my blog, http://megityshandmade.blogspot.com.
I update often with whatever is going on in my mind. There you will find pictures of my latest tassels and new fabric banners, decorating inspirations and blogs I like. It's always fun for me when I sell one of my creations.

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One lucky person will win their choice of Seasonal Tassel!

Tassels are that perfect touch that makes a big decorative punch in your home decor. Try hanging your tassels from your armoire, lamps or knobs just to name a few.

Here are the Rules to enter the Give Away.
Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each Entry!

* For the first entry - Go to: Megity's Handmade


THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!




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 3 days to respond before another name will be picked! The name and address will be forwarded.
Thank-you for entering!!

Wine Barrel Gourmet Give Away

And the winner is:dddiva!!
Congratulations!!

Our family loves to try new foods. We aren't picky eaters and I love to try new recipes. However - bread is something that I just can't seem to master. Don't know what the problem is.

So when I was given the opportunity to review some products from Wine Barrel Gourmet I was thrilled! The choice of Soup and Bread mixes is amazing, and I was supposed to pick one of each to review. They have all the ingredients and the nutritional information for each product listed on the site. Other mixes available are: Pasta, Dessert Breads, Dehydrated Vegetables, and Red Wine Sauces. If after looking at all the different categories you aren't sure what to try, they also have a wonderful assortment of Gift Boxes!

Here's a little information about the company:
Wine Barrel Gourmet is truly is family operation. Our founder, Renee Pottle, started the company following careers in teaching and business. Her degrees in Medical Laboratory Technology and Home Economics/Business, and her experience as a recipe developer for Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Magazine, were a natural incubator for a career in specialty foods. A family history of heart disease sent her on a quest to provide healthy food that tastes good too! She can be found at the computer working on her newest book, in the kitchen creating a new recipe, at the manufacturing site assembling soup and pasta mixes, or she may be the voice on the other end of the line when you place your order.

Husband Steve has a firm handle on the financial, control, and accounting aspects of the business. He also can be found in the shipping department, setting up and serving samples at shows, and assembling mixes.

Daughter-in-law Amanda manages several of our commercial accounts, helps out with public speaking events, and may be the voice you hear when placing a phone order.

Grown sons, Adam and Trevor, while pursuing their own careers, are always willing to deliver orders, spread the word, and critique new products.

This is truly a Family run Company! They were a joy to work with and their products are wonderful!!

The package I was sent happened to come on a Friday, which was perfect! I'd been trying to figure out all day what we would have for lunch on Saturday - the decision was easy! The soup we tried was Northwest Harvest Red Wine Vegetable Bean Soup .


Red beans, carrots, green beans and celery surrounded by a rich red wine tomato-herb broth all combine to form a delicious, grown-up vegetable soup. Like all of our soups, Red Wine Vegetable Bean Soup is low in sodium and fat free - but it is also gluten free. Ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes. JUST ADD WATER. Perfect as is or add instant brown rice and chopped spinach.

Ingredients: Whole red beans, tomatoes, red wine solids, carrots, green beans, tomato powder, celery, onion powder, muscovado sugar, herbs, onion, kosher salt, garlic, white pepper.

The recipe calls for either 6 cups of water or broth. I happened to have some beef broth (5 cups), so I added one cup of water to it and made the soup according to directions. It was quick - 25 minutes - and we really enjoyed it!
The bread we tried was Dilly Onion Bread .

A flavorful bread with the sweet taste of onion. Try it with cream cheese!.

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, enriched flour (niacin, iron, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid), sugar, buttermilk powder, onion powder, baking powder, chives, herbs, baking soda, salt.

All you need is the mix, 1 egg, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 cup of water. The bread is supposed to be baked in a 8x4x2 inch pan. Mine was slightly bigger so the bread didn't get quite as high, but still tasted amazing! We were all very impressed with the lunch, and I could see this becoming a Saturday ritual. What could be easier to make for lunch?

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One winner will get the same package I received!

One Dilly Onion Bread Mix, and One Red Wine Vegetable Bean Soup Mix.

this give away is closed!!




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 3 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 Wine Barrel Gourmet, for review and giveaway purposes. No monetary compensation was provided and opinions of the product are solely my own.

Zuvo

AND THE WINNER IS: CINNAMONLAINE!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

A few years ago the Doctor told hubby that he was supposed to drink more water. We all know how important it is to drink 8 glasses of water a day - we've been told often enough :) However hubby really didn't like the water we got out of our taps. It comes from a dirty river about 12 miles away. Of course it goes through a filtering system and they add lots of chlorine to make it drinkable, but it still doesn't taste that great. Some times it would taste like they forgot to add the water to the chlorine. YUCK!

So to make the doctor happy and hubby healthier we first bought a jug with the filters, but got tired of buying the filters all the time. So we switched to buying bottled water. We did invest in the cooler w/jugs and used it for many years. But really - who wants to pay for water? One and a half years ago I needed a new fridge, so we purchased one with a water dispenser, so we wouldn't have to spend the $40-$50 a month on water, only $60/year on filters. We love having ice on hand through the fridge but filling up a glass of water sure takes a long time when you are thirsty.
Close to the end of December I found Zuvo on the net. They have two types of water filters that hook up to your sink.

Zuvo offers user friendly new technology that reduces unwanted, potentially unhealthy contaminants in drinking water -- without stripping it of the trace minerals that give water its refreshing, distinctive taste. It works in real time with no waiting. No other water cleansing system can make this claim of cleanliness combined with good taste.

We all know the reasons we need to drink more water: weight loss, healthier bodies, better energy, exercise aid, cooking, the list is endless. The new Zuvo Water Filtration System, (Zuvo means to your health in Latin) a terrific new easy to use eco friendly device would be a great fit in any new product reviews. The Zuvo is telegenic and visually fascinating to watch, once it's plugged in you see the water bubbling in a blue UV light and getting cleaner before your very eyes.

This small home water treatment appliance is based on a patented technology platform that reproduces the photo-oxidation process naturally occurring in the environment (go to www.zuvowater.com for a more detailed explanation of the five-step process). It is an easy-to-install, cost-effective device ($.06 per gallon, compared to more than $1 per gallon for bottled water, over the course of a year) not requiring interim plastic pitchers or chemical additives. As an added bonus, eliminating the use of bottled water helps reduce the 32.8 billion water bottles that end up in landfills every year and it requires fewer filter changes that the famous name brand filter systems on the market.

There is the On the Counter version and the Under-counter version. Because I have a small kitchen with limited counter space we decided to get the "under the counter" model. Once we figured out how to hook it up - it didn't take to long. Because our kitchen is over 50 years old, we don't have the nice flex hoses underneath the sink, everything is copper which made hooking up a little more difficult. Plus we had to make a whole in the counter top to place the tap through. Just to see how it would work on a new set-up, hubby hooked it up in our basement bathroom which has newer plumbing. It took about 15 minutes to get it going, and is easy enough that any person that is a little handy could do it. The instructions are well written with great pictures :) Everything is color coded for easy hook up. If you have 2 wrenches the right size or a pair of pliers - you are good to go.

We've been using the Zuvo Water Filtration System for a week now and really like it! We've all done taste tests to see which water is better: tap (yuck!), fridge and Zuvo. The Zuvo water tastes like nothing, it even removes the chlorine taste! We are very happy with the Filtration System and would definitely recommend it to everyone.

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One winner will get an On The Counter version of the Zuvo Water Filtration System!!


In either the Polished Charcoal finish or the Brushed aluminum metal finish. Features Zuvo’s patented 5-Step UV/Ozone Cleansing Process. Includes activated carbon filter (installed), adapter/diverter for standard faucets, and owner’s manual.

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED

Aloquin

And the winner is:
PATTY!
CONGRATULATIONS!

When I first started selling on Etsy, I learned so much about crafts, arts and creating original works. ACEO's was something I knew nothing about, but found fascinating. Finally someone explained them to me, and I still love them! This shop is full of original, wonderful works of art! Take a look:

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm from Long Island, and have lived most of my life here. It is beautiful, with ocean beaches, pine barrens, and the city not far away!
I have been drawing since before I can remember, and have always preferred to do it than most anything else. I graduated LIU Southampton with a bachelors degree in Graphic Design, and am now a proud, creative wife and mother.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?
I can't remember how I first learned of Etsy, but once I did find out about it, I knew that I had to be a part of it... I just love every thing about it!
My shop name has always been my nickname, as it were... or avatar, if avatars were names. I believe, if I remember correctly, I got the name off of the back of a package when I was working at 16 at the local Animal Farm Petting Zoo... and I liked "Aloquin" so much that it's always stuck with me!

*What types of items do you have? Do you have something new you will be adding?
I have lots of fun items in my shop, from ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals) to Hair Jewelry to Digital Download Files to Rings... I am constantly creative, and always adding new items.

*What do you like about being a seller?
The thing I like the most is that I am offering products that people really like. I am bringing a smile to someone's face when they receive what they've purchased from me, and I know that in a large retail outlet, the original creator doesn't get to appreciate that as much... yay Etsy Feedback Tool!!!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?
LOL... not really. I'm addicted to many things, and always find inspiration in items either online or at the store. My husband has already learned that it is very dangerous to bring me into a Michael's store! Right now I am thoroughly in love with the Steampunk style, and will be making some new ACEOs very soon to reflect just that.

*Do you have a blog?
Yep! http://www.aloquin.blogspot.com

*What motivates or inspires you to create?
Every thing from God, to love, to other people's art... the list is endless...

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
My barrettes, I'd have to say right now... they are my current passion, and I can't help but glance at them all the time! I love to use/upcycle material that would ordinarily be tossed to the side... with enough creative ingenuity, you can make something beautiful out of ordinary, throw-away items, like broken cell phone pieces!

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
The winner will receive a custom made ACEO... they pick the topic/genre/color/etc. It will be totally up to them!



THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

People Towels Give Away

AND THE WINNER IS:
TRIXX!
CONGRATULATIONS!!

How often do you get to a public washroom only to find out that they are out of paper towels, or have one of those ari dryers? If there are paper towels you have to get one by pushing on a lever that's been touched by who knows how many hands. The garbage is over flowing with paper towels. What a waste! I never used to think about where the paper towels came from or how much waste they were. But as I get older I'm realizing how many of natures resources we have wasted in the last 40 years.


The Current Situation
The use of disposable paper towels is having a devastating impact on the environment. Some of the facts about paper towel consumption and its impact are:
To make one ton of paper towels, 17 trees and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted.
Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone.
Decomposing paper towels produce methane gas, a leading cause of global warming.
The average person uses 2,400 – 3,000 paper towels at work, in a given year.

So - I've often thought that I should really start to carry a towel with me - but who has room in their purse for a towel? Lucky me (&you) - there is a solution!!

People Towels make wonderful small hand towels that you can place in your purse & have with you where ever you go!

What is a PeopleTowel?

PeopleTowels is the newest concept in sustainability and the latest in eco-chic fashion. A Green alternative to paper towels in public facilties, these quick-drying, reusable personal hand towels are made of lightweight, 100% Organic, Fair Trade Cotton. PeopleTowels come in a variety of inspired designs, printed with eco-friendly dyes, to appeal to different tastes and styles.

PeopleTowels are small enough to carry anywhere, and the custom-made fabric is absorbent enough to dry your hands, yet dries quickly. Convenient hangtags even allow you to easily clip or loop your PeopleTowel to your backpack, belt buckle or purse. PeopleTowels are a small sustainable lifestyle change that everyone can do for the planet.

Unlike paper towels and other hand-drying methods, PeopleTowels are a zero waste product and do not contribute to harmful practices like deforestation and the growing problems of paper waste, excessive water consumption and pollution.

PeopleTowels are designed to last for years through easy maintenance (all PeopleTowels are machine washable) and the use of high quality materials (100% certified organic cotton). Our designs are silk screened with eco-friendly dyes on a custom-made organic fabric, so you may see slight variations in the towels.

They come in wonderful designs! You can get them in 3-Towel Sets, 5-Towels Sets, or as Singles. Apparently they had a competition for some new designs and you can Vote for Your Favorite and maybe it will win! I voted for the Earth one with the birdies, but they are all great :) You can also get a wonderful Eco Sack to carry your towel in.

People towels sent me the two towels in the first picture. I love them!! They are small enough for my purse, dry really well, eco-friendly & easy to clean. Bye Bye paper towels :)


NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One lucky person will receive their choice of a 3-towel Set!



PeopleTowels are designed to last for years through easy maintenance (all PeopleTowels are machine washable) and the use of high quality materials (100% certified organic cotton). Our designs are silk screened with eco-friendly dyes on a custom-made organic fabric, so you may see slight variations in the towels.

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

Pendant - Winner's Choice!

AND THE WINNER IS:Rosa-kreattiva!
CONGRATULATIONS!!

I was thrilled when Christelle contacted me about a Review/Give Away here! I love pendants and she has some really amazing ones :)

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.
I live in France, near Paris. I am a woman, I am 33 years old and I have 3 adorable daughters. I am a French author and illustrator.

*What types of items do you have? Do you have something new you will be adding?
In my shop, you can find prints of my illustrations but also a lot of jewelry and accessories based on these illustrations. For example, I sell glass tiles, bookmarks, pocket mirrors and so on!

*What do you like about being a seller?
I love interacting with customers! That is always a real pleasure! And I love also thinking that my creations travel all around the world :) That is so stunning!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?
I love blue! Most of my illustrations and crafts are blue.

*What motivates or inspires you to create?
I don't know... maybe my daughters, music, everything around me I think.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
I like everything :) But I think that what I prefer is making glass tiles. I think they really valorize my illustrations.

*Do you have a blog?
Yes, but it is all in French. That is here: http://christellehuetgomez.hautetfort.com/
I have also a Facebook fan page here (in French and English, and even a little bit Spanish): http://www.facebook.com/atelierarever
And you can also find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Choumie

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
One lucky winner will receive a Glass Tile Pendant of their choice!



THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!

Easy Lunch Box Review/Give Away

AND THE WINNER IS:CAPRICORN SOAP COMPANY!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

this is the first time random org has picked #1 - that is too cool :)

While searching the internet for great give aways to enter, I came across Easy Lunch Boxes. After going through the site and watching the videos, I contacted them to see if they would be interested in a Review/Give Away. And they were :)

Here is a little bit about Kelly and Easy Lunch Boxes:
Kelly Lester is the owner, creator, and mom behind Easylunchboxes.com. During the last two decades she has been an entrepreneur, wife, and mother of three. She is also an actress and singer.

Easylunchboxes.com was born out of Kelly’s innate ability to do things efficiently while on a shoestring budget, and her desire to send her daughters to school with simple, healthy food, with little to no extra packaging or ingredients. Her past struggle with weight control inspires her to teach and model healthy eating habits for her children, and has fueled her dedication to always send them off to school with a great lunch. Kelly's healthy lifestyle was recently featured on MOM TRENDS.

Kelly combined her self taught business-savvy with her natural inclination to think “what would other parents want?” — to develop the perfect lunchbox system. She is thrilled and proud to share her Easylunchboxes and lunch bags with other families who will benefit by their simple design, great price, and amazing functionality. Additionally, by promoting the waste-free lunch movement, EasyLunchboxes.com is helping the planet one lunch box at a time.

Kelly has been married to actor Loren Lester since 1988. They live in Woodland Hills, CA with their three daughters, Jenny, Lily, & Julia, and their dog, Albany.

Logan (son 2) works at the local John Deere dealership as an apprentice mechanic and packs a lunch every day. Usually I'm packing 5-6 different containers into his lunch to keep everything separate. But now the containers have been cut down to 1/2 as many. These plastic containers seal really well and the small sections are perfect for some fruit, cheese, small slices of meat, crackers or whatever you need to pack. I'm going to try pudding in the larger of the small sections yet to cut down on one more container.

So when asked what color Lunch Box Cooler he would like - Logan picked Purple to match his toolbox :) (the tool boxes is a lot darker though). The Lunch Box will hold two of the Food Containers quite easily with a little room left over.

Easy Lunch Boxes also has a section with Neat Ideas and lunch recipes! You can never have to many recipes :)

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
Easy Lunch Boxes will be shipping one lucky winner their choice of Lunch Box and a set of Compartmentalized Food Containers!



THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED!!

Win Amazing Mayan Themed Earrings!

AND THE WINNER IS:

Deci Worland-MacKinnon
CONGRATULATIONS!!

I was very excited when Deanne was willing to have a give away on my blog. Her jewelry is amazing!! It's unique and she has some of the most beautiful pendants I've seen on Etsy! Take a look -

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m originally from Atlanta, GA. Now I live near Charleston, SC with my husband and our dog family.

*How did you decide on your shop name?
I have been using my name on my work since I began making jewelry. I toyed with many different names and wanted something really clever. But, all the names I really liked had been used in some form or fashion by someone else. Plus, I change my mind a lot and was afraid to commit to something I might be tired of in a few months. Besides, I figured it was my work so I might as well put my name on it. It makes finding me online pretty easy if someone knows my name.


*What types of items do you have? Do you have something new you will be adding?
I have earrings, necklaces and bracelets, all hand fabricated in sterling silver, with the occasional 14k gold accent or gemstone. I have just added a sterling silver guitar pick and would like to do more of them. I designed and made a special sterling silver pick inspired by the movie Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges even autographed it! I joined with our local indie theater to host an auction for it at the opening night of the movie. All the proceeds went to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. That was really special to me – to be able to use my craft to help a worthy cause.

*What do you like about being a seller?
I have been selling at galleries and shops on consignment for a few years and I have to say, I love being a Seller on Etsy more. I just love having control over all the aspects of the shop – the presentation, prices, descriptions, packaging – all of it. It is especially nice to be able to communicate with a Buyer directly, which is something you don’t often get to do when selling through other retailers.

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?
I love tools! But I don’t think that would be an addiction, because I really use them all. I would say my addiction is beautiful faceted gemstone beads. I keep buying them, but I don’t use many of them. I kind of hoard them to look at.



*Do you have a blog?
No. Not yet anyway. I love to read other artist blogs, but writing is not something I really have a talent for. Plus, I agonize too much over what I write. If I had a blog, it would take me months to write one entry! Very boring for my readers. I will just leave blogging to the pros – like you.


*What motivates or inspires you to create?
Design ideas are always running through my head. I am really inspired by shapes. Just last night, I was watching a movie and saw a little wooden sculpture on a table in one scene caught my eye. Ever since, I have been thinking about how to translate that shape into silver. You will probably see it in my shop soon as a pair of earrings or a necklace soon.

*What is your favorite on-line shop?
Oh, I can’t name just one. You should see my favorites list – both on Etsy and the web in general – it’s huge.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
It’s always the one I’m working on at the moment or the one I just finished. In this case, it would be the guitar pick with the little bird. I enjoyed coming up with the bird design. Before that, it was the Captured Heart necklace. It was fun figuring out how I wanted to construct that.

NOW FOR THE GIVE AWAY!
Deanne will be sending on lucky person these amazing earrings!
You can find a matching necklace HERE & a matching bracelet (pictured above) HERE!

Inspired by the Mayan Sun Stone, these "ancient coin" disks were created from recycled sterling silver - individually melted, hammered, drilled, textured and oxidized by me. They are accented by a faceted black onyx teardrop and hang from hand forged ear wires.

Disk measures 3/8" diameter
Onyx drop measures 6x4mm

Deanne is also offering 20% discount to all my readers on their order from her shop! The offer is good until the end of March!! All you have to do is mention this give away on my blog in the message to seller to get the discount! WOOHOO!

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED!!