GIVEAWAY DAY!

Christmas shmishmas!  Who cares about that boring old holiday when there's Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day?!?!  Ok just kidding, but seriously this ranks up there in my book!

So I get that this giveaway is a little late for what it is, but I really love the idea and wanted to share it with you.  It's a felt advent chain countdown to Christmas.  Time was a really hard concept for my now 6 year old to grasp and having this visual representation helped it make more sense to her.  The links are felt with velcro closures, "Merry Christmas" is embroidered on the last solid red link, and I'll send it to you in this cute storage box so you can keep it safe until next year.

Putting the chain together and removing a link every morning has become a family tradition for us.  Want to start a tradition for your family too? Here's how you can win it:

• One entry for leaving a comment about one of your family's holiday traditions.  It could be any holiday!
• For a second entry, if you have a sec to look through my blog or if you like this chain idea well enough to want to see what else I'm up to, follow my blog and leave a second comment to let me know.  Existing followers, you get a 2nd entry too!

You have until midnight EST Dec. 16th to enter. I'll pick a winner at random from the comments and email them on Dec. 17th.  (if your email address isn't part of your profile, you'll need to leave it in your comment so I can find you if you win). I'll ship the chain to you within a day or receiving your mailing address.  Contest open to international residents as well. 

Good Luck!

 

Digital Scrapbooking Giveaway!

I've mentioned before, ages ago, that in my life before sewing & children & bentos & printables & parties my creative outlet was scrapbooking.  The 14 scrapbooks I've created cronical my highschool days, my early relationship with my now husband, and our girls' first years.  They are among my most prized posessions; I wouldn't trade them for the world.  BUT truth be told, I don't get as much enjoyment out of scrapbooking as I do my other creative endevours.  In fact, I had given it up all together.  I think scrapbooking didn't hold my attention because I like structure, following directions, and innovation, mixed in with just a bit of creativity and a teeny tiny dose artistic flair... scrapbooking requries a good healthy dose of artistic flair... a little too much for my liking.

My Memories has changed all that.  I am now free to rejoin the world of scrapbooking and you are too... especially if you're like me and are creative but not necessarily artistic (it's a fine line but it does exist!).  My Memories Suite really couldn't be easier to use.  This digital scrapbooking software comes with album designs already loaded into it, you just insert your pictures, and waalaa:

Really!  Ok, so that's the "I did virtually no work on my own, I barely understand how the software works, I just want it to be quick and done" way of using My Memories Suite. But there is so much more to this software if you want to take it to the next level!  You can bring in your own images that you've collected from the internet or clip art or scan yourself to use as embellishments and backgrounds (which means you don't have to buy expensive digital kits), there's photo editing built right into the software, so you can make a picture black & white, give it an effect, and remove red eye right there as you build your album, and when you're done you can save your album as a jpg, email it, and/or have it printed wherever you'd like.

I'm really excited about using My Memories Suite (more pages are sure to pop up here on my blog as I make my way through our family photos) but I'm equally as excited that I get to give away My Memories Suite to one of my readers!  Yep, the $40 My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software AND $10 to use in the My Memories shop (you can buy digital scrapbook elements and printing services) to one lucky reader!

I'm going to give you lots of chances to win.  Do any (or all!) of the following and leave a separate comment here on this post for each.  1 week from today I'll pick the winning comment by random drawing.  Here's how to enter:

• Follow my blog via email or Google Reader (link in the margin to the right)
• Follow my blog via Facebook (link in the margin to the right)
• Check out the digital paper packs at My Memories and leave a comment here telling me which is your favorite
• Follow the My Memories blog 

Good luck!  Oh, and if you're not familiar with digital scrapbooking software you can watch some tutorials on My Memories Suite and catch the digital scrapbooking bug!

Typographic Poster

I’m really excited to tell you about a class I’m taking! It’s an Illustrator 101 online class through Nicole’s Classes. I really like the format of the class and I plan to do a more formal review of the experience and Nicole’s Classes when I’m finished with the course. But for now, I wanted to tell you about it because I’ve been spending some of my blogging time on Illustrator & will need to continue to do that for the month of March. But, the good news is that there are weekly homework assignments during which I can make fun projects to share here on my blog… sort of in exchange for neglecting you all just a bit (not too much though, Your Way Wednesdays will keep going & I’ll fit in other fun things as soon as I have a chance to write them up).

Our first assignment was to design & create a 16”x20” typographic poster. I submitted two for my homework. I made one for a friend and another for my favorite blog readers (you all of course!). First up, the one I made for a friend:

Cute right?! It’s a simple design but I really like the font and the colors.

 And I made this one for you:

I thought it would be really cute in a nursery or over a crib. Framed, it would make a unique shower gift for a mommy-to-be too.  If you want this poster, (I hope that means you like my blog and are a follower *wink*wink*nudge*nudge) just leave me a comment with your email address and I’ll email the file to you. You can have it printed at any photo processing lab (Costco prints this poster size for $5.99), pick up a poster frame with a 40% off Michael’s coupon, and you’ll have inexpensive fun wall art!

Fabric Covered Buttons & Giveaway

Disclaimer: I left my camera at a friends house and as much as I love love love my precious (a.k.a. my iphone) I'm clearly doing something wrong when it comes to taking pictures with it. I'll try to make suffering through these worth your while though with a little giveaway at the end!

Have you made fabric covered buttons before?  They're seriously easy to do and super cute... especially if you add an embroidered initial!  All you need is the button kit and a scrap of fabric.  There's a little half circle on the back of the package that you cut out and use as a pattern to cut your fabric circle.  There's also two little plastic pieces that come in the kit.

Smooth the fabric circle against the piece of the metal button without the shank, put it fabric side down in the bigger of the two plastic pieces, tuck the fabric in against the back of the button, place the 2nd half of the button over the folded in fabric and use the smaller plastic piece to press on the back of the button... you'll feel a little snap when it's attached.

  
Pop the button out of the plastic piece and waalaa!

You stuck it out through the horrible pictures and formatting (I have such a love hate relationship with Blogger!) you deserve a giveaway!  I love these covered buttons, there are lots of really cute uses for them!  Leave a comment here to tell me what you think I'm using the button I showed you for.  I'll make a set of 2 monogrammed initial buttons for the first person to guess correctly.





   

No Break No Roll Recycled Crayon Giveaway

Head on over to the Florida Etsy Street Team's blog to win a set of my No Break No Roll Recycled Crayons and/or pretty little shell earings.

Tag Blanket Give Away!

Thank you everyone who stopped by to comment on my giveaway and especially to those of you who decided to follow my little diary of crafty endeavors (a.k.a. my blog)! Without further ado... random.org picked our winner... DESIREE. Come on down Desiree and claim your Elle Belle tag blanket!

Welcome Sew Mama Sew visitors (and my usuals of course too)! I'm hoping to make it a bit easier to add some handmade goodness to your day, so I'm participating in the Give Away Day and giving away a boy or girl Minky and satin crinkle corner tag blanket. All you have to do is check out my Etsy shop and leave a comment here on my blog about your favorite Elle Belle item. I’ll give you an additional entry if you like my blog enough to follow. Just click on the “follow” button on the right and leave a 2nd comment on this post to indicate that you follow. I'll use a random # generator thingie to pick a winner midnight Saturday May 30th. Good Luck! Hidden crinkle material gives one corner a curious crunchy sound & feel • Built with unbeatably super soft genuine Minky and satin, they are oh so snuggly • 12 distinct ribbons compliment the fabric and add a variety of texture and color • At approximately 14x14 inches square (not including the ribbon), they’re just the right size for the diaper bag and convenient for car seat playtime.


Elle Belle tag blankets are designed to sooth little ones while engaging them in tactile, auditory, and visual, exploration. They are the perfect cozy alternative to the larger crib sized comforts they know and love. Will they be jealous of your super cute handmade gift at the next shower? ©

*I'll spread the handmade love across the world... international entries welcome too!

Free Stuff!!

Everyone loves FREE stuff... especially FREE Elle Belle stuff right?! Check out the Florida Etsy Street Team (FEST) blog www.etsyfest.com to win the Elle Belle giveaway and 4 other fabulous FEST artist's giveaways. Run along, you only have until March 15th!