Monday, October 18, 2010

Our Winner for the Tina Givens & Lark Crafts Giveaway...

First I have to apologize - I had posted that my name drawing would be held at Noon today, but I forgot that my son had a doctor's appointment at the same time! I did give one more nudge on Facebook for posting comments on the blog, but I only had on more post and it was done before noon. So everything is still fair and square even though I am running the Random List tool a bit late.

I had 32 comments over the past week for this drawing, but 2 were duplicates, so there are 30 names in the List and they are being listed in the Random List generator first to last in the order the comments were made - as shown here:

Lee
patricia
Trisha
Calandra
rosemaryschild
Cole's Corner
Weatherbee ;)
Kristin PG
prsd4tim2
schmidt1016
Laura
Seema
Catlyn Berry (Cizz)
Our Busy Little Bunch
Me
Goosegirl
Teresa
Rachel
JoonToons
Deb
sy
Nalie
Tanya-Yanata
empirewaist
Jknits
Melanie
babiesdoc
Wehaf
gill

As you can see from the time stamp of this post, I am posting this portion first - and next I'll run the Randomizer and post the results... whichever name comes up first on the randomized list is our winner!
BEST OF LUCK!

AND THE RANDOMIZER LIST PICKED...

List Randomizer

There were 30 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
  1. Trisha
  2. Pameladawn
  3. Kristin PG
  4. patricia
  5. Nalie
  6. Catlyn Berry (Cizz)
  7. sy
  8. Weatherbee ;)
  9. Seema
  10. Rachel
  11. gill
  12. Cole's Corner
  13. Goosegirl
  14. Tanya-Yanata
  15. empirewaist
  16. Jknits
  17. Me
  18. Lee
  19. schmidt1016
  20. JoonToons
  21. rosemaryschild
  22. Teresa
  23. prsd4tim2
  24. Calandra
  25. Wehaf
  26. babiesdoc
  27. Our Busy Little Bunch
  28. Melanie
  29. Deb
  30. Laura
Timestamp: 2010-10-18 19:20:15 UTC

TRISHA IS OUR WINNER!! Congrats Trisha! I'll send your email address to Lark Crafts and they will be sending you your prize package! 

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sew Tina! Giveaway, Free Projects, Book Review & Blog Tour

Sensational
Effervescent
Wonderful

Titallating
Innovative
New-fashioned
Adorable

Put it all together and you are only scratching the surface of SEW TINA! 
Tina Givens is a multi-talented designer of some of the brightest and most clever, fun, favorite fabrics ever and now she has a fantastic new book with 30 cute projects & adorable decor items for kids!
I was ecstatic that Lark Crafts contacted me and said that Tina had suggested my blog to be in the lineup of those presenting her newest venture through this  fun and innovative blog tour!

Sadly (very sadly) I missed the boat  on arranging for my personal interview with Tina due to some family issues I’ve had to tend to over the past couple of weeks, but I can happily point you to all the incredibly candid and entertaining interviews she has given to all the bloggers on this tour and you are all in for many treats as you follow along the tour path!
imageBut I do have LOTS of fun stuff to share with you today!

FUN THING #1
= The Book:
Sew Tina! This full color book is fantastic, I received my copy a few days ago and sat down to glance through it … and about an hour later realized I’d been completely immersed in the wonder of Tina’s free spirited approach to sewing and creating these cute as pie designs for kids! I definitely have some favorite projects I want to create for my niece’s little girls for Christmas.
The book starts out with a sweet introduction in which Tina shares a bit about her imagination and her unique approach to designing and sewing. She goes on to explain about “Sewing the Tina way” and how she uses fabrics and mixes colors and scale of designs.  
imageThere’s a primer on using her templates and patterns, sizing and best of all – how to truly let go and follow Tina’s relaxed sewing techniques and HAVE FUN!
Tina offers lots of great tips and ideas for sewing with a free spirit! Her philosophy is that when sewing for kids you don’t have to be perfectionist, it shouldn’t take long and it should be fun! Tina says she finds charm in “inherent handmade imperfection” and that “The objective is to create something that is unique and special and uncomplicated.”  I have to admit, I was a bit giddy at the idea of letting go of my perfectionist tendencies and just letting the creative process take reign!  

There are 30 patterns printed on imagequality paper included in a pocket in the front of the book, and pages of very easy to follow instructions, charming illustrations, and adorable photographs for each project. Sprinkled throughout are additional “tina’s tips” to help you out. The large spiral binding makes the book extra easy to work with. You’ll also find fabric resources for each project, as well as a handy metric conversion chart. 

If you are a creative soul … and whether you are a long time fan of Tina’s fun designs (in every thing from watercolor characters to stationery to brilliantly colorful fabrics and many more products to come), or you are just discovering her fresh style and personality infused works … you will definitely want to get your hands on this book!
FUN THING #2 =
Courtesy of Lark Crafts & Tina Givens - Three free projects to get you in the mood for all the great products in Sew Tina!

Make the Olly the Owl, the Skull Cap, or the Duvet Cover & Sham… Or all three!
FUN THING #3 = Tina’s fabulous giveaway. One lucky commenter on my blog will win the book, four (4!!) yards of fabric, two boxes of stationary and two extra sewing patterns. Wow!  Just leave a comment below about your favorite Tina Givens fabric, project or just post your plea for winning this fabulous giveaway! I’ll leave the comments open until 12:00 (Noon EST) on Oct. 18th – that’s just over a week to get your comments in – then I’ll pick a name and announce Our Mama's Pocketbook Blog WINNER!  THAT'S RIGHT - ONE LUCKY WINNER who comments HERE on my blog WILLWIN this amazing Prize Package (shown below) from Lark Crafts and Tina Givens! It doesn't get any easier than than people!

Remember you only need to leave a comment below and make sure you include your email address so I can contact you if you are the LUCKY one whose name is drawn in the random number generator on Oct. 18th. Now… Follow along with the rest of the book tour here for more chances to win and to read more about Tina and her new book!:
9/24 Lark Crafts.com
9/27 A La Mode Fabric
9/29 Quilters Buzz
10/1 Sew Baby
10/4 Sew Chic
10/6 Sew Mama Sew
10/8 Hazelnuts
10/11 Mama’s Pocketbook
10/13 House on Hill Road
10/15 WhipUp
10/18 Quilt Dad
10/20 HodgePodgeFarm
10/22 Pink Chalk Studios
10/25 Fat Quarterly Blog
10/27 The Jolly Jabber
Click here for the  official rules:http://www.larkcrafts.com/uncategorized/sweepstakesrules/.

We Have A Winner! Congrats Andrea!!

With 73 votes in our Perfect Pocketbook Design Contest Andrea Ferguson, affectionately called Andy Bee, has won the Grand Prize capturing 66.4% of the votes for her design description!
Congrats Andy! Your Grand Prize is a custom made bag created following your description below:
My perfect bag is sort of Betsey Johnson meets Gianni Versace and they travel in a Gypsy Wagon! lol It's medium to largish (but NOT big enough to be an elephant saddlebag!), and FUNKY! It has an adjustable strap, a hoboesque shape, and a zipper closure as well as a flap. It's very much a hodgepodge of textiles and trims in true gypsy style. It must have just a touch of bling, preferably vintage. I like a few pockets inside for girly stuff like phone, lipstick, and keys. I also like a bit of "stability" but not so much tailored stiffness. Rich colors and textures are also a must!
I am so excited to collaborate with you on creating your perfect pocketbook, and once we have it completed we will launch the design as our newest Mama’s Pocketbook Design. This design lends itself perfectly to our design philosophy of creating unique, one-of-a-kind designs with utility, versatility, beauty, and durabilty …. it’s also the perfect design to allow a wide variety of interpretations in fabric, trim and accessories! You have indeed created an incredible new design.
Look for the NEW Original “Andy-Bee” Bag Design on November 7th!


Here are the Final Vote Results
Your Perfect Pocketbook
Which Perfect Pocketbook Description is your favorite?
Andy-Brown Bee Studio - Gypsy Style Hobo
66.4%
73
Patricia - Organizer Shoulder Bag
23.6%
26
Lilli Blue - Recycled "Green" Tote
10%
11
total votes: 110
powered by blogpoll

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Perfect Pocketbook – TOP 3 for Grand Prize

Choosing the Top 3 entries for the best “Perfect Pocketbook” description was WAY harder than I had thought it would be.  I had to have my husband help me choose, and it was actually great to have someone who is totally impartial and who could judge just by the descriptions alone which ones sounded like winners to him. Now mind you – I realize he doesn’t carry a pocketbook, but he has been around my business of making them long enough to know what goes into making a great one so I think he was a fair judge for the descriptions, but just to be safe – I also had a friend who was not in the contest and my daughter judge the top 6 descriptions so we could narrow it all down to the 3 best ones.
So without further ado… Here are the Top 3 Perfect Pockebook Descriptions and the ladies who submitted them!

THERE IS A POLL ON THE RIGHT - Read the descriptions below and VOTE for your favorite!
In no particular order …


Andy-Brown Bee Studio said...


My perfect bag is sort of Betsey Johnson meets Gianni Versace and they travel in a Gypsy Wagon! lol It's medium to largish (but NOT big enough to be an elephant saddlebag!), and FUNKY! It has an adjustable strap, a hoboesque shape, and a zipper closure as well as a flap. It's very much a hodgepodge of textiles and trims in true gypsy style. It must have just a touch of bling, preferably vintage. I like a few pockets inside for girly stuff like phone, lipstick, and keys. I also like a bit of "stability" but not so much tailored stiffness. Rich colors and textures are also a must!

Lilli Blue said... 

… It is hard to say what my favorite pocketbook would look like. I have so many I love. I collect vintage handbags.
Right now I am loving a tote. One pocket inside near the bottom so the goodies don't fall out.
I would like it be made out of something recycled. Old coat becomes tote. So many textiles end up in land fills.
The idea of a tote for shopping that keeps us away from plastic/paper bags. Made from recycled goodies and helps the planet.
I like to toss my smaller everyday bag in the bottom of a tote.

Patricia said...

Oh fun fun fun! My perfect pocketbook has to have lots of pockets and compartments. One for a cell phone,ipod, pens,small notepad, lipgloss, glasses, keys (maybe with a leash so they don't wander to the depths), checkbook, wallet then a shoulder strap, easy open and secure close, durable fabric spot cleanable.
NOW … To determine the winner – I have posted a POLL over on the Right Hand Sidebar and our 3 contenders can encourage others to vote for their description, and I’ll promote this voting method every day this week on Twitter and FB  to help collect votes for all.


Oh, and I will be sending out consolation prizes to the 2 entries that come in 2nd and 3rd! Thanks so much for participating in our contest!

Perfect Pocketbook Contest Winners!

 

Here’s the list of entry names, some have multiple entries depending on the extra chances they used.

Patricia Rose X5
Marjorie Miller Meier X4
Andy-Brown Bee Studio X5
Georgia Grandma G's X5
angelhomemaker@yahoo.com X3
HollyBaum  X5
Lilli Blue X2
Debbie Naegel X2
Liz X3
Margo Leah Edwards X2

I loaded all the names the number of times shown into the List Randomizer at Random.org and will award the 1st place prize to the 1st name to show up on the first randomizer run… And the winner of the Pouchee Organizer and Three (3) of my Fabric Card Cases is:  LIZ

List Randomizer

There were 36 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

  1. Liz
  2. Georgia Grandma G's
  3. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  4. Georgia Grandma G's
  5. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  6. Marjorie Miller Meier
  7. Margo Leah Edwards
  8. Patricia Rose
  9. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  10. HollyBaum
  11. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  12. Liz
  13. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  14. Patricia Rose
  15. Georgia Grandma G's
  16. Patricia Rose
  17. HollyBaum
  18. Marjorie Miller Meier
  19. Debbie Naegel
  20. HollyBaum
  21. Lilli Blue
  22. Marjorie Miller Meier
  23. HollyBaum
  24. Georgia Grandma G's
  25. Liz
  26. Lilli Blue
  27. Margo Leah Edwards
  28. Marjorie Miller Meier
  29. Debbie Naegel
  30. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  31. HollyBaum
  32. Patricia Rose
  33. Georgia Grandma G's
  34. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  35. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  36. Patricia Rose

Timestamp: 2010-10-03 12:59:17 UTC

 

Now I will re-enter the names and let the Randomizer do it’s thing to select the 2nd Prize winner…. And the winner of the package including Three (3)of my Fabric Card Cases is… Marjorie Miller Meier

List Randomizer

There were 36 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

  1. Marjorie Miller Meier
  2. Marjorie Miller Meier
  3. Georgia Grandma G's
  4. Georgia Grandma G's
  5. Georgia Grandma G's
  6. Liz
  7. Marjorie Miller Meier
  8. Patricia Rose
  9. Patricia Rose
  10. HollyBaum
  11. Margo Leah Edwards
  12. HollyBaum
  13. HollyBaum
  14. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  15. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  16. HollyBaum
  17. Debbie Naegel
  18. Georgia Grandma G's
  19. HollyBaum
  20. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  21. Patricia Rose
  22. Debbie Naegel
  23. Liz
  24. Patricia Rose
  25. angelhomemaker@yahoo.com
  26. Liz
  27. Margo Leah Edwards
  28. Georgia Grandma G's
  29. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  30. Lilli Blue
  31. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  32. Marjorie Miller Meier
  33. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  34. Andy-Brown Bee Studio
  35. Lilli Blue
  36. Patricia Rose

Timestamp: 2010-10-03 13:03:02 UTC

I will announce the 3 contenders at Noon today (Sunday, Oct 3rd) for the Grand Prize of one custom made pocketbook based on the details included in her winning entry! Those ladies will then have one week to ask people to vote for her Perfect Purse description and whoever has the most votes as of Noon on Sunday, Oct. 10th will be our Grand Prize Winner.

(The time stamp on theses drawings is apparently set by Randomizer, I don’t even know what time zone UTC is!  I just ran these this morning at 8:59 and 9:03 Eastern Standard Time!)