We Have Two Winners in Our Pattern Giveaway!

First thank you all for your comments and for telling us why you'd love to win the Amy Butler Midwest Mode Pillows pattern in my Valentine's Day giveaway!

I had 11 comments. For the first prize winner, I read all the comments to my daughter first, then my son and then to my husband Steve, each heard the comments and voted seperately from the other and it was unanimous, each picked Patricia as they all thought it sounded like a great way to to help her cheer up the living room/hospital room for her DH. 

So Patricia of Patricia Rose (Potpourri) is our first winner! Congrats Pat! I know you'll enjoy making new cheerful pillows for your living room and I hope they do cheer up your DH! 

For the second winner, to keep things even and fair, I put all the remaining names into a list at Random.org to generate a randomized list from and whoever comes out as the #1 name on the randomized list is the 2nd pattern winner...  I copied to show that I put each name in the order the posts were made...

Part 1. 

Enter your items in the field below, each on a separate line. Items can be numbers, names, email addresses, etc. A maximum of 10,000 items are allowed. Please don't enter anything you would consider confidential

Lilli Blue
Nancy
Beloved Creations
Kim
Casey Locklear
Lisa
Andrea-Brown Bee Studio
Gail
Gayle
Serra

Part 2: Go!

And here is the randomized list...

There were 10 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Andrea-Brown Bee Studio
2. Lilli Blue
3. Nancy
4. Serra
5. Gail
6. Lisa
7. Gayle
8. Kim
9. Casey Locklear
10. Beloved Creations

Timestamp: 2009-02-14 19:14:24 UTC

This means that Andrea is our second winner of the Amy Butler Pattern! Thanks so much to all of you for entering our giveaway and for your compelling comments. I wish I had enough patterns to give everyone a free one. I can't do that, but I will offer each of you who commented and didn't win a 20% discount on any pattern order and you will still receive free shipping (patterns only). You will need to email me and let me know you want to take the 20% discount on your pattern order and that you are one of the commenters on this months' giveaway and I will refund the discount after your order through PayPal! Thanks and have a beautiful Valentine's Day!

February Pattern Giveaway

Last time I did an Amy Butler pattern giveaway everyone loved it, so I thought I'd make it a monthly event here at Mama's Pocketbook! You like? Sweet... So, here's what 'cha do ... Post a comment and tell me why you should win this month's pattern! 

Ok, this month I think we all need some warmth and sunshine and are looking forward to spucing up our homes for Spring! Well, I have just the thing. Amy Butler's Midwest Mod Pillows is our giveaway pattern for February!

Three styles of pillows and they are so stylishly delicious! This is an easy, and affordable way to add some new color and update your rooms. Click here to see more about the pattern on my site!

Seriously have you priced pillows in the home furnishing stores - I don't think I can justify hundreds of dollars for pillows when it's so easy to make new ones! Or just add a zipper or a flap opening to the back of any of these pillows and cover your old ones! Hmmm, maybe that should be my next tutorial huh? Ok, I'll work on that and you tell me what you think of this pattern and why YOU should win it. 

Yep, I'm gonna make you work for this giveaway. I want to know something about how you'll use the pattern. Will you cover your existing pillows? Do you want the pattern for a friend? How about which room you'll make pillows for and what fabrics you'll use? Share with us all, lets get inspired to freshen up our living spaces. It's been cold too long, lets dust things off, and make some pretty pillows. Ahhh, I love accessorizing! Don't you?

Oh, I forgot about when to give it away! LOL! Silly me! Ok, how about Valentine's Day, that gives everyone a week to get their posts in to convince me of who should get the pattern. I'll make it fair by having my daughter and my husband read the comments and help pick the winner!  If we can't agree, maybe we'll even pick two winners. You just never know with me. I like to make the rules up as I go along!

Added 2/6  Wow... I am loving the comments, everyone's reasons for wanting this pattern are so compelling... I think what I'll do is have my family help me decide on one winner based on the comments explaining why they would love to win and have a drawing from the rest of the comments to make it fair to everyone to have a chance at winning. Sound good? Keep those comments coming then and you'll have two chances to win! XOXO Dianne

The Feathered Nest

When I ran my drawing for the Amy Butler pattern, my winner was Dawn of The Feathered Nest. I was so happy to have a new visitor to my site sign up for my newsletter and leave a comment to enter the drawing. Little did I know that I would become such an enamoured fan or her blog, but I have fast become addicted to it! Dawn is extraordinarily talented, and that is an understatement for sure! Many of you are probably already aware of her art as it has been featured in Somerset Studio ... I am just way behind the curve here, but catching in quick!

Dawn made a very sweet post on her blog about the package she won in my drawing and I was just tickled to be even mentioned on such an amazing blog! I'm spending a lot of time there just enjoying all the eye candy and creativity and learning about Dawn and her work. I'm such a giddy new fan!

 I just had to share with anyone and everyone about her amazing creative works. I was posting a comment on her blog and just below the comment box her slideshow was going and I found myself mesmerized by all the gorgeous works of art she creates.  This image from her slideshow (you must go and look at the whole thing!) caught my eye because I have a platter just like that and I am just flabbergasted that she has this kind of vision to turn something pretty but ordinary into such a lovely piece of art.

 I know where I'll be going anytime I need to be inspired, motivated, and just happy!! Oh, and she has fantastic TUTORIALS... she shows those of us who are not as visionary as she is how to make gorgeous art for our own homes!  What could be better than that? Um, being able to buy her art maybe? She does have an Etsy shop . 

Oh My Gosh! Ok, I'm going to start sounding like a stalker here soon ... I just looked at Dawn's bio and found that she has another blog, The Feathered Nest, Too,  totally dedicated to featuring her favorite links! What a directory of beauty, talent, wonder, inspiration, and fun! I see some of my Pink Sister's sites listed on there too! YAY! 

 Hmmm,  maybe getting her to come and be a Pink Sister with us over at MakeMinePink would be better so we could have her creative mind and energy with us all the time!  Dawn, come and visit us on our MMP forum! You'll fall in love with us and our work as much as we will (are!) with you and your work! 

Amy Butler Purse Making Kit

It's Show and Tell Monday - May 12th and it took me almost all day but I have TWO new things to show and tell about today!

First is my new Amy Butler Purse Making Kit! This is a complete kit that includes the Amy Butler purse pattern, Amy Butler fabrics (with extra yardage!!), all interfacings, fleece and even the zipper!! No need to go out to the store to buy anything ... just jump right in to sewing your own new purse! Ok, well, thread - you'll need thread, but if you sew, you already have that!

This is the awesome KIMBERLY BAG Pattern included in the kit!

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!! (LOL) You also get FREE SHIPPING to any US Address!

I know, I'm yelling, but this is exciting stuff.

Oh, and if you are an International customer, YAY, We can ship to you too, we will have to charge for shipping however. You still save though on buying all these materials and the pattern separately.

I'll be putting together more of these kits with many of Amy's great patterns in the days to come. So.... SAVE - TIME - GAS - MONEY and make a beautiful new purse for yourself or a friend - or give the kit as a great gift!


Now... For my next Show and Tell Feature of the Day

I have updated my PURSE`onality Bag's Ordering Form and webpage and it should be as easy as 1.2.3 to order your PURSE`onality Base Bag Package. That's my lovely daughter modeling one of the bags for me. :)

The package includes the base bag, one reversible slipcover, a coordinating fabric tie-on shoulder strap and a sash, tie or scarf for tying on the slipcover (whichever looks best, we'll choose!) For a limited time only I am offering this Base Package for only $99.00!! That's 50% off the regular retail price if each piece was purchased seperately. And once you have your base tote, you can change it's look infinitely with additional slipcovers, handles, ties and accessories (coming very soon!!)

Take advantage of the savings on your base package now. Offer ends June 1st!! I should have the additional slipcovers, straps, sashes and accessories pages completed by the May 19th.

January Sale - 25% off Amy Butler Sweet Life Bags!

These Amy Butler Sweet Life Bags truly are sweet! And now you can get a really sweet deal on them ... but only for a limited time - though Jan. 31st. But don't procrastinate - I only have one of each style in stock, so they are first come, first served! They are here, in my studio, ready to ship just as soon as I receive your order!

Hurry go and grab yours now!

My Interview with Amy Butler!

I am thrilled to have had the chance to interview Amy Butler recently for the October issue of MakeMinePink.com's Women Who Inspire column! I just had to drop in a quick post to tell everyone to be sure to read it!

I'm a huge fan of Amy's design work and it was such an honor to conduct this interview with her. She is so open and inspiring, and she gives great advice and insight. I'm not only in awe of her for the beautiful fabrics and purses and papers and sewing patterns and other wonderful things she designs, but for how she manages the phenomenal growth her company has experienced and how she and her husband Dave work so well together. I really want to be like Amy when I grow up! LOL!

Of course I could go on all day long about the things Amy shared with me, but why do that, when you can GO! and read it for yourself right now!! Enjoy!

P.S. UPDATE -- 10/17 - My inventory of Amy's new "Sweet Life" Bags arrived today! They are now in my studio and will be posted on my site ASAP for sale - the arrived much earlier than expected - so grab yours quick and take advantage of my sale price and free shipping (in US).

And The Winner Is..... Mama's Pocketbook!

I have been sitting on this long enough I guess. Well, not really sitting on it because I have told an awful lot of people about it, but I haven't posted it officially ... so now I am!

Mama's Pocketbook has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Finance category of the MSN Business Breakthrough Challenge II! Seriously! This is a for real prize ... we are not talking leg lamps here! We are talking $10,000 worth of custom business solutions just for my business! Major business makeover!

The official word came exactly a month ago, on June 8th, but I've been waiting to see when MSN would put up the info on their website. Well.... still waiting on that, and I figured there were cobwebs growing in here so I better write something new and this is the best something new I've got!

The contest/competition is really pretty cool. I found it one Saturday in March while I was searching for information on how to get help from the SBA. I just stumbled onto the MSN Business Breakthrough website, read about the contest and since it was one of those rare Saturday's where I didn't have anything major going on, I sat down and wrote an essay about my business, how I started it last year, some of the really great steps I've taken (joining MMP!) and some of the setbacks I've run into (financial, due to my husband's back issues and his surgery) and what my plans are for growing the company and how we have managed to stay on top of things and keep it going. Apparently my essay was compelling enough ... the essays are judged three times, based on four levels of criteria. The first go round determines the top 20 out of all entrants, the those are judged again and the top 10 are picked, then a third judging is done to pick the winner.

That would be me or rather, my company, Mama's Pocketbook. Which is pretty much ... ME!

Ok, I do all the sewing and designing, and packaging and shipping, and website building, and ordering, and every other hands on management of my business, but I'm not alone... I have the most fabulous support network anyone could ask for. I have my awesome family. My brilliant hubby, Steve, who has his own exciting entrepreneurial stuff going on (on top of his teaching job and while recovering from major back surgery) , is forever encouraging me, supporting me, believing in me and basically treating me like a Queen. He helps take care of the house and the kids and animals and yard and all the domestic stuff. He's a keeper for sure!

And then I have my Pink Sisters at MMP, who are unbelievably talented, sweet, wise, resourceful, and marvelous in every way. I could not face the day without my coffee club check in at MMP! And of course without this great network I would not be sewing my fingers to the bone (that is when I'm not trying to chop them off with a food processor blade.... but that's another story!). Thanks to my MMP ads, as you've seen below, I've been completely overwhelmed with orders for the past two months! But that's not a complaint ... no, not at all. It's been just the blessing we have needed.

I can't leave out my single parent forum friends. They keep me grounded. They know way too much about me! But they are always supportive and really only want to see me succeed. And they want me to take them with me when I'm on Oprah! LOL!

I'm excited about my prize from MSN. Things should start happening now, I have my financial advisor and we are working on my plan, and my proposal (wish list) for what I need MSN to provide to push Mama's Pocketbook to the next level. Maybe get some help for the construction process of my items, get some cool inventory, fabrics... I can't wait to get my Amy Butler fabrics and purses to add to her pattern line that I carry already... and hopefully, even get me some walls for my studio. That would be sweet!

OK, so there, now I feel better. I'll update as the excitement builds and I start seeing the real effects of winning this thing!

March Sale on Amy Butler Patterns

Spring is in the air, and I'm having a blast choosing fresh floral fabrics to make new, fun, flirty pocketbooks! If you sew too, you'll want to take advantage of my sale on Amy Butler patterns throughout March. I am also extremely excited to announce that I will soon be carrying Amy Butler fabrics and I'll be offering purse making kits to help speed you busy seamstresses on your way to making your own fresh batch of bags! More surprises to come ... stay tuned!1