1st GIVEAWAY & my 200th post!

Yay! It's my 200th post today! I've been blogging for a while but I don't post everyday so this is exciting for me. My 100th post kinda came and went without me realizing it, so I wanted to do something special for this milestone.

I've been going back and forth as to what to offer in my giveaway. I want it to be something nice and also something that people will actually want to receive and that is what has stumped me. I've won a couple things myself and have always been so pleased with the gift, that I feel I have some big shoes to fill. Since I don't make jewelry and I don't have anything for sale in my shop that you can wear I wonder if people will actually want anything I've got. So I've thought since it's the Christmas season and December 1st and who couldn't use another decoration. Plus, that isn't too taste specific well maybe a little, it's not traditional colors. I've decided to give away my mixed media "Blue Santa" 5x7 framed print. I also will send along some other goodies that I want to remain a surprise.  (see the Santa before it was finished here). This is just the right size for display on a counter or side table or the mantle, tucked in the tree, even the bathroom sink. It stands on it's own and also hangs. It is ready to display.

I was inspired to draw this Santa because of my grandmother, Elma, who is 94. She had an incredible Santa collection, I mean thousands. I was mesmerized as a child with her carefully laid out collection and many Santa trees throughout her warm and inviting home where I spent every Christmas Day. It is such a warm and fuzzy memory for me now. Her favorites were always a little bit quirky and she is going to love this one, since I plan to give her my original framed for her gift this year. She now has had to give up most all her earthly possessions because she lives in an Assisted Living apartment.

If the Santa isn't your thing, then you'll have a gift to give to a last minute drop in or a "Dirty Santa" party and at the very least you'll have a white frame with matte. ;)

I offer this Santa as an ACEO right now in my Artfire shop and my Etsy Shop and will be adding this larger size as soon as possible, hopefully this evening. What does everyone think about offering it for sale with the matt and frame?

Blue Santa 5x7 framed mixed media signed print

Deadline for entry is Friday, December 10th 2010 6 pm Central time. Winner will be picked by random and be notified by email so please make sure you have a way for me to contact you. I will mail it out right away so you can enjoy it displayed for Christmas. If you have trouble posting just contact me (my email is under my profile picture in "about me" along right side bar)

Here's what ya gotta do to enter (Rules of participation):

1. Leave a comment on this post; and
2. Follow me :)
3. For one additional entry, become a fan on facebook (like)

While it's not necessary to tell others about via twitter or on your blog or elsewhere, I'd appreciate it! I always like to return favors ;)

You need to have a place where it can be delivered, no post boxes unless you can receive a parcel there. Good luck!

New Friend, New Giveaway to share

Good afternoon friends, I want to tell you about a giveaway that a new blogging friend of mine, Diane of My Art Journal, is having to celebrate her one year blogging anniversary. Congratulations Diane! Hurry though because it ends tomorrow evening (Sunday). Plus... she's having 2 winners!! The first piece is this sweet little original collage of hers and the second is a fabulous treasure box that is just too cute.

Mixed Media Box

Mixed Media Collage by Diana of 

Don't forget about my giveaway if you haven't entered for it yet. I'm giving away my matted and framed Blue Santa (below) and some other surprise goodies. You can enter up till next Friday. Have a good Saturday night!

My Blue Santa Giveaway

And the Winner is...

I want to thank everyone who entered my very first give-away! I wish I had the extra money sitting around to send everybody who entered a prize! But there can only be one winner for this giveaway and the winner is... with no further delay... by a randomizer... STEPHANIE CORDER of Dragonfly Design Studios! Congratulations Stephanie! I hope you enjoy my Blue Santa and all the little goodies I'm sending along with him :)

I had a lot of fun with this little giveaway and I think I'll be doing another one before too long. So if you didn't win this time, I hope you keep coming back to my little corner of the blog world here and enter next time. If you really, really, really are bummed you didn't win my Blue Santa, you can purchase him as an ACEO here at my Etsy Shop and I'll give you a 25% discount if you just enter the code luckyme25 at checkout. This coupon code is good thru December 25, 2010 and good for anything in my shop.

Thanks again for entering and congrats again to Stephanie! Have a great weekend everyone.

A little bird told me...

Late last night I treated myself to just the cutest little ornament by Ellen Crimi-Trent. She posted them on her blog earlier that day and said they were the last ones she was going to make, she even included the template to make your own. But I don't much interest in that, at least right now, so I bought her Silly Red Bird. I can't wait to get it.

I seem to get like this around Christmas. A time when I should be buying up gifts for everybody else I find all kinds of goodies for myself! Oh well a splurge every once in a while is good for my soul. At least that's what I plan to tell the hubs when he sees it.

I made a couple more ACEO's today. The Blue Santa is still in progress. I wanted to get some better photos before I put them on Etsy, but I may just get them on there and then change them later since it is so close to Christmas. They are all a whim anyway. These are my first attempts at the little cards, so I hope they are well received. I just love working with glitter and metallic ink. I'm like that crazy bird that hordes all the shiny stuff in their nest.

Notice the new 2 pictures I have on my blog? (the shark and the caution sign). I got them from a new blog I'm following, Shark Bite, and just hee-hawwed when I saw them and had to swipe them. Matter of fact, she is who I'm featuring today on my...

"This Artists Observations of the Day"

Feeling of the day: cold!

I'm grateful for: spurts of creativity

I thought about today: subscribing to an art mag, got any suggestions?

I miss: the feeling of holidays as a child

Best thing I did today: let my kid have his toys back

Today I lingered at: Shark Bait