Shabby Apple Gift Card Giveaway!

I'm so excited about this giveaway!

Shabby Apple is an absolutely adorable online clothing shop.  I'm pretty sure that they are the clothing embodiment of Quaint and Quirky!  Their fashions are vintage, modest, feminine, fun and liveable.  Shabby Apple not only offers regular women's clothing, but maternity, new mom, child, and preteen styles as well.    I was so happy when they contacted me to give away a gift certificate on my blog!

One winner will win a:

Yes, a $75 Gift Certificate to Shabby Apple!
Here is the fine print:

• To enter, you MUST do two things.  Like Shabby Apple on facebook:  Shabby Apple's Facebook Page.  Next, visit Shabby Apple's website and pick a favorite piece (or outfit).  In your first comment, tell us which item you like the best!

• If you'd like additional entries, share a link to this giveaway on facebook and/or twitter and comment again telling me you did so (one comment for each one).  Make sure to leave a way to contact you!

I will keep the giveaway open until Friday, August 17, 2012.  I will then pick a random winner and announce by Monday.

This contest is open only to those with US Shipping addresses. 
Shabby Apple has also generously offered all blog readers 10% off for one month using the code quaintandquirky10off !

What would I pick?  Maybe this:

or this:

or this:

Have fun dreaming about what YOU would buy!

Uprinting Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Uprinting giveaway is #19 (according to mathgoodies.com)

I will be emailing you shortly!

Thanks to all who entered!

Uprinting Giveaway!!

I love giveaways!  Can you tell?

This giveaway is from the company UPrinting.  This is the first time I've given something away that I haven't made or purchased myself.  I hope you will like it!

The giveaway is for 2 inch x  3.5 inch stickers from UPrinting. (Business card size)
Think of the awesome possibilities this affords you!

• If you have an Etsy site or home business, make stickers for your packaging (this is what I will do!)
• Make labels to put on your dishes when you bring them somewhere so you get them back!
• Make stickers to put on the inside of books, videos, games, etc. that you let friends borrow
• Make "Made By" stickers 
• Make "I Love You Because_______" or "I'm thinking of you" stickers and put them on your child or spouse's lunch.
• Make customized stickers for your child's teachers
• Make customized stickers for a class or group (school, Sunday School, scouting, etc.)
• Anything else you can dream up!

Here's the official info:

Prize Details:
250 Stickers for One (1) Winner
2" x 3.5"
70lb Label Matte, Front Only Printing, 4 Business Days Turnaround
Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.

Click on the picture below to go to UPrinting's sticker page:

Roll Stickers

 Click here to go to the sticker templates.

To enter the contest, here are your options (IMPORTANT:  For each option you do, you have to leave a comment - and make sure there's a way for me to contact you!)
1.  Just leave a comment (Feeling chatty?  Tell me what you would do with the stickers)
2.  Become a follower of this blog or tell me that you already follow.
3.  Facebook, tweet, or blog about the giveaway and include a link to this blogpost (one entry for each). {Note:  You can easily do that using the little icons at the end of this post!}
3.  Like UPrinting's facebook page or comment that you do already: UPrinting's Facebook Page
4.  Follow UPrinting on Twitter or comment that you do already:  UPrinting on Twitter

The contest will be open until midnight (EST) on Friday, June 17th.  I can't wait to see who wins!   Note:  If you want help designing your stickers, I'd be glad to help.  Just let me know!


 Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive stickers http://www.uprinting.com/sticker-printing.html&gt for hosting. Check out standard label templates http://www.uprinting.com/print-templates/labels/  on UPrinting.com.

Pattern Winner and Five Minute Friday

Thanks for all your kind comments on the dress and pattern giveaway!  It's Friday and it's nap time, so here's the winner:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2 

Timestamp: 2011-06-10 16:52:14 UTC

Mary said,  "Amelia looks adorable and so does the dress!! Thanks for the chance to win! MK"

This seems to happen in many of my giveaways.  Someone I know in real life wins!  Mary has lots of little granddaughters that I'm sure love Grammy-made dresses! 

Also -
I came across this post from a great blog, All that is Good.

I'm going to emulate Trina's post with one of my own.  (Emulate sounds much nicer than copy, doesn't it? :D )

• 1 Year ago:  I was sadly nearing the end of a wonderful nanny job for a wonderful family, but excitedly looking forward to having my own baby girl soon!

• 2 Years ago:  I had just finished my final year teaching fourth grade and we were deciding whether or not to get a puppy.  Oh did we ever!

• 4 Years ago:  The crazy final preparations for our wedding were going on.  Our reception site had to be changed a few weeks before the wedding, but that's another post for another day!

 

• 5 Years ago:  Several friends and I went to a Red Sox game together.  For one, it was her birthday (and we are going to celebrate her birthday tomorrow with a baseball game too!), for one it was his first Red Sox game, and another one would be my future husband. :D  I also got a sunburn that day because I forgot sunscreen.  If you know me, I'm a sunscreen nazi.  When it finally turned from burn to tan, you could still see the tan lines for over a year.  It's still referred to as the June 11th tan. 

• 10 Years ago:  I was reveling in the end of crazy spring semester and getting ready to spend the summer blowing bubbles, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and pouring juice for the children I was babysitting.

• 20 Years ago: Finishing up sixth grade, graduating from my elementary school and DREADING being sent to Junior High. 

• 30 Years ago:  I was 11 months old! 

The original idea is at this blog:

Baby Dress from Woman's Shirt - And a Giveaway

I'm into repurposing - making things out of other things .  Now that I have a baby girl, I see my cast off clothing in a totally different way.  Where I might have weeded through my clothing and thrown away or donated the castoffs, now I see everything as a potential baby item.  :D  It definitely takes more imagination!  THIS particular starting garment was never mine though.  It was a vintage woman's shirt I got for a dollar or so at the Brimfield Fair last year.  I <3 The Brimfield Fair.  Now it's a baby dress. 

This tutorial uses the Leila and Ben Sweet Little Dress pattern - one I've used over and over and over again.  I'm giving away a copy of the pattern to go along with this tutorial, so scroll to the end for instructions!

This shirt works for this pattern because it was wide to begin with, so if you are looking for a shirt to repurpose at a thrift store, look for a wide one!

Materials:

• One wide man or woman's shirt 
• Leila and Ben Sweet Dress pattern
• Scissors
• Pins
• Thread
• 1/4" elastic
• 2 safety pins

Start by washing and drying the shirt.  Then cut the shirt apart at the seams so that you have two big sleeve pieces and a big front piece and big back piece. If you are like me and are using a vintage piece, then feel guilty cutting it for a moment, then continue.

Center the dress piece on the buttons and pin.  You want to let the pattern hang off the bottom of the shirt a bit.  Since you don't need to hem it, you don't need as much length.  I was making the 12 month size and I used the 9 month dress length.

Cut along the side, sleeve, and top of the pattern. Don't cut down the middle though!  :D
Flip the pattern piece over and center again on the buttons.  Make sure the same amount of pattern is hanging off at the bottom.  Finish cutting out the dress.

 

Cut out the back as well, but this time you can cut it on the fold.

Lay out the existing sleeves and cut them open.  If you can use the hem of the existing sleeve, do so.  If you can't just cut the sleeve like you would normally do.

Notice that I'm once again extending the sleeve pattern past the fabric.  I'm using the hem of the sleeve, so I needed to take off some length.  If you aren't using the hem of the sleeve, then cut it like you would normally.

Next, I would baste the top of the dress so that all layers stay together during the construction of the dress.

Proceed according to the directions on the pattern.  The only other change is that if you used the shirt's sleeve hem, you won't need to fold the bottom of the sleeve twice.  Just fold it up 1/2 inch, press, and sew!
Here's Amelia in her new (old!) dress!  FYI, The headband is from the flower pin tutorial, except I serged the top edge after I cut the long skinny piece of fabric.  Then I sewed it on some satiny elastic from The Evil Joanns.

Now:  Giveaway!
I am giving away one Sweet Little Dress pattern (any size).  If you already have a Sweet Dress pattern, but like other Leila and Ben patterns, I will substitute another of equal value.  Just leave a comment on this post.  Want something to talk about?  Just tell me something you have that you'd like to repurpose.  Otherwise, just leave a comment.

Blog, facebook, or tweet a link to this giveaway and come back and leave another comment for another entry! (Leave up to four comments)
Here's a tweet for you to copy and paste:  

I entered @quaintandquirky 's pattern giveaway at http://tinyurl.com/6chacf6 
 
I will pick a winner Friday, June 10th at naptime!  :D

Enjoy!

Giveaway Winners!

First, thank you to all the people who entered the contest.  I enjoyed reading all of your comments!

Now, on to the winners!

Jeanelle said:  I would like to win both mostly because they are both really lovely and fun! I don't tend to buy a color so much as I tend towards polka dots. It's a problem that my 9 year old recently asked me about. Mommy....why do you like polka dots so much? To which I replied...because they are HAPPY!

Congratulations Jeanelle!

Huesei said:  Hi I am following your blog.Thanks for the generous giveaway!
Lovely... I hope I am the lucky one. I loves the both, but if i win the bag also will be happy :D
I will be contacting both today!  Thanks for playing!

Giveaway Day!

Today is GIVEAWAY DAY! 

  Welcome to Quaint and Quirky.  I might change it to, "A Quaint and Quirky" so it can be at the top of the list on giveaway days! ;)  Anyway...

I have TWO things to give away today.  First, this bag -

I call it a Bible Study bag or a Book Club bag.  It's the perfect size for a book, a notebook, a couple pens, and a bottle of water.  It's completely reversible and comes with a removable fabric flower with a pin back.  You can remove the flower and wear it as a brooch, on a belt, in your hair, etc.

Here's a closeup of the reverse side, as well as the fabric flower.
This week, I will post a tutorial for making the bag and the flower.  It's really a simple, simple bag to make and a great last minute gift!  

You might need to buy yourself some fabric to make this bag, so I'm also giving away

A $20 Sew Mama Sew Gift Certificate!!

Yes, that's right! $20 to pick out any fabric you'd like!!!

HOW TO WIN:

• Leave ONE comment on the blog, telling me which giveaway you'd like to win - The bag, the gift certificate, or both. If you are feeling chatty, tell me what color fabric you tend to buy the most! :D
• IMPORTANT:  Anyone can win the bag giveaway, but I'd love to have more followers, so only followers of my blog can win the gift certificate.   I will check when I pick the winner.

(To clarify, you still have to comment on the blog post in order to enter the contest.  If you aren't a follower already, just click follow and join the fun!)

• Contest is open until Wednesday, May 25th and I will ship internationally.

Enjoy giveaway day!!!

Giving

One of my new year's plans is to blog much more this year than last year.  Last year was so chaotic getting our house and lives ready for our new little baby.  I'd like to start this year of blogging with some giving.
First, something given to me -

My friend Tara of the tiny hummingbird made Amelia this beautiful baby quilt.  She is a talented quilter and I love the simple lines of her quilts.  They really showcase the beauty of the fabric!  If you click on this link:  a quilt for Baby Mac, you can see her post about making the quilt!  Today Amelia was staring at the patterns (she loves patterns - I take this as a good sign!!).  My husband encouraged me to take a picture to show Tara. 

Next, giving to others-

When I read about Pay it Forward on Jodi's blog (who happens to be Tara's mom!), I knew I wanted to participate.  Here's a description:

"Pay it forward" is the idea that random acts of kindness are given without expecting anything in return. It's passing on a kindness hoping that your recipients will do the same, and forming a never-ending chain of goodwill , that's what this is about. But it isn't only kindness, it is also a means to connect with our fellow crafters, to network, if you will, and to share our enjoyment of crafting/sewing instead of just keeping it to ourselves or where only friends and family get to see it.

 This is how it works: You'll have to comment on this post and the first three people who comment will receive a handmade gift from me within the next few months. But those three people will also have to post the idea on their blog and commit to making a gift for the first three people who comment on their blog and so on and so forth.

SO, the first three people to comment here will get something handmade by me, but you have to do this on your blog as well.  I'll be reading your blog to figure out what to make you and to make sure that you have posted about your Pay it Forward!   

Have fun and Pay it Forward!! :D

Winnah! (as we say in Rhode Island)

Except I don't say "winnah" because I try to fight against the New England accent!

The winnER of the custom rag doll is The Fancy Fritter!

Congratulations!  Thanks to you all for entering.  I had a great time learning about all your favorite movies.  I'm adding the hair tutorial tomorrow and I will show you which Christmas movie is my favorite (although I like many). 

Giveaway Day!

Yeah!  It's Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day!

This year I am giving away a CUSTOM rag doll.  This rag doll I made for my daughter, but if you win, you may select hair color, eye color, and outfit color.  I will leave the giveaway open until December 17th and ship by December 20th. 

All you have to do is comment.  If you want something to comment about, tell me your favorite Christmas movie.  Of course, I'd love for you to follow my blog as well while you are at it! ;)

Didn't win?  Don't worry.  I'm putting up the tutorial (including pattern) for the doll this week!  :D Yeah (finally)!

Teaming Up with Becky Higgins

Back when I scrapbooked (my definition of "scrapbooked" was that I collected scrapbooking materials and subscribed to scrapbooking magazines.  I don't actually have any scrapbooks to show for it, but I have made some for other people.) Becky Higgins (or BH in the scrapbook world) was one of my favorite designers.  I've followed her blog ever since.  She has great, creative ideas and cute kids!

Recently, she gave away a photo shoot to a deserving family in her area.  She then had the idea to arrange it so that willing photographers could give away photo shoots in their areas and she would set it up!  I jumped at that chance because I LOVE giving things away!  So, if you are in the Rhode Island or Southern Massachusetts area and you want to enter to win a photoshoot giveaway or you know someone who could use a free photoshoot giveaway, hop on over to Becky's Blog and comment under my post.  You can nominate yourself or someone else.  The details are over there!

By the way, the winner of the laminated envelope was Anna!  Anna, I'll be in touch.  ;)

May Giveaway Day!

Today is Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day!

 I am going to do two giveaways today.  One is for a handmade tote bag.  It's not my usual color palette, but it's a bright and cheerful bag.  It is decorated with a plaid flower pin that is totally removable, so you could wear it on a sweater, blouse, or belt.

Closeup of the pin:

Giveaway #2 is for some supplies:

The top fabric is a floral poly chiffon (approximately 3 yards)
The bottom fabric is a poly knit (approximately 4 yards)
I'll throw in some ribbon from my abundant ribbon collection too!

I will ship to the US and Canada, but international winners must pay shipping.  The giveaway is open until May 20th and I will announce the winners on May 21st.  Bon Chance!http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=7239

In the comment section, please tell me WHICH giveaway you would like to enter.
#1 - Totebag and pin
#2 - Fabric and ribbon
or BOTH!

While you are here, follow my blog!  I have lots of giveaways planned for the future, as well as baby projects and maternity projects!  We can be friends!

Congratulations!

Thanks for your patience with the winner!  I put everyone's name into a spreadsheet so I could randomly generate a number.  I don't like picking a winner because I want everyone to win.  Seriously, if I could think up a contest where everyone got  a prize, I would.  I don't think it would be a bag though... ;)

SO, talking on the phone to my husband, he volunteered to pick a number.  He picked the number 37 which, on my spread sheet, was SARAH  from Dandelions and Daffodils!  Sarah is a very loyal blog follower and fellow New Englander!  So, congratulations, Sarah!  Email me your address and I'll ship the bag out to you!

I'm going to have giveaways more frequently because I really really like giving things away.  Thanks again for following.  If I haven't followed your blog, I will.  I'm slowly and surely adding them all to my blog list.  I get very side tracked when I try to do that! 

Good Night from Keri, Josh (the random integer generator), and Levi
 (Oh yeah, I wanted to show you how helpful Levi was earlier when I was photographing the bag!)

 

So helpful!

Giveaway Day!

Today is Giveaway Day in blogland!  The lovely ladies at Sew Mama Sew coordinate a giveaway day each year.  This year, my giveaway is a bit of a twist.  I figure that many people coming here from Sew Mama Sew probably know how to sew already.  So I went in a different direction.  I'm giving away a book I made. The book blank I used is from The Paper Source,. 

I use my version of this book to plan all my sewing projects.  The inside is grided, which is great for sketching. It's a perfect size to slip in a bag - not too small OR too big! 

While I was taking the pictures, I shut the dog out of the room.  Here is what he had to say about it:

(Yes, we need to replace these old doors!)

Details:  I will ship to the United States and Canada.  International must pay shipping.  Please leave a comment telling me your favorite holiday decoration (or just leave a comment if you don't have one).  I will choose a winner on December 6th and ship shortly after that!

Have fun and happy Giveaway Day!

Edited to add:  I would love to increase my followers list.  When I get to 100, I am going to do another giveaway for anyone on the followers list. Add me?  We can be friends!

Bag Winner

I was really excited to see all the interesting accomplishments that you all wrote about. It was interesting to see that knitting is a common accomplishment for many. I am at the point in knitting myself that I'm trying to move away from straight and onto using a pattern. I know that if I can figure it out, I will consider that a great accomplishment as well!

Raising polite children was another popular accompishment. As a teacher, I believe that is a GREAT accomplishment!

I have little by little been visiting all of your blogs and having fun doing it! I love to find great new places to spend my time.

I used a random integer called Joan (my mother-in-law) and asked her to pick a number between 1 and 81. She picked the number 7, which, adding in the extra entries for those who blogged about the giveaway was:

Jaclyn!

(Hee hee hee.....I'll bring the bag to church tomorrow! She really did pick that number!)

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Happy Blogiversary!

Today is my blogiversary! One year ago, I started this blog as a New Year's resolution. I can honestly say that I have been very blessed by this blog. I have made lots of new friends and gleaned lots of inspiration from others. I've learned a lot about myself, my tendancies, and what I want to do in the future. It has been fun to meet other people from around the globe who have similar interests.


Here's my first post: January 17, 2008

Favorite post(s) : Content - This is Punishment
Pictures - The Craft Room





In honor of the blessings many of you have given me, I'm having a giveaway of one of my bags. It is made from Anna Maria Horner fabric with a *very* large floral print.

There are polka dots on the inside with one interior pocket.
The bag could be a large purse or a small tote.

I wanted to make something cheerful, since the weather here in New England is so dreary and cold right now. Brrrrrrr!

SO! Leave a comment about something you've done that you consider an accomplishment (doesn't have to be your greatest, just an accomplishment!). If you want to get three extra entries, write about this giveaway on YOUR blog. Then make sure you let me know that you did so. I will pick a winner on Friday, January 23rd by random.

Thanks for reading!