Lori Anderson Designs Giveaway {CLOSED}

CONGRATS, the winner is windycindy!  (She has been notified.)

Since I have been blogging I have had the pleasure to "meet" many wonderfully creative people. One of those people is Lori. Her creations are beautiful and she is a very talented jewelry designer. Her creations have even been published in variety of magazines & a book!

Here is a little about the artist behind these beautiful creations...

1. Tell us a little about yourself…
I joined the Air Force out of high school (was a Korean Linguist, stationed mostly in Korea), then got a degree from the University of Virginia in preparation for medical school. Took a year off to get the money together for med school and got swept up in the dot.com frenzy and started working in that. Then I met my husband, got married, got pregnant, and got introduced to beads while on bed rest. The rest, as they say, is history!

2. How long have you been doing this?
Six years.

3. Who/What inspires you?
Color. And the beads themselves. I can look at beads and immediately know what they should be. If they don’t “speak” to me, I rarely buy them.

4. What's your favorite piece?
That changes from day to day, but I really only wear four or five of my own creations, can you believe it? One is made with beads from a dear friend who no longer makes beads, and one is made with beads that are funky beyond all reason. I’d never, ever part with those.

5. What advice do you have for a beginner?
Never think you can’t do this.

6. Where can we find you?
Web site: www.lorianderson.net
Blog: www.prettythingsblog.com
2^nd Blog: www.AnArtistsYearOff.com – this one will only last for a year, and it’s about my drastic cut-back in shows this year, and exploring new media and new ways of thinking about what I’m doing.
TwitterL: www.twitter.com/I_Make_Jewelry

Lori has generously offered to giveaway a $25.00 GC to use in her shop.

To enter:
Leave a comment telling Lori what your favorite item in her shop is.
Must do this first before you can get any additional entries.

Extra Entries (please leave a separate comment for each):

• Follow my blog via google friend connect (current followers count).
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or/and e-mail.
  
• Blog about this contest and link it back to this post.
• Follow Lori's blog Pretty Things.
  
• Follow me & Lori Anderson on twitter and tweet @melaniescrafts & @I_Make_Jewelry about this giveaway.
• Become a fan of me on Facebook.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win. Giveaway ends Sat, March 6th. This giveaway is for US residents only.

Don't forget today is the last day to enter to win this owl.

Dear So and So... wk5

I am late today posting anything.  I had many errands to run in the snow.  

Dear SUV Drivers,
Just because you own a bigger vehicle, doesn't mean you should drive like a bonehead in the snow. 
Waving at you in the ditch, melanie

Dear Dad,
Sorry to hear you broke 2 toes.  Hope your foot heals fast.
Love you, melanie

Dear Horse,
Stay of my dad's foot!
Pretty Please, melanie

Dear Ian,
I am soooo proud of you!!  You were a ROCK STAR while getting blood drawn today!  When you get home those 3 Bakugan are yours and we are taking you to Chuck E Cheese this weekend.
Big hugs, mommy

Dear Person Who Drew Ian's Blood,
You were absolutely FANTASTIC with my son!!  Thank you so much for that!
Very Thankful, Ian's mommy

Dear Lily,
Mommy really needs you to take a nap.  No one wants to be around a whiny child.
In search of sanity, mommy

Dear Mom,
I finally got around to listing the deer.  Here she is.  I also made an ornament (not listed yet).
Love, melanie

Psst...There are a bunch of Bakugan on clearance at Target.



If you would like to see more Dear So & So's and/or participate check out 3 Bedroom Bungalow.

Wordless Wednesday - Wall-E

Last Wordless Wednesday Felicia from Go Graham Go asked if I could make a Wall-E photo holder.  She is planning a WALL-E themed birthday for Graham this year.

I finally finished him last night.  My son REALLY wants one now.  (actually he thought Wall-E was his when he first saw him on the cookie sheet.)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, WW & 7 Clown Circus.

Take Me Back Tuesday & Flashback Friday

April 25, 2007

Lily 4mths old

For Lily's first year of life I took her every month to get her picture taken.  It was fun to watch her change over that year. 

You can participate and/or check out other Take Me Back Tuesday posts at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy.

You can participate and/or check out other Way Back When-esday posts at Twinfatuation.

You can participate and/or check out other Flashback Friday posts at Christopher And Tia's blog.

I Sew Lucky Owl Giveaway {CLOSED}

I would like to introduce you to April, she makes the cutest owls and other cute creations!!  Ian has 2 of her owls and they are adorable!  I won a big one last year and bought a little one for his stocking.

Here is a little about the artist behind these adorable creations... 

1. Tell us a little about yourself…

Well, what I always say to everyone is that I am a mother of 5 children. That is the biggest part of my life:) I also have an awesome husband that lets me do this crazy craft thing:) I taught myself how to sew about 3 yrs ago and have been hooked ever since. I am so glad that there is something like Etsy to let me make money at what I LOVE doing.

2. How long have you been doing this?

I have been a huge scrapbooker for 12 yrs. and first was doing crafts hows and selling scrapbooks and cards. I saw the Pottery Barn owls and thought I am going to make those and sell those at craft shows. They did so well that I started selling them on Etsy now for a year and a half.


3. Who/What inspires you?

I LOVE looking at magazines. Especially Pottery Barn!! Fabric really inspires me. I love buying it and always can't wait to use it:)

4. What's your favorite piece?

Well I have few. Right now though one of my newer ones I think is just the cutest:)

5. What advice do you have for a beginner?

Really you have to have faith in yourself. I was going to close my shop in April last year. I had only like 50 sales or so. I just came up with some new designs and stuck with it. Now I have over 700 sales and really excited at every sale I make and thankful that there are people that like my work:)

6. Where can we find you?

Shop:  http://aprilfoss.etsy.com

Blog:  http://isewlucky.blogspot.com

April has generously offered to giveaway this owl pictured above to one lucky person.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling April what your favorite item in her shop is.
Must do this first before you can get any additional entries.

Extra Entries (please leave a separate comment for each):

• Follow my blog (current followers count).
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or/and e-mail.
• Follow April's blog.
  
• Blog about this contest and link it back to this blog post.
• Follow me on twitter and tweet @melaniescrafts about this giveaway. 
• Become a fan of me on Facebook. 

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win.  Giveaway ends Sat, Feb 27th.  This giveaway is only for US residents.

Aloha Friday #17

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your comment below and link in Kailani’s blog. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

This weeks question is:Do you like to go bowling?

I DO NOT like bowling.  Not sure why, but I can not stand bowling allies.  The whole idea of wearing dirty shoes and picking up a dirty ball lots of people have touched doesn't do anything for me.  Yes, going to bowling allies make me a ball-o-fun.  The only positive thing is they have banned smoking...that was the #1 reason I hated them before.  As a kid I had fun midnight bowling with Girl Scouts.  My husband LOVES to bowl.  He has been on leagues since he was a kid.  He is currently on a league and bowls once a week with friends he has been bowling with forever.  My husband asked me yesterday why I am not very competitive.  I think that may be why I really don't like bowling.   I have never been good at it and the whole idea of playing to lose doesn't really appeal to me.  It's not fun.  He is good at it and I am not...I feel like a dork and that makes it not fun.

With that said, when my husband decided that we should go bowling as a family on Valentine's Day....I was oh so happy.  Just what I wanted to do on Valentine's Day.  Yippie Skippie!

The kids did have a fun time.

(I am pretty much the same way with Gambling at Casinos & Putt Putt Golf...they do NOTHING for me.  Give me money at a Casino and I want to get rid of it so I can go home.  I would like playing putt putt without the score card.)

Have a wonderful weekend!

(BTW, I have a new giveaway going up tomorrow.)

Dear So and So... wk4

So here goes nothing...

Dear Self,
Glad you bought Just Dance for Wii.  It ROCKS!!  I would definitely recommend it to everyone.  I took it over to my friend's house yesterday and all 4 kids (her 3 & Ian) were quiet!!!  They were busy for hours.  It was great!
Still dancing, melanie

Dear Jeff,
Bowling is not my idea of fun on Valentine's Day.  I know you already know I HATE bowling.  Part of it has to do with the fact I have only bowled a handful of times and I am not competitive and you are on a league and are very competitive...which makes it not so much fun.  It's more humiliating than anything. (even if you have left your ball & shoes at home)
No more bowling in my future, Melanie

Dear Mom & Dad,
Thank you for telling me my hair looks "spiffy".  At 36, I love looking "spiffy".  *wink*
Your "spiffy" looking daughter, melanie

Dear Ian,
I am sorry you are having tummy aches.  I am hoping we can get to the bottom of it when we go to the dr's on Monday.
Hugs, mommy

Dear Lily,
Seriously how many times can we watch the Dinosaur Team Umizoomi?  I know it's your new favorite show, but can we watch a different episode?
sigh, mommy

Dear NickJr,
When you come up with a new show, could you please make more than 10 episodes?
Tired of the re-runs already, Lily's mommy

Dear hairdresser who cut my hair,
I still HATE my haircut.  Enough said.
Waiting for my hair to grow out, melanie




If you would like to see more Dear So & So's and/or participate check out 3 Bedroom Bungalow.

Wordless Wednesday - Sea Turtle

 I have been busy making lots of new creations.

Sea Turtle Photo Holder

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, WW & 7 Clown Circus.

Take Me Back Tuesday & Flashback Friday

February 1981

Age 7

This photo was taken on a beach on Lake Ontario outside of Rochester (we lived in Rochester until I was in 3rd grade).  I can totally see Ian in this photo.  Holey Moley!

Thank you all for your kind words about my hair.  I have actually had a haircut similar to this before (many many years ago).  The funny thing is I have looked through most of my old photos and can not find any of my hair this short.  I took a shower this morning and styled it.  I just have to get used to it.  My hair grows pretty fast...the layers will grow out quickly. 

You can participate and/or check out other Take Me Back Tuesday posts at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy.

You can participate and/or check out other Way Back When-esday posts at Twinfatuation.

You can participate and/or check out other Flashback Friday posts at Christopher And Tia's blog.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner...

I have been meaning to pick and announce the winner all day, but I got distracted. 


My husband was home today and my son has the week off from school.  So I decided today would be a great day to get my haircut.  I really needed to get it cut.  Should have NOT gone today.  The girl that cut my hair HACKED it.  I have never ever been this upset after a haircut and I came home and balled my eyes out.  I actually asked her a couple times not to cut it so short.  I have been to this salon for years, but have never had this girl cut my hair before.  I should have went with my gut when she asked me to slouch down so she could cut the top of my hair...I am only 5'4" and have never been asked to do that, ever.  Anyway, I expressed my displeasure (more than once) and she asked me if I wanted to talk to her manager...I replied "What is she going to do, she can not give me my hair back and in order to 'fix' it she would have to cut the sides shorter."  I know the girl felt bad...but my hair is way shorter than it should be.  Ian looked at me when I walked in the door and said, "mom, your hair doesn't look like it should...."  Um, yeah.  I know it's only hair...it will grow back.  My hair grows pretty fast so it will not take that long.  I just have to get used to it.  This haircut is not what I wanted at all.  (BTW...I have been taking the same "haircut" photo with me for years, my hair should look like the photo of me on the right, which was the day of my last haircut.)  The back is way too short...as in not there.

Without further ado....
The winner of my OWOH giveaway {Gerber Daisy Necklace} is ForgetfulOne.
Congrats!!

Also, I have a goody to pass on,
Art Snark and and Kimm Smith are giving away this Over the Rainbow memory wire bracelet!
Click here to read more and participate in the giveaway.  (ends: 2-25)

Sunday Citar

A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark

Ian gave me this Valentine.

Lily gave me this Valentine. 

Jeff asked me to marry him on the 11th of February, 13years ago.  I can not believe it has been that long.

Happy Valentine's Day from my family to yours!

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Heads Up...

Amazing Giveaways at Patina Soul
ends tonight

Hope you are having a fabulous Saturday!

Winner & Aloha Friday #16

I pulled a winner for the Choice of Charm Bracelet made by Kim.

I would like to first say thanks to Kim for giving me the opportunity to have such a fabulous giveaway.  

I would also like to thank you for checking out Kim's site!! 

Was it you who won?  CONGRATS!

If it wasn't you, then go on over to Kim's Shop and buy yourself a little Valentine's Present.  =D

Onto Aloha Friday

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your comment below and link in Kailani’s blog. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

This weeks question is:

Are you a person who is always early/on time or chronically late?
I am always early.  Even with 2 kids.  If you tell me you want me there at 8am I am there 10min early.  My husband is the same way.

Because I am not liking posting without a photo, here is one of a new pendant I made.  
I am waiting on a new chain to hang her from.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dear So and So... wk3

It's that time again. 

Dear readers,
I can not believe it has been 1 yr since Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence.  I can still remember getting out of the shower, turning on the tv and realizing that Chris Cuomo was talking about the Buffalo Airport.  This is what I wrote the Monday after:

Planes don't drop from the sky!?!?

(at least they usually don't)

I live in Buffalo, NY and have been in shock since I first heard the news that Flight 3407 crashed. I decided that I wasn't going to turn on news coverage in front of my 7 year old son. I don't want him afraid of flying or to freak out every time he sees a plane overhead. How do you explain to a 7yr old what happened? We have planes flying over our home all the time. My husband grew up a couple streets from the airport. I worked in a hotel by the airport for years. I do not know anyone personally who died in the crash. I do know people who are directly effected because they new people who died. One of my husband's friends lost 3 of his co-workers in the crash."
Please take a moment to remember those lives lost, Melanie



Dear Lily,
Please stop dumping all of the bins at once.  Our house looks like a bomb went off.
Tired of stepping on things, mommy

Dear Ian,
Please stop yelling at your sister.
Thank you, mommy

Dear Self,
Go buy Just Dance for Wii!  You know you want to, just do it.  You will have a great time.
Ready to dance, Melanie

Dear Jeff,
I know you said you wouldn't play Just Dance for Wii, but PLEASE?!!!!!  You know you wanna do dance to "you can't touch this"!  *giggle*  (I promise to only laugh a little.)
Begging, pleading & groveling, Melanie

Dear Mom & Dad,
LOVE you and thank you for reading!!  Hope you guys have a wonderful Valentine's Day.
HUgs, melanie
PS...still laughing that you have more snow than we do....



 

If you would like to see more Dear So & So's and/or participate check out 3 Bedroom Bungalow.

You Capture - Work

So here is my work station...

(I will show you what I did with the pins tomorrow)

All of my clay opened and ready to be used.

My workstation again.

And then I have to clean it all up (most of the time I move it to one end of the table...we have a really big table) and make room for dinner and kids projects.

Go on over to I Should Be Folding Laundry to see other You Capture's for this week.