Thursday, November 12, 2009

Think Back.....Aaa, yes. The Giveaway!

Close your eyes and think back.....way back....farther.....remember last February? Yes? Good. Then you may well recall when I held this give-away. It's the one where I'm supposed to craft gifts for three lucky commenters. Just as a reminder here were the stipulations:


1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year (It will probably be after May when I'm in my new house.)
4. You will have no clue what it is going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.


As you can see, I have completed it this year! No small feat whilst trying to complete a Biology class and moving my family for the third time in a year. (did you notice how craftily I excused myself for taking so long?) But that's not the only reason. It's taken me so long because, darn it, the three ladies that won the giveaway happen to be amazing crafters themselves and it's frankly intimidating to be sending them my own handiwork when my inner critic keeps me up at night, saying "They could have done it better themselves." But the great thing about this giveaway is that they didn't have to do it themselves! So ladies, scroll down to see what you've won! ( I sound like a game-show host)




My good friend, Valerie was the first winner. Now let me tell you why Val was so hard to craft for. First of all, she makes amazing cakes. These are not just nice, easy, little-frosting-on-top cakes. These are works of art in frosting and fondant. Wonderful. Second, she does amazing things with paper. She's a stamp-it-up person with a flair for design. And an amazing, contagious laughter that I miss hearing. (wish we lived closer)


For Valerie, I made a set of fall-leaf place mats. The appliqued leaves were traced from the real thing and they reminded me of something that could be stamped. And she can use them when she serves one of her amazing creations to her friends or family.


The next lucky winner was another good friend, Caroline. I spend way too much time devouring her crafty blog. ie...another intimidation. She sews the way I eat Reeses Pieces Peanut Butter Cups. mmmm. Reeses. (actually, she sews way more often than I eat those, but not more often than I wish I was eating those.)


For Caroline, I knew sewing stuff was out so I whipped out the paint and scrounged up some mouse-shaped rocks from my inexhaustible supply in the yard and....Voila! A Mama mouse and her family. The babies are about the size of the tip of my thumb. Now I made these before I knew that her children had mouse fetishes. They are going to LOVE these! So, if you want them for yourself, you will have to be Very, Very sneaky with them. I know because Brooklyn loves these very mice SO much that she's absconded with them more than once. (I think there's Christmas potential there) Needless to say, they are a 3+ kind of toy, too small for babies, perfect for a church bag, though. I chose these because they have amazing imagination potential, something I've admired in Caroline all the years I've known her. Plus, I think we may share a love of all things little.



And......another good friend (and my cousin), Angela was the final winner! Yet another crafty lady. Angela does everything. Wedding cakes, cards, sewing, baby bows, writing books. She's also an experienced connoisseur of fine insta-cares. (haha, just kidding, Angela!)


For Angela, I made a circus reading tent for her to read to her children in. (and let them play in themselves, of course) I found the mesh bed tent online a couple of years ago. I got a couple and they have been sitting in my craft box since then. I added circus props on top and there you go! Like all my winners, Angela has always impressed me with her parenting skills. I chose this project for her to reflect that and to continue to encourage her kiddos to love reading. (The other day she posted that she woke up to find them "reading" to each other. Cute!) I've seen these tent things set over an adult chair so that you can snuggle and read together. I've also seen it with a cushion underneath so kids can feel like they are in a real tent, as modeled here by the Beautiful, Miss Erika.


This project has been so much fun and I've had a blast thinking about some of the many strengths of these amazing women and trying to find somthing fun that might reflect some of that back to them. I'm glad I know each one of them! Now, you three can start watching the mail.

5 comments:

Krystal said...

Oh boy - That makes me very nervous! I thought about my give away the other day (and yes, you are on my list) and my thoughts don't compare to the personal and very talented ones you came up with!!! I'll have to rummage and see.....hmmmm.

Krystal said...

Oh, yeah, btw - I LOVE those place mats! What an awesome idea!

Care said...

Yippeeee!! My boys are going to be SO excited about the "mousey family!" Thank you so much!!

I am LOVING those placemats, too. GORGEOUS!

Now... Heh heh... Guess I should finish the projects I was supposed to give! ;o)

MommaM said...

Yay for you. You amaze me! Four kids, moving across the country, school work, and you still have time to come up with and complete extremely thoughtful gifts. You are awesome! Love you :D

secret word of the day: cardisem.

By the way, you make me griggle. hahahahahahhahaha!

Michaelangelo said...

WOW Andrea! Talk about being amazed!! Thank you so much- I am so excited for the reading tent. We will LOVE it and use it all the time! Gee I have a lot to live up to.... :) (except for the instacare thing... don't need to ever go there again!)

You are amazing!