August Giveaway Time!

I love teachers! I think they're great, and very much in need of lauding. I'd like to tell Mrs. White, my 8th grade English teacher, just how much I appreciate that she hammered grammar into me. I'd also like to tell Mrs. Peltzer, my 6th grade teacher, how much I appreciate her introducing us to art and culture. Both are things that I did not really appreciate at the time, but that I became so thankful for as an adult!

This month, as we all prepare to go back to school, as student or teacher, or send our kids back to school, I thought we should each take a moment to send a shout out to our favorite teacher - past or present. So without further ado, I am offering one of the lanyards, of your choice, from my shop in this month's giveaway. Use it yourself, or give it to a special teacher you may know - they are are awefully cute, and quite helpful in keeping track of your keys and badge!


To enter this giveaway:
1. Tell me who your favorite teacher is or was, and why so. Leave your comment here on this blog post, including your email address, so that I can contact you should you win.
2. For additional entries, tell your friends about this giveaway by blogging about it, tweeting about it, mentioning it on Facebook or other social networking sites - you get the picture. Leave each link in a separate comment.

Comments can be left starting Saturday, August 1, 2009 through 11:59pm Friday, August 14, 2009. The more links you leave the more chances you have of winning! I'll randomly select one winner the morning of Saturday, August 15th, and announce the winner on this blog.

Good luck!

Happy Weekend! Amy

Do You See What I See?

This week's inspirations from Etsy: the summer harvest! Enjoy!

Summer Harvest Embossed Gocco Cards, amandamonkey
Basket O Fruit, amybullano
Corn on the Cob, gobuggy
Juicy Watermelon, kimbeanee
Peach Glow 3-in-1 Mineral Color, mummumscrafts
Summer Harvest Push Pins, laughingdaisy
Summer Wildflowers, lauratrevey
Summer Naturals Bracelet, lariescreations
Beauty in Barbados Body Souffle Creme, sugarcandiebeauty

Happy Wednesday, and Happy Summer Feasting! Amy

Do You See What I See?

I've got the yummy yummy blues!

Sterling Silver with Czech Glass Beads, aweshop
Crest of Flowers Eyemask, kristynskreations
Teal and Blue Silk Flower Hair Clip or Brooch, foursevendesign
Lemonade and Peacocks Friendship Day Recycled Necklace Set, kenjiku
Coraline Sweet Sac, solsisters
DC Sunset Birdie, londongirl99
Nursery Art Print - Mod Elephant, luminousdreamdesigns
Blue and Green Circles Anytime Card, cardsbyemily
Vintage Paris Locket, themilkshake

Happy Wednesday! Amy

July Giveaway Winner!

"Thank you!" to everyone who participated in this month's giveaway! I'm glad I could ask you such a thought provoking question - you all really thought about your answers!

I used Random.Org to choose a number at random. Congratulations to Melissa who said: "I am right handed, and I usually wear the bags/purses on my left shoulder. Like other people, I usually pull the purse off my shoulder when I open it, but sometimes, I don't feel like it. In those instances, I like having the zipper start on the end further away, so I can pull it down instead of pull it up. If that makes sense..."

Melissa, you are soon to be the proud new owner of the SewArtsy summer zip top hobo! I'll be emailing you very soon to get your mailing address, so that you can get this snazzy purse into your hands!

Thanks again to everyone who entered! I encourage you to check in each day to the SewArtsy Blog, but definitely be sure to check back at the beginning of each month to see what I'm giving away.

Until next time, Amy

Do You See What I See?

This week is our VBS, and I help coordinate the week's crafts.

Here are some fun picks of DIY kits you can get on Etsy!

1. DIY Top Hat Mini, beccamari
2. DIY Sock Dog Kit, blackbirdfashion
3. Card Making Kit, capturingcreativity
4. DIY I Spy Kit, crackalackin
5. DIY Bottlecap Necklace, tarastieups
6. Playing Dress Up Kit, littlepinkstudio
7. Needle Felting Kit, moondogfarm
8. Printable Paper Doll Kit, mydigitaldaydream
9. DIY Oilcloth Lunch Bag Kit, rickrackqueen
10. Pendant DIY Kit, scrabbledabbledoo
11. Paint Your Own Spin Toy, storyblox
12. DIY Light Shade Kids Kit, twolayersofcells

Happy Wednesday! Amy

Get Your Entries In!

Today is the last day for the SewArtsy July Giveaway! Click the link, and get your entries in today to win this:


The winner will be announced tomorrow!

Happy Tuesday! Amy

Deal of the Week Extended

I've decided to keep my shop a free-shipping zone again this week! Enjoy shipping on me, on purchases made July 13-19!

Happy Monday! Amy

Fun with a Butterfly Garden

For Caleb's 6th birthday his grandmother gave him a this butterfly garden from Insect Lore. Since we got the item early, I grabbed the larva order form out of the box before wrapping it up, and was able to specify that we'd like to receive them the week of his birthday. I ordered them about 3 weeks in advance of his birthday. They arrived the day after his birthday! He was so excited!

This is the lid from the container the larva came in, picturing the Painted Lady

For 5 days (Wednesday through Sunday) we watched these little caterpillars eat and eat and eat, and consequently grow and grow and grow. By Monday 4 of the 5 caterpillars had attached to the top of the container, and had started to form their chrysalids. (The 5th one never grew, and stopped moving after a few days.)

A shot of the four chrysalids before removing them from the container

We pinned the paper from the top of the container to the inside of the garden. The instructions said that if one fell off during the week to lay it on a paper towel in the bottom, so I went ahead and placed a paper towel there just in case. None of them ever fell off, but I'm glad I put the paper towel inside because the emergence process is a tiny bit messy, and it really helped with the cleanup after all was said and done. We hung the butterfly garden from our light fixture in the kitchen so we could watch them almost around the clock without disturbing them too much.

Our hanging garden

8 days later the first butterfly emerged - without a sound, hint or sign! One minute there were 4 undisturbed chrysalids, and the next there were three with one butterfly just sitting there like nothing had happened. What the instruction booklet said would look like blood was actually meconium. As for me I'd call it blood because if it looks and acts like something it probably is :o) But I'm no butterfly expert and the writers of the booklet probably are. We added orange slices and tissues drenched in sugar water to the bottom of the garden, as instructed, and did actually catch them in the act of eating a couple of times.

Our first sighting of our first Painted Lady

It took about 3 days for all 4 butterflies to emerge. With each passing day the boys wanted more and more to let the butterflies out to let them fly around the house. No, that's not such a good idea. The dog will eat them. Let's just watch them inside the garden.

The last butterfly emerges

After they had all been out for a day or so I decided we should let them go because they really weren't fluttering around inside the garden at all. The booklet told us that the Painted Lady variety were found all over North America, and that we'd probably see them around for a few days as they did their thing and laid eggs for the next cycle. The boys were all excited to watch them leave the garden, and follow them around in the yard as they adjusted to freedom.

Outside, preparing for the release!

Unzipping the butterfly garden

Tipping the garden for release

Nope. In a matter of about 20 seconds all 4 made their way out of the garden, into the air, flew above and over the house. Never to be seen again. And we checked every day for a few days. Just in case.

Chrysalid Carnage

It was a really fun project, but my original thought of continuing to order the larva and keep the butterfly garden going was put to rest very quickly. It just wasn't as exciting as I thought, and the mommy part was pretty yucky. The boys loved the idea, and while we were doing it, were really excited about watching them. They have pretty much forgotten about it already. Out of sight, out of mind :o)

Let me know about your butterfly garden experiences! Had any truly magnificent happenings? Had any horrible butterfly mishaps?

Happy Thursday! Amy

Do You See What I See?

It's summer BBQ time on Etsy! Check out this selection!

Printable BBQ Party Invitation, empapers
Kashmir, Women's Half Apron, paisleypockets
Cranberry Orange BBQ Sauce, howlingwolfsauces
Bright Summer Reversible Table Runner, spacestitch
Salt and Pepper Pigs, isook
Daddy's BBQ Plate, neonboom
Weber Grill Foundation Paper Piece Quilt Pattern, madcreekdesigns
Play Food Crochet Pattern - BBQ, craftyanna

Happy Wednesday! Amy

Deal of the Week July 6 to 12!

For this week's SewArtsy Deal of the Week, enjoy free shipping - domestic and international!

FREE SHIPPING!!!

And don't forget to enter the SewArtsy July Giveaway!

Happy Monday! Amy

July Giveaway!

Here we are at the first of the month again! Time for me to give something away :o) Today I'm raiding my stash to allow one winner to walk away with...read on!

This zippered hobo was listed in the shop at one point, but I think I deactivated it to display it at a craft show. I just never reactivated the listing. Made from Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom line in Meadow Tortoise Plaid, and accented and lined with Caribe Blossoms Buds, it has a roomy interior with a large slip pocket, one roomy outside pocket on one side, as well. Approximate dimensions are: 13"wx 9.5"hx 2.5"d; 1" wide shoulder strap has about a 14" drop. This is a cute, cute, cute summer purse, made from my absolute favorite color combinations! (*As you can see the zipper is a bit wonky, but it works just fine, and other than that it is perfectly sound, I promise!)




Here are the rules:

1. Leave a comment on this post about whether you are right- or left-handed, and whether or not that makes a difference in which shoulder you wear your purses, and how the zipper closures are oriented (ie, do you like your purse to be closed with zipper pull at the front end of your bag or the back). Please be sure to leave your email in your first comment so that I can get in touch with you if you are the winner!

2. For extra entries, leave me separate comments with links of where you've "shouted out" about this giveaway (blog, twitter, social networks, etc.)

Comments can be left starting Wednesday, July 1, 2009 through 11:59pm Tuesday, July 14, 2009. The more links you leave the more chances you have of winning! I'll randomly select one winner the morning of Wednesday, July 15th, and announce the winner on this blog.

Good Luck! Amy

Do You See What I See?

In honor of Caleb's first wiggly tooth, today's Etsy tooth pillows!

Tooth Fairy Pillow with Back Pocket, Absolutefelt
Tooth Fairy Pillow, Blissforest
Tooth Fairy Pillow for Boys and Girls, Bobbinalong
Pink Girl Tooth Fairy Pillow, Goodygoody
Large Owl Stuffed Tooth Fairy Pillow, Photoprintdesign
Wee Little Birdie Wool Felt Tooth Fairie Pillow, Posieandme
Choo Choo Charlie Tooth Pillow, Sassyraggs
Cupcake Pocket Pillow, Sewprettygifts
Embroidered Tooth Fairy Pillow, Tinsleyscloset

Happy Wednesday! Amy