Random Winnings & Cool Stuff

I thought I'd share with you some of the wonderful things I've won recently, the blogs I've won them from & the people who created them :)

From Unanimous Craft I won a 6 month subscription to the thread of the month club at Dragonfly Lotus Designs. They have great handspun threads in beautiful, limited edition colors. I love receiving each shipment, plus I get to preview  & pre-order upcoming designs. Check out all the great fiber combinations & colors by clicking the link (Also, come visit me on my brand new Tacoma Regional Craftologist page on Unanimous Craft :)

Little frog cocktail ring from Lucid New York by way of North on Harper  I love the color of the stone & the sweet little frog. The other cocktail rings are vintage, from my grandmother's collection. No, none of them are real, but they are lovely, aren't they?)

pink earrings from Simply Stacie & Artistic Inclinations I like the pretty pink color of the quartz hearts.

Crocheted coffee sleeve from Scary White Girl by way of Roseworks Jewelry blog The pink & black reminds me of licorice candy!

A great cuff & bag by Wear the Canvas Etsy the copper bracelet is vintage 60's, from my shop samsstuff Etsy

Rings again :)
How do I win these things? Random luck, volume & sometimes low entry giveaways, but mostly it's just luck!

More Free Stuff...everywhere

First, I wanted to announce the winner of my last giveaway: Aik of Friends & Family , a cute blog filled with giveaways & fun shops! Stop by, when you have a chance, say hi to Aik in Malaysia & enter one of her many giveaways!
I also wanted to mention more of the great stuff that I've won recently. From Girl Get Strong, I've recently won a bicycle Word Lock. This is a great device that you program with words, rather than numbers. No more nightmares about forgetting the combination (I used to have these, back in school, so realistic...)! I chose the black one & gave it to my son. He says that black is his favorite color. What's that you say "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. How cliche :) Actually, my favorite color changes all the time, blue maybe? or red? Anyway, this has worked out well for him. Also, from GirlGetStrong & Jesse Jane on Etsy I won a great little scrabble tile pendant with a Buddha image that I added to a vintage chain bracelet that I had. It looks amazing!
From Little Studio Photography (Etsy & ArtFire) I won a lovely pair of shiny pretty earring that came in a little handmade origami paper box. Check out her shops. I don't think the earrings that I won are listed, but there's a lot of other sparkly distractions to keep you busy!
Through one of the Etsy forums I won a great little journal/book called "This is Not a Book," by Keri Smith. If you love fun little activity type journals, that ask you questions or have weird & interesting activities to document, then this is perfect. It's even fun just to look at & think about!
I received, after some delay, a great "Pac Bones" t-shirt from Psycho Rheindeer & Teenormous. Teenormous was terrific about this as, for some reason, I didn't receive the tee when the winnings where first sent out. Teenormous checked out the problem & whatever the issue, they & Psycho Rheindeer sent me a replacement & a great little Psycho Rheindeer button. I decided to let my son have the tee (I kept the button) & he thinks it's great. If you're in the market for fun & unusual tees, either of these companies would be a great place to go. Phsycho Rheindeer produces in smaller volume & Teenormous is huge, filled with fun stuff. Check them both out!
From Debbie, at "On the Refrigerator Door" I recieved, not only the great cards, featured in her 'birthday' giveaway, but a great little magnet (this is the design) & tiny blank notebook, each & every one adorable. Check out her shop for magnets, cards & beautiful photos!
I am currently participating in a project through Ladi of "Structured Chaos" where a group of us will be trading items> I can't wait to see all the great stuff & show you my trades! My partner in the swap is Handful of Stitches a little shop on Etsy with handmade clutches.
For more free stuff you might want to check out some of the sites, like Freecycle & Swaptree, where you can trade stuff you have for stuff you want, a great way to recycle things & get free stuff, at the same time!
last, but not least, if you have a blog, you might want to check out "The Secret is in the Sauce" or SITS (I have a badge/link on the side bar of this blog), every Sunday they have 'Sunday Shout Outs,' where members advertise their giveaways & promotions. Take a look.
That's it for today. Have fun looking at all the great sites & searching for 'free stuff.'

(about the photo: this was staged, no crimes where committed nor are any criminal acts advocated with this illustration)

Free Stuff all over the place!

Today I've decided to start off by talking about some of the great sites that are out there, great sites where you can receive wonderful, empowering advice on everything from becoming a stronger you, outside & in, to tips on helping the planet, healthy fashion & make-up advice & even great reading ideas, all for free. Not only do receive all of this but each also runs an abundance of great product giveaways! Stop by & check out each of these amazing sites.
Girl Get Strong

Filled with great articles on fitness & health for mind & body, as well as food for thought blogs by a multitude of site users. There are always numerous giveaways going on for items that are good for body & spirit. I recently won a beautiful set of earrings from Etsy seller Sleepy Moon just for writing about my favorite beaches (the California beaches of my childhood) & I currently have my eye on a yoga giveaway. Check them out!
Style Substance Soul
Divided in three basic sections, this site is what it's wonderful title implies, a place filled with great articles on style, substance & food for the soul. They also run regular giveaways of great products & books from each of their categories. I just recently won 'swag' from a company called Rosie. They make items specifically for working women, not those that work in offices, but those that work out in the warehouses or out in the field, like our grandmothers (or great grandmothers) during the time of "Rosie the Riveter." I love the Rosie T-shirt, very cool, whether you're wearing it to work or not. I can't wait until my tee arrives!
Lastly, for the crafty among you there's CraftStylish filled with tutorials & articles written by members of the craft community. It's a great place for inspiration, camaraderie & a gathering spot for all the great work that's out there. They also run great giveaways, mainly pulled from the great craft books that are currently available. I haven't won any of these yet, but I did receive two of their great magazines, just for posting an article.
So, all of this brings me to my second giveaway. I love dolls, stuffies & softies & there are many amazing & artistic pieces out there to be had. I've posted some of them on ThisNext & recently did a spotlight featuring some nice ones I've seen on Etsy, so this giveaway is about dolls, stuffies & softies. The one pictured is from my new ArtFire studio, where I've moved all of my household items, but for this giveaway I want you to post a link to some of the great dolls you've encountered online. They can be from Etsy, ArtFire or anywhere your heart desires. Two shops that I really love are Ninon & Junkerjane.
For a second entry, tweet about this contest & post your tweet here. You can also have another entry if you blog about this contest & let me know back here. The prize will be a doll & toy making book "Old Fashioned Dolls & Toys" by Better Homes & Gardens, 1992 (vintage by some rules, not vintage by others) filled with all kinds of interesting doll & toy projects & patterns. The giveaway ends 8/31 & the winner will be randomly selected from all entries. Have fun!
Stop by & take a look at the new shop, when you get a chance. I'm steadily adding to it. Let me know what you think about the colors & overall look of the shop. Should I keep the same banner as the Etsy shop or create a new one, what's your opinion? I've added some new things to the Etsy store as well, more vintage stuff & a handmade, OOAK item or two, so take a look, when you get a chance.
Thanks for stopping by! SAM