Winner!

Random shot of Evie goodness

Random.org assisted me in selecting a winner for my purple giveaway.... and it was #1, congratulations Mama Mogantosh!

Thanks for stopping by!

Purple Giveaway- closed

I have become completely sidetracked by my button tin.

Jemima and I were making button hair clips yesterday and I noticed afresh just how many cute tiny vintage buttons are in my possession. So I spent nearly 2 hours trying to nut out a simple felt hair clip design to showcase them. Now, the end result (pictured on black clips above) is not really all that original... how true it is that there are no new ideas... or is it just there are no new ideas in my head? I glue gunned the whole lot together and it seems pretty secure. If you really yank at it it will come apart, but so will pretty much any hair clip I reckon.

After going back and forth between, "is it cute or crap?", I decided that I like it and have been wearing a cream coloured one like so:

I thought maybe you would like one too? So I put together this little package (containing 2 purple felt flowers, with yellow mini buttons and grey leaves and a pair of purple rose earrings) pictured atop this post for a little giveaway. Open to anyone, anywhere.

EDITED: Der. I knew I was tired today- The giveaway ends NEXT Friday as in the 19th of November. Entries close Thursday the 18th at midnight my time. My original post said it ended today (the 12th)- not so!

With thanks to Random.org...

Congratulations Willy Wagtail!

If the result of this giveaway leaves you crochet dishcloth-less, do not fret! If I can learn to crochet this little number, anyone can. I mean it. Truly.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Giveaway!

My blog turned one about a month ago, and I wanted to do a giveaway of something I have made for a modest celebration. So, here tis, 3 little crocheted-by-me dishcloths in cotton yarn. I have been using my 2 dishcloths all the time, and I've just finished making a third which I think will be the magical crocheted dishcloth number.

To enter, just leave a comment before next Friday, 20th November. International entries welcome too.

Good luck crocheted dishcloth lovers!

And the winner is...

....Jo so and sew. Congratulations! Send me an email to redchocolate@ymail.com so I can forward on your address to Maree from Buyster, and she will be in touch regarding your prize!

Thanks to everyone who entered the buyster rug giveaway! I am planning another giveaway soon (this time of stuff I have made and a few other bits and bobs probably), so stay tuned.

Our week has been.. interesting. Caleb hit his head on the lino floor at preschool 20 minutes before I picked him up. A very large googie egg had taken up residence on his forehead. I had already arranged for an overnight trip with the kids to Newcastle, and he seemed fine (did not lose consciousness, was not lethargic etc etc), so I decided to go.

Well, then the fun began- he was really sleepy and off his food, and had a vomit. I kept going as my friend's husband is a doctor, besides when I started to get worried I was an hour from home and an hour from them. Eventually I ended up taking him to hospital in Newcastle as he had another vomit. He also had diarrhea by now, so I was fairly sure he had gastro, but the head injury was a bit .... complicating. A diagnosis of gastro and about 5 hours later, we were able to take him home.

He is fine now! He always bounces back after these things. And this was actually the first time I have ever taken my kids to hospital in my 5 years as a parent, so I count myself lucky!

We all feel a bit seedy, so we'll see if anyone falls victim to the bug.

Hope everyone has a great sick-free weekend!

Giveaway!

I quite like rugs. We have tiled floors in part of our house which I don't like very much, and I have been playing with little rugs to cosy it up a little.

Do you like rugs?

Do you want a rug?

Maree from Buyster Rugs contacted me earlier in the week and has given me a $70 gift voucher to pass on to an Australian reader (sorry international folks!) to purchase anything they like from their online rug shop. Of course they will also post it to you free of charge.

The black one above is one of my favourites (the 115cm x 160cm comes to $65), but I also like these (I have limited my selection here to $70 or under, just for kicks):

Go check out their range of rugs!

All you have to do is leave a comment, and I will randomly select a winner on the 30th of October!

Good luck!

Pay it forward

I have seen this little nicety doing the rounds for a little while, and now have the opportunity to join in. I found Brooke's lovely blog when I was pottering around the Sew Mama Sew giveaway. Thanks Brooke!

Here's what happens:

~I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post.
~I have 365 days to do it in…
~What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!

The catch is that you must participate as well:

~you must have a blog
~and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going.

Just cut and paste this one if you like, which I did!

Giveaway Day

Thanks for entering my giveaway! There were 12 of you, so I popped over to random.org and rolled a pair of dice (die? is the plural) and up came a 1 + 5 = 6. So I counted down the list to the 6th commenter (skipping the deleted comment) and this means Madeline is the winner!

Congratulations Madeline! Send me an email to redchocolate@ymail.com so we can organise your prize!

The above portrait is of my bro and his fiance. Unfortunately, I am not completely happy with it, so may have to have another go at it to get it just right.

Thanks again to everyone who has visited my blog over the past 100 posts. It is so nice to know I am not talking to myself!

100 posts has come and gone...GIVEAWAY!

I think this post is number 102 or something, but never matter.

I would like to say thank you to those who visit my blog by having a modest giveaway. 

Would you like a family portrait along these lines?

If so, leave a comment on this post and I will randomly select the winner next weekend. The winner can then email me a photograph of the people they would like in the portrait and I will endeavor to produce something that vaguely resembles you and yours. Anyone can enter- whether or not you are new to my blog, know me in real life, live overseas, anyone.

I have used the image of this portrait on our photo album last year, on Caleb and Jemima's drawing books, and my brother and his wife used his on his wedding invites and beer bottle labels he had made up for the reception. There is crafty potential here. 

Don't be shy.