Great giveaway by a great artist!

I often find great artists by clicking on links that artists I follow have on their blogs.

If you do the same, you might already be aware of Diane Salter, because I have a link to her...

I "met" Diane in Suzi Blu's Les Petit Academy, and still keep up with what she is doing because I LOVE her work.

Diane not only draws, paints, makes her own paper, decorates boxes, doors, and furniture, but she sells her stuff, traipsing off to various craft shows around her area.

She often incorporates her beautifully drawn girls and angels into her work, and she works in a palette that is appealing to many people- including me! Her work is so exciting and interesting because there are so many layers and lovely things going on- but it never looks busy.

If you are interested at all in doing this, you need to visit Diane's blog and go through the archives- she is very generous with information about how to sell your work, how to do many of the techniques she uses, and tips in general.

This is a one year blog anniversary for Diane, and she is celebrating with not one, but two giveaways!

You can get up to three chances to win:

1. post a comment on her blog here: http://dianesalter.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-first-year-blog-anniversary.html

2. become a follower- and mention that in your comment

3. post a blog entry about it and let Diane know in a comment

Easy peasy! I would love to have either of the prizes, they are both gorgeous! Thanks so much, Diane!

I am one LUCKY DUCK!!!

Entering giveaways is fun and I have had fun doing it because it leads me to new artists to follow and love!

Every time I enter a giveaway, I become a "follower" so that I can enjoy seeing others' work and joy, and so I can learn.

This week however, I actually won- not once, but TWICE.

First, I won a great tote bag and apron from Susan Brubaker Knapp at http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/ . All I had to do was look at beautiful photos from Quilt Market and make a comment. Looking was wonderful! I don't get to go to Quilt Market so I love it when people share photos and their experiences!

Susan is a wonderful quilt artist and author who teaches online and is featured in Quilting Arts magazine often. Her blog is informative, interesting, and fun, you should go check it out. You can follow her too! Thank you so much, Susan!

Then, just tonight I found out I am the third winner in the Brave Girls Club "AWESOME" giveaway. The girls over at Brave Girls are giving away a free "Soul Restoration" online class for every 1000 "AWESOME" comments they get.

If you haven't already, you should go and check out their main site: http://bravegirlsclub.com/
You will find information about the Soul Restoration class, you can sign up for the Daily Truth emails, which are short, inspirational messages that will lift up your spirits every day, you can find out about their Brave Girl Camps and Retreats (going to Brave Girl Camp is definitely on my Bucket List!), and join their community to stay in touch with Brave Girls around the world.

I am not describing it very well- you should just go there and see what all the fuss is about for yourself- you won't be sorry!

Thank you Kathy and Melody, I can't wait to dive into this new class with both feet!

On a side note, I HAVE been creating... but too busy to post photos! I am scrambling to get a queen sized quilt finished for a good friend of mine- it has to be mailed to Canada before Christmas and I have a ways to go yet. But that is because I keep changing my mind about how things should go on it. It would be easier to follow a pattern. But you already know I am not a pattern person... lol

I will post photos of the quilt before mailing. And maybe of some other stuff I have been making in between!

Swapzville at Scrapzville!

Hi all!

I have been having a lot of fun over the last couple of months, participating in some mini-album swaps over at Scrapzville! You can click on the link and go there too, and join in if you like- or click on the Swapzville button to the right of this post.

I joined the swap in September and Scrapzville's swap queen, Felicia, was my partner. You can see a little video that Felicia made of the album she sent me here: http://scrapzville.blogspot.com/2010/09/christas-album-sorry-its-out-of-focus.html
She does a much better job of showing the album than I could. It is beautiful and I am amazed that someone could do all of that, starting with TP tubes!

Then I joined again for the October "Frightful and Delightful" swap- and look what I got from Ann! I have to do photos- and they don't do it justice at all, because you just can't show everything that comes out or opens or pops up. But trust me when I say I was plenty delighted with this album! Thank you SO much, Ann!

Both of the albums I have received in the swaps look so professional and stunning; these women have scrapbooking super-powers!

I actually feel kind of sorry for the ladies that get stuck with me for a swap partner! I am such a novice and it really shows. I LOVED making the albums I made, and these two I have received have already taught me a lot of things- but I am a rank amateur, no doubt about it.

These are jolly gals to play with though, and I am thankful that they have been gracious and encouraging about my fledgling skills.

Over the Christmas holidays, or before if I can make a little time, I am going to fill these lovelies with old photos and put them up on my mantle- they are so beautiful, they just NEED to be displayed! And I have to tell you, my kids are going to have so much fun looking through these!

Thanks again, Felicia and Ann, you are amazing artists and I am just thrilled to have some of your work in my home!