Milestone Giveaway: 1000 Facebook Fans!

Feel like I should add some stars and balloons to the photo!

Last week I hit one of those personal milestones: 1000 Facebook fans for Skunk Hill Studio.  The past year and a half has been an incredible journey.  Producing my newest book, I have connected with so many fascinating, creative, artistic people throughout the world.   Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

Celebrating the milestone, I'm hosting a little giveaway.  Leave a comment on my Facebook page, and you'll be entered to win one of my ebooks or tutorials.  Freeform peyote, fancy fish, elegant beaded beads; if it's digital, the choice is yours.

I'll be drawing a winner on Wednesday (July 22nd), so you have until I sit down at my computer Wednesday morning to enter.  Don't you love my precision deadline? 

Thank you!

101 Face Book Fans Milestone Celebration and Giveaway

Last week, I hit one of my milestones of a hundred and one fans for my Skunk Hill Studio Facebook page.  To celebrate, I thought I'd host a giveaway.  No puppies, I promise!  None of those in residence here, without or without their spots.  What I do have a is ton of beads (sort of spot-like), so I thought I'd give some of them away in two separate prizes.

In the first prize, the beads are cleverly disguised as a pair of earrings.  I've selected this pair at left.  They're a pair of openwork freeform beading using right angle weave and peyote stitch with Vintaj antique brass ear wires and a $45.00 value.  If you've followed my blog for a while, you might remember them from my January earring challenge.

I personally think they're a lovely pair, and was tempted to keep them for myself.  But, since I believe in the freedom of choice, I'll make you an additional offer.  You're welcome to look through my Etsy store - if you see another pair you prefer, favorite it on Etsy and let me know.  If you win the earrings, then the one you marked is yours. If you favorite more than one, make sure you let me know which is your top choice!

Freeform Peyote Beading kit - includes beads & book

The second prize is designed for my do-it-yourselfer friends, and also comes with a choice.  The winner may choose either:

Kit Package A: including both my Lacework Bracelets and my Corset Beads kits mentioned in my last blog post. The prize will include both tutorials and all beads necessary to make a single-color lacework bracelet and two corset beaded beads. 

or

Kit Package B: my book, Freeform Peyote Beading and all of the beads necessary to make a bracelet similar to my Autumn Rain.  During my original bead selection for the piece, I divided all of my beads into four portions.  One of each was used to make the bracelet, while I held the remain three of each in reserve.  Earlier this year, I combined the three remaining kits into two, to make the bead packets a little more robust.  So this is a very limited edition kit.  Both kits prizes have a $45.00 value.

If you have a preference as to which prize you win - earrings, kits or either - let me know.   I'd really like the kits to go to someone who will use them.  :)

Now that you know the prizes, here are the rules for entry:

1. Since I'm celebrating my Facebook Fans, you need to be one to win.  If you're not already a fan, it's not too late become one.  :)  Update:  I'm already seeing a potential problem - if your Facebook profile name and Google profile name differ, please make sure there's an easy way for me to connect the two! 
2. You can gain chances to win by any of the following (up to, I think four, chances):  Comment here on my blog and/or on my Facebook page.  Tell me what you'd like best or what you'd like to see more of.  Post about this on your blog or Facebook, and let me know that you've done so. 

I'll do the drawing a week and a half from today, on Wednesday, June 27th.

And thank you all!

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2011 was an amazing year for me personally and professionally!  For the first six months Freeform Peyote Beading seemed to spend more time than not  in the top 100,000 books on Amazon (out of 8 million plus books). It even made the top 10,000 on two memorable occasions (accompanied by much celebrating once I stopped hyperventilating).

My blog which had come out of hibernation in the fall of 2010, took on a life of its own in 2011.  I discovered the amazing online community of beaders, with more opportunities for participation than I could take advantage of in several lifetimes.  But I had great fun with a couple of Art Bead Scene's monthly challenges and Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party.  And I met some truly incredible people along the way.

Thank you all - you are what made 2011 so great!  

So now it's on to 2012. Can't wait to see what happens next.  

Five Hundred

At the end of October, I discovered that's how many copies of Freeform Peyote Beading have sold through Amazon!

There aren't enough adjectives to describe my excitement at discovering that I had indeed broken the five hundred mark on sales.  A happy dance was definitely in order.

Seems that it's definitely time for a celebration! I thought about breaking out the champagne, but that's kind of hard to share over the web.  My next thought was to do a give away on my blog (I love the anticipation of signing up for them on other people's blogs, even if I never win).  My husband disagreed, and said I should just share how excited I am.  But posting a u-tube video of me bouncing around the room seemed a bit much, so instead, I'm doing a give-away.

Since I'm celebrating my book, I thought I'd give away a goodie bag filled with beads - seed beads, accent beads and at least one focal as well as a button clasp - enough to make a freeform peyote bracelet.  I'll even throw in a copy of my book if you don't already have one.

So if you want a chance to win, just post a comment (and make sure I have a way to reach you).  And if you have a favorite color/colors, let me know that too.  For extra credit (and an extra chance to win) if you already have a copy of my book, tell me which is your favorite piece in the book and what you like best about it.  Or I'll even let you visit my project gallery and tell me your favorite there to get that extra chance. 

I'll draw a name on Wednesday the 16th.

Cheers!