My Prizes From Nauli's First Blog Giveaway!!!

I received my prizes, from Nauli's first blog giveaway, yesterday!!!

Oh wow!  I'm always excited to win but this time I wasn't quite sure what I won...so, it was even MORE of a surprise than usual.  Eva, owner of the Nauli  papershop on Etsy, has sent some wonderful goodies:

The first thing that I unwrapped was the cutest red stocking...what a great accent for my Xmas decor.  All of my animals have stockings except my 6 furries (ferrets)...this is now going to be used for them.  :o)

Then I unwrapped the package with a journal and the little striped dolphin.

The dolphin has a...spicy (?), soapy smell...it smells decadent!  Isn't it the cutest thing, too? 

I thought the journal was a writing journal but thought I'd open it and see....WOW!  How surprised was I to find that it's a photo or scrapbooking journal????

Even better than that???  Look at it's nifty design!!!  How cool is that????  This is the greatest idea, and a novel way, to show off photos and to enhance scrapbooking.

Eva has lots of goodies in her shop and you really should stop by to see them all!

Thanks Eva...you've made my day!!!

Customer Satisfied??? What Do You Think?

I guess Anne (Made For Me by Oaklie) liked her recent purchases....what do you think?  LOL  She just couldn't resist taking pics of her purchases, and gift, with her beloved Betty Boop. :o)

Look at All of My Features!!!

I've been fortunate enough to have a number of features, on a variety of sites, this week!!!

1.  The first feature, which runs all week, is on "The Giftshop Handmade".  This is the site where I won the free month of advertising.  Thanks Anne, for the wonderful feature!  Anne makes the most amazing scarves.  Visit her Artfire shop, "Made For Me by Oaklie", to see the beauties in a large range of styles!


2.  The second feature is on the "Artisan Jewlery Designers" site (on ning).  The name is slightly misleading...you do NOT need to be a jewelry seller to join this wonderful site.  This feature will run through December 15th.

3.  The third feature is on the "Artisan Jewelry Designers" blog.  This feature will also run through Dec. 15th.  Thanks Sharon, for both of the fantastic features!  Sharon has a beautiful jewlery shop, "Tres Chic", on Artfire.  Stop by and see for yourself!

4.  This Friday, December 5th, Diane Miller, will be featuring me on her blog, "My Handmade Site".  Diane has an amazing  photography shop, on Artfire, "The Shutterbug Eye"!  So many beautiful photographs to choose from...animals, insects, ACEOS, and so much more.  Thanks for the feature, Diane!

Stop by and visit all of these features when you get the chance.  I strongly recommend that you look at all of

these amazing shops while doing your holiday shopping!

Hugs and Thanks To All!!!

I want to give my thanks and send hugs, to everyone that voted for me, in this month's "Giftshop Handmade" contest.  As you can see by the numbers (posted below); it was a hard fought race until the end!!!

Va Beach Quilter(177) 37%

Laura4ca(2)

Braggin' Rights(28) 6%

Fairies by Nuria(1)

Mineral Love(1)

Lottie's Trinkets(2)

Chrysalis Designs(1)

Kizz Designs(10) 2%

Nubian Sensations(168) 35%

Wimzee(0)

Over the Top Aprons(6) 1%

Dee's DeeZigns(0)

Shabby Bags(4) 1%

Recupe Fashion(0)

Laura's Lace(2)

KP Designs(82) 17%

Beauty Recycled(0)

484 total votes since 11/30/09

Poll ended: 11/30/09

Congrats, to "Nubian Sensations" and all of the other participating shops.

For this contest, I won a month of free advertising for one of my shops!  Woohoo!

On Sunday, December 6th, I'm going to have a one day sale in all of my shops... 20% off all orders over $15 (excluding gift certificates and shipping upgrades)!  Coupon: WOOHOO

Remember, I always offer FREE shipping (continental US).  International orders, contact me for shipping rates so that I can give you a quote and set a private listing for you.

If you wish to purchase gift certificates and/or the shipping upgrade, please do so as a SEPARATE order!

Browse my shops:  Artfire, Zibbet, and Etsy and get ready for my "Thank You" Sale.

All orders will be shipped, by USPS First Class Mail, no later than Tuesday, December 8th.

NOTE:  November's blog winner has been announced.  Name is pictured under last month's prize.  This month's prize is also pictured.  Just leave a comment, anywhere WITHIN the blog, to be entered into this month's contest.  Winner will be announced January 1st.

My Helping Hands

Anne owner of the "My Helping Hands" shop on Artfire made my new banner (above), , avatar,

and this current ad that I have on my Artfire shop home page:

The banner costs: $10; avatar $5; and animated ad $10.  Contact Anne for specific prices (for your shop) and to see other options that she has available (i.e. ads with 3 or more pics, etc.).

Thanks Anne for the amazing work!!!  I love them all!!!

Black Friday Sale!!!

Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale in ALL of my shops!!!  From midnight through 11:55 pm Monday.

15% off of everything!!! Excluding gift certificates and shipping upgrade.

With every $25 purchase, receive a free gift/business card case.  Put your first two choices, in notes to seller, at time of checkout.  First available will be included with  your order.  If  a choice is noted, one will be picked for you.

As always, FREE shipping on everything (continental U.S.).  International orders contact me for shipping prices before ordering.

NOTE:  If you wish to purchase a gift certificate or shipping upgrade, do so as a separate purchase.

VaBeachQuilter on Artfire, Etsy, and Zibbet

Sale runs from midnight through 11:55 pm Monday.

I Won Again!

Look what I won for "tieing" in last week's "Great Finds" contest!

I won a $10 gift certificate to Lise's, Lottie's Trinkets, Artfire shop!

I picked these birthstone earrings...aquamarine for my March birthday. I'm so excited, I can't wait for them to arrive!!!

Lise has some of the most exquisite jewelry around. Stop by her shop and get started on your Xmas shopping!

Thanks, Lise!!!

Cher Chic

I recently came across one of the CUTEST shops I've ever seen!!!

Claudia is owner of the Cher Chic shops on Artfire, Etsy, and Zibbet.








She has the cutest handcrafted items around.  I picked a couple of my favorites to share with you.  "Clormeys"; Rooster Pot Holders; Fabric Pumpkins, eye glass cases; and so much more!!! 

I even bought a couple of her "Clormeys" for myself.  I couldn't resist them!

Stop by and see more of Claudia's goodies and get a jump on your Xmas shopping!!!

Can You Believe That I Won THIS???

I was the lucky winner of the weekly Great Finds contest!

I won this GORGEOUS hand-crafted bracelet made by Gina, owner of the "Chrysalis Designs" jewelry shop on Artfire.

I'm so excited and can't wait for it to arrive!

Gina has so many beautiful pieces in her shop....this is a great place to start your holiday shopping!

Great Items for Fall and Thanksgiving!

These are some beautiful ways to decorate your house for the Fall season and for Thanksgiving.
 
I have FREE shipping (continental US) on everything in my shop!
 
Want something specific?  Special orders always welcomed!

Look at My Newest Quilt!!!

I picked up my newest quit, from my long-armer, late last week.  Today was the first day of nice sunlight (and a dry fence), so I was finally able to take pics of it.

What do you think?  It's a king-sized (100" x 100").  It's a "spider web" pattern.  There are hundreds of strips of fabric in this quilt.  There are8 triangles in each quilt block.  There are 25 blocks on the top.

I had 4 left-over blocks. so I decided to piece the back of the quilt using the extra blocks.

The acorns and leaves were the quilted pattern.  It has not been bound yet (which is why you see the "white" around the edges; that's the batting that will be trimmed away once I've added the binding.)

I had so much fun making this quilt, that I'm going to have to make a smaller version (after the new year) and offer it for sale.

Wow! I can't Believe I Won...

I received word, yesterday, that I was the winner for last week's "Great Finds" contest.  This is a free, weekly, contest that anyone can enter...there are only 2 conditions to enter the contest:

1.  Join the free networking site:  "On Fire For Handmade".  Join the group "Great Finds" and sign-up for each weekly themed contest.

2.  You must have a handmade shop...doesn't matter if it's a personal website or one of the many popular online selling sites.

Anyway, back to my AMAZING prize:  a $15 gift certificate to the Mineral Love vegan make-up shop.  Tricia, owner, has shops on Etsy and Made It Myself.

I have heard nothing but positive things about the make-up from this wonderful artisan.  I chose the "Ready Set Go: Vegan Finishing Powder".

I wanted to show off a few of her other items that are available in her shops.  She has more listings in her Made it Myself shop.  Tricia will make a private listing if you wish to purchase, on Etsy, something that isn't already listed there.

I can't believe how reasonable her prices and shipping costs are!!!  You really need to go by both of her shops and see these amazing things for yourself.

October's Blog Winner Is...

The winner of my October blog contest is "The Rag Rug Closet".

Congrats, RRC!!!  Enjoy your cute fall mini quilted centerpiece mat.

She has a great blog with some wonderful Xmas deals that you go by and take a look.

The Rag Rug Closet Blog

November's prize is now posted.  Remember, just comment, on any post, and you're entered for each comment.  Winner will be announced December 1st.

Hall-O-Scream Sale

Hall-O-Scream sale!!!  ALL Halloween 20% off with FREE shipping!  Coupon:  SCREAM

VaBeachQuilter on Artfire




Sale ends at 11:59 pm Halloween night.  There will not be an after Halloween sale.

Sister Jewelry

Bev owns the "Sister Jewelry" shop,  on Artfire, your one-stop shop for beautifully crafted watches, bracelets, and necklaces!  I just love everything in this shop...especially the watches!




The shop specializes in jewelry made with a variety of  gemstones, lampwork glass beads, and Swarovski crystal beads.  Her jewelry is beautiful, unique, and (MOST importantly) affordable!!!

Free Worldwide shipping is offered.
Custom orders are always welcomed.  Sizing is free.  At any time Gold or Sterling Silver can be substituted.  Please inquire about difference in prices.

A and R Design Studio

The "A and R Design Studio" paper shop, on Etsy, is a wonderful shop to buy your cards, notebooks, die cuts, and more!



They were kind enough to offer my readers a wonderful deal:  15% off of any item in their shop!  Put the coupon code: VaBeachQuilter in "message to seller" at time of checkout.  Your money will be refunded through Paypal.

Sale will end next Sunday, November 1st.

A great time to start buying your holiday cards and gifts!!!

Cactus and Coyote

Annie owns the wonderful  Cactus and Coyote Native American jewlery shop on Artfire.
Here is a look at a smidge of the things in her shop:



She's given my readers a VERY generous offer:  10% off of your total order (before shipping) for the rest of the year!!!  How AWESOME is that???? 

Before purchasing, contact Annie (there's a "contact" button under her shop badge)...1) tell her what you wish to purchase; 2) included the code: VABQPROMO . 

Annie will set a private listing for you with your reduced price.  This is a great way to make your purchases...and you don't have to deal with Paypal, etc. refunds!

So, why are you still here?  Get to shopping!  Treat yourself while you're at it...you know you deserve it!  :O)

Willow Bay

The "Willow Bay" Etsy jewelry shop is owned by a sweet, sweet woman, Val.

As I mentioned, her shop specializes in jewelry, but she does have a small collection of hand crocheted purses that are VERY nice, too!  The larger ones are lined with a small inner pocket.

Val's jewelry is made with semi-precious stones and Czech glass beads.  You have a choice of silver or gold for your hook wires (for the earrings).  Val loves to work with customers on custom designed/ordered jewelry (as the items in her shop show...she is quite a talented craftsman!).

Now that people are beginning to start the Christmas shopping, Val is offering BOGO...Buy one item at regular price and get the 2nd at half off!!!  HELLO???  Buy a necklace and get matching earrings 1/2 off!  What a bargain!!!  Use code: OCTOBER at time of checkout to get the discount.

Your purchases will arrive securely packaged in cloth pouches and are shipped within 24 hours.

So, what are you waiting for???  Run, don't walk, (okay...click quickly!) and head straight to her shop and start marking people of your "to-buy-for" list!

Creations With Heart

Julie loves to create jewelry!  She has a variety of styles available in her "Creations With Heart" shop (on Artfire).  She has classic, western, inspirational, and animal themed (my personal favorite!).

Her jewelry is made using gemstones, Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, pewter, leather, and much more!

Since October is Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence month, she is donating 10% of any item sold within her "Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Pieces" category.

A percentage of all animal related purchases is also donated to help out animals.  She's a "dog" mom.

Julie was such a sweetie to offer MY readers ONLY a special promo!!!  10% off of all earrings, in the earring category.  Good for today through October 17th.  Use coupon code:  FEATURED

What a great time to do a little Christmas shopping and help out a few worthy causes while you're at it!!!

Wow! I Won!!! Yippee! ;)

Wow!  I can't believe that I won a giveaway!!!  Deb, owner of the "Zur Designs" jewelry shop, on Etsy, had a fun giveaway.  It was SO easy to enter to win, too!  All you had to do was follow her WONDERFUL blog and you were entered in to the contest.

I won these AMAZING earrings!!!  How cool is that?

Her shop is chocked full of gorgeous jewelry made with sterling silver, Swarovski Crystals, semi-precious stones and more!!!

Thanks so much, Deb!!!  {{{HUGS}}}

Some Items Just Listed in My Shops!!!

A Few of Items in My Zibbet Speciality Shop

Handmade ~ By ~ Sheri

Sheri, owner of the self-named "Handmade ~ by ~ Sheri" Artfire crochet shop, surprised me one day when she asked if I would review a couple of her items. 

She sent to me some wonderfully well-crafted pair of facial scrubbies and a wash cloth.  My first impression, when I opened the package, was the beautiful colors that were used in making the items.  Then on closer inspection, I could see that Sheri is a VERY talented crocheter!

I couldn't wait to give this beauties a try and see if they would hold up when used.  And to see if they would remain intact and keep their shape once they had been washed and dried.

I decided to use the wash cloth while doing my dishes.  I figured...if it could hold up to THAT level of use, then using it in the shower was a no brainer.  Much to my surprise it held up amazingly well!!!  It didn't fall apart or get mishappened.

Next, I move on to the scrubbies.  I don't wear make-up (except on the extreme occasion), so I gave one of them to a close friend to see what she thought of it and how well it helped to remove her make-up.  I thought that the scrubbie would be rough on my face but it wasn't...it had a gentle exfoliating feel as I washed.

My friend was extremely impressed with her use of the scrubbie.  It easily and, more importantly, gently removed all of her make-up.  She said that her skin felt clean and refreshed.

So, we're 2 for 2 on the wash cloth and scrubbies.  The final test was washing and drying.  Sheri assured me that they could be machine washed and dried and would hold up perfectly.  I have to admit that I was a little skeptical (not being a crocheter/knitter/etc...what do I know???)  They looked to delicate to handle the abuses delivered by a washing machine and dryer.

Yet again, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong...they held up and looked just as good as the day that I opened my package!

So, over-all, I would CONFIDENTLY and STRONGLY recommend that you purchase from Sheri.  This is one talented crocheter!!!  Her prices are reasonable and now's the time to start thinking about your Christmas purchases!

Please Vote For Me in The Gift Shop Handmade Directory Contest!!!

I have shops listed in the directory but the poll just goes by names...

I'm VABEACHQUILTER. Please vote for me! The prize is a free ad for 1 month and that's a big deal!!!

http://thegiftshophandmade.com/thegiftshop.html

This is a BIG contest!!! Please vote for me! You don't have to join the site to vote. You can vote once a day (if you clear caches)...THANKS!!! {{{HUGS}}} Please ask family and friends to vote for me, too!

Chrysalis Designs

Regina owns the beautiful jewelry shop, "Chrysalis Designs", on Artfire.

Regina enjoys working with gemstone beads, cabachons, seed beads, silver, copper, brass, and polymer clay. Her jewelry is absolutely exquisite!

This is a great time to start working on your Christmas list! Buy one of gorgeous pieces of jewelry for that someone special and you'll have one less gift to stress over at it gets closer to Christmas. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it? :)

So, click her link and hop over to her wonderful shop. Oh, and she LOVES to take custom orders and design unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry!

A Fall Item Of Mine Is Featured Today!

I was fortunate enough to have one of my fall items featured on "Skysetter's Handmade Holidays" blog today.

Here's the item that was chosen (I originally had 6 different ones available but I'm down to 5 now):

You can find this and much more Fall, Halloween (and I'm now starting to add Christmas) in my Artfire shop.  EVERYTHING is in my "Seasonal" category.

Here's a little taste of some of my other Fall items...

Don't forget that I have FREE shipping (continental US) on EVERYTHING in my shop...So, start your seasonal/holiday shopping with me and save your $ on shipping costs!