The Six Weeks of Christmas Blog Give-Away - 11/8 - 11/14/08

Paris. Who doesn’t love Paris? This is one of my favorite photographs that I took on a recent trip to Paris with my family. It has to be said, Paris is truly a magical city and it didn’t take us very long to fall in love with her. My only regret is that we didn’t get to spend enough time getting to know her better. I guess we'll just have to go back for another visit.

This week I'll be giving away this lovely photograph - "Eiffel's Tower" - from Dragonfly Photography. To enter all you need to do is leave a comment on my blog telling me where you would go on your “dream vacation”. It's as simple as that. Remember that you must include a valid email address at time of entry. This contest ends on Friday, November 14, 2008 at midnight PST. Any entries made after that time will not be eligible for this drawing. But don’t fret – there will be another one next week.

Click here to see contest rules.

The Contest Rules

The Rules:

1. You do not need to purchase anything to win.
   

2. To enter, leave a comment on this blog entry describing your where you would take your dream vacation. You can enter as many times as you want – however - all entries must be made by a separate post. The odds of winning depend on how many times you enter and the number of entries received.
   
   
3. This is a weekly drawing – lasting 6 weeks. Each week there will be one prize. For the week of November 15, 2008 - the prize is a an 8 x 10 photographic art print – Eiffel’s Tower. The approximate retail value of this prize is $20.00. The winner will be chosen by random drawing conducted by the, Martha Hughes, operator of The Dancing Monkey Jewelry Chronicles on November 15, 2008.
   

4. Winners will be notified by email only. You will need to provide a valid email address at time of entry. If I’m unable to contact you or if the winner fails to respond to email within three (3) days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen.
   

5. Upon acceptance of their prize, all winners must agree to allow Martha Hughes release their name as a winner in a blog post on The Dancing Monkey Jewelry Chronicles. If the winner does not agree to this stipulation the win will become null and void and a new winner will be chosen.
   
   
6. The prize will be mailed by US Mail with delivery confirmation within seven (7) days of acceptance. The sponsor, Martha Hughes, is not responsible for packages lost or damaged in the mail.
   
   
7. The contest begins on 11/08/08. All entries must be received by midnight PST on 11/14/08. The winner will be selected on or about 11/15/08. By entering the contest, entrants agree that the decision of the judge is final.
   
   

We've Got a Winner!!!

The response to last weeks give-away totally exceeded my expectations. It was a great thrill for me to get such a great response from everyone. Thank you all for participating in last weeks give-away.

Now for the real business at hand - announcing the winner for week of November 1st:

The winner of this weeks Six Weeks of Christmas Blog Give-Away is Carla Pullum. She won a pair of Pink Pearl Earrings.

Congratulations Carla!

Now in a few minutes, I'll be announcing this weeks give-away. This week I'll be featuring an art print from my photography shop on Etsy - Dragonfly Photography.

DMJ Artists of the Week - November 3, 2008

I can't believe it's 10:30pm on a Sunday night - it just seems that the weekend just started and now I have to go back to work tomorrow. Where does the time go? This weekend was fairly busy - I spent most of it promoting my blog give-away. I did break away every now and then to spend time with my husband. My dog is still waiting for that walk I promised him (tomorrow, I promise). Enough about me. Let's get onto why you're probably reading my blog for - The "DMJ Artists of the Week" Promotions.

Both of my artists this week are painters that are so very different in their media and their style. However both are very talented and what they create is fantastic.

My first artists is an artist that I have "met" in the various social networking forums where those of us who create and sell on-line like to "hang-out". Her name is Anna and she has a lovely shop on Etsy called Half an Acre - Fabulous Things for Funky People. Anna creates these delightful fabulous painted wooden stuff (her description, not mine) which are very bright and colorful. You'll just have to read her promotion and check out her shop to see what I mean. You won't be disappointed.

My next artist, Brian is a painter and his shop Art by Bryan Zingmark is full of these lovely abstract paintings that are just amazing. His passion for painting and art are reflected in his work - they are very bold, vibrant and full of depth. I can not do them justice in describing them so I encourage you to check out his shop.

Half an Acre - Fabulous Things for Funky People

Tell me about your shop. What will I find there?

My shop is a funky little place. I design, and hand make wooden decorative things for your home: hearts, fish, and snakes, lizards ... all with wonderful, bright and fabulous patterns painted onto them.

How long have you been in business?

I started selling my things back in 2006 but it was really a tentative outing to test the waters. I started properly in Nov 2007 when I had my website and registered as self-employed!

Where do you sell your creations? Please provide link to your online shops.

In the UK I have my website Half an Acre, this is about to have a front page makeover!

In the US I also have my Etsy shop: Half an Acre , plus I have a shop at Dawanda

Do you have a blog or web-site? If yes, please provide a link and name.

I do have a blog, of which I am quite proud as people seem to think I'm vaguely amusing and they write nice comments on it! I've also started a Saturday shopping list feature - focusing on new etsy sellers or sellers who have yet to make a sale.
Who is your favorite crafts person/artisan or favorite web resource ?

This is a difficult one! one of my biggest influences is the Designer's Guild colour palate. The paint colours are awesome - I’ve never seen such pure colours in paint anywhere else.

Are there any upcoming craft fairs/art shows that you’ll be participating in this year?

Nope! I've given most of these up now! The UK's answer to a craft fair usually means lots of imports. Very seldom is the person standing behind the table the person who made the items. I've done my time standing on village greens in the drizzle, hanging onto my gazebo in the wind! I do about 3 a year now - regular ones that I know have great stalls. I'm trying to concentrate on selling on line - it’s easier as I have three boys under 10 and my weekends are precious to us.

Art by Bryan Zingmark

Tell me about your shop. What will I find there?

I started my Etsy shop: Art by Bryan Zinmark at the end of March. I am a painter as well as a glass artist. I am currently focusing all of my creative energy into my painting and our first child, Aidan. I hope to begin adding glass art by the end of the year. I haven’t made any sales on etsy, but I don’t think that is a negative thing. There is a lot of art on etsy, so that enables buyers to be choosey and find what they want. My shop is a good place for me to direct my friends and family to. So they can keep up with my latest paintings. I also enjoy the etsy Teams I am a part of, TeamSC, our South Carolina Street Team is quickly growing and beginning to bloom. I am also a member of the CAST Team, a Christian Street Team.

How long have you been in business?

I have been blowing glass for 8 years. For the first 5 of those years I ran my own glass art business. It was way cool and way fun. It led me to pursue an education in business. So I am currently working full-time painting, and going to school part time, instead of running a business. My etsy shop is more like a side project that I hope one day will take off.

Where do you sell your creations?

I have a few places that I am featuring my paintings.

• Etsy

• Flickr

• Fine Art America

Do you have a blog or web-site? If yes, please provide a link and name.

The world of BZ Glass

Are there any upcoming craft fairs/art shows that you’ll be participating in this year?

I am planning and organizing the first South Carolina Street Team, TeamSC Street Fair. It will be held in the Spring of 2009.