And the winner is...

Breaking the tie for this giveaway/contest was tough! And all of the entries were great! After thinking long and hard about it, I would like to introduce you to, drum roll please...



That's right! Trusty Old Twisty now has an identity, thanks to the winner: Heather Dutton! [applause] Heather, please email or message me with your contact info, and your tea towel choice!

Thank you again to ALL who participated! Your suggestions were very thoughtful and perfect!

Holiday Gift Tags

So sorry for the week of no blog entries. I was down and out for three days with a 24-hour bug that has turned into an annoying congested cold. All of those coffee-fueled late nights finally caught up with me!

Here's my entry in this week's Spoonflower contest for Holiday Gift Tags. Using fabric or decals, you can make six individual tags, or three double-sided tags that are folded in the center and then sewn or stuck together. If you like them, you can vote for them, and all your favorites, here. Thank you!

Quick reminder: If you haven't yet participated in my current giveaway, check out all the info here. Contest ends in just a few days!

Favorite Links Friday

Here are some fun holiday-themed DIY links to get your holiday craftiness in gear. Don't forget to enter my latest contest to win a penny candy tea towel! Come up with a name for my vintage sewing machine...or vote for a favorite that has already been suggested (see details here).

1. DIY advent calendar boxes
2. DIY vintage Christmas card bowl
3. How to marble or swirl royal icing
4. DIY felt garland
5. Origami paper stars for garland or gifts
6. Fridge magnet advent calendar

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Did You Say Contest? Tell me more!

By now you probably know that the sewing machine I use to sew all of my tea towels was handed down to me by my mom about 20 years ago...when she finally decided to upgrade. Well, up until now I have never really given it a name, calling it "Bessie", as I do all of my old workhorse machines (12 year-old second car, 15 year-old Power Macintosh G3, 18 year-old Apple laser printer, 30 year-old Atari 2600, 35 year-old Princess telephone, you get the picture), often praising them for hanging in there after I've pushed them near their limits. Obviously these are products proven to stand the test of time! So while trying to think of a contest theme so I could do a giveaway before the holidays, I thought: Hey, why not finally give "Bessie" an identity, and let you choose what the name will be!





In order to help you come up with the perfect name, here are some facts about the machine:

Model: Sears Kenmore Zig-Zag sewing machine, no. 1318

Purchased: New, in the early 1970s, at a Sears in a suburb of Chicago (so it's about 40 years old)

Color: Avocado green (of course!)

Weight: 21.2 lbs / 9.6 kg

Interesting tidbit #1: After sewing about eight tea towels, the pedal is so hot I cannot put my foot on it (fire hazard!)

Interesting tidbit #2: Considered vintage, one in similar condition recently sold on eBay for $145

Interesting tidbit #3: some of the parts are still available from Sears

Interesting story from my mom: "I started taking some sewing lessons in a lady's basement, and I had to take [the machine] with me to class. I remember it was huge and heavy, and everybody else brought these little, cute petite deals to class. Theirs had cases and mine didn't. I felt really poor. My first assignment was to do "gathering". The lady was really nice, and I learned a lot.... You were watching me sew, when you were about 4. You had the most beautiful honey-colored hair, and it was easy to just put it in two side ponytails, especially on hot, summer days. I may have been making something for you, and you decided to watch. You were on the side of the "hand wheel", and at one point leaned in closely to see better, and the wheel caught your right-side ponytail and started winding it up. Your scream made me take my foot off the pedal, stopping the machine. It all happened in a matter of two seconds. I felt terrible. Fortunately, I think the ponytail holder had such a tight grip on your hair in between the hair ends and your scalp that it lessened the amount of hair that was pulled out. It wasn't much, but enough to really hurt." [I remember when that happened!]

Now, you say, what is the prize for dreaming up the perfect name? A tea towel, of course! Any tea towel, your choice, from the 12 pictured below.



Sound good? If so, here's how to participate:

1. If you haven't done so already, "Like" Penny Candy Handmade on Facebook.
   
2. Comment with the name you wish to enter on the corresponding Facebook post here. You can enter as many names as you wish.
   
3. Get your friends to "Like" your entry comment. You may "Like" your own entry, and you may "Like" other entries.
   
4. Contest ends Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 11:59pm PST. The entry with the most "Likes" will be the WINNER!
   
5. I will only vote in the event of a tie. My family members are not eligible to enter names, but may vote.
   

Christmas Giveaway Winners!

The results are in! Below are the winners in the three Christmas giveaways posted last week. Thank you so much to everyone who participated--I love reading your comments and blog posts!

To pick the winners, I used the random number generators at random.org. For the first giveaway, because there were six posts, I used the Dice Roller (rolling one die). For the second and third giveaways, I used the True Number Generator. Each post was given the number corresponding to the order in which it was received.

Winners: to claim your prize, please comment on this blog post. In the meantime, I'll get the goodies packed and ready to go!

Day Three: FREE!

"Three's a Charm"..."Three's Company"... Yes, this is Day Three of the giveaways! Today I am offering a funky little item you can give as a stocking stuffer, or make yourself!

There's no way to avoid being creative (or smelling nice) this holiday season, with your very own Do-It-Yourself Christmas Stinks! combination stocking stuffer, air freshener, and Christmas tree ornament kit! Decorate your little tree using the enclosed trimmings and/or whatever else suits your fancy--customize the tree to your personality and décor! Display it in the office as a conversation piece while it covers up lunchtime aromas. Hang it from the rearview mirror of the car for a more festive, sweet-smelling commute. Stand it up on the TV in your studio apartment when a huge, live fir won't cut it.

The kit includes one air freshener tree (this one is Vanillaroma scent) and a handful of miscellaneous "ornaments" (some vintage!), which vary per kit, but may include: pipe cleaners, sequins and/or sequin strands, ribbon, beads, plastic jewels, stickers, mylar confetti in a variety of shapes, pom poms, rick rack, and more! All you need is glue (school glue works just fine) and some holiday spirit! (Other scents and colors available in my Etsy shop.)

The first photo shows the actual kit you will receive; the second photo shows how a tree might look when decorated.




Here's how to enter: Leave a comment on this post about your favorite holiday scent(s), and if it brings back memories of holidays past.

Here are the rules:

~ All comments must be posted by 11:59pm PDT on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011.
~ One winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday, December 9th, 2011.
~ No purchase necessary.
~ Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!

Cyber TUESDAY?

Someday I'll bet there will be a Cyber Tuesday, when just Monday won't be enough. Let's start the trend with another giveaway! This one is for a pack of five of my 2012 holiday cards with five matching red envelopes.



Here's how to enter: Post a link on your Website, blog, or on Facebook, that links back to my blog or my Etsy shop. Be sure to post a comment to this giveaway post with a link to your posting.

Here are the rules:

~ All links and comments must be posted by 11:59pm PDT on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011.
~ One winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday, December 9th, 2011.
~ No purchase necessary.
~ Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!

Cyber Monday Deal: Free!

Having listed some new items in my Etsy shop, I'm in the mood to do some giveaways! Here's the first one: a pair of fabric-covered pinback buttons! These are 1.25-inches in diameter and have been hand-pressed by me using fabric from my Woodtype Alphabet collection. Before pressing, I laminated the fabric with vinyl. This gives it the look and feel of oilcloth, which means they're more durable and can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, if necessary.



To enter the drawing, leave a comment on this post like so: write one word that begins with the first letter of your first name to describe the holiday season. Here are the rules:

~ All comments must be posted by 11:59pm PDT on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011.
~ One winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday, December 9th, 2011.
~ No purchase necessary.
~ Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!

Good luck, and happy shopping today!

Penny Candy's First Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Robin M., who won the first Penny Candy giveaway! There were seven (7) people entered in the contest, but I "disqualified" my sister because, well, she's my sister... So after alphabetizing by first names, I assigned everyone a number (1 through 6):

1. Angela S.
   
2. Jane S.
   
3. Kristin R.
   
4. Laurie Y.
   
5. Lucy C.
   
6. Robin M.

Then I used an Internet random number generator to roll a pretend six-sided die, and the computer rolled a 6...Robin M.

Robin will receive a Penny Candy Welcome Kit. Once assembled, I'll take a photograph of her goodies, so you can see what other sort of giveaway items may come in the future!

Thanks to everyone who participated, and to those who now follow Penny Candy! Your support means the world to me!

...to Penny Candy! My name is Amy and I've been crafting for most of my life. That statement sounds like either a Craftaholics Anonymous greeting, or something a contestant on "The Dating Game" might have said. Most of what I make is two dimensional (prints, greeting cards, etc.), but occasionally I like to make jewelry out of vintage and reclaimed objects, and items for the home, like pillows and lampshades. When I was 12, back in the early 1980s, I had my own little store at home and made things to sell to my sister and the kids in our neighborhood. I feel like this new Indie craft wave is the perfect way for me to get back to my roots. You can read more about me on my About page.

Since I'm just starting out, you will find most of my latest work on Spoonflower: a collection of fabric. I am adding new designs each week and will be using the fabric in crafty projects, and adapting the designs to prints and other media.

The Penny Candy Shop on Etsy will be stocked with prints, paper goods, fabric, vintage finds, and more...that I hope you find interesting and fresh! I am also available to do custom work, so if you find an item you like that could be altered to fit you better, let me know.

Check out the Gallery for samples of some of work, past and present; and keep up with the latest news here.

Since this is my first blog post, why not start out with a contest?! Now through Sunday, September 18th, all those who Like Penny Candy on Facebook will be entered into a drawing to receive a Penny Candy Welcome Kit, which will include samples and other goodies! Here are the rules:

• All "Likes" must be entered by 11:59pm PDT on Sunday, September 18th, 2011.
  
• The winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday, September 19th, 2011.
  
• No purchase necessary.
  
• Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.
  
• Please allow two (2) weeks for delivery of the Welcome Kit.

You can enter the drawing here. GOOD LUCK! And thanks for checking out Penny Candy Handmade!