{The Ardent Sparrow} at 'One Story Down'

My new shop launched yesterday at 'One Story Down'... And to celebrate the grand opening of the entire store, there's a week of festivities!

Please visit the OSD Forum for a chance to enter the 'Jo Tote' Giveaway!
(Comments posted here will not be published as this is not the site of the giveaway)

And to celebrate, I'm offering this lovely Hanna Journaling card freebie on my Facebook Page... Just click 'Like' to access the free download! I'm pretty new to the digital design world... So please, help me spread the word!

Weekend Project {Photobooks}

Over the last few years, I've posted several of the photobooks I've created for our family here on the blog... I've had a few of you contact me, asking how I created these photobooks... I've been scrapbooking for years now... And I've always really enjoyed it... About three years ago, I began to wonder about using Photoshop to create digital scrapbooks... At the time, I had one little girl and another on the way, so the thought of creating on my computer and not taking up the amount of physical space that regular scrapbooking required was very appealing... I'm also a bit of a perfectionist and I love the flexibility of creating in Photoshop... 

After a wee bit of searching, I found a lot of free resources out there to get me started... I learned how to use layers in Photoshop (this is a great tutorial on layered templates) and my first photobook of our trip to Paris was born! Of course, the free resources only got me so far so I began shopping at some of my favourite digital shops... 

My top three favourite Digital Scrapbooking Shops:

1. Design House Digital

2. Digital Design Essentials

3. The Lilypad

I create all my pages in Photoshop as psd files... When I'm completely happy with them, I flatten and save them as jpeg files... I've used both Blurb and Shutterfly to publish my photobooks... I upload each page as a jpeg and then fill the entire page with the single image... 

If you don't have Photoshop (which is totally, totally worth the investment... It's used more than any other program on my computer!) Shutterfly offers some great options to create lovely photobooks with a scrapbooked look... Simply upload your photos and then drag and drop them!

I recently started designing my own line of digital scrapbooking papers and elements... My newest kit, Hanna is my favourite so far!

 New to Digital Scrapbooking? Design House Digital has a great tutorial to get you started! Why not give digital scrapbooking a try this weekend?

And don't forget, today is the final day to enter the giveaway for a print of your choice from 'Yellow Button Studio'... I'll be choosing a winner tonight!

The Medium {Reverie Magazine}

Have you entered the giveaway for a print from 'Yellow Button Studio' yet?

Inspired by a {Yellow Button Studio} Giveaway

About two weeks ago, I happened upon 'Yellow Button Studio' while browsing around Etsy... I've been looking for a print to hang in the girl's bathroom since we moved last May... And I was thrilled when I found THIS print in Jessie's shop... You see, not only will it look great with the pale blue & white of the bathroom, it's something we often say to the girls... And it's true... I do love them all, to the moon and back! I was excited to order it and in my communications with Jessie, she wondered about sponsoring a giveaway! How could I say no? I love the sentiments and the hand crafted look of Jessie's prints... And thus, a giveaway was born!

To enter the giveaway: Visit 'Yellow Button Studio' and come back here... Leave the name of your favourite print along with your email address for chance to win an 8x10 or 8.5x11 print of your choice from 'Yellow Button Studio'... Spread the word on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter, and post the link in the comments... One winner will be randomly chosen on Friday evening... I'll be contacting the winner by email, so please be sure to leave a valid email address! Thanks to Jessie and have fun browsing her beautiful shop!

 Beautiful Art Prints from 'Yellow Button Studio'

* ENTER BELOW TO WIN A PRINT OF YOUR CHOICE *

A {Shabby Apple} Dress Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED... Congratulations to Briann, winner of the 'Frida K' dress with comment #72 (chosen with the help of random.org)... And thanks again to the lovely ladies of 'Shabby Apple' for supporting this generous giveaway!

Last week, I was contacted by the lovely ladies of 'Shabby Apple'... They asked if I might be interested in running a giveaway for one of their beautiful, vintage inspired dresses! Now let me tell you friends... This was not a decision that took me long to make... I quickly replied that Yes, I would LOVE to run a giveaway for a 'Shabby Apple' Dress! I'm really loving their white dresses and their shirt dresses this summer... Oh... If only I wasn't nearly six months pregnant! Drum roll please...

Prepare to be awed by the stunningly simple and elegant 'Frida K' dress! One fortunate winner will get this very dress, courtesy of 'Shabby Apple'... (For directions on how to enter to win, scroll down below the picture!)

This giveaway will be open until Tuesday, July 19th at Noon EST... The winner will be announced right here on the blog, next Tuesday evening!

There are FIVE ways to enter to win the Frida K... Please be sure to include your email address!

1. Visit 'Shabby Apple'... DROLL over all their dresses and return back here to comment on your favourite dress from one of their many collections

2. Post about this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and return back here to comment

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog and return back here and comment with a link to your post

4. Visit the 'Shabby Apple's' Facebook page, return back here to comment that you've "Liked" 'Shabby Apple' on Facebook

5. Become a follower of this blog and comment, letting me know you're a follower

Please Note: Only five entries will be published per person!
Love what you see? Use the coupon code: sparrow10off for 10% off your purchase at 'Shabby Apple'!

Take It Outside: Quilts

What's better than a summer afternoon, spent laying on a lovely backyard quilt? And tune in tomorrow for something even better... A fabulous dress giveaway from 'Shabby Apple'!

A Week of Spring Giveaways: Day Five

It's day final of the fantastic week of Spring Giveaways (sigh)! If you haven't had a chance yet, please check out this week's early posts to enter the other giveaways! Up for grabs today:

* An apron from Meagan of 'Trendy Meg' (Value: $30 + shipping)

* The "Light as a Feather" Print from Shelley of 'Lovely Sweet William' (Value: $20 + shipping)

* Set of Japanese Masking Tape Stickers from Maylee of 'Sugar B Supplies' (Value: $6 + shipping)

This giveaway runs until 8 am on Friday, April 15th! I will choose ONE winner next Friday using a random number generator! I will then contact the winner via email sometime on April 15th so don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

You can begin by visiting the 'Trendy Meg' and choosing your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address! And be sure to check out Meg's BLOG!

Now head over to visit 'Lovely Sweet William' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Finally, pop in to visit 'Sugar B Supplies' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Have a wonderful weekend and best wishes to you all! And of course, the more the merrier so please help me spread the word!

A Week of Spring Giveaways: Day Four

It's day four of the fantastic week of Spring Giveaways! If you haven't had a chance yet, check out this week's early posts to enter the other giveaways! Up for grabs today:

* A Set of Four 5x5 Photographs from Alice of 'Alice W Photography' (Value: $25 + shipping)

* A Custom Monogrammed Tea Towel from Kimberly of 'Chez Sucre Chez' (Value: $18 + shipping)

This giveaway runs until 8 am on Thursday, April 14th! I will choose ONE winner next Thursday using a random number generator! I will then contact the winner via email sometime on April 14th so don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

You can begin by visiting the 'Alice W Photography' and choosing your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Now head over to visit 'Chez Sucre Chez' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Have a peaceful Thursday and best wishes to you all! And of course, the more the merrier so please help me spread the word and tune in tomorrow for another fantastic giveaway!

A Week of Spring Giveaways: Day Three

It's day three of the fantastic week of Spring Giveaways! If you haven't had a chance yet, check out this week's early posts to enter the other giveaways! Up for grabs today:

* An 8oz bottle of lotion (winner's choice) from Valerie of 'Piper Tate' (Value: $25 + shipping)

* $15 in store credit from Soury of 'Kawaii Goodies'

This giveaway runs until 8 am on Wednesday, April 13th! I will choose ONE winner next Wednesday using a random number generator! I will then contact the winner via email sometime on April 13th so don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

You can begin by visiting the 'Piper Tate' and choosing your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Now head over to visit 'Kawaii Goodies' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and best wishes to you all! And of course, the more the merrier so please help me spread the word and tune in tomorrow for another fantastic giveaway!

A Week of Spring Giveaways: Day Two

It's day two of the fantastic week of Spring Giveaways! If you haven't had a chance yet, check out yesterday's post to enter Monday's giveaway! Up for grabs today:

* A Sunglass Case in Brilliant Lace on Pink from Aiko of 'The Zakka' (Value: $24.50 + shipping)

* A Set of 10 Merci Cards from Darci of 'Spilling Beans' (Value: $15 + shipping)

This giveaway runs until 8 am on Tuesday, April 12th! I will choose ONE winner next Tuesday using a random number generator! I will then contact the winner via email sometime on April 12th so don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

You can begin by visiting the 'The Zakka' and choosing your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Now head over to visit 'Spilling Beans' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Have a happy Tuesday and best wishes to you all! And of course, the more the merrier so please help me spread the word and tune in tomorrow for another fantastic giveaway!

A Week of Spring Giveaways: Day One

Welcome friends... To a week of fantastic Spring Giveaways featuring some of my favourite Etsy shops!

Up for grabs today:

* A Custom Vintage Fabric Messenger Bag (made JUST for the Winner!) from 

Jane of the 'Little Tea Wagon' (Value: $30.50 + shipping) 

* A Message in a Bottle Kit from Margaret of 'Paper Pastries' (Value: $11 + shipping)

This giveaway runs until 8 am on Monday, April 11th! I will choose ONE winner next Monday using a random number generator! I will then contact the winner via email sometime on April 11th so don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

You can begin by visiting the 'Little Tea Wagon' and choosing your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address!

Now head over to visit 'Paper Pastries' and choose your favourite item! Don't forget to come back here and comment with your email address! Interested in an exciting opportunity? Margaret of 'Paper Pastries' runs the pen pal club at ReForm School in Silver Lake. They have monthly meetings where they get together and write letters on typewriters and share what they received in the mail. There is also a simple craft project at every meeting. You don't have to live in LA to be a part of the pen pal club. This club wouldn't work if we didn't have people from across the world. If you'd like to be set up with a pen pal, email the following info to rollcall@reformschoolrules.com: Your name, Your age (optional), Your address, Your hobbies/interests and whether you'd prefer an international pen pal!

Have a lovely Monday and best wishes to you all! And of course, the more the merrier so please help me spread the word and tune in tomorrow for another fantastic giveaway!

A Sneak Peek at Next Week's Giveaways...

Exciting news friends... I've been missing the giveaways... And I've had a few people contact me, asking if I was going to be running any more giveaways... While I found the weekly giveaways really draining, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the beginning of spring with a WEEK of fantastic giveaways... So tune in on Monday (and all next week for the matter) for a new giveaway featuring two Etsy shops EACH day! Enjoy... A sneak peek at a few of the shops that will be featured next week! And please, tell all your friends!

1. 'Little Tea Wagon'

2. 'Piper Tate'

3. 'Lovely Sweet William'

4. 'Chez Sucre Chez'

5. 'Paper Pastries'

6. 'Alice W Photography'

{Lola's Room} Calendar Winner...

Congratulations to Hanna, the winner of a mini calendar of her choice from 'Lola's Room'! Thank you to all who entered and a special thanks to Cassia of 'Lola's Room'!

Giveaway {Lola's Room Calendar}

This week marks the end of the giveaways for the time being... I'll be taking a break over the Holidays and will likely be introducing one giveaway a month (rather than one a week) in the New Year... And trust me friends, we're ending the year off with a bang!

The photographs from 'Lola's Room' make me dream of an eternal summer... And with the cold weather bearing down around us, summer is nearly always on my mind... This week, Cassia of 'Lola's Room' is offering a mini calendar of the winner's choice from her shop (valued at $30 US) + international shipping...Win a piece of that eternal summer to keep you dreaming all year long!

{Shop}

{Blog}

{Twitter}

{Flicker}

 This giveaway runs from December 13th to 19th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, December 19th

1. Visit 'Lola's Room', look around and choose your favourite piece from the shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, December 19th... Please check the blog on Sunday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Cassia of 'Lola's Room'!

Cassia has also taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"I get up early with my two year old son. We have breakfast then prepare to go out for the morning. Every morning is dedicated to him. We meet friends, go to the park or go to the library. At lunch time we come home to eat and play for a while then my son has his three hour nap while I work. I use this time to edit photographs, pack prints and note any orders that were made overnight. The early evening is spent cooking my sons dinner, bathing him and putting him to bed, with help from his dad! Some evenings are work related but my fiance and I put aside a few nights to watch films and spend time together."

What time of year most inspires you?
"It has to be summer, I love the bright sunshine. Everything seems more colourful and the longer days are definitely good for photography."

What do you think of as comfort food?
"My comfort food is tea and toast, they go perfectly together. I am a foodie so anything goes."

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"New York! I have always wanted to go. In fact I would love to travel around America, my big dream."

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"Have a baby
Get married
Move to a bigger house
Work hard so my business grows
Travel"

{Sixth and Main} Giveaway Winner...

Congratulations to Ally, the winner of this week's giveaway with 'Sixth and Main'! Thank you to Myan and all those who participated and stay tuned for the final giveaway of the year!

Giveaway {Sixth and Main Calendar}

I'm really thrilled to have another calendar giveaway this week... This week's winner will get to choose a beautiful fine art calendar from HERE or HERE! Myan of both 'Sixth and Main' and 'Myan Print Shop' takes such pretty, dreamy photographs... Don't you think one of her calendars would make the perfect addition to any table top?

{Sixth and Main}

{Myan Print Shop}

 This giveaway runs from December 6th to 12th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, December 12th

1. Visit 'Sixth and Main' OR 'Myan Print Shop', look around and choose your favourite piece from either shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, December 12th... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Myan of 'Sixth and Main' and 'Myan Print Shop'!

And don't forget to sign up for the First Annual Gift Exchange HERE before Wednesday at Noon!

Myan has also taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"my day has to start with coffee or i can't function. :) then i do yoga/meditation to get grounded before i start my "work" day. after that i answer emails, package orders, harrass my 3 cats, run to the post office and then i edit photographs until my hubby comes home. then it is time to eat dinner, and chill for the night. really boring i know!"

What time of year most inspires you?
"autumn is my absolute favorite season but since we moved to l.a. it has been quite some time since i have seen a proper autumn. so i try to recreate it myself at home with everything pumpkin. art & photography wise, definitely winter. especially a cold moody day at the beach."

What do you think of as comfort food? 
"cupcakes. hands down, a big fluffy vanilla buttercream cupcake! along with hot tea with a splash of rum. ;)"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"oh such a tough question! it would be between england and argentina. but if i didn't have to care about a budget i guess i would go to both! :)"

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"more photography, more painting, be a mom, move back east and learn the cello."

{Honeytree} Calendar Winner

Congratulations to Nancy, the winner of a perpetual calendar from 'Honeytree'! And thank you to Lupen, for offering such a lovely calendar! Stay tuned for a new giveaway beginning Monday at 12 am EST!

And don't forget to sign up for the First Annual Gift Exchange HERE!

Giveaway {Honeytree Calendar}

This week, I'm so excited to introduce you to Lupen of 'Honeytree'... Lupen is offering one fortunate winner her 2011 Fine Art Perpetual Calendar, a value of $27 + shipping! The calendar is spiral bound and as far as I'm concerned, simply stunning... Dress it up with the birthdays of all those you love and use it year after year! Please scroll down below the image to find out how to enter!

{Shop}

{Blog}

{Web-site}

{Flicker}

This giveaway runs from November 29th to December 5th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, December 5th

1. Visit 'Honeytree' look around and choose your favourite piece from the shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, December 5th... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Lupen of 'Honeytree'!

Lupen has also taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"These days a 6:00 am alarm wakes us up , if the cat hasn't first :) Then meditation for about 1/2 hour, followed by a cup of Jasmine green tea and stretching. After breakfast I check my Etsy world and respond to customers, get a plan for the day, get prints and orders ready, updating my blog or facebook page and listing new items in my shop. After lunch is when I head out for the post office and do errands shopping etc. The afternoon is usually my creative time for an hour or two to do other projects, do yoga or play music. In the evenings I have 2 band rehearsals a week and two dance classes a week, but on the other nights my husband and I will usually watch a movie or go out sometimes to an open mic or sit and have tea somewhere.

What time of year most inspires you?
"Spring, I love flowers and new little green buds on the trees."

What do you think of as comfort food?
"Indian samosas, Goat cheese with good bread, Coconut milk ice cream"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"If money was no issue, I would go to Japan, since I love and admire so much their creative arts and the food.... well I could go just for that :)

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"To have an abundant full time income from my photography business, learn French, travel more, continue to grow my own food and live in a beautiful place where I can be inspired by the natural world."