Contented Crafter Organisers – Are You Ready For A Give-Away?

Posted on by

It has been more than ten days since my last post and STILL the organisers are not quite ready for the give-away………….  nearly, just not quite there yet.  However to whet your appetite [and to see if I can raise even a modicum of interest after all these months of delay and prevarication] and because there are a number of new readers popping in and I need to be a nice hostess and show something………. here is a wee look at where we are at.

I am making three different covers using postcard sized prints of these paintings:

BeAButterfly1

Smallest Things1a

 

A Gardener [c]

and there will also be a fourth featuring this painting, postcards are being made as I write this

Choose Joy Best

(And PS:- This large, original mixed media painting has just gone into my Etsy Shop – there will never be any prints available of this painting, just some postcards)

The organisers are entirely hand created by me using hardboard, grunge paper, notebooks, printed paper and paints, modelling paste and gel medium. They are finished with charms and beads and ribbon because I like a little bling in my life and these books are supposed to be useful, fun and pretty too!

Because they are hand made there are imperfections in every one and every organiser is unique.  They come with blank tags so you can label them however you wish and they are designed to be reusable.  When a section is used or no longer of use all you need to do is purchase another notebook from your local stationer, preferably at sale price 🙂 and slide it carefully into place under the elastic.  Personally I would remove the cover of the notebook, but you don’t have to.

Here’s a peek at where we are:

giveaway3

As Meatloaf should have sung, three out of four ain’t bad!

Please forgive the quality of the photos – winter has arrived with a stark bang these past two days and it is dark and gloomy and snowing and windy and sleety and we are not amused!

Luckily we have this to keep us warm, thanks to the remarkable Dani’s tutorial

Bavarian Rug

It is almost finished – just another three rounds to go I think – maybe four – it depends how the yarn holds out.  Here is Orlando at 8 am this morning

Snow2May14

“Whatcha doing Mumma?”

Snow1May14

But I digress – back to the  BIG GIVE-AWAY!!

To enter this is what you have to do:

*Follow on the Contented Crafter Facebook page

*Leave a comment here – every comment gets an entry.  Multiple comments=multiple entries

See how simple I make it?  I learnt this from Dani over at Teddy and Tottie   Every Facebook ‘follow’ [I know if you already do, so that gets you an automatic entry] and every comment here gets one entry into the coffee mug.  I should like my coffee mug to be full to the brim this time please.  This is what it looked like for the last giveaway:

Draw3

That’s a bit sad don’t you think?

The winner gets to choose which cover they would like from the four possibilities.

The giveaway will close on the 31st May at 8 pm my time – so go on chat away amongst yourselves in the comments section – or even to me if you like and don’t forget that facebook page – it doesn’t have many likes yet and I should like to get it up a bit…… Ooooh, a new idea: If you introduce a friend to fb or the blog, and they tell me you sent them you will both get another entry 🙂

Now, note to self, better get on and finish those organisers!   Next I might even get around to doing a new painting!

I’ll leave you with this wee gem taken just a week ago by the lovely YD:

Bubbles2 by DJK

Ah, memories!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did  🙂

63 thoughts on “Contented Crafter Organisers – Are You Ready For A Give-Away?”

  1. Pingback: Defiance of the contemporary | Defeat Despair

  2. Oh my, I’m late to this party, but so glad I didn’t miss it! How exciting, I’ll have to go make lots of comments. I don’t know how on earth I would choose if I won, though…each one I saw I thought “THAT one!” then I’d see the next one and think “OOOOoooh no, maybe THAT one!” they are all fabulous. Thanks for this fun contest!

    Like

  3. Hi Pauline, I commented on your post Wednesday night, but wordpress didn’t let it through. An error of some sort. Again I say, I admire your talent. Please blow some of your creativity my way as I am trying my hand at scrap booking for the first time. I’m so into it that every afternoon when I come home from work, I’m at it. Hence, the lack of posting on my blog and others blogs.

    I love the notebook holders! Hope your winter is not too severe. It feels like summer already for me. Have a great weekend!

    Like

    • Scrap-booking you say? Well then, you have entered the gates of doom!! There is no going back and soon you will be engulfed in more and better and bigger projects and your family will never see you again! 🙂 It is a wonderful and addictive hobby because there is always something new to learn. I shall look forward to seeing some of your work featured on your blog 🙂

      Like

  4. Where to start, where to start. The artwork of your notebooks would have to hung on the wall. To pretty to lie down. It was hard to choose a favorite. As soon as I get moved in (crossing fingers here) to my new place, I’ll have to give your etsy shop a browse. You do beautiful crochet work. Played at it for a few years but never reached your level. Guess I’ve been too busy packing and unpacking these last few years the yarn to get anything done.:). I know you’ll get the last one done quickly now. Your weather does surprise me. Orlando is looking like he’s wondering what the heck that stuff is out there and could you please make it go away. 🙂

    Like

    • That is exactly right Marlene – he did not know what had happened and did not much like it – a little like when he feels a sneeze coming on and puts his face up to mine as if to say ‘I’m about to explode mumma, make it stop’ Mumma is busy ducking for cover!

      Do you have a move in date for your new home yet? I know it will be just wonderful for you to unpack those boxes finally and forever and settle down and craft away as happily as you like …….. Heaven!!

      Like

      • No exact move in date just yet, Pauline. Looking at the end of June. Must paint, clean and repair an entire floor as well as clean the carpets first. Then the real work begins. Also have to clean my apartment after I move out. I think we have crossed our last hurdle today. Had the inspection yesterday and found a tiny (expensive) problem but the seller and I negotiated through it. The house is sound but neglected. I will be busy for quite awhile. 🙂 I can just see Orlando sneezing. 🙂

        Like

  5. oh my….I have been so busy lately and not at my computer much at ALL!!! I am still working on a post and am finding the garden takes all my time….soooo…I am stopping by now to drop a comment before I head out again. HOW LOVELY!!! I have to head over to your etsy shop again. I gave your card to a friend and it was so nice, she loved it:-) I am not sending one to my daughter. I love your new ones. I do not have a facebook account, but some day might:-) I love you new ones…so lovely:-) We are in the humid weather and the air conditioner went on yesterday…everything greening up here in USA-FINALLY!!! Orlando adorable as usual!!!

    Like

    • You sound as if you are dreadfully busy! And going so quickly from frigid cold to humid too – how difficult is that! I always look forward to seeing your lovely photos of your garden and hearing about your latest thoughts and adventures 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to drop by and leave a note – it is much appreciated 🙂 xoxo

      Like

      • It is always pure delight to visit your blog Pauline! You are a very specail person which you know from all the wonderful creative people in your “cyber village”( your coined term. I hope to slow down here soon after I catch up on my weeding. I believe I will just post a photo tour of my spring blooms this week, just too much going on with people visiting:-)

        Like

  6. Ooohhh! Pauline, I’m late, I’m late for a very important date!! Life has been hectic and crazy around here! I apologise so much for not dropping in sooner to thank-you for the lovely mentions of my tutorial – and for being the best advertisement my tutorial could ever have by creating such an amazingly beautiful Bavarian knee rug/blanket! Your colours and workwomanship! are stunning! You are talented, talented, talented – and I truly admire your persistence, given some questionable, confusing moments in my tutorial! Thank goodness you made use of the many wonderful You Tube videos on the subject, too.
    Now for your giveaway – my goodness – these journals are exquisite – and you can use them over and over by replacing note pads – gorgeous! Are they in your Etsy shop, too, or am I being way too pushy?!? Unfortunately I haven’t found the time to tackle a Facebook account yet (I am so technologically behind) but the minute I do I will head over to your Facebook world – it sounds like fun!
    I love your comment back to the gorgeous Narf: “At least I didn’t start off saying ‘Hi there, my name is Pauline and I am a procrastinator’ Which is half the truth – the other half being that life keeps interrupting my procrastinating!” – that’s my life exactly!! Ha! Thanks from the bottom of my heart, Pauline – you and Linne have made my week with your kindness and support! xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

    Like

    • I am so pleased you have had two pingbacks for your tutorial and are feeling all happy and squishy inside – you deserve it!!

      And better late than never Dani! You have A LIFE 🙂 which is a wonderful thing to have, even if it is hectic – when you have a smaller life then you might get onto fb and [waste] spend much time there having fun with all your blogging pals 🙂

      There is nothing questionable at all about your tutorial – people like me who learn from seeing things done benefit from being able to watch a video, say “Ah-ha!” and then follow your instructions easily. My brain could not get it just from reading – other people will not have that issue. I am so happy that you taught me how to do this – I think everyone in my family will eventually have one of these gorgeous accoutrements for their homes 🙂

      I am making some organisers currently for the Etsy shop – they will probably get uploaded in a week or so – depending on how well my prevarication goes 🙂

      Thank you for all those lovely remarks and encouragements – I am much heartened by all my blogging friends support! xoxo

      Like

  7. This post starts out like an alcoholics spiel at an AA meeting ma’am! I have to say that your scrumptious organisers are gorgeous Pauline. You are SUCH a clever clogs! I had to draw 50 bananas for my course and even though I am going to put that image in my blog post (got to have SOME images in it 😉 ) I shudder to think of the incredible lack of any kind of drawing ability that went into their production. I guess creating something because you want to is a whole lot different to creating something because you HAVE to and there is a deadline waiting…ticking away …tick …tick …tick …ARGH!

    Mr Loaf may still sing three out of four aint bad. He is still able to give his old tonsils a trot around a fair sized venue from what I hear.

    OOOO BAVARIANS! I just salivated over Linnies tasty treat and here you have one of your own! That’s it…I am making one! I have a rather sensible dull coloured (you would be amazed at what lengths I will go to and how much I will compromise on my regular colour schemes etc. in order to keep my crafted article under Earl’s radar…) afghan going on at the moment more for something to do with my hands and to actually create something than any other reason. I can see a day coming soon where this fluffy delicious trebbly goodness finds its way to Serendipity Farm…just not quite yet…How lucky you are to only have Mr Orlando to knit his claws on your Bavarian. Mr E would be enticed, entranced, enraptured…ALL of the “E’s” over something as lacy as this. I fear I would have to mount any Bavarian that I made on the wall just to give it a fighting chance

    OOOO BUBBLES!

    I have decided that like Ms. Teddy/Tottys giveaway, if I am meant to win one of your scrumptious organisers, I will do it without comment stacking. I already follow your FB page but I follow it for your delightful (wacky, crazy, insane, plain outright nutty…) comments and shares and even though it will give me another entry into that mug of great happiness, I am going to just comment as normal here…”commenting as normal…nothing to see here…move along folks…” sort of thing. Mr Herman from Tasmania may, or may not comment. Nothing to do with me…Ms Shimmelfinny from Ohio might comment…again… nothing to do with me…Mr Tooblave from Israel might comment…you do have a well-established world following no doubt ma’am and these delicious organisers might and rightly should, add to that following.

    Have a gorgeous day twitching your curtains at regular intervals to look at that lovely snow. We don’t get snow here…have to travel for a few hours and up a mountain (with snow tracks on the car so NO mountains for us…) and can only dream of that fluffy cold wet pure white. I will send you some of my white fly infestation (the closest thing that Serendipity Farm will get to actual snow…but mine lifts off and flies away when disturbed! 😉 ) if you send me a bit of your snow 🙂

    Like

    • The snow has all gone, just a couple of patches of frozen sleet sitting where the sun doesn’t shine to indicate how very cold it was. It is some 10 degrees warmer this morning indicating the worst is over and we can move away from our heaters and fires and resume normal life! So, you may keep your white fly for now – though personally I have found a good frost will do them in nicely 🙂

      I need to post more often on the contented crafter page if you are actually looking at it! 🙂

      I have no personal experience with AA meetings, but bow to your superior knowledge and life experience. At least I didn’t start off saying ‘Hi there, my name is Pauline and I am a procrastinator’ Which is half the truth – the other half being that life keeps interrupting my procrastinating!

      I just love this Bavarian stitch. A couple of winters ago I made everybody a crocheted throw in all kinds of fancy stitches and patterns and none of them are as lovely and eye catching as this stitch. You do need to be able to count to eight – and now and again twelve – but that is about the extent of it. Once you have mastered the incomprehensible ‘hook from the back, round the post’ instruction you will be on fire and the world – or at least a Bavarian Rug – will be yours – or Earls!

      Like

      • It’s a bugger when life keeps calling you away from FB games and (in my case) Mahjong tournaments isn’t it? I must admit I don’t go to The Contented Crafter page as much as I go to Orlando’s page but who wouldn’t? He is a fine specimen of handsome MEOW! Quite the cats whiskers indeed. I may come from a long line of splendid alcoholics and have a strong propensity to overindulge and head for the knock-out drops of life But alas, I have never been to or taken part in an AA Meeting…I just know that they start with “My name is “X” and I am an alcoholic” your post sounded an awful lot like you were about to go into confession 😉

        I had a lot of trouble counting to 5 and then 5 and then 5 again (but the “5’s” were different stitches) when I was having a go at making that “UBER easy afghan” (that many experienced crocheters have said that they would have trouble making 😉 ) and now I just have to dig up Dani’s delicious pattern again and stop procrastinating about getting started if the end results look as glorious as your fine speciman. Ok…”Hook from the back, round the post”?!!! I need a post? Any time I have to crochet into the back of something my alarm bells go off but the “post” (and my complete lack of knowledge of what a “post” when it comes to crochet) is a whole new kettle of EH? Methinks I need to bugger off ASAP to my old mucker Google and find out what the HECK a post is when it comes to crochet…otherwise my Bavarian is going to end up a Narfarian and that…can ONLY end in tears…Earl is licking his lips in his sleep…I fear that alien mass of twitching dog/weasel/seal/wolverine/pig has managed to hook into my thoughts…it is only a matter of time till he finds a way to harness my thought potential to his own avail…be afraid…be VERY afraid!

        Like

            • A post is the name that is given to each double treble stitch – I guess it is easier to write or say ‘post’ rather than ‘double-treble stitch’. You bring your crochet hook from the back of the work around the front of the ‘post’ [double-treble stitch] and out the back again and make the new stitch. As soon as you have made two you will say ‘Well, I’ll be danged! So that’s how they do it!’ 🙂 Any clearer?

              Like

              • Yup…clear as mud 😉 I will head off to Youtube and see if I can’t work it out as there are other things that I just read in Dani’s PDF (I downloaded it again…) that make NO sense at all to me so I had best hightail it to Youtube and get me some ejamacation…

                Like

  9. Wow Pauline – so many talents on display! The paintings and words are just beautiful and the blankie is stunning! I am in awe – I am such a butter-fingers with stuff like that. Oh boy, you’re getting some interesting weather!! I can’t believe the pic of Orlando looking out at snow!! We’re having 26 degree blue-sky sunny days – completely weird for the last few days of autumn!! It’s averaging 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. When we go on our walks, it feels like we’ve broken something really important with the climate!! So much for our Prime Minister denying that there is climate change!!! Take care and rug up well. : )))xoxox Anne

    Like

    • You are 10 degreees above and we are around 10 degrees below normal.

      Bless them all, the deniers – they may deny all they like – those of us who actually feel the weather and live in the world know we have new conditions to meet. ‘The weather’ is no longer phatic communication, it is of intense interest to us all! It’s a bit like the Emperors New Clothes – we can deny what we see or we can be honest …….. You put it well ‘we have broken something really important’ It remains to be seen if we can fix it, or if we must now learn to live with the consequences of our collective actions and decades of denial. It certainly is an interesting time!

      You take care on those walks. xoxo

      Like

      • Thanxx Pauline. The problem in Australia is that the current Government denies there is climate change and is dismantling all of the environment protection and positive action put in place by their predecessors!! They are so incredibly short-sighted and self-interested. Don’t get me started on their Budget measures that have targeted the least well off in our society!!!

        Like

  10. Snow! I keep having to remind myself that while we are just entering into warmer weather, you are in the fall … er … winter? Is it typical for you to get snow this early in your season (I assume it’s early in the season anyway)
    The blanket is lovely!! (as are your drawings … ).

    Like

    • Snow is not a typical event even in the darkest days of winter Laurie and this is way too early! I’m calling it ‘the new weather’ as it is a topic of interest for us all as we grapple to come to terms with the changes that are going on across the entire globe!

      We are six months behind you – so if you think about your season at the end of November that is where we are now. Except I live on a long thin Island which is supposed to be fairly temperate here by the sea but is now showing every sign of becoming a suburb of the Antarctic!!

      Glad you like the art and stuff!

      Like

  11. I think you beat me to it, Pauline! Love your knee blanket. Mine is only acrylic, but will be warm. Love the colours in yours, though. Perfect for your lovely home.

    0 degrees? it’s all relative, I guess . . . 🙂 Here it’s cool and rainy since yesterday, which I really enjoy; no more heat ’til Thursday and then maybe up to 32C ! Loved your storm video on FB, too; reminded me so much of our November storms when I lived on the Island (Vancouver Island and also South Pender for a couple of winters).

    Those notebooks, though; you must be mighty proud!! They are all so beautiful, I don’t know what I would choose if I were to win. But I’ll be back to enter anyway.

    Good luck to everyone whose name goes into the cup. It’s always interesting to see who is chosen.

    Have a great week, Pauline; I’ll be back in a while. ~ Linne

    Like

  12. Brrr, Pauline it’s cold where you are!! I am so thankful we rarely get snow on the ground here, it’s so pretty but ick!

    Your blanket is so beautiful, I love those colours. And your organiser looks to be simply beautiful too, I do love your art. I am thinking I will sit this one out too as I won your gorgeous postcards this year. I am wondering why you are saying there will never be prints of your lovely girl, only postcards?

    Beautiful Orlando:) 🙂 He must be the most cutest company for you. xx

    Like

    • Orlando has taken up residence on the table beside my Buddha, directly below the heat pump as that seems to be the warmest spot in the house. I’ve never been able to convince him that tables are not for his perambulation, sitting or lying convenience. I gave up trying a while back. No snow this morning just 0C frostiness. Brrr

      Like

      • Sensible Orlando. I was hugging my heat pump earlier this morning but the sun is now creating lovely warm spots in the house so I will probably chase them around for the rest of the day.

        Like

  15. It seems so weird to see your icky weather, when ours is just getting nice! Smart of you to have provided yourself with that pretty crocheted throw, just in time! Your organizers look wonderful–so pretty and useful. That combination always speaks to me! Give Orlando a little hug from me!

    Like

    • I love that we get to experience how life is for folks on the other side of the globe – it pulls us out of our narrow view don’t you think? I think it was a brilliant move on my part to have this rug ready for use just as the ‘icky’ weather hit [Love that word and may well adopt it!] Orlando has been duly hugged and said “Aw, get off Mumma!” 🙂

      Like

  17. In no particular order, your knee blanket is gorgeous. How nice of Dani to create a tutorial, and how clever of you to follow along. I know how to crochet a chain. The end.

    The colors are perfect for your cottage. I like the way it’s draped to look like a heart on its side.

    I’m still stunned at your frigid weather and stormy seas so early in the season.Orlando must be wondering what the heck is going on.

    Your notebooks are functional works of art, stunning from stem to stern. As much as I would love to be in the running, I feel I should sit this one out as I’ve been the luckiest of winners this past year, both here and on Dani’s blog. Please promise me you’ll either remove my name if drawn, in the unlikely event that lightening strikes twice in the same place. That way I can continue to comment at will (ha). Narf77 will surely want a go.

    I love Mr. Depp. He’s brilliant in everything he does in my opinion. I know the critics trashed that movie, but we went with low expectations and had a great time. Beautiful cinematography, scenery, and the brilliant acting of Depp.

    Like

    • I had to go look at the photo – and yes it does look artfully draped doesn’t it….. in fact I tossed the rug over the arm of the chair and pointed the camera and clicked. 🙂 Serendipity!

      That is very thoughtful of you to offer to sit this draw out – I’d love the opportunity to tempt fate though,,,,,,,, Can I still put your name in and just see if it comes out? [I’ll just draw another name if it does]

      Like

  18. From bubbles to blowing snow? That is positively diabolical. I hope your winter is nothing like ours just was. At almost 8 months, we were getting pretty grouchy about it. I saw your news clip on FB with the storm rolling in. You sure wouldn’t have wanted to be on the water when that monster hit.
    You might not have been painting, but you’ve sure done an amazing job on the knee blanket. It’s beyond the perfect colours for your newly redecorated sitting room too. It’s a whole lot of awesomeness. It didn’t seem to take you too long a all. How many hours do you think you have into it?
    I’ll have to come back to chat up some of your other visitors, tehe. I like that your note book covers are reusable so the recipients will continue to enjoy your art work over and over again.
    I also loved the photo of Orlando at the window, sweetie pie!

    Like

    • I know, it’s crazy isn’t it! We don’t get weather like this until well after mid-winter if at all. I am really hoping that we are not in for a version of your Canadian winter!

      I actually noticed when I was working on the rug last night that it took about 45 mins to do one side – but it’s pretty big now and I was watching Johnny Depp in ‘The Lone Ranger’ – and having to put my work down because I was laughing so much….. I remember the radio programme from when I was a child and they spoof that up so much. The man’s an acting genius!

      Like

      • I like his movies too. Did you see a movie with him called “The Secret Window”? I highly recommend it. It’s from 2004. I haven’t seen the Lone Ranger yet but I love movies that make me laugh. They’re few and far between Nighty night my little Kiwi. Hope the weather is gentle today. xoK

        Like

        • I didn’t watch that movie – I thought it might be too scary for my delicate sensibilities 🙂
          The Lone Ranger is such a spoof on the old radio show and old cowboy films in general that I was highly amused all the way through!

          Like

          • I really liked The Secret Window. I will have to watch the Lone Ranger. I was a big fan of Johnny Depp back in the old Edward Scissorhands days before he became such a teeny-bopper idol, which was inevitable I suppose after he was such a wonderful pirate. Pauline you would probably like the Secret Window. I’m a wimp about scary movies but I liked that one, it wasn’t too much.

            Like

Comments are closed.