My New Year’s Resolution (as usual) involved tidying up and making room to work.
This Resolution then collided with Reality and caused a Dilemma.
To read about The Dilemma, please skip The Giveaway and scroll down.
The Giveaway
I have three sets of magazines (details in previous post) and a miniature card theatre (details in a previous post) and no space.
If I continue to create more printables (and try them out) I am going to have even less space.
So, if you would like a set of 6 miniature magazines, or the theatre (or both) please leave a comment at the bottom of this post letting me know if you would like the set of magazines made from –
- Basic supermarket paper
- Best quality eucalyptus paper (the paper does not smell, it is just paper made from fast-growing, “sustainable” wood)
- Premium coated paper
or
- the theatre
(you can, of course, also say something else like – “nice idea” – “are you mad?” – “more please!” – “when are you going to do a new printable?” etc.)
One comment per person, please.
If you would like the theatre and a set(s) of magazines, please say so in one comment.
When someone leaves a comment I will write their name and number on a piece(s) of paper and, depending on what they would like, that numbers will go into one of four separate bags.
The winners will be picked at random on Sunday (oops Sorry ! SATURDAY) 2nd February 2013, at midday (UK time).
(Remember, one comment each please. If you would like the theatre and 1/2/3 set(s) of magazines, I will make sure that your number is put in each bag.)
Please be aware –
- When WordPress sends me notification that someone leaves a comment, they also include the sender’s email address – I never store, share or keep that email address.
- I will contact the four winners via the comments on this blog (anyone who looks will be able to see who has won, and what).
- I will also contact the winner(s) by the email address supplied by WordPress. At this point the winner(s) will need to give me a delivery address – I will not store, share or keep that delivery address.
- I will put the magazines and theatre in the post as soon as possible, but delivery may take up to 14 days or, if the weather is bad where you live, even longer.
The Dilemma
I haven’t blogged for ages and this is my third blog post in under 24 hours.
What is going on ?
I did start to write an explanation and, after I had filled three sides of A4 paper, I concluded that a list was easier to read.
- Thanks to the nice person who commented a couple of days ago, asking about printables, I started to feel guilty
- I am a terrible record keeper (and I have been very busy)
- This blog is supposed to make me keep track of what I am doing (it’s not working)(and I have been very busy)
- I think blogging about “what I made this week” is Monumentally Boring (and I have been very busy)
- I like making things (and I have been very busy)
- I am interested in what other people make (I am never too busy for this)
- I like being able to share things to do and make (sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day)
- So do I –
- Make kits? This is not cost-effective – for me, or the person paying postage
- Make downloadable plans that have to be paid for? I doubt very much that anyone would buy them AND, even if they did, they would not be cost-effective for me
- Make printable freebies for this blog? These are expensive time-wise and I can’t do them every week, but they do give me a chance to try out some ideas and they are a lot more fun than “blogging”
What do I do with the examples I make for the blog ?!?!?!
- Bin them? – I hate throwing things away – even failed projects have a box of their own ( Get a Grip, Elizabeth – you do not have space for another box !!!!)
- Sell them? – 9 times out of 10 – this is not going to be cost-effective – for me, or the person paying postage
- Give them away? – How?!?!?!? – I don’t belong to a miniaturist’s club, I am not going to any fairs soon/this year/ever again, and you’d be amazed how many people I know who Do Not Have The Slightest Interest in Dolls’ House Miniatures…
So I investigated the Online Giveaway Process – (and started to feel worried)
- Rafflecopter, etc. = data capture (I do hope everyone keeps a separate email address especially for entering giveaways)
- Facebook app thingy = you have got to be joking !!! (Advertising gone mad, why should everyone know what everyone else buys?)
- Etsy Giveaway??? – Etsy provides a page full of links to individual blogs. They don’t host them.
Full circle back to this blog.
Hi Elizabeth,
First of all, I’d jump at the chance to win any give-away of your trials/errors/whatever you offer…but I’ve already made my own theater(s) from your printies and I can easily make the magazines, too, so I’ll leave them for another reader who doesn’t make their own miniatures.
If I got to pick what you do on your blog in the future, I’d definitely go for more projects or printies or tutorials. Even if you didn’t post them regularly, I’d love them. The type of information you’ve presented here about paper types and how to glue the magazines together so they look like they have pages and don’t pop open is very useful.
I am completely ignorant of how blogs work, but it seems that everyone is always offering give-aways so they must be really popular. I certainly would not be apologizing for how long mailing of a free gift might take, especially if the winner lives overseas. And I wouldn’t worry about giving away something that isn’t absolutely “perfect” in your eyes, or isn’t made of archival materials. Readers who worry about that aspect of a free miniature simply don’t have to enter! Unfortunately, I don’t have any ideas for dealing with the postage costs for mailing any give-aways. I know Royal Mail rates are high.
I have one comment on the topic of papers: I found a partial box of Hewlett-Packard “Non-Glossy Plotter Paper” in a charity shop. It is an extremely smooth paper with good weight that produces much better print copies in my aging color ink-jet printer. It is standard letter-sized paper, and I have no idea why it is called “plotter paper”, except that I think it is used for printing graphs and they often have very fine, exact lines on them.I have no idea if it meets any archival standards, but it’s a huge improvement over standard printer paper. I have not searched online for this type of paper, but none of the local business supply stores have anything like it (or even know what I’m talking about when I describe it to them). I’m going to be very sad when the small supply I have runs out.
I’m looking forward to following your blog again. – Sharon
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That’s a really good tip about the Plotter paper ! Thank you !!!
I will see if it is available in the UK – you never know what something new to experiment with might suggest !
I am told that Giveaways are usually used as a good way to “increase the visibility of your blog” …
I think I should amend my last blog entry to read –
PLEASE DO NOT INCREASE MY BLOG’S VISIBILITY ! (I really do mean this). Just think how much better your chances of winning would be if nobody else knows about the Giveaway!
I am hoping that the weather is going to improve – it seems to have been raining very nearly non-stop since last May… sigh… – if it does I will see what I can come up with by way of something new and interesting to make.
I hope that the magazines work well for you – I should have some more things to add to the Project’s Page soon.
All best wishes, Elizabeth
…No worries about the postage on this occasion, everything is very light and will travel letter rate 🙂
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Dear Elisabeth,
I’m not able to help you solving your dilemma. I’m apprentice in blogging on one hand and on the other I know what it means to built minatures = boxes over boxes of new, old, recycled material! I have an entire room full with boxes!!!
But thank you very much for reminding me about the risk of data capture…
If I can help you “getting rid” of printies, I would like to receive the set of non coated magazines 🙂
Thanks for thinking of rewarding your readers!
Ersilia
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Dear Ersilia,
Thank you for your kind comments – you wouldn’t think, would you, that making small things would take so much storage space for paper and glue and paint and glitter and anll the bits that are “going to come in useful one day”… not to mention everything else…
Your piece of paper – number 2 – is now in a bag.
Thank you for helping out !
Elizabeth
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Hello Ersilia,
Congratulations, a set of the non-coated magazines is yours.
If you let me know where you would like them to be sent, I will put them in post on Monday.
All best wishes,
Elizabeth
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Wow!! Elisabeth, I’m really surprised … It ‘s the first time I win a prize. I’m so happy. Moreover, my birthday is on Wednesday. I will consider it a birthday present. Thank you!
How can I let you know my address?
I can’t wait to thumb through your magazines 🙂
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Hi Elizabeth,
I would love to receive either (or both!) your magazines or the theater. The theater would go wonderfully in my dollhouse child’s room. I am a big fan of your work and, as you already know, have several of your pieces. Thank you for this offer!
Kathleen
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Hi Kathleen,
Thank you very much for your kind comments – and for helping me out.
Your pieces of paper – Number 3 and 4 – are now in two bags.
All best wishes,
Elizabeth
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Hi Elizabeth,
I’m so happy to have won the theater! I’m looking forward to displaying it in my dollhouse child’s room. Thank you so much!
By the way, if you haven’t been on Facebook lately, look at the picture I posted a couple of weeks ago of your rug in my dollhouse. It is lovely!
Thanks again for your wonderful art.
Kathleen
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Hi Kathleen,
I am so sorry, I have not visited Facebook for a couple of weeks. I have been head-down making theatres and time has melted away.
This week Monday evening is going to be my “internet” time and I have written FACEBOOK!!!!!! at the top of my list of places to visit – I am looking forward to seeing some more of your wonderful photos very much indeed.
Elizabeth
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I can’t really help you with your Dilemma but I’d love to see more tutorials and tips from you even if you didn’t share them regularly.
I’d also love to have the chance to win the theater!
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You are helping by giving me the opportunity to find a home for some things.
Thank you for doing that! – your piece of paper (number 5) is in the theatre bag.
all best wishes,
Elizabeth
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Hello Elizabeth, I know your Etsy shop for a long time, but I found your blog by chance only today, so that is fine if you acquire visibility because your work deserves to be admired by many more!
I would like to join your give away, I’d be happy to win the theater!
I love working with paper, I do mini books, but a book popup I could never realize, I’d like you to put at the disposal a tutorial or a printable free book pop up, to give us all the opportunity to try .
I do not think the postage is a problem, the paper travels light and taxes are not high. I have bought a few times from the UK and the mail travels fast enough, even to Italy, where I live.
a warm hug and congratulations for your wonderful work!
in the meantime, I cross my fingers for the give away … 🙂
xxx Caterina
my blog: http://leminisdicockerina.blogspot.it/
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Thank you very much for your very kind message.
It landed in my spam box and I have only just found it. I am really and truly sorry about this.
I enjoy your blog very much and I would be very happy to make an example pop-up book.
They are fun to make and once you have a pattern you can change the pictures quite easily.
I will try and make a slideshow soon.
Elizabeth
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Thank you very much Elizabeth, I expect to see then, I would very much like to learn how to make a pop up book!
Thank you for your kind reply, I am glad that you like my blog!
and naturally … congratulations to the winner of the Theatre!
many kisses from Italy 😀
Caterina
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Hello Elisabeth, I discovered your blog recently, and, from what little I understand from the translation, you are very funny. I’ll find a little ‘time to look around your blog. I’m very interested. You’re also one of my favorites in Etsy. I like what you do. For the dilemma can not help you, because Google translated does not make me understand all your speech, but I would be happy to have your own small theater. See you soon!
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Hello,
Thank you for your kind message.
Your English is very good !
My Italian is very, very bad.
I am sorry, someone else has already won the theatre, but I am going to have some more things to giveaway soon.
I need to think of a good way to do this.
All very best wishes,
Elizabeth
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Oh, thank you Elisabeth! As it happens, I really like your fans. There is a your fan with the black background, on Etsy, which is one of my favorites. I are fine red tassels. And anyway, any fan made by you will be happy with me. Where I come from we say: “A gift horse, you do not look in the mouth.” In short, a gift is always welcome, whatever it is.
Where I write my address?
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Just write it here – I will be able to read it, but I will not make it visible to anyone else.
We say “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” too 🙂
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Thank you, I have your address and I will post a black fan, with red tassels, to you tommorrow.
I have just been enjoying your blog. (What a fantastic doll by Gale Bantock !)
I have to guess most of the words, but I it is still I have really enjoyed the pictures 🙂
Elizabeth
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Dear Elisabeth,
the magazines arrived with a beautiful birthday card. Thank you very much for the prize and the wishes!!
I wrote an entire post dedicated to your gorgeous magazines on my blog.
Grazie!!!
Ersilia
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I just saw your post. I am very glad that you like the magazines. Thank you for your very generous comments!
I hope that you have a good weekend. Elizabeth
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