Giveaway Results! & Something for Everyone

While only one person can win the stationery set and art journaling book, everyone can gain a benefit from this giveaway.  I am thrilled with all of the creative book recommendations that you all provided with your entries.  I've compiled the list so that you can use it as your own creative bibliography and shopping list!

• The Art Journal Workshop, by Traci Bunkers
• The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, by Karen Michel
• Confident Creative:  Drawing to Free the Hand and Mind, by Cat Bennett
• Artist's Journal Workshop:  Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures, by Cathy Johnson
• Postal Seance, by Henrik Drescher
• Signs on the Wind, by Lenore Tawney
• Journal Revolution, by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
• How to Be an Explorer of the World, by Keri Smith
• Living Out Loud, by Keri Smith
• Journal Bliss, by Violette
• Heirloom:  Notes from and Accidental Tomato Farmer, by Tim Stark
• Creative Sparks, by Jim Krause
• The Journey is the Destination, by Dan Eldon
• The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron
• Uppercase magazine
• Self Made Stationery, by Kazumi Udagawa
• Creative Paint Workshop, by Ann Baldwin
• Scraptastic, by Ashley Calder
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
• Brave Intuitive Painting, by Flora Bowley (yet to be published)

Considering that I only have four of these books, it will be a big help for me in planning my Christmas list!

Many thanks to all of you who entered my first giveaway.  Because some comments posted multiple times, and most people put all of their entries into a single comment, I ended up writing your names on pieces of paper (according to how many entries you had), and then drew one for the winner.

EDIT:  Because the original winner did not contact me for several weeks, I drew a new winner.  You can see the results of the second drawing here.

And the winner is...

Drumroll please...

Congratulations, Bonnie!
Please email me at aleakaskey@yahoo.com with your snail mail address, and I will make every effort to get your prize out to you on Monday!

Many thanks to all of you for playing along with my giveaway; I now have the confidence to hold some more giveaways in the near future!  Stay tuned....

Decluttering with Benefits!

If you haven't gotten around to your spring cleaning/decluttering, then I have an incentive for you to get started now!

Many of us periodically drop off a bag of clothing to Goodwill, or donate food to our church food cupboard, or pass along outgrown children's clothing to our friends. Now we have an opportunity to receive a little "thank you" for our efforts, which may in turn encourage our acquaintances to give to others.

My friend Karen has started an initiative with her husband Jeff to encourage people to clean out their closets, pantries, cupboards, and attics for a good cause.  You can find all the details on their blog, but here are the "essentials":  Clear out your clutter, donate or sell it, and then leave a comment on their blog (or email them) for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including Starbucks, Amazon, and Visa gift cards. 

They have also been offering some of my handmade items as giveaway prizes!  Last month, one of the Clean Out Your Closets winners received a gem magnet set similar to these:

Here's what the gem sets look like from the side and top:

And this month, they will be offering two of my embellished-frame chalkboards with a stand, similar to this one, though with differently-themed tapes:

I have appreciated Karen including me in her giveaway, as it has been an unusual way to "spread the word" about Studio 791!

In their "About Me" description, Karen and Jeff state:  "In these tricky times we are trying to find practical ways that we can turn all we have into all we have to share."

I think we could all benefit from joining them in their efforts!

Take a moment to visit their blog, and see if you might want to participate!

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Saturday is the big day: 

I'll be announcing the winner of my first-ever giveaway. 

If you would like to enter, there is still time! 

Check out the giveaway post for details.

Prayer Flags

Prayer flags are a centuries-old tradition among Tibetan Buddhists.  My first exposure to the flags came in the mail, when the Free Tibet organization sent me a string of flags while asking for my support. 

When I learned more about the tradition of prayer flags, I found it delightful.  The flags, containing all sorts of symbols, prayers, and mantras are placed outside homes for the wind to carry the prayers out into the open air.  The flags, moving in the wind, are said to generate natural positive energy and bring harmony.  There is significance to the symbols, colors, and materials beyond my knowledge and understanding.

I was recently directed to the Prayer Flag Project (unfortunately, I cannot remember the person who first provided me the link), which seeks to spread peace, goodwill, and kindness, one flag at a time.  The originator of the project, Vivika Hansen DeNegre, invites people to create a flag (she includes a tutorial on her site), hang it outside to spread the words and sentiments on the wind, and then submit a photo for inclusion on her site.

Shortly after I saw that site, Donnalee Nichols sent me a mini-zine about prayer flags, which she calls "living kinetic words of hope."  Further, it says, "It is believed that the prayerful words on the flags are lifted up to God and spread thru out the universe as they soar in the wind.  Everyone who encouners that wind is touched by that prayer that extends blessings of good will & peace...a reverent reminder that our prayers are heard and answered."  Beautiful!

With all of these "nudges," I was inspired to do my first (but certainly not my last) prayer flag project.  I decided to work with paper--a more familiar, comfortable, and "easy" medium for me--before tackling something with fabric.  I chose the size of an ATC for each of my flags to make my initial project manageable. 

I then created a list of qualities that I find myself praying for frequently, or know that I need to be praying for regularly.  I came up with:  peace, love/tenderness, wisdom, satisfaction, nature, innocence/purity, joy, faithfulness, and new beginnings.

For each quality, I created a collaged ATC/prayer flag.  On the backs of each, I wrote a Bible verse that reflected that quality.  The verse serves as a reminder of the quality, or as a prayer in itself.

I punched two small holes in each card and strung them together on hemp twine.  Then I hung the prayer flags above the closet in Studio 791, spreading their positive energy among my art supplies.

Here are some close ups of each of the flags:

innocence/purity, love/tenderness, satisfaction

the verses on the back (in reverse order from the images above)

joy, new beginnings, wisdom

again, the verses on the back, in reverse order from the images

nature, peace, faithfulness

again, the verses on the back, in reverse order from the images

While it's not particularly realistic that I would stand in my closet to read the Bible verses on the back, I thought the photos captured from inside, looking out into my workspace looked pretty cool:

I continue to be interested in the concept of prayer flags, and for the ways in which they connect with my Christian faith.  There are sure to be more prayer flag projects in my future!

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Please take a moment to enter my giveaway, if you haven't already. 

I will be announcing the winner of the book and stationery set

on Saturday, May 5!