Nov 24, 2012

Celebrate Small Business Saturday with Window Shop Blog Hop Winners!

Happy Small Business Saturday! Here's hats off to all the Window Shop Blog Hop participants and to the small businesses owners who donated prizes to support handcrafted!



I'd like to give a big shout out to everyone who shared their own or their favorite handcrafted shops for the Window Shop Holiday Blog Hop! The artistry of the participants and the many beautiful and very cool products shared for Holiday shopping is the best of the best. Everyone was also very kind when I had to delay announcing winners due to my health, and for that great kindness I have a special surprise for all participants! 


The brilliant Cindy Lichfield McConkey


I also want to give a shout out and thank you to Cindy Lichfield McConkey for her generosity to the jewelry artists community! Meeting Cindy was one of the best gifts in my life because she is incredibly positive, funny, uplifting and kind. I like her immensely! 







The brilliant Barbara Carleton
And a shout out to Barbara Carleton of Bejeweled software, who, like Cindy, is also a brilliant inventor! Both women are geniuses at creating excellent products for jewelry designers, bead artists and crafters. Cindy's Cloud Dome photography products are great for anyone taking serious photographs because they create even lighting -- no more reflections, shadows, and uneven lighting. Barbara's Bejeweled Software will accurately cost and price jewelry, organize components and venders, track and manage customers, organize tax information, and create catalogs. 


You'll find pages for both the Cloud Dome on Facebook and Bejeweled on Facebook, too. 
And finally, if you are a winner of their products, please considering showing your support of Cindy or Barbara by blogging about their small businesses. Enjoy the prizes! Winners were randomly matched with prizes using random.org.


The Window Shop Winners:


 The Cloud Dome winner -- Antiquity Travelers



Thanks to Cindy, I had the opportunity to try out and review the Cloud Dome, and I love the professional, impressive images it creates. Look for my review here on the JSF blog and in my GEMFAIRY REVIEWS at Jewel School, both coming soon! Compared to full photography set-ups, the small price for the Cloud Dome is a smart  investment for serious photography on Etsy, Ebay, ArtFire, etc., and for catalogs, contests, and submissions. And now that Jewel School has introduced flex-pays (yes!!), let's hope the Holidays can be made even sweeter with flex pays on Cloud Domes. You can  purchase the Cloud Dome directly at Cloud Dome, through Barbara Carlteton at Bejeweled,or at Jewel School.





 The Nimbus Dome winner -- Pretty Things


Like the Cloud Dome, the Nimbus Photography Dome is getting great reviews too! Check out Mike Perlman's recent review of the Nimbus at Digital Photography Review for helpful tips on using the Nimbus photography dome designed for smart phones.

You can purchase the Nimbus directly from Cloud Dome






Bejeweled Software winner - Freestyle Elements

 The Jewelry Designer Manager (Tm) Pricing Jewelry Made Easy Software" has twenty-two 4.5 out of 5 star reviews at Jewel School online! Make beautiful, professional high end catalogs of your work, price your jewelry or beads, organize venders and keep track of customers. With more time to create, your store is certain to shine after getting Bejeweled! You can purchase the ten year anniversary edition of Jewelry Designer Manager (Tm) made specifically for and available only at Jewel School (with pricing and cost, catalog creating, and customer organization) now at 30% off for $69.99, or choose from several editions available at Bejeweled.


Earring Photography Stand winner --  The Adventures of Belle West




The makers of the Cloud Dome have created an easy, professional way to take excellent photos of the most challenging type of jewelry to photograph: earrings. The product uses the reflection of free hanging earrings for the perfect shot. The Cloud Dome earring stand works with the Cloud dome, or simply your tripod and camera. Available at the Facebook shopping mall, or you can purchase it directly from Cloud Dome.



And surprise! More Winners!

As my personal THANK YOU for your kindness in waiting when my post announcing winners had to be delayed, and to show my appreciation for all the participants who took time to share handcrafted with the Jewel School community ... ta-da-ta-da: 

Earring Photography Stand winner #2 -- Libellula Jewelry




The makers of the Cloud Dome have created an easy, professional way to take excellent photos of the most challenging type of jewelry to photograph: earrings. The product uses the reflection of free hanging earrings for the perfect shot. The Cloud Dome earring stand works with the Cloud dome, or simply your tripod and camera. It retails for $40 at the Facebook shopping mall, or you can purchase it directly from Cloud Dome.




Earring Photography Stand winner #3 -- Spice Box Designs



The makers of the Cloud Dome have created an easy, professional way to take excellent photos of the most challenging type of jewelry to photograph: earrings. The product uses the reflection of free hanging earrings for the perfect shot. The Cloud Dome earring stand works with the Cloud dome, or simply your tripod and camera. It retails for $40 at the Facebook shopping mall, or you can purchase it directly from Cloud Dome.



Earring Photography Stand winner #4 -- Amazing Designs by Marlene




The makers of the Cloud Dome have created an easy, professional way to take excellent photos of the most challenging type of jewelry to photograph: earrings. The product uses the reflection of free hanging earrings for the perfect shot. The Cloud Dome earring stand works with the Cloud dome, or simply your tripod and camera. It retails for $40 at the Facebook shopping mall, or you can purchase it directly from Cloud Dome.
 
 

Bead Soup  Book Winner -- Wrapped Up in Magic

"What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon










Bead Soup  Book Winner #2 -- Knot Just Macrame 
 

 "What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon









Bead Soup  Book Winner #3 -- A Grateful Artist


"What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon









 Bead Soup  Book Winner #4 -- Lindy's Designs


 "What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon










Bead Soup  Book Winner #5 --  Fabric of My Life


 "What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon









Bead Soup  Book Winner #6 -- Bantering Bird 


 "What happens when one energetic, well respected jewelry-making blogger and 26 talented beaders connect through social media and end up swapping their leftovers? You get a mélange of projects bursting with every flavor imaginable! Each designer was given a focal bead, a unique clasp, and coordinating beads, and was charged with creating a dynamic piece of jewelry. These artists push their own boundaries to come up with new combinations and original pieces." -- Amazon







Please note, if you're a winner of the Bead Soup book but already own a copy, please let me know and I'll send you:

Beyond the Bead Making Jewelry with Unexpected Findings (Margot Potter)


 Written in Margot Potter's humorous voice, Beyond the Bead leads readers through a series of techniques for creating unique mixed-media jewelry. Step-by-step instruction is provided for all the techniques including working with glass, resin and plastic, polymer and metal clay, felt and fibers, hardware store goods, paper art supplies and even odds and ends from around the home. A gallery of finished pieces that utilize those same techniques fill each chapter, inspiring readers to create pieces all their own.
Focuses on teaching techniques versus the traditional format of step-by-step projects by demonstrating a variety of techniques then showing a gallery of finished projects using them in different ways -- Amazon




 Congratulations! 

Winners please contact me by email [toltecjewels (at) aol (dot) com] by Nov. 30th with the subject line "Window Shop Blog Hop Winner" and include the following info: 


Name of your blog
Your winning prize

Your mailing name
Your mailing address
Choice of books, if applicable.


Prizes will be mailed the during first week of December.








Toltec Jewels is an author by day, jewelry maker by night. Her literary work is housed by the San Fransisco MOMA and is published internationally in popular magazines, literary quarterlies, and university publications. She has won a number of awards for literary and jewelry arts. She is happiest making handcrafted jewelry with her entire family, snuggling with her doggies and grandkids, sewing, singing, reading, and learning jewelry techniques. She is the host of Jewel School Friends, a community of expert and emerging artisans taking inspiration from each other and Jewel School. Join her on Facebook for networking, fundraising for Beads of Courage, jewelry making challenges, contests, give-a-ways and of course, cool beads and jewelry!

9 comments:

  1. OMG - amazing!! I could not be more excited to win!! thank you so much

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  2. Yay! So excited! Thank you so very very much! I will use the earring stand and let you know how much I like it! Thanks again!

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  3. Yay! I won a book! Thanks for hosting this great event, Rita! :-)

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  4. Wow - thank you so much!!! You're tooooo generous!

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  5. I'm so happy for everyone! Congratulations !!!

    Rita:)

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  6. I really had a lot of fun participating in the Window Shop Blog Hop! I enjoyed the chance to discover some shops that were new to me.

    I'd like to send a huge thank you and hugs to Rita, Cindy, and Barbara. I really look forward to trying the new earring photography stand.

    Congratulations to everyone who won!

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  7. Oh, thank you so much, Rita! What a generous and exciting prize! I can't wait to use the Jewelry Designer Manager, and I will certainly blog about it! Yay! A big thank you to Cindy and Barbara, too!

    Congratulations to all the winners!

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  8. Oh, wow, I was just going to congratulate the winners and saw that I was one! What a nice surprise... But back to thanking you for sponsoring this and your EXTRA generosity. THANK YOU!

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  9. How sweet!! I actually won something really cool! Thank you so much for letting me know. I look forward to using my new earring photography stand. Thank you again, Rita, for having this amazing giveaway and for all your goodness and kindness. You are an exceptional woman. God bless you! XO

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Gracias for your comments and for visiting! I appreciate every word :)
Namaste --
Rita