Big Green Giveaway!

Are you ready for our Big Green Giveaway?

You could win this:

The "Apple Tree" Pass It On Plate Lite
This kit includes everything in the Original Pass It On Plate, but not the plate.

So what do I get?
+ The PlateWrap shown in the picture above
+ The Pretty Little Doo Dad (bow) shown on the PlateWrap
+ The special paint pen needed for writing your name on the plate
(You supply the plate)
+ and simple instructions for the whole thing.

...and Yes. Your plate number is in our Plate Diary Dollars program.

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Pass It On Plates help you live green because they eliminate the need for paper or styrofoam plates, they are re-giftable, so you can wash them and pass them on, using them again and again. The cloth PlateWrap replaces any need for paper gift wrap, which can be hard to recycle and creates more waste.
Plus - food gifts are shared (or hoarded) and eaten, so this gift doesn't contribute to clutter, end up in a garage sale or thrift store, or (gasp!) needs to be secretly disposed of. (Unless the cookies are terrible but then you can feed them to the dog.)

Did we mention that you are supposed to give the plate away? Holy cow, that means you can give a totally memorable gift to someone special without breaking the bank. How great is that??

Apple Tree open, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Isn't this fresh and fun? This apple fabric is a very very limited edition from our Wisconsin studio. It's not listed in Etsy, it's not being sold at any fairs or shows, it's not in stores...
You can't get it anywhere except in this giveaway.

Apple Tree, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

You know you want this. Admit it.

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Rules and stuff:

- Giveaway is open to mailing addresses in the US & Canada.

- Starts March 1, 2009 at 12:01am PST

- Ends March 7, 2009 at 11:59pm PST

- You do not need to have a blog to enter, nor do you need to have an account with Etsy, Artfire, or Big Cartel.

- Random.org will tell us who the winner is.

- Include your email with your comment so I can notify you if you win. No email - sorry, I'll have to click "Again!" and pick the next winner.

- The item is packed up and ready to ship right now, so I'll send it out as soon as the winner replies to my email. If I don't hear from the winner within 4 days of my email, I'll need to pick another winner.

- If you're not sure what a Pass It On Plate is all about, you can check out our FAQ.

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This one is going to be a little bit like last month's Share the Love Giveaway but a little different.

Put on your thinking cap and...

Show me the GREEN!

Here's the deal-io.
There are 3 ways to enter.

+1 Go to Etsy, Artfire, or Big Cartel and find something that helps its buyer or user be more green. Come back here and comment with a link to the item and tell us how someone could live more green with this item.

+1 Sign up for our email newsletter. (There's a link in the sidebar.)
Comment here when you're done.

+1 Post our Giveaway badge on your blog. (Grab the code below.)
Comment here when you're done.

<a href="http://passitonplatesblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/share-love-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/PassItOnPlates/1.jpg" border="0" alt="Pass It On Plates Giveaway March 1-7" /></a>

Good luck!

Featuring Deconstructress

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, NewYorkMemos said... My favorite item on Etsy is the Starry Night Fairy Gown made by Deconstructress. She makes beautiful gowns from wedding dresses. I love her creations.

All I can say is... WOW! Maybe I don't get out much, but these are fabulous. I think it takes guts to desonctruct and rebuild a wedding gown, (the first one, anyway) and LOVE her idea. These are gorgeous.

Steph's shop announcement says it best:

"I specialize in custom costume couture. My gowns are created from scratch or by piecing together sample wedding gowns. I use new and old materials. Many of my gowns are handpainted using a variety of techniques to create wearable art. My inspirations come from art, literature, film, music, nature and anything else that I can interpret into a piece of clothing."

According to her shop profile, she...

"...started creating these dresses when I purchased a couple of vintage wedding gowns and made Corpse Bride costumes out of them. I built my first collection of twenty designs. I get an idea stuck in my head and don't give up until I can create it. A lot of my designs begin as several wedding dresses "deconstructed" to one, handpainted dresses and others are made from scratch. I rarely use patterns because my mind just doesn't work that way. I add new designs every few months and I always accept custom orders."

When I asked Steph for permission to post some pictures and info, she showed me two versions of the dress. This Starry Night gown is the one pointed out by NewYorkMemos and it has hand painted silky wings.

This is an earlier version with hand painted organza wings.

Of course, I had to look at everything and this one caught my eye:

And I love the description:

"I envision the Tattered Rose Fairy as a bit of a rebel fairy. She is feminine and loves roses and girly tulle gowns, but she also loves late night dancing and whiskey. Her wings are the fairy equivalent of smeared mascara after a long night out. They are weathered and a bit singed. I am certain The Tattered Rose Fairy has at least one tattoo, but most likely many more. "

Yep, I'm sure there are...

Besides Etsy, you can find Deconstructress here and here and here and here:
http://deconstructress.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/deconstructress
http://www.myspace.com/deconstructress
http://www.deconstructressdesigns.com

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Have you ever seen a wool penguin?

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, equestrian4jc said... This alpaca wool baby penguin is my most favorite item.

This guy is a cutie. And you can see how soft he is. Have you ever felt alpaca wool? You might be surprised to know that Alpaca is a type of llama - but their wool is incredibly warm and soft.

Isabelle's description says,

"I've got to admit this one is a new favorite :) 11" tall, and knitted with the softessst alpaca blend (59% acrylic, 22% cotton, 3% nylon and 16% alpaca) - yes, llama wool :) His big feet allow him to stand (if you help him find his balance) but he's so soft there's no doubt he will spend most of his time in the arms of your toddler :) Like all my other items he's filled with non-allergic bonded polyester."

I love this sweet bear, too. His name is Hubert.

There are a lot of other cuddly wool characters in her shop. Which one is your favorite?

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This reminds me of home

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, windycindy said...
I love Pottery! On the Artfire site, I found this wonderful 2QT Casserole:

This piece was handcrafted by Lockman Potter

I actually have a story to share about a pot like this...

I grew up in Northern Wisconsin near a somewhat touristy area that has two well-known pottery studios. Not crawling-with-idiots touristy with fast food and billboards, but a quiet, almost nostalgic place with B&Bs in quaint Victorian homes, and a marina where you could dock your sailboat, hang out at the beach, do some shopping, have lunch, then sail out to the Apostle Islands. Years ago, my mom grew up in the same area, so her taste in objects d'art tend to gravitate toward the lake, sailing, pottery, antiques, and whimsy.

At some point, she was lucky enough to have a couple stoneware casserole dishes, which were not only used for company, but every day use. The best meals came from these two casseroles, and when I saw this in the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway I just smiled.

If you don't have access to a beautiful area like the one where I grew up, you can get your own piece of casual, relaxed, functional beauty at Artfire's Lockman Potter. He's on Artfire and you can see more of his work on his website at www.lockmanpottery.com

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Featuring Love My Pretty One

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, Amanda said... i've bought barettes from this shop and love them!! Love My Pretty One

This one is darned cute.

And cupcakes are SO popular right now... Couldn't you just eat these up? They're adorable.

In her description, Marlena says,

"Each clip is made from high quality grosgrain ribbon and attached to a fully lined alligator clip so there is no metal exposed to your little one's sensitive skin. Clip measures approximately 1.75 inches across and all ribbon ends are heat sealed to prevent fraying.

My clips are handmade and specially designed to stay in the finest of baby and toddler hair. Not only does the grosgrain ribbon help them stay put, but I also add a magnet to each one. It is covered by the ribbon so it can't be seen, but I assure you, it holds very well! You will not be disappointed once you try one of my clips! "

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I was compelled to open a second Etsy shop

Today I'm taking a little break to announce some news.

I have opened a second Etsy shop called Compelled.


Since I craft when I'm trying to solve a design problem or when I have too much pent up energy, I end up making all kinds of different things. Eventually I realized it's time to sell this collection of handmade items and Compelled is the outlet. I also have a very creative (warped?) teenager who likes to craft, and her items will be sold at Compelled, too.

Here's one of our goofy creations:

Smiling rock, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Yes. It is a rock. For my sister.
Happy Birthday, Sis!

I actually gave a rock like this to one of my sisters for her birthday.
(She's the one who thinks I'm weird.)
It's now a doorstop for her office.

I also have some fun vintage items in the shop like these two Enid Collins handbags:

Vintage Enid Collins of Texas handbag: "Spin Away"
Spin away front, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Spin away clasp and handle, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Vintage Night Watch Enid Collins of Texas handbag
Vintage Night Watch Enid Collins of Texas handbag, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Vintage Night Watch Enid Collins of Texas handbag, originally uploaded by passitonplates.
I've already had someone ask me for a shipping price to ship this Night Watch bag to Singapore, so it may not be around for much longer...

Besides the items shown here, I'll be posting some decoupaged picture frames, magnets, appliqued clothing items, home decor items, and occasionally some interesting destash*.

(Destash is various crafting/sewing supplies that are no longer needed.)



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Are you a fan of Doctor Who?

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, tiff said...
"I love the Gold Dalek Pendant and Necklace from The Clay Pony etsy shop. I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge fan of Doctor Who and would LOVE to own a Dalek necklace!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

I have to admit, I'm Dr. Who clueless, but holy moley, The Clay Pony is a fun Etsy shop. If you have any quirky obsessions, you'll probably find something here that you can't resist:

Some dark Valentine humor for the broken hearted...

Here's a Swedish Dala horse figurine. I'm part Swedish and Mom's got one of these in her china cabinet. I'm obsessed with Ikea (taking a friend there for lunch today!) and they revived interest in the traditional Dala horse...
This Dala horse is painted like the Swedish flag.
...and a little unnerving to me, ever since that incident in college, a Ouija board necklace.
I'm sure this planchette swings around wildly due to your own movements when you wear it, though. Not because anyone(thing?) else is moving it.

Anyhoo, this shop is FUN and I love it. Stacie also has a website at:
theclaypony.com
And a blog :
theclaypony.blogspot.com

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Meet Mimi the Pug

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway, Chelsea Ling pointed out Mimi the Pug at Cuore Accessories & More.

Isn't she cute? She's looking at us as if we just asked if she wants to go out for a walk. Pretty soon she'll bring her leash to you and bark at you to put your shoes on...

The description introduces you to Mimi, "Mimi the Pug loves to snuggle up into shopping totes, and get carried around into grocery stories. She loves the way the ice cream aisle smells, and makes cute little grunting noises whenever she sees people she likes."

If you're in love with Mimi, and are disappointed to see that the pillow that Chelsea loves has been sold, no worries. Here's another Mimi the Pug pillow.

I think Stewart the Owl is pretty clever... Wood grained fabric on a bolster pillow.

Wise.

(Sorry! Bad pun...)

You really should take a look at Cuore now - you'll be able to say you knew her back when she was starting out (Ok, 2+ years ago...) Her profile introduces her this way:

"Konichiwa! My name is Mika Y., and I am a freelance designer for accessories, clothing, and everything else that's fun!

After receiving my degree in design from the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles, I honed my creative skills at Paul Frank Industries for 6 1/2 years as the Women's Accessories designer where I learned how to make everything from bags and wallets to guitar straps.

I started "Cuore" (heart in Italian) in 2006, and was honored to be named a finalist in Fred Flare's "Next Big Thing 2007" !

I love to put all of my love into my items, and take pride in my craftWOmanship: It's all about the details!"

See what I mean?

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Eli is a popular guy...

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway,

Christine, Jenna, and Jessica Jarrett all agree that their favorite is the Eli Elephant Tote.

Jessica even said, "The Eli Elephant Tote Shopping bag from Artfire IS ABSOLUTLY AMAZING!!!"

What I think is amazing is that with all the thousands (or millions) of superb handcrafted items out there, Eli has made an impression on so many people. And I agree. I love Eli, too. In fact, you may remember that last summer I interviewed Eli's creator, Joanna Goldman, about how she promotes herself. If you're a Joanna Goldman fan and you missed the interview, here's a link: Promotion Tips from Joanna Goldman

Meanwhile, if you check out Joanna's Artfire shop, SkribblyKids, you'll see that Eli's been busy lately. He's not just a cute elephant on a tote bag, but he's a chef and he had a big Hannukah celebration last December.

Ain't he a cutie?

Ok enough blabbing over here. Go check out her shop and see what other cute characters she has waiting for you.

PS: She also has an Etsy shop at: SkribblyKids.etsy.com

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...a different kind of "cake"

More comments of our Share The Love Giveaway...

Reeva said...
"i love this daisy garden diaper cake at artfire.. really nice 1!"



Perhaps I live in the dark ages or I'm just old. I had never seen one of these diaper cakes until maybe a year ago, and this one has to be the cutest one I've ever seen. It's just adorable and I love the bold pink and green.


Bouncin' Baby Cakes includes details on the ingredients and construction of this unique cake:

"Beautiful Pink and Green Daisy Garden Theme Diaper Cake with rattle, slippers, and baby products.

Ingredients:
Approx 55 premium brand Pampers Swaddlers Diapers (size 1)
1 – Koala Baby Caterpillar Wrist Rattle
1 - pair of Carter's Baby Daisy Slippers (size N)
4 - beautiful Daisies
1 - Johnson’s Baby Powder (1.5 oz.)
1 - Johnson’s Baby Lotion (1 oz.)
1 - Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (1.5 oz.)
1 - Johnson’s Baby Wash (1 oz.)
1 - Soothing Naturals lotion sample
1 - Desitin sample

Approximately 18” high on a 10” round cake board
Constructed with internal support system, so all layers stay in place and no assembly is required.
All diapers are usable. There is no glue, tape, or rubber bands holding them in place. Only ribbon.
Will be nicely wrapped in elegant white tulle and tied with coordinating bow."


What mom-to-be wouldn't love one of these at her baby shower?
(If you gave one as a shower gift, I bet you'd be a hero with the new mom as well as all the other moms and grandmas...)

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Featuring EclecticOrchid at Etsy

In our recent Share the Love Giveaway, Bisou Bisou Beads mentioned a necklace, saying...

"I acutally bought one from her in silver and I can't wait to get it!"

Since her comment was just a link, of course I had to hop over to Etsy and see the necklace she was talking about. Isn't this a sweet necklace? I love the little bottle where you could add your own tender message.

Eclectic Orchid's description reads:

There's nothing better than receiving a love letter! The romance, the butterflies, floating on cloud nine! This little necklace has all of that combined with a whole lot of sparkle and flair! The letter in the bottle can be customized to say whatever your heart desires! Could there be a better way to say I love you?

Looking through her other items, I was intrigued with the shop category: "Let Them Eat Cake." If you are enamored with Marie Antoinette or love all things French (very French) you'll love this brand new line.

Eclectic Orchid's desciption mentions that her Marie inspiration "...has made for some pretty and interesting creations depicting the lavishness, opulence, and bold fashion that Marie was known for. It is my hope to create a sort of enchanted, slightly excessive, yet whimisical dream world that will have you basking in the glory of your own little empire (but you get to skip the French Revolution and keep your head)! "

It's a lovely shop filled with romantic jewelry. Hmmm, a little too late for Valentine's Day, but Mothers' Day is just around the corner. I bet mom would adore a little token of love from her favorite child...

...or you could drop (crystal clear) hints to your hubby?

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Introducing Kyla Bea Crafty

In the comments of our Share The Love Giveaway,

bFlat said...
I love this bookmark by kylabeacrafty!

These are really neat and much more durable than the lousy post it notes I have been known to use. Don't even get me started on the dog-eared page corner debate in our house.
(I'm guilty! Hubby hates it!)

kylabeacrafty's description reads:
"An original hand cut silhouette design with stitching detail, rounded corners, and a 5 mm hard plastic finish. The first image is an image of the bookmark that this listing is for, the following three images are to give you an idea of size and detail. All book marks are different so please look around my shop, there are many different silhouettes and colour combinations!

The base size is 6" tall and 2.5" wide, the placement of the silhouette detail will make the finished size vary slightly. {Bookmarks never have a shipping fee - unless you need them extra fast!} "

Not only are these bookmarks cute, but when I asked permission to share her work she mentioned that she also has a blog. Of course I had to stop in and see what's going on. Ooh, her blog is a funky retro newlywed working girl (with an exciting new job that starts in a couple weeks) I-wish-we-were-neighbors-who-hung-out-a-lot kind of blog.
Love it.

Please do check her out.

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