The giveaway has been extended through January 8th……
If you follow my blog, you will know that I was recently a finalist in the Soft Flex Beading company’s Flex Your Creativity Contest. While my designs were not one of the top 10 winners, I still feel proud to have stepped out of the box and “flexed” my creativity with the following designs. Originally, I was going to auction of the 3 pieces that I designed for charity because they don’t really “fit” anywhere in my current designs. I had such a hard time choosing one charity that I decided to give you a chance to win with your “giving spirit”!
Get your chance to win one of the three designs below, please leave a comment on how you have “given” back to your community this month. It doesn’t necessarily need to be monetary (your time counts too). One of my favorite “warm fuzzy memories” is of the time I spent reading to the elderly while I was in university…..
For example, in our household we have donated canned goods to our local food bank, gently used toys to the woman’s shelter, and new toys for a variety of toy drives. Plus, our family is planning to donate our time to Operation Kindness . The kids are excited that with the help of mom and dad that they can assist at the animal shelter.
So, here are the designs that you have a chance to win in the Giving Spirit Giveaway…..
Lemon-lime-arama:Fused Glass necklace with malachite beads
Crocheted choker with freshwater pearls, lepidolite ,rose quartz, antique czech button and hand dyed silk ribbon
Le Bleu Talisman-sodalite, swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls
I look forward to reading and sharing my favorite “giving spirit” comments over the next few weeks. Please share with family and friends too. Let us inspire one another with our giving spirit!
I will choose 3 “random” giving winners on January 8th, 2010 (comments after January 7th midnight CST will NOT be entered in the random drawing) using Random.org so please make sure you type your e-mail correctly so I have a way to contact you. Yes, you can comment more than once (the more giving spirit the better IMHO)! The winners will have 72 hours to respond via e-mail. If they do not, another winner will be chosen. All jewelry will be e-mailed via first class mail ( I will ship world wide) within 2 business days of the winner responding.
Any questions, just e-mail me artist AT designing-diva DOT com.
In the spirit of giving,
P.S.
Update Jan 11/2010:
Winners: Nyla Thompson, BrendaLea, and Sara Hardin
My roommate and I threw our second annual \Bring Your Own Generosity \ (B.Y.O.G) party this past weekend. We ask all guests to bring canned goods and other non-perishables to donate to Second Harvest. We drop everything off at the collection site and provide drinks, snacks, and good times for our guests. We are shocked each year by how much everyone brings to donate. It’s truly amazing. I think people always want to give but just don’t have an easy opportunity to do it, so we provide one. And, it’s tons of fun too!
ooh…lovely items! happy holidays randi-sue
MAKING ART TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Psssst – ever get discouraged at a jewelry show because some people will look at all your hard work and say something like, “I could get the same thing cheaper at Wal-Mart…” My anecdote to giving up is to give away – I love to fuse glass and make jewelry – some to wear, some for gifts, some to sell, but always, some to give away…and guess what? They raise some money by auctioning off one of my necklace and earring sets – for me it is very rewarding. I maybe can’t change the world, but I can help someone in my own community in a small way. One small act of kindness at a time, we can make the world a better place.
We have given assistance to our local food pantry through our church,
also donated to the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts each year.
( this was either through canned items or in the mformm of checks.
IN THE SPIRIT of GIVING:
We have donated to the local boys club, (McCrossen Boys Ranch)
to help with much needed items, foods, and Christmas gifts.
I think this is a well deserving place.
We had a can drive at a local Concert last week and i helped 5 others and myself get big bags full of cans to donate for our Cleveland Hunger Center:)
Nyla
I’m sure the Boys Club and the McCrossen Boys Ranch benefited from your family’s generosity!
Randi
As someone who volunteered at a food panty/homeless shelter years ago, I can recommend, when you donate, high protein foods like peanut butter and tuna fish are always appreciated. Plus “stretchers” for large families, macaroni, egg noodles, rice, & beans. There are usually children, so you can’t go wrong with classic PB&J ingredients…Also, other products we take for granted are often needed – toilet paper, unopened shampoos, soaps, or boxes of Band-Aids, tampons, Kleenex, alundry soap – if you need it, the less fortunate probably need it too….
I’m not one to go ga ga over giving during the holidays with a few exceptions. People are in need throughout the year. But I do love giving. Awhile back I payed someone’s power bill for them anonomously. I knew them and knew that the winter was cold, especially without a fireplace. One day in line at the grocery store, I paid for a coffeecake of the person in front of me. We were laughing about her theory that if you are going to be late to work, you should at least bring a coffeecake. The woman broke down and cried because nothing like that has ever happened to her before. She was so elated that she said she would “pay it forward.” That is the kind of giving I do. Randomly and sometimes anonomously.
Sweet, Sally!
They were beautiful designs. I hope that you will enter again this coming year. We are working on the theme right now.
In the giving Spirit I donated food (various fruits and vegetables, tuna and salmon, hot chocolate mix, jello), toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, and shower gel), cleaning products (cleanser, dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper) to the local food pantry.
Yesterday when I was at the grocery store, I helped an elderly lady load her groceries into her car, and the4n took her cart to the cart rack.
We as a family donate food, toys, clothing, whatever extra we have–which has been a great deal of late since we are moving –but we do this all the time anyway.
I myself knit and crochet hats, scarves, shawls, baby blankets, toys, whatever to donate to hospitals, homesless shelters, childrens homes, various charities and reservations all year round… I work w Bev’s charity challenge and I have for I think 4? maybe 5 years now….
it makes me happy and I love that…
I love to sew and spend my free time making costumes for the local community theater company. Earlier this month the group put on a wonderful production of “A Christmas Carol.” I had a great time making the costumes for the cast of 45 actors and actresses ranging in ages from 5 year and on up.
Happy Holidays!
Ooh, I especially like the lemon-lime-arama. I know a lot of work goes into some of those pieces at market stalls
and you CAN’T get the same thing from the shops, because at the shops, it’s mass-produced and cheap and you can be pretty sure someone was paid very minimal wages for it!
I like to do small random acts of kindness like weeding my granny’s very large garden for her when she’s not looking. It’s hard for her to find the time, and much of her potplants are overgrown with large weeds but she loves her plants
I like to surprise people who find it hard to do the things they want to. It’s a very small contribution but it seems to count for a lot, if only to one person. I hope so.
To Sally: your comment is beautiful and inspiring! I want to be like you.
Today when I buy some bread at local breadstore with my parents, I saw this old beggar woman sitting at the gate of the store. When we done with our shopping, I asked my father to give one of the bread we bought and some money for her. Grateful with our gift, I heard she prayed for us so we will get a new car. What a nice old lady