Winners!

Our winners throughout the day:

White Rose: Rory the Roman Scrabble Pendant from BlackMithril

Black Mithril: $12 Gift Certificate to ElspethsWhimsy

White Rose: $5 earrings from TrannyTrinkets

Violamom: Stetsons Are Cool Scrabble Pendant from Black Mithril

Niffum: FREE item from ElspethsWhimsy


Congratulations, all! Keep checking in- planning an event for Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Thanks for participating!


Oh, the solution for the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE! was "It's My Party"
'Til we meet again, God bless you all.

THE ULTIMATE WINNER

Congratulations to Niffum!

She won the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE! (which must always be written in caps and end with an exclamation point).

Now she may choose the item of her choice for FREE.

(This does not count reserved items. However, I may be able to make you a custom version of a reserved item if you wish.)

The Challenge Begins...

Here's the challenge. Throughout the day I posted three coupon codes- one on each site. I need you to find all three and organize the letters used to make a phrase (Ignore the numbers). The first person to come back to me with the proper phrase wins the challenge and the free item from my store!

:-)

Ready?

GO!

Final Results and... THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE!

Well, the names have been compiled, the numbers counted, and I have called upon the Wise One once more (thanks Mom!),

The winner is....

*virtual drumroll*

VMUMMY!!!! AKA Violamom! Since she isn't here at the moment I'll send her a notification on facebook. Congrats!

And thank you again, Mithril, for the contribution!


Now for the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE!
(which cannot be written without caps and an exclamation point)


Whoops, hang on, just got word that one of our contestants has nommables to consume.

While we wait, here's the prize:

ANY item from my shop for FREE. Due to my current broke-as-a-beggar status, I'd appreciate it if the winner could pay the shipping, but if not, I'll cover it. ;-)

Yes, once again, ANY ITEM.

FOR FREE.

Y'all excited?

DOUBLE CHANGE OF PLANS

This was going to be a post about calling it off until tomorrow. Instead, we'll play one more round. Still not sure what to do about the Ultimate Challenge, though. I suppose those who have stuck around all this time are the only ones worthy to attempt it, so maybe we'll do that.

Okay, here 'tis. Another gracious donation by BlackMithril!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78705887/reserved-for-elspethswhimsy-raffle?ref=tre-507371664-3

This is the last raffle of the night, so just check in and remind me you're here! I'll count up everyone and consult the Wise One again, and we'll see where it goes! When I announce the winner I'll announce the Challenge rules and prize, too.

No, I didn't Die. DID YOU???

EDIT: Just a reminder- checking in at any point during the party enters you for the last raffle!
~~~

Well, no one's here, so it was Mithril x3 against White Rose. Again the Wise One was consulted, and Rosie won!

Congratulations, Rosie!

I'm thinking, since almost everyone has gone, that I'll wait for people to check in again before I move on. So if you're here, let me know! We still have two prizes and the Ultimate Challenge yet!

P.S. Coupon code SPRY35 is now inactive. New code posted elsewhere. Remember, purchasing from my shop wins you 3 automatic entries into all raffles!

ETSY SPOTLIGHT and THIRD RAFFLE

SPOTLIGHT ON: TrannyTrinkets

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrannyTrinkets

Stephanie is a SoCal girl who loves making jewelry. In her words-

“My shop is a hobby gone wild. I could not find jewelry for myself that fit well. So I just started making my own. Taking classes and learning new things. My goal is to make affordable jewelry using silver, gem stones, glass and beads. I love to solder things too. I gladly take custom orders. Just ask!”

I received my order from her just today, and let me tell you, each item is GORGEOUS! I can't wait to wear them.

Her items range from $2 to $35 and include all sorts of gems and goodies- including pin-up girl pendants (blush).

Here's one of my favorite items:

I almost bought it, but I decided on this instead:



So now you see how beautiful her items are, I'm sure you're excited to hear our next raffle comes from her shop!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78692751/reserved-for-bnr-raffle?ref=tre-507371664-2 She's offering your choice of any $5 pair of earrings in her store. YOUR CHOICE! Ain't it grand?

How to? Here you go:

I was going to ask y'all to convo me, but instead I'll have you bring the info here. What I need you to do is to go to my facebook page's wall ( www.facebook.com/elspethswhimsy ) and look at the posts I've made. One post has a picture of fruit, another has a picture of a sea creature. I want you to come back here and tell me what fruit and what sea creature they are. Okay?

You have 15 minutes.

GO!

EDIT: Due to it being suppertime and all, I'm extending the cutoff to 5:45pm EST.

TWITTER RAFFLE WINNER! and ADJUSTMENTS?

After a False Call (for which I may never forgive myself), it turns out that MITHRIL won the Twitter Raffle by virtue of having bought an item and receiving her 5 "forever" entries!

Her prize is a $12 gift certificate to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/78707263/reserved-for-july-29th-raffle-gift

Congratulations!

For latecomers- Rules and general whatsits are posted here: http://awhimsicaladventure.blogspot.com/2011/07/party-time.html

Also remember that you get 5 "forever" entries with every Elspeth's Whimsy purchase made during the party. These automatically enter you into EVERY raffle.
Though considering the low turnout we should maybe make it 3 extra instead. Mithril, is that okay with you?

RAFFLE WINNER and ETSY SPOTLIGHT!

Raffle entries are now CLOSED. The wise one being consulted (thank you Mum, who is out running errands and barely understands the contest much less knows who's playing), has chosen entrant #2, meaning our beloved WRosie has won the Rory pendant! Congratulations!

EDIT: P.S. From now on things will also pop up on my facebook page- www.facebook.com/elspethswhimsy and my twitter feed- www.twitter.com/elspethswhimsy .
(You can read them both without having an account.)


For those latecomers, general rules and suchlike are posted here:
http://awhimsicaladventure.blogspot.com/2011/07/party-time.html

SPOTLIGHT ON: BlackMithril

Allison Williams is a self-proclaimed “Geeky girl”, creating geeky jewelry and other fun stuff, including custom items.

Her specialty is scrabble tile pendants, and my goodness, the selection! She even does custom tiles, just for you. My personal favorite is “Starry Starry Night” with the TARDIS in it. :-)

Her products range from $2 to $50, and include multiple fandoms- I was excited to see lots of Doctor Who and Firefly amongst them.

The most remarkable items, I think, are her resin steampunk pendants- bits and gears seamingly floating in a clear resin. Here’s my favorite:

And the jewelry isn’t just for girls. She has some great men’s items, too.

 

Go on, go check out her shop. I dare you to not find something you like.

FIRST RAFFLE

Our first raffle is a Scrabble Tile Pendant by BlackMithril http://www.blackmithril.etsy.com/!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78705795/reserved-for-elspethswhimsy-raffle

For this first one we'll make the rules simple. Just comment with your name! If you want, tell me what your favorite Doctor Who quote, episode, or character is! Entries close at 3:40, so come on in!

When 3:40 hits, I'll use a random number generator to choose the winner. Should be announced around 3:45.

Ladies and Gentlemen, BEGIN! :-D

PARTY TIME!

Welcome to Elspeth's Whimsy's First Giveaway Party!

Hopefully it'll go well and there will be more! My sister and I are already discussing a Treasure Hunt for Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Okay, here's the bits and pieces you'll need to know.

First, DISCLAIMERS:
~Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy are all not responsible for anything that may happen in the course of this party.

~I am not responsible for any glitches in Blogger, Facebook, or Twitter that may occur during the party.

~I am not responsible for any problems regarding prizes donated by other Etsy sellers. Not that I expect any- these sellers are great people, good customers/vendors. :-)

Second, GENERAL RULES:
~Play Fair! No buying prizes that aren't yours, no hostile or foul behavior/speech. Failure to comply will get you one warning, then the boot. It's either that or Imperial Torture Drone. Your choice.

~In order to win, you must have a valid Etsy account or create one by Monday at 8am, EST. If you do not do so, the prize will go to a secondary winner with a valid account.

~You must be 18 or older, or have parental permission to play. If you lie to me about this, may onions fall upon your head!

~Please "pick up" your prize by August 5th. If you do not, the prize will revert back to the seller to do with as she sees fit.
           HOW TO PICK UP YOUR PRIZE: Follow prize link and checkout as you would if you bought a regular item. The item will be listed for 25 cents with free shipping. This covers the listing fee for the seller.

~You do not need a Twitter or Facebook account to play most games. There will be one exclusive to Twitter, but that is one amongst many, I assure you.

HOW TO ENTER:
Requirements will differ raffle by raffle, but in general it is some variation on commenting somewhere. ;-) I'll give you specific instructions as we go.

To start us off, here's a Coupon Code. Buying from my shop during the party will yield you 5 extra entries into ALL contests, so here's some extra incentive. :-D

AIM29 for 29% off your order.

There will be more codes later today, but each one will render the last void. They may be higher or lower. It's up to you to decide whether to take the chance and hold out for the next one!

So who's ready to play?

NEWS- Hopefully FINAL schedule and info for tomorrow's Party!

Tomorrow I will be holding a many-faceted sale-slash-party.

There will be coupon codes.

There will be raffles.

There will even be a Treasure Hunt!

But in the end, as the dust settles, only one person will be found worthy of the

~*~ULTIMATE PRIZE!~*~

What prize is that, you may ask? Well, I shan't tell you until the time comes to compete for it. But rest assured it's a good one. I've already been called insane for doing it.

The various events won't just be here. Some will be on facebook, and some on Twitter. For those of you who don't have one or the other, don't worry. You can still read both accounts, you just can't respond. Most response-required contests will be held here, where anonymous replies are enabled (though of course I need you to sign them with your Etsy name or other name by which I'd know you).

There will be response-required contest(s) elsewhere, but I've worked it out so everyone will have a chance at something.

Schedule is as follows:
3:00 EST- Party begins here on the blog! Yes, I know I said noon elsewhere, but I forgot that a lot of you are still at work, and I don't really have enough stuff to do a party from noon to 8!

Various codes, raffles, and giveaways will pop up over the next hours, until finally at

8:00 EST- Party ends with the announcement of the winner of the ULTIMATE PRIZE!

It's PARTY TIME!!!

Yep. My 29th Birthday is TOMORROW!

So, some of you know I was planning a special sale for tomorrow. Well, my dear family is taking me out for most of the day, so I cannot do so. So, I am having it on FRIDAY, July 29th, Lord willing.

Here's what it'll be like so far- There will be various coupon codes and sales throughout the day. Some will only be announced here. Some will only show up on Facebook or Twitter. You have to be on the lookout, because the best ones will only last a short time.

There's a very good chance there will be a 70% or MORE code popping up at some point. I may even devise some devious treasure hunt for a prize...

So keep a weather eye, lads and lasses. There's treasure to be had this Friday! :-D

Yo ho ho! Or does nobody actually say that?

SPOTLIGHT ON: Gayl's Goodies

Today I'm here to tell you about Gayl's Goodies, a Christian owned and operated Etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Gayl1956

Every time I visit, I'm once again reminded how much I love that place. I was so pleased to find out that, to top it all off, she's a Christian, too!

Here's a little bit about her:

"Christ inspires much of my design. I love working with God-made, rather than man-made materials. That allows energies to flow and creativity to flourish."

Her beautiful works run from $2 to $125 (and she offers layaway on some items!).

Her current specials (as of Monday- I believe they're still current) are as follows:

SPECIAL40 for 40% off earrings
BNR20 for 20% off $10+
OMG33 for 33% off $25+

Here are some photos of her lovely work!



I'm spotlighting her today for another reason, too. She's trying to raise money to pay for some medical bills. Being epileptic, I know how expensive it can be for simple specialist visits and prescriptions.

So, now that you've seen her work and her specials, do you really have any reason not to buy something? :-)

Costume Diary- Lucy's Camp Dress.

Brace yourselves, lads (or lassies). This will be a long'un.

A few months ago I was commissioned to make an adult-sized replica of Lucy's Camp Dress from "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe". I was to do the sewing, she the embroidery. I live on the East Coast. The buyer is from California. We do not wear the same size. Could this BE more of a challenge?

We worked it out, though. We were meeting mutual friends in late June, and were able to have a fitting while there. :-) Very thankful we did, because I'd made some small miscalculations.

I started with this pattern, discontinued but avaliable for sale on Etsy!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72585911/simplicity-9162-size-a-8-10-12-14-16-18 Bought it ages ago- a basic princess line dress with all sizes in one envelope, on sale, was hard to pass up. I'm thankfull I did, now. It's nearly impossible to get princess-line dress patterns these days.

As you can see in the link, the pattern features a low V-neck in the front and the back. The dress I'm making has a high round back and a shallow V front with cut outs. So some pattern alteration had to be done. Newspaper became my stand-in for the usual vellum or parchment (both more expensive than necessary).

Alterations were as follows- redraw front and back necklines, add a seam at the waist on either side, draft new oversleeves, draft a mock underdress (including taking the point out of the fitted sleeves), and make a placket for the back.

In the end, the dress didn't turn out quite accurate. Technically there should be no side seam below the waist, but for ease of cutting, I added one. There also should not be lacing on the sleeves, and the back cording should be sewn in at the top. But when one takes a design made for an 8 year old and turns it into an adult costume, liberties must be taken.

...and there's the call. I must run. The good news is, I've finished the rest of the stuff I planned for the beginning of the week, so I can get on this first thing tomorrow.

ALSO! Stay tuned for a very special feature on Gayl's Goodies ( www.etsy.com/shop/Gayl1956 ) in the next few days!

We Interrupt This Blog to Bring You An Important Announcement

Fello Etsy Member KottageKreations is in danger of losing her home. Her friend built this BNR to help out. No need to tell them I sent you, just stop by and buy if you can. And pray either way.

Thanks, and God bless.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA0NTQ2NDl8NDI1NTMxNTcw/friend-in-need-bnr-for-kottagekreations

Adventures with Elspeth- Costuming on impossible deadlines

So, as some of you know, I'm currently in the midst of making a replica of Lucy's Camp Dress, from the recent film version of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe"
Here's a run-down and plenty of photos from The Wardrobe Door:
http://costumes.narniaweb.com/lubluecamp.asp

But not only is it a replica, it's an adult sized replica! Because I am just that insane. ;-) Today was day 2 of sewing. I wish I'd taken photos of the pattern drafting and cutting. I think I'll take photos of some of the changes made to the original pattern, etc.

Anyway, I'd hoped to post a lot of photos tonight, but due to the late hour this seems to have become more of a placeholder post- a "coming soon" if you will.

I've decided that I'll be journaling this summer's costuming adventures here, for all my Etsy friends to see. These are the sorts of things I'd sell if I could afford to make them non-custom order. First up, the aforementioned Lucy dress. Next, a tunic based on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Finally, I am making myself a Claudia Auditore costume. And interspersed in all that, when I can't get the sewing machine out, I'm working on doll-sized replicas of other movie costumes.

And that's my summer! Stay tuned for photos and breakdowns!

Newsy News of a Newsish Fashion

So, as some of you know, my birthday's coming up! July 27th I will be 29 years old. Yes, one step from THIRTY.

To honor this momentous occasion, Elspeth's Whimsy will be having a

COUPON

EXTRAVAGANZA

 

I will be running multiple coupon codes, ranging from 15% to 50% off for various parts of the shop. EVERYTHING will be on sale! Stay tuned- I'm thinking of running contests and giveaways, too. Any ideas on that subject would be welcome! I'll keep you updated as it gets closer to the date.

God bless!