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!