by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 22, 2013 | Freebies & Giveaways, Stuff! |
When I was young, I really wanted to wear makeup. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even wash my hands with liquid soap because I was so allergic to whatever chemical made it “liquid.” If I tried to wear blush, I got a rash on my cheeks. Eye makeup would make my lids swell. I could wear a little lip gloss, but that was it. So I never really learned how to wear makeup. It’s still a big production for me to put it on (and I still have to be very careful about the brands I use), but I still yearn for it. So when I saw this kit by Beaute Basics, I thought about how very, very much I wanted it and what a terrible idea it would be, and knew I’d found my next giveaway.
Don’t forget that to enter the giveaway, you have to click the “+1″ buttons on the Rafflecopter, not just comment, get mailing list, etc.
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by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 21, 2013 | Books, Freebies & Giveaways |
If you know me, you know I don’t read YA. In fact, I even wrote a rant more than two years ago about how I am tired of people telling me “oh, you have to read this great YA.” But here’s the thing. Two years ago, my nieces were kids. Now they’re the market for YA fiction. So while it’s still not my thing, I have been trying to read more so that I know what to buy for them. Mostly, the books they read fall into a couple of categories: dystopian and “daily life.” So today I am giving away two YA books by a friend of mine, Bria Quinlan, that fall into the “daily life” category. (And the “romance” category because, face it, I love romance!) Because I am assuming you’ll want to give these to someone else, I’ll be sending the physical books unless you specifically tell me you want ebooks.
So if you, or some young person you know likes to read, this is one not to miss! Don’t forget that to enter the giveaway, you have to click the “+1” buttons on the Rafflecopter, not just comment, get mailing list, etc.
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by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 20, 2013 | Crafts, Freebies & Giveaways |
Back in the day when I used to make beads, I went to a lot of trade shows. And at many of them, I would big bead my beads for other people’s beads, or just outright buy beads. I was completely addicted to Swarovski crystals, especially the vintage ones. A friend of mine and I would go in on box lots and vintage cases (these often came 12 beads to a case) and we’d sit in the hotel room laying them out on the bed and watching all the pretty colors sparkle.
Anyway, I still have a goodly number of Swarovski crystals, and even some of the vintage ones. The smaller blue-black cubes on these earrings are modern, but the all the rest are pre-1980. The fittings are all sterling silver. Perfect for those formal occasions!
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by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 19, 2013 | Crafts, Freebies & Giveaways, Stuff!, Writing |
I know, I know, you’re fed up with me jumping up and down and shouting about Twisted. I don’t blame you. But today it’s out! *tosses confetti*
You can read an excerpt or see the hilarious Lego trailer on the Twisted page. But enough about that…back to the giving!
Today, I am giving away something really cool. Many of you know that I like to write with fountain pens. I think more people should try it, so I am giving away a set of Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens in black, blue, pink, purple, turquoise, red and green. There’s also a nifty leather carrying case! Under normal circumstances, this set is exclusive to Levenger, as far as I know. So cool, right?
Pilot Fountain Pen giveaway
by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 18, 2013 | Books, Crafts, Freebies & Giveaways |
Today we have a guest post (and guest giveaway!) from Deb Lacy of the fabulous Mystery Playground blog. Deb has great posts (I’m particularly fond of her speakeasy-themed ones). If you’re looking for vintage mystery covers, speakeasies around the nation, reviews, or just an all-around good time, I highly recommend checking it out.
I love books of all kinds so a few crafty friends and set out to make little book earrings. They are pretty easy to make and all of the directions are below. They make a great activity for a book club (if your book club is crafty) or fun and different holiday gifts. But if you don’t want to make them yourself, I’m giving away the pair at left to one lucky winner!
What you need:
1) Miniature books (I got mine from Hobby Lobby online)
2) Glue
3) Gold marker
4) Print outs of pulp covers (you can use the Mystery Playground Pinterest board for mystery covers, just shrink them to 25% when you print them in color.
5) Earring hooks. You need two hooks for each book earring for a total of four per pair. (You need one to glue inside the book to attach it and one for the actual earring.)
6) Wire cutters
7) Scissors to cut out the book covers from the Pinterest page
Step One:
Print your color covers from Pinterest and then cut them out. I used my pulp fiction cover Pinterest board and printed them out at 25% of normal size. Some of the covers weren’t the right size, so we just used the ones that were.
Step Two:
Glue the book covers onto the little books.
Step Three:
Take the gold marker and cover the page ends of the books so it looks like an old book with gold leaf.
Step Four:
Snip an earring hook with wire cutters and glue it into the book.
Step Five:
Assemble the earrings: this just involves connecting the earring hook in the book. I like to add a few beads using a wire wrapping technique.
And your book earrings are all done.
But, as I said, just in case you’re too busy to do these yourself, Deb’s kindly agreed to give a pair to one lucky winner! The perfect thing to wear to your next book night or conference!
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by Laura K. Curtis | Nov 17, 2013 | Crafts, Freebies & Giveaways |
Today’s giveaway is perfect for all the parties you simply must attend. Bright red dichroic glass with hints of purple, green, and even gold, this ring and earring set has sterling silver bases so as not to irritate your skin. The ring is adjustable (it’s “medium”, but as you can see from the side shot, you can just clamp it more or less closed to fit) and the earrings are posts.
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