Softie Contest III

Hi everyone! I am sorry I have been so m.i.a. lately! Been busy, I'm sure you understand... I am pleased to announce the rules and regulations of our new SOFTIE CONTEST! Contest rules and regulations have been made by our Easter Softie Contest winner, Lani.

You must make a SOFTIE SEA CREATURE W/ A PROFESSION. There are 2 simple rules:
1) Softie must be a sea creature / animal of the sea.
2) Sea creature / animal must have a profession.

Examples: Shark surfing instructor, student guppy, trout belly dancer. I'm sure you get the picture!

Contest starts as of today (or whenever you read this) and ends on Thursday, May 1. Like the last contest, please be sure to email me the pictures of your softies by the end of the day at sewingmamas@gmail.com. Softies can be hand stitched, machine stitched, crocheted, knitted, or needle felted! Judging will be moderated by Lani. If possible, please omit names to ensure fair judging. ^_^ I will again post all submissions and start the voting on Friday, May 2. Every participant of the contest will have the chance to judge by choosing their top 2 favorite softies (other than themselves) and emailing their choices to me. Last day for voting will be on Sunday, May 4. Votes will be tallied and the winner will be announced on Cinco De Mayo!

Softies will be judged on:
1) Neatness
2) Originality
3) Following the rules
4) Cuteness!

Prize:
Lani will be giving the winner a SOFTIE SURPRISE of personal, hand picked items that would excite any softie lover. We're going to keep you in softie suspense!

Please inquire if you have any questions.

Easter Softie Contest Winner

Happy Easter! I hope everyone has been having an egg-citing day filled with plenty of chocolate bunnies, Peeps, and my favorite, Cadbury Eggs! The winner of the second sewingmamas Easter Softie Contest is...

LANI!

EASTER SOFTIE BASKET

This Easter basket has "soften" all our hearts! Lani has revamped the traditional Easter basket using felt to make a decorated egg, plastic egg with candy, and even a baby "chick" to remind us how Easter brings new life. What is Easter without a box of Peeps? Lani has recreated 4 colorful Peeps that look identical to our favorite marshmallow pals! To top it off, the basket is ornamented with a gorgeous Easter lily and pink flowers embellished with pearls. You did a fantastic job! Congratulations on your win! Your prize will arrive within a few weeks. You also get the privilege to choose the next contest's rules! ^_^

I'd like to thank and recognize all of you who participated in the contest: Softie #1: HunnyBunny, crocheted by Adrienne, Softie #3: Bunny & Chick, made by Myla, Softie #4: Chick Friend Disguised as Bunny: made by Sara, and Softie #5: Easter Basket Chick, made by Julie. You all did a fabulous job! I hope to see more of your work in upcoming contests.

Please stay tuned for new contest rules and new featured Softie crafters.

Have a blessed Easter season!

Easter Softie Contest Submissions

Thank you all for your softie submissions! ^_^ Remember to vote for your top two favorite softies (someone other than yourself) and email your vote to sewingmamas@gmail.com before midnight on Thursday, March 20th.

The winner will get:

- $15 Gift Card

- Will choose the new rules for the next contest

- Will provide the next contest's prize for the winner

Softie #1: HunnyBunny

Softie #2: Easter Softie Basket

Softie #3: Bunny & Chick

Softie #4: Chick Friend Disguised as Bunny

Softie #4: Easter Basket Chick

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS!

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize!

About 10 more days until the deadline for the Easter Softie Contest! Many of you have started and some have even finished! I'm so happy that there are more submissions in this contest. Soon they'll be hundreds and you can say you've officially seen this contest grow...

Remember, the prize for this contest is $15.00 to Jo-Ann's or Michael's. It is the winner's choice!

Angie, our Valentine's Day Contest winner, will be getting 9x13 rectangles of wool felt in the colors below, courtesy of me! Angie, I will drop if off tomorrow. The next winner will receive:
- $15 Gift Card
- Will choose the new rules for the next contest
- Will provide the next contest's prize for the winner

Keep your eye on the prize! Don't forget to vote for your top two as well and send your votes to sewingmamas@gmail.com.

Can't wait to see the submissions... Good luck!

Featuring: "Keybler" the Sewingpapa

I'd like to feature a softie lover here from time to time. It's nice to get to know more softie lovers and get inspired by them.

This Sunday I taught Keybler (that's his nickname) how to do some basic hand stitching for his first softie, a mushroom. He practiced with a new mushroom tonight and this is what he came up with!

This awesome Kobe Bryant mushroom!

Although this mushroom looks totally professional, it's done by someone who just learned how to sew 2 days ago. Readers beware: He will be entering the Easter softie contest too! Keybler likes to paint and be artsy during his spare time. It looks like he is inpired by... THE LAKERS! Can't wait to see your future softies Keyb! Keep up the good work!

If you would like to be featured as an upcoming softie lover, please feel free to email me some of your pictures. I'd love to post them!

Easter Softie Contest!

Since we have crowned our first softie contest winner, Angie, we are now posting the new guidelines for the upcoming...

EASTER SOFTIE CONTEST

Angie has chosen two rules to follow. You must abide my all rules to qualify for judging at the end of the contest.

Guidelines:
- Softie must have a visible flower.
- Softie must be mostly these PASTEL colors: purple, yellow, blue, pink, green, white.

Contest starts as of today (or whenever you read this) and ends on Sunday, March 16, the Sunday before Easter. Like the last contest, please be sure to email me the pictures of your softies by the end of the day at sewingmamas@gmail.com. Softies can be hand stitched, machine stitched, crocheted, knitted, or needle felted! Judging will be moderated by Angie and I. If possible, please omit names to ensure fair judging. ^_^ I will again post all submissions and start the voting on Tuesday, March 18th. Every participant of the contest will have the chance to judge by choosing their top 2 favorite softies (other than themselves) and emailing their choices to me. Last day for voting will be on Thursday, March 20st. Votes will be tallied and the winner will be announced before Easter!

Softies will be judged on:

1) Neatness

2) Originality

3) Following the rules

4) Cuteness!

Prize:

$15.00 gift card to crafty store of choice (something along the lines of Michael's or JoAnn's)

Please inquire if you have any questions.

GOOD LUCK!

Happy Valentine's Day & Contest Results

Happy Day of Love! Be thankful for the people in your heart...

The winner of the first sewingmamas Valentine's Day Softie Contest is...

(drumroll please...!)

ANGIE!

"SWEETHEARTS" HEART CANDY

Valentine's is never complete without some conversation sweethearts! Angie took the big risk of making a box and 6 plush hearts, each showing a meaningful phrase. My favorite, "A+M"! Angie also did something new by painting all the words on her conversation hearts, a bold move! A big sewingmamas congratulations for being our first contest winner. You will be receiving some gorgeous wool felt, compliments of sewingmamas AND you get to choose the theme for our next contest. Great work!

I would like to recognize all participants in the contest. Thank you for your entries! They were all fantastic. Entry #1, Valentine's Day Kitty, was done by Jenifer, Entry #2, Heart Shaped Box of Mixed Chocolates, by Jessica, and Entry #3, Sweets For My Sweet by Adrienne. I hope to see more of your work in upcoming contests.

There was a late submission for the contest, however, I'd like to recognize the work done by Julie! Do you see the heart in between the two birds? Ahh, love...

Love Birds

I did a Valentine's Day project, but unfortunately didn't finish until last night. This one is for all my fellow crafters...

I hope everyone is having a romantical day filled with lots of love! ^_^ Please stay tuned for the next Softie contest!

Valentine's Day Contest Entries

Happy February everyone! I want to thank you all for submitting your contest entries yesterday. They were all beautiful and I am so thankful I chose NOT to be the judge because all of them were made with lots of "heart"!

The following entries are in no particular order. All participants of the contest will be able to pick their top two favorite entries other than their own. The participant with the most votes will be the winner of the contest! The winner gets to choose the theme of the next contest and get some wool felt from me (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.)! I will be sending an email regarding voting to all contest participants. Names were omitted for fair voting... although some may be obvious! ^_^

.:: Entry #1 ::.

Valentine's Day Kitty

..:: Entry #2 ::..

Heart Shaped Box of Mixed Chocolates

.:: Entry #3 ::.

Sweets For My Sweetie

.:: Entry #4 ::.

"Sweethearts" Heart Candy

Good luck to all participants!

Lastly, King Salmon has made his debut on Therese Laskey's web site! Please click link to the left of this page. We are under February 4th!

Back From Hawaii!

Good Day Everyone!

I'm back from Hawaii and getting into the swing of things again. How is everyone doing with their softies for the Valentine's Day Contest? I can't tell you how excited I am to see what everyone has made.

I have changed the contest rules. Instead of my sis and I judging (too much pressure), everyone will have a chance to vote for someone other than themselves. I will post pictures of all the contest entries here. you will then email me with your vote and the softie with the most votes will be our first contest winner! The winner will be able to choose the theme of the next contest and of course, get the coveted wool felt from me. ^_^

Although I told most of you, I will say it again! Therese Laskey, the author of the Softies book emailed me saying she will post a picture of my King Salmon on her web site in an upcoming blog(www.softiescentral.typepad.com).
King Salmon and I couldn't be happier!


I wanted to correctly credit the teabag pattern i used for the photo in my previous blog. the pattern is called Ms. Green Tea Bag.

Laskey, Therese. Softies: 25 Simple Instructions For 25 Plush Pals. Chronicle Books, San Francisco. 2007.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying dry!

First Things First!

Throughout the day, I was thinking how wonderful it would be to have a blog all about crafts and softies. With the encouragement from a few pals, behold, my first crafty blog! ^_^

I wanted to have a contest for one of my favorite holidays... Valentine's Day! Because I've never hosted a contest before, this will be a trial and error run. If it works, I definitely want to have more for the future.

VALENTINE'S DAY SOFTIE CONTEST RULES

1) All photos of softies must be submitted by email (sewingmamas@gmail.com) Feb. 9, 2008.

2) Softies can be hand stitched, machine stitched, crocheted, knitted, or needle felted!

3) Softies must mainly (not entirely) have to be red, pink, or combination of both... Or be wearing red or pink.

4) Softie MUST have a visible heart.

Softies will be judged on:

1) Neatness

2) Originality

3) Following the rules

4) Cuteness!

My sister and I will judge the softies. I'm thinking the next winner can judge and pick a guest judge to help!

Please e-mail me with any questions. I look forward to seeing your softies!

P.S. I will be gone in Hawaii from the 19th to the 29th. See you when I get back!