Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2012

small business ideas: PicMonkey as a great (& free!) Picnik alternative


............

sadly, picnik.com is closing next week. 
it was much a friend of small businesses everywhere, but i'm happy to say that i'm super pleased with one of picnik's suggested photo editing & graphic designing replacements:*PicMonkey.com

wonderfully, PicMonkey is free, created by some of the folks that made picnik originally, and has many many of the same great features of that other site, except that i've found it's even EASIER & faster to use! hurray!

it's my current fave in a crop of new editing tools for everyday small business use.

you just upload (or *drag*) photos to the site and the rest is easy-peasy.  (and here's hoping they'll soon integrate a number of other features like collage & more, too!)

i'm recommending it to you, nicies, and any of my clients looking for a great stand-alone, FREE editing & creating tool. 

what do you use to edit & make small graphics? 
tried PicMonkey? what do you think?

{ps: superthanks to my superfun brother for suggesting it!}




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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

the 2nd annual MEGA birthday bash giveaway!




welcome welcome september!
my favourite month.


wanna know a little secret?
it's my birthday this week, nicies! woohoo!


so let's have a party!
i've asked some wonderful handmakers & vintage finders & cratfy supply creators to join me in the 2nd annual MEGA birthday bash-of-a-giveaway! { thanks so much for your kind kind generosity, nicies!}

there are FOUR (that's right, 4!)
amazing prize packs up for grabs! each prize pack will have a different funfun winner!

here we go:



:: prize pack A ::
valued at over $75!



:: a gorgeous gray flowers & pearls necklace | prairie blossoms
:: a beautiful one of a kind organic, eco concious wool & cotton bracelet | Kanelstrand
:: a lovely flamingo pink organza corsage/brooch | one perfect day

.................................



:: prize pack B::
valued at over $75!

:: your choice of any TWO beautifully handpainted alphabet letters on burlap. perfect for your wall decor! | lax to yvr

:: a gorgeous handbound honey-yellow leather journal | my handbound books

: your choice of one wonderful typewriter key pendant (or ring) with your chosen letter | buster and boo

.................................



:: prize pack C::
valued at over $75!
:: a $25 gift certificate to the fabulous space jam vintage shop | space jam 
:: a sensational pack-o-fun: a loveheart necklace, a loveheart keyring & little doll earrings lilley
 
.................................


:: prize pack D::
valued at over $75!
:: a lovely modern natural linen towel & wool felt coaster set | manus made
: 4 (2 large, 1 medium, 1 small) customizable snack bags | itchin stitchin

.................................



1. visit my birthday bash giveaway sponsors' shops.
come back here and leave ONE COMMENT PER SHOP on what your favourite item is from their fabulous shops! = 1 entry per comment.

you can visit as many shops as you like
and comment once for each shop.


....................

2. tell us something YOU'RE celebrating these days!
= 1 entry 
3. add each of the following shops to your FAVOURITES on etsy!
= 1 entry per shop!

4. come follow or subscribe to each of the following BLOGS.= 1 entry for EACH blog you follow. 



5. tweet about this giveaway
= you can tweet ONCE A DAY for the duration of the giveaway. up to 11 possible entries. one per tweet.

and come back here and tell me about it. please include my twitter account in the update: i'm @therikrakshop on twitter!)

6. follow each of the following on twitter
= 1 entry PER person you follow.



7. blog about the giveaway and tell me about it here.
= 1 entry

8. friend each of the following on facebook. 
 = 1 entry PER friend-ing! :)
9. do a facebook update
about the giveaway with a link, and tell us here 
= 1 entry

10. come follow or subscribe to my little blog 
and join the fun everyday! 
you can become a google friend connect *follower* by clicking "follow" on the top left of the blog home page OR subscribe via email or *reader* on the left hand colomn.
 (please note:--->  to WIN this particular giveaway you must be a rikrak studio follower or subscriber! thanks nicies!)

please leave me a comment about it.
 = 1 entry

11. grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,
like this one for YOUR BLOG!


the rikrak studio



the rikrak studio


{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks! }

12. please just make sure that each entry is its own comment!
.................................

RULES:

a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) for this particular giveaway, YOU MUST BE A RIKRAK studio follower or subscriber,
old or new, to WIN! thanks!

d) there will be 4 winners of this giveaway chosen from random.org on
friday, september 16th @ 11pm EST. the first # drawn will win prize A. the 2nd # drawn will win prize B. the 3rd # drawn will win prize C.the 4th # drawn will win prize D.

e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
f) thanks so much everyone!

............................

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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

handmaking with kids: scribbler too





all images by little rikrak 2011
.............. 
love webby lines?
love connecty curves?

little rikrak & i happened across the free online sketch tool *scribbler too* last week and we just love it!

something about all those offshooting tangents!

great for unique detail work or abstract playing, we'd recommend it for all of the wee little artists out there (and let's be honest... us grown up ones, too!)

warning: highly addictive fun! 

do you have an online handmaking site you and a little one love?
we'd love to hear.





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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

i love my sponsors {& gorgeous autumn!} giveaway!



row one
row two

row three
row four 

row five
 
 ....................

woohoo!
aren't you the loveliest readers around!
thank YOU, sweet nicies.

thanks for your encouraging words & dear dear comments. it's a pleasure to read thru each comment each day. SUPERTHANKS! i always love seeing what you have to say! and thanks for playing all the little games and activities on the blog, for your warm and wonderful emails too!

AND... thanks so much to all of you lovelies out there who have really made my day by supporting my little adventures, as dear sponsors! you nicies mean the world to me, and i really appreciate it! so with a thankful heart, and with those gorgeous autumny leaves underfoot,  a little giveaway for all of you!


:::::::::::: the prize ::::::::::::
a fabulous $25.00 gift certificate from me to YOU to spend in
ANY ONE OF MY SPONSORS' shops/ blogs!

that's right... 
one lucky winner will get to spend the prize in any of my sponsors' e-shops or blogs!
{NOTE: if you choose to spend your winnings on one of the 3 blogs sponsoring this month, you can use your monies toward an ad spot!}




1. visit my lovely sponsors' shops.
(as seen on the left hand column).
come back here and leave ONE COMMENT on what your favourite item is from their fabulous shop! = 1 entry per comment.

you can visit as many sponsor shops as you like
and comment once for each shop.


--> in the case of sponsors who are a blog (i.e. indie handmade, sandy a la mode, indie spotting): please leave me a comment about what you like best about their gorgeous sites!

--> in the case of a sponsor who is a band (i.e. the strip): please leave me a comment about which of their songs you like best (you can listen on the link!)



....................


2. in the spirit of lovely autumn, tell us your fave fall-time thing to DO!
= 1 entry

 

3. call, write or email a friend or loved one and let them know how much they mean to you! then come back here and tell us about it (no need to use full names :) 
= 1 entry

4. come follow or subscribe to my little blog
and join the fun everyday! 
 (please note:--->  to WIN this particular giveaway you must be a rikrak studio follower or subscriber! thanks nicies!)
please leave me a comment about it.
 = 1 entry

5. grab one of my NEW rikrak studio buttons,
like this one from the left hand sidebar, for YOUR BLOG!


the rikrak studio



the rikrak studio

and add it to your blog!
{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above  onto your blog sidebar! thanks! }

6. tweet about this giveaway
= up to 2 entries (one for each tweet!)
and come back here and tell me about it. please include my twitter account in the update: i'm @therikrakshop on twitter!)


7. follow me on twitter
i'm @therikrakshop
= 1 entry

8. blog about the giveaway and tell me about it here.
= 1 entry


9. do a facebook update
about the giveaway with a link, and tell us here 
= 1 entry
10. add a link to this Etsy forum thread here, showing us something beautifully handmade that you love for autumn (made by YOU or someone else!) 
+ come back and tell us!
= 1 entry

11. please just make sure that each entry is its own comment!

.................................

RULES:


a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) for this particular giveaway, YOU MUST BE A RIKRAK studio follower or subscriber,
old or new! thanks!
d) the winner of this giveaway will be chosen from random.org on
wednesday, october 27th @ 11pm EST.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
f) thanks so much everyone! and thanks for visiting the blog!

............................
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

playlist & a giveaway! with avril loreti

con1





i just adore the gorgeous and fresh and colour-perfect world of avril loreti.

i love the ways in which avril is inspired by beautiful everyday objects and then creates goodies with an uncanny flair for creative design sensibility.

her adorable cocktail napkins, coasters, hankerchiefs & pillows would be a sensational addition to any stylin' home or ensemble. and with the Holidays coming up, there is no end to the folks i know who would ADORE her creations as gifts: hostesses, friends, co-workers, kissing friends, family, etc, etc! and now you can WIN one of her amazing handkerchief sets for yourself! i know - AMAZING!
read on, lovelies!


and you can catch avril LIVE this week in Toronto between Nov 12-15 at the Craft Off the Lot show! (it's at 1030 King Street West (at Shaw) .. looks like a fabulous group of artists - so be sure to check it out!

now for a fabulous avril loreti playlist!





..........................

dj: avril loreti

playlist theme: the road trip mix tape playlist


Helen of Troy – Telefon Tel Aviv
Moonlight Desires – Gowan

Fences – Phoenix

Seventeen – Ladytron
Violet – Hole

Kissability – Sonic Youth
Faces – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Deserter – Matthew Dear
TMNT Mask – Chad VanGaalen

Hold Me – Fleetwood Mac

Gamma Ray – Beck

Legal Man – Belle and Sebastian


in her own words: "My ever-evolving Road Trip Mix is my favourite playlist to work on. It’s always changing depending on season, destination, and reason for getting out of town. It has to start off chill for when you coast out of your driveway, then it has to pick up the pace to something exciting once you hit the highway. It has to cover plenty of genres and ages so that your ‘Trip Co-pilot’ will be like “hun? I would have never thought those ditties could mix so well together”. You also have to throw in some songs that you know really well, along with some not-so-well-known-gems to keep things interesting. It’s a definite must to have a guilty pleasure tucked in there (Yes, Gowan!). Oh and if it’s a really good mix, then it’ll end on the perfect song that you just want to blare out of the car speakers once you’ve hit your destination. That’s my idea of a great Road Trip Mix."
..........................

woohoo! love it, avril! you're my kind of road-tripper! while you're checking out these great tunes, see what avril is offering one lucky rikrak studio reader....

..........................

one lucky reader will win

a set of 4 mustache hankies!
super woohoo! aren't those are the funnest!?
thanks so much, avril!


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
here's how to enter the giveaway!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

1. go visit the lovely avril loreti shop
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your fave goodie from her shop & why.= 1 entry

2.
leave us a comment on YOUR FAVE road trip song to travel to!

... = 1 entry

3. visit the avril loreti blog and leave her a comment on one of the fun posts.
... then come back here and tell us about it. = 1 entry.

4. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here. please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.


5. blog about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here.= 1 more possible entry

6. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

7. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.. thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 6 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the avril loreti giveaway will be chosen on
monday november 16th @ 9pm EST.
d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

i should also note that avril is one of my sponsors, and i'm thrilled to have her!
happy road trips, cuties!
{ps: last day to enter the tomate depingles necklace giveaway today, too! yay free delights!}

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

the quilt catalogue: the pinwheel pattern

beautiful pinwheels  for :: the quilt catalogue ::



row one
*shabby* pinwheel quilt by carolina patchworks

pinwheel patchwork blankie by frolicdesign
pinwheel quilt, maker unknown, circa 1900-1920

row two
pinwheel quilt blocks in progress by momtwoangel's photostream
pinwheels quilt via by red pepper quilts
bright scrappy illusion quilt by twiddletails

row three
quilt top by CampFollowerBagLady
moda bakeshop's fabulous pinwheel baby quilt pattern
pinwheels by philistine made

row four
pinwheels quilt by casual attitude
spinning in the wind quilt by NoDuplicates
pinwheels by solgrim

.................................


ah, quilting & patchwork! it's one of my true delights in life. and the patterns that have shaped the vibrant history of quilting thrill me. i love when modern works build on the strong foundation of historical handmade arts. in this new rikrak studio series, the quilt catalogue, we'll be exploring some fabulous traditional quilt patterns, the stories behind them, a dozen different takes on the theme, patterns to make one yourself, and an opportunity for you to share your own quiltworks! so sit back, and let's meander down a wonderful handcrafted needle-arts path!

.................................

as warmly summer turns to windy autumn, i see pinwheels spinning in delight in neighbourhood gardens. and it's no wonder to me that these wonderful, colorful whirligiggs captured the imagination of some of the earliest patchwork quilters in north america!

let's explore: the pinwheel quilt!

the basic formation:
it's a patchwork, 2-square quilting design.
1 block is traditionally made from four half-square triangle units.



a little history on the pattern:
reddawn notes in her quilt history that circa 1795, (shortly after the invention of the cotton gin) the "pieced pinwheel block pattern developed" in the US. And that "patchwork blocks and pieced borders begin to be incorporated into quilts" at that same time, while the most popular quilt remained an "overall {quilt} design with a center medallion with one or more borders."

although most quilt patterns were "unnamed" in their early incarnations, as quilt historian laurette carroll notes in her lovely article, "quilt patterns names" , she also points out that the "Godey’s Lady’s Book" was the first American periodical to publish a quilt pattern in the US in 1835", and history has shown us that the pinwheel pattern was already very popular by that time in the Americas.

the "pinwheel" name fits well into the popular notion of traditional quilt patterns reflecting the homelife & outdoor aspects of the quiltmaker's daily lives! ( i think of the dresden plate, log cabin , churn dash, hole in the barn door, grandmother's flower garden and rail fence to name a few everyday life patterns.)



personally, i think of the pinwheel as a beautiful foundational pieced block in the *quilting canon*, that's for certain! i also love how the pinwheel pattern lends itself well to other beautiful variations such as the double pinwheel, cartwheel (whirligiggle), kaleidoscope, virginia reel , flying kite, whirling pinwheel, and has birthed numerous other wonderful variations on the theme!



now... let's make one!
{some great how to's:}

:: basic block construction link ::

:: basic pinwheel quilt pattern ::

:: a fun pattern for making a pinwheel quilt out of fat quarters ::

:: a more advanced pinwheel block here on mccalls. ::
: & a wonderful & adorable little pinwheel baby quilt pattern by moda bakeshop! ::

.........................................

i must say, i think pinwheel quilts are delightful. i especially love a two-tone quilt with contrasting colours (i.e. light and dark) and the wonderful contemporary quilts of this and the 20th century incorporating a variety of fabrics on a pale background. i've tried my hand at a few pinwheel quilts myself, but gosh -
perfectly fitting those pinwheel points is not my forte! heavens!

i so admire a great point setter!


ever made a pinwheel quilt? we'd love to see it!
please add a link to an image of it below...

(i hope to do a followup post on reader's quilts each series & include yours!!)

have a pinwheel quilt tale to share?

have a favourite quilting block pattern? do tell!
happy stitching!
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Friday, September 4, 2009

the rikrak birthday giveaway!

new gift certificate look!


oh lovelies!
what a fun week it's been.
september starts.
little rikrak back to school & loving it,

and this weekend...
it's my birthday! yay!


i just love birthdays ...
& i'm super excited about more celebrations to come with family and friends!
{i've been so fortunate and have somehow managed to have had 2 weeks of birthday party celebrations already! fantastic!}


so in honour... a special little giveaway as a thanks to all of you lovelies who have made the rikrak studio blog such a fun new addition to rikraking... blogging with YOU is great!

:::::: here's the prize: ::::::
a rikrak $50.00 US shopping spree!

ready to go!

that's right! you can win $50.00 worth of goodies from my shop: www.rikrak.etsy.com
PLUS i'll include FREE shipping worldwide! woohoo!

that could buy you all sorts of fun things: eco wallets, recycled fabric coasters, quilted clutches, iron-ons for personalizing almost everything and hey - even some eco.stockings for your Holiday season this year!

and since at birthday time, i feel especially thankful for friends,
new & old, here's how to enter!


......................................................

:::::: how to enter! ::::::

.....................................................

1. thanks for being a friend!
follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog.

and leave me a comment about it here.
= 1 entry

2. let's make new friends!
invite a friend to follow the rikrak blog.
if they start following, let me know in a comment here.

{ps: wanna invite lots of friends? great? the more the merrier!
you get one entry for each person who signs up to follow or subscribe. }

= 1 entry for each new follower you suggest that signs up!
{ i guess the entries are limitless there! }


3. blog about the giveaway!
and please leave your link here.
= 1 entry

4. twitter about the giveaway!
and please leave the link here.
= 1 entry

5. PLEASE NOTE: each entry must be its own comment! thanks!

................................
:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have many entries per person, depending on how many friends you invite to join the blog that sign up!

b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!

c) using random.org, 1 winner will be chosen on
tues. september 15th @ 9pm EST.

d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
.................................


thanks for joining in the fun!
and thanks for the birthday cheers, nicies! it's so fun playing with you here!
have a great long weekend!
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