Want more traffic to your blog? Blogmania is your answer!

Blogmania is open to YOU!

Blogmania has proven to be a lot of fun. Not only do you get to see a lot of amazing blogs/bloggers that may have otherwise been buried under the sea of blogs but you get to potentially win a ton of prizes! Last season over 35K in prizes were dished out worldwide!

Would you like to be a part of this crew of Blogmania bloggers? Would you like to become more PR friendly, grow your blog, meet new bloggers, form new relationships with bloggers and shop owners? Regardless of your blogging goals, be it one or all of those,  you will have FUN! 

If you are interested in being on the Blogmania 2011 crew please send me a note at designsbydawnmd@gmail.com and I will respond with the details of the event. Registration is open until March 1st but those that sign on by Dec 15th, 11:59pm EST will be entered into a CASH prize drawing!

Want to learn more about BLOGMANIA?  Check out my Blogmania Page for an overview of what Blogmania is and updates from previous Blogmania events!

Look forward to helping you get involved if you so choose! :)

{Hugs!}
Dawn
Blogmania Dream Team Leader

Loads of Thanks & an Extra Kiss!

I really want to thank everybody that participated in Blogmania... all of you that read and commented, all of the other blogs that helped to promote and most importantly my wonderful team members.  I couldn't have put together such a wonderful giveaway package without you.  I've thoroughly enjoyed following your blogs and stores all summer and sharing your artistic creations with the world... literally!  I love the internet.

If you were supremely busy blog hopping over the last two day with Blogmania and didn't get a chance to visit my team members, please take some time to do so.  They are all so talented and truly wonderful women that have become more than team members but also dear, personal friends!

• Azure Islands Designs - http://azureislandsdesigns.blogspot.com
• Butterfly Fondant Cakes & Desserts - http://www.partybutterfly.com
• Juls Beads - http://julslbeads.blogspot.com
• Purple Vine Design - http://www.facebook.com/purplevinedesign
• Second Surf - http://secondsurf.com
• SLM Petersen - http://slmpetersen.blogspot.com

While I am tallying up the amazing results from our Blogmania entries, I wanted to let you know, I'll be announcing the winner... right here on my blog... on SUNDAY, Sept 19th.  I wish I had 1,358 prize packages to give away because you ALL deserve to win.  Your comments, thoughts and favorite things have been so enjoyable to read.  I just loved how diverse everyone's "favorites" are!

I hope you had a lot of fun with Blogmania - and that you will win some wonderful prizes!  Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all the kindness and love you showed my wonderful team.

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Sneak Peak - Blogmania Giveaway Prizes

As we're getting closer and closer to Blogmania, Team Favorite Things is starting to put all of our goodies into a Santa sack for one lucky winner!  Because I like you... I'm going to give you a sneak peak.  But only because you're special.

Just look at what two of our sponsors have sent me to be included for the winner!!!

Stacy at SLM Petersen has sent a collection of products worthy of drooling over... seriously.  She has written her own cookbook about Budget Friendly Cooking, included a washable mini cook book, an ADORABLE Brecipe book awaiting your recipes and a recipe-card-carrier to go.  I love the "To Go" recipe card holder - it's perfect to take to a potluck with copies of your dish to pass recipe - OR- for students that study from note cards... what  PERFECT back to school organizer that fits in any backpack or purse!

And would you just look at this?

Vanessa at Butterfly Fondant Cakes & Desserts has included this adorable high heel cake server!  It's absolutely precious and has such a classy style.  It's perfect for the princess birthday cake - or the bachelorette cake or a baby shower cake even.  I'm also very excited to share with you that Vanessa has just launched a brand new website to help her customers with choosing their cakes & desserts, but also to include her party planning supplies and ideas in the future.  You can take a look for yourself at: http://www.partybutterfly.com

One thing is for certain, whomever wins this prize package is going to be in for a HUGE treat!  It'll be like Christmas in September!

I can wait to share more as I receive more pieces of Our Favorite Things package.  I really want to thank our team as this giveaway is bigger than I ever would have imagined.  I've had so much fun seeing everybody's creative work all summer long and I can't wait to share their creations with you in the future!

If you're interested in participating in Blogmania in 2011, we're already starting the planning.  As a Team Leader I will be taking a more active role in promoting the entire event in addition to giving excellent PR to my giveaway sponsors.  For more information, you can visit my website and find out how to be on the Blogmania 2011 Dream Team.  Or if you'd like to partner with me, send me an e-mail and I'll get you more details on how we can work together.  designsbydawnmd@gmail.com

Can't wait to share more with you and help you build your blog!

Have a fantastic day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Fantastic Friday - Time for a Giveaway!

Guess what?  It's Friday - woo hoo!  And I woke up to 240 fans on my Facebook Page - Designs by Dawn Marie.  I'm so excited.  And because I've never been square, rather than having a giveaway at a round 200 or 300 people.... I think 240 is PERFECT!  Well, 241 is even more "Dawnish" so we're close enough for me. :o) Hope it's okay with you that I want to give you this pair of custom designed earrings.  They are Golden Swarovski Pearls with glass bead accents.  (*Note, if you'd rather have them on leverback earrings, I'd be happy to do a swap out for the winner.)

This is also an activity in preparation for Blogmania.  Because for Blogmania you'll have over 175 blogs all having giveaways on the same 2 days - September 15-16th.  So this is to prepare your mouse & keyboard fingers for all the giveaways you'll be able to enter.  It's much fun and seriously... there's some AMAZING prize packages!  We're giving away over $500 in prizes right here... so mark you calendars!

How to Enter:
The Giveaway runs, from right now through Monday Morning at 11:00 am Central time.  To enter, leave a comment here and become a fan of my Facebook Page and you'll be entered to win.

Bonus Entries:
If you're a super star (and I know you are) and you want more chances to win, you can do any or all of the following.  Leave separate comments for each of these actions you do so the gremlins in my computer can count correctly. :)  K?

1.  Twitter - follow me and re-tweet this post! @Designsbydawnmd
2.  Become a follower on my new website: http://www.DesignsbyDawnMarie.com
3.  Tell me your favorite item listed in my Artfire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/dawnmd
4.  Visit any of my Blogmania Sponsors and become a new follower for them. (*Fine Print: Whether you follow one or all 6, it's just one entry. Just comment which sponsor you are now a follower of!)

Azure Islands Designs

Purple Vine Design

Second Surf

SLM Petersen

Butterfly Fondant Cakes & Desserts

JulsBeads

Like I said, these are all bonus entries.  You don't have to do any of them... but if you want to increase your chances of winning, that's how you can!

On Monday I'll pick a winner and e-mail you for your address.  If you don't have a blogger blog, please leave your e-mail address in your comment so I can get in touch with you.

Can't wait to see who wins!  I'm off to a wedding this weekend and can't wait.  I really love LOVE - so sharing it with family is even more fun!

~Hugs & Lots of Luck to you!

P.S. Don't forget our Pre-Blogmania Twitter Party this Sunday evening!  For more info, click here!

New Blogmania Sponsor - With A Touch of AWESOMENESS

You'll think so too when you meet Julianna Cannon from Juls Beads!  I am so excited to introduce you to our newest team member.  As part of Team Favorite Things, our Blogmania giveaway centers around some of our favorite things.  Well this girl... she just LOVES Fire & Glass.  And you should see what she does with her fire & glass.  She makes the most amazing lampwork glass beads.  I met Juls while wandering around Blog-o-sphere a while ago.  I instantly loved her sense of humor and the way she communicates with her readers.  Seriously if you visit Juls Blog and don't laugh... then you probably aren't yet fully awake and should grab another cuppa java!

Not only does Juls create one of a kind beautiful glass beads with her bare hands... but the finished jewelry she creates is equally amazing.  What she can do with those itty bitty seed beads never ceases to boggle my mind.  Juls Jewelry (wow that's a tongue twister) is stunning and sure to tease your eyes as well.

When Julianna inquired for the scoop on Blogmania I was tickled to share with her.  She has been inspiring me with her blog and beautiful creations for some time.  She's one of those gals when I met her I felt like we could be sisters from different Mrs. & Mr.'s.  She's a southern gal from Alabama, quite the free spirit moving and creating as inspiration strikes.  She's also stubborn like someone else I know (after all, I am a redhead!) :)  When I asked Juls what made her tick, here's what she said.

"Art is reflection of the soul; fueled by emotion and awe inspired. While we may leave a part of ourselves with every person we touch, our words inevitably fade to whispers. In art there is a melody we sing right out loud; leaving behind a footprint of tangible expression~ of ourselves and of our humanity."  ~Julianna Cannon

I just love her artist statement and I've grown to love her as one of my blogger sisters!  I'm really excited to be able to introduce you to Juls.  If you've been a follower of my blog, you saw many moons ago about one of Juls beautiful beads that I won... because I made her laugh so hard she snorted Dr. Pepper up her nose... true story! :)  As a special treat for you and to kick off Juls joining Team Favorite Things Blogmania Giveaway, she is hosting a Back to School Sale in her Etsy store! She's put EVERYTHING on sale... yes everything.  But you only have until Saturday to scoop up all the beautiousness you can handle. 

To get in touch with Juls and share a few giggles you will want... no wait... need to book mark her site!

Blog:  http://julsbeads.blogspot.com
Lampwork Glass Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/julsbeads
Bead Destash Etsy Store:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/dietbeads

Juls, welcome to our team!  I hope you feel cozy enough to put your feet on our virtual coffee table. :)  One thing is certain, whomever wins our prize package (which is currently over $500) is going to be one lucky person!  It'll be like Christmas in September.  To find out more about Blogmania visit my blogmania page above.  Hope you get a few giggles as you get to know Juls!  She's really a wonderful friend!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

It's time to Party... Almost!

A Twitter party that is! @Designsbydawnmd

Blogmania bloggers are all about building relationships - between our blogs, our cherished readers, the online community and business owners. We value each other's opinion as we all are endeavoring to make the best choices for our home life. So it seemed natural to partner up with The Lane Real Estate Team and Breebee's blog to bring you our first ever twitter and blog blast party.

The Lane Real Estate Team is all about building relationships through communities - specializing in Kennewick Homes for Sale. And Bree is a blogger - and a mom - trying to think outside of the box and help build community ties in NW Columbus OH via her Kid event website! Our other twitter party sponsors also offer items to help strengthen and maintain relationships - from stationary to hand stamped sentiments.

Our Party Theme: "Building toward Blogmania with The Lane Real Estate Team" http://www.joelane.com/

Info on the Blog Blast:

If you post on your blog(s) our announcement between now and the twitter party you will be entered to win $100 cash. If we reach 500 blogs there will be two additional $50 drawings, totaling 3 winners! You can email Bree, breejanderson@gmail.com or blogmaniapr@gmail.com for the HTML code for blog(s) links and some posting specific OR ask me (Designsbydawnmd@gmail.com) for info and I will provide you with an HTML code.

Please return with your specific blog post links on Bree's Blog, under her Twitter Party PAGE tab.

Info on the Twitter Party:

9:30-10:30 pm EST, Sunday, August 22nd we will party!

There is a custom tweet grid and a linky for early RSVP. RSVP'ing early also enters you into special drawings. You do not have to RSVP to tweet and win but the 'extra' will not be available.

You can win both the blog blast and at the twitter party!

RSVP at BreeBee's!

Planning for Blogmania 2011

For those of you that have been reading my blog for the last several months, you've been hearing about our HUGE blogging event coming up September 15th & 16th - Blogmania!  We are putting the finishing touches on the prize packages and working with our sponsors to share the information about Hundreds of giveaways - and THOUSANDS of $$ in prizes - available for anybody to win.  It's incredibly fun - all you do is surf from a list of participating blogs and leave comments on those blogs only 2 days over 9/15-9/16.  Winners will be chosen and announced and there's no limit to how many giveaways you can win.  Not sure what Blogmania is? Learn more on my Blogmania Page Here: http://pearljewelryplus.blogspot.com/p/blogmania.html

Prizes are already over $19,000 and still growing... so book mark this site and come back on 9/15 to find the list of participating blogs.

But... in the background, we're already planning for Blogmania 2011... yes, next year already.  We're working to make it even bigger... with bigger prizes and more publicity for our participating blogs and their prize sponsors.

For 2011 I have the privilege of working with 4 other wonderful bloggers as a Team Leader for the new Blogmania 2011 Dream Team.  We'll be working as a team to help new Blogmania participants get involved and seasoned veterans to make their exposure and prize packages even bigger.

If you have interest in participating as a blog host for Blogmania 2011 (we'll be doing April & October giveaways this time), I've posted the information about how to apply on my website.  http://www.designsbydawnmarie.com/blogmania-2011-dream-team/

Each application and blog does get reviewed individually, so please allow time after submitting your application to hear back.  Once accepted, your blog will be added to our Dream Team Widget. 

Can't wait to see you back here on September 15th (and hopefully before) so you can enter our giveaway for some of Our Favorite Things!  In the meantime, please take some time to visit my sponsors' blogs.  They are all really talented women, and crafty in so many different areas - jewelry, sewing, scrapbooking, cooking and so much more!


Azure Islands Designs - Heather
Butterfly Fondant Cakes & Desserts - Vanessa
Purple Vine Design - Kelly Jo
Second Surf - Barbara
SLM Stacy Petersen

Prize Update - Blogmania Prize Package is Growing!

Our Blogmania Prize Package continues to get better and better!  Stacy Petersen, an incredibly talented crafter has created a new product that she's also including in our HUGE Blogmania Giveaway!  I personally love these recipe books!  Not only are they cute, they are absolutely practical!

Finding the perfect gift can be complicated and adding a personal touch can make the task even more daunting.  So where do you go from here?

You go to SLMPetersen's Etsy Shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/slmpetersen?section_id=7131769) and pick up one of these cute Recipe Albums.  Then when it arrives in your mailbox you tear into it with excitement and joy, fill it with your favorite recipes, wrap it up in pretty paper and give it to that special someone.  People appreciate "Recipes from the Heart" because you've put it together with love and you're giving them a taste your family recipes!

These great little albums make great gifts for ANYONE!  Yes, anyone – Mother, Father, Grad, Bride, Groom, Best Friend, Love of your Life.
Need ideas on giving? 

-  That next Bridal Shower you are hosting, ask each quest to bring a favorite recipe or two to fill the little album with, at the end of the party you can present the bride to be with a lovely gift that represents everyone who was at the shower.  This is a gift she will treasure and use for years to come.
-  That Family Reunion you have planned for this summer is going to be loaded with great food!  Ask everyone who will be attending to bring a copy of the recipe for the dish they will be sharing and tuck them into one of these albums.  What a great way to remember all the food and all the people you love.
-  Off to College!  What a better gift to give the kid who’s headed to college this fall.  Fill it with all their favorite dishes and copies of mom’s easy to fix dishes.  Won’t take up much room, but just might cut down on the home sick feeling when comfort food is the cure.


There really are endless ideas for the great mini albums!  Be creative and get giving!  I just love how creative Stacy is.  Like me, she is a die-hard foodie.  So we share a lot of food stories, memories and great ideas.  To connect with Stacy, please check out her blog - http://slmpetersen.blogspot.com.  You can also find her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SLMPetersen2!

Want to learn more about Blogmania or interested in joining our team?  Click on the "Blogmania" tab above to get all the information you need an meet all of our sponsors!

Blogmania - Twitter Party with PRIZES!

Blogmania bloggers are all about building relationships - between our blogs, our cherished readers, the online community and business owners. We value each other's opinion as we all are endeavoring to make the best choices for our home life. So it seemed natural to partner up with The Lane Real Estate Team and Breebee's blog to bring you our first ever twitter and blog blast party.

The Lane Real Estate Team is all about building relationships through communities - specializing in Kennewick Homes for Sale. And Bree is a blogger - and a mom - trying to think outside of the box and help build community ties in NW Columbus OH via her Kid event website! Our other twitter party sponsors also offer items to help strengthen and maintain relationships - from stationary to hand stamped sentiments.

Our Party Theme: "Building toward Blogmania with The Lane Real Estate Team" http://www.joelane.com/

Info on the Blog Blast:

If you post on your blog(s) our announcement between now and the twitter party you will be entered to win $100 cash. If we reach 500 blogs there will be two additional $50 drawings, totaling 3 winners! You can email Bree, breejanderson@gmail.com or blogmaniapr@gmail.com for the HTML code for blog(s) links and some posting specific OR ask me (Designsbydawnmd@gmail.com) for info and I will provide you with an HTML code.

Please return with your specific blog post links on Bree's Blog, under her Twitter Party PAGE tab.

Info on the Twitter Party:

9:30-10:30pm, Sunday, August 22nd, EST we will party!

There is a custom tweet grid and a linky for early RSVP. RSVP'ing early also enters you into special drawings. You do not have to RSVP to tweet and win but the 'extra' will not be available.

You can win both the blog blast and at the twitter party!

RSVP at BreeBee's:

New Blogmania Partner - Butterfly - Fondant Cakes & Desserts

Eat your heart out everybody!  Seriously... our newest Blogmania partner is going to make you want to! 

Vanessa Edil, the owner of Butterfly - Fondant Cakes & Desserts has partnered with Team Favorite Things for Blogmania.  I feel very lucky to have known Vanessa for over 16 years (yikes!)  Vanessa has always been incredibly talented and creative.  Since we last saw each other in person, she's gotten married, moved to Istanbul, Turkey, had two beautiful little boys and started her own cake and party supply business.  Now that's a whole lotta shakin' going on!  I honestly think she's found a time machine to generate more than 24 hours in a day.  :)

Vanessa's Cakes originally caught my eye when she started posting photos on her Facebook Fan Page.  Every picture I saw, I said "Oh, that's my favorite" until I saw the next and the next and said the same thing about each one.  It simply amazes me Vanessa, just what you can do with your gifted hands and some frosting!  

For those that know me... I have a very, ummmm, gifted sweet tooth :)  So one of my favorite things is birthday cake!  Which means Vanessa and her beautiful fondant cakes fit our theme perfectly!  For Blogmania, Vanessa is giving away one of her ADORABLE High Heel Cake Servers.  While it might be challenging to get a iris cake all the way across the ocean, the cake accessories and party supplies will be able to ship globally.

Isn't this adorable?

To get in touch with Vanessa and see her amazing "Cake-ability"  you have to check out Vanessa's Facebook page and blog.  :o) Here's the links to connect with Vanessa via her internet real estate:

Website & Blog:  http://www.partybutterfly.com  *Make sure you follow and see more of her awesome work!
Facebook Profile:  http://www.facebook.com/vanessaedil
Fan Page:   http://www.facebook.com/ButterflyCakesDesserts

Vanessa, Welcome to our team!  We can wait to see more of your creations and share your ever growing cake and party supply business with our fans and blog readers!

Blogmania Update

What an incredible team we have for our Blogmania Event September 15-16th. Our team, "Team Favorite Things" is having a HUGE giveaway (and growing) of some of our FAVORITE things! Currently our giveaway for Blogmania is nearly $400 in prizes and includes the works of very talented artisans.

Our Blogmania Giveaway includes custom designed jewelry from Azure Islands Designs, Barbara at Second Surf and myself, a full set of custom designed notecards from Purple Vine Design AND a washable mini-cookbook and recipe card holder perfect to take exchange recipes in your purse from Stacy Petersen!  And there's one more surprise partner that we'll be revealing very soon... so stay tuned. 

Right now registration is closed to enter as a blog.  However, as we've found out, working as a team makes Blogmania even more fun... and our reach is extending much farther than any of us could have reached on our own!  Right now our team is in the US & Canada with our newest team member coming from Istanbul TURKEY!!!  That's the power of partnering up as a team!  I don't think any of us would have been able to connect with a large part of the Turkish population, but sharing & cross promoting each other, our reach goes beyond with the eyes can see.

As a team, we cooperate with each other following each other's blogs and cross-promoting each others creations from our online stores.  Between Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media outlets, we're sharing everybody's talents with a global market.  I also have given our blogmania team members exclusive advertising on my new website - Designs by Dawn Marie.  Everybody has unique talents and one-of-a-kind creations and I think my team will agree, it's much more fun to co-op and share them as a team.

If you're looking to get more traffic on your website, blog or to your online store, working with a team to cross-promote is a great option.  Team Favorite Things is happy to welcome new team members for our Favorite Things Blogmania Giveaway and cross promote your work too!  If you're interested in joining us (and having a LOT of fun) you can e-mail me directly at designsbydawnmd@gmail.com and I'd be happy to get you more information. 

Blogmania is growing... our giveaway is growing... the fun we're having is definitely growing... are you growing?  :)

{Hugs!}
Dawn

  |    This is a GREAT Book if you want to learn more about
 V   online marketing.

A Giveaway & A New Website - Oh My!

I'm so excited to announce the unveiling of my new website.  http://www.designsbydawnmarie.com  A dear friend and wonderful customer, Sky Purington, asked if she could feature Designs by Dawn Marie on her blog.  I was absolutely tickled and we planned it for the last week in June.  When she sent me a reminder e-mail about a week ago, my head spun circles because June seemed to be speeding past me!  LOL

Here's the surprise for you... Sky selected a piece of my jewelry that she's hosting a giveaway for ... and I wanted to double the chances of you winning , so I threw in ANOTHER piece of jewelry for the give away.

So there will be TWO WINNERS chosen on Sky's Blog to each receive a Designs by Dawn Marie original design.

To enter, just head over to Sky Purington's Blog by clicking here, and you'll see how you can enter.  As a bonus, to anybody that reads Sky's blog, I've offered an additional promo if you purchase something from my new website... you'll have to read it to find out! :)

Hope you are having a spectacular weekend!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

P.S.  Here's the first book in Sky's Scottish Trilogy.  The third book in the series was just released this month.  So now you can read 1 - 3 without having to exhibit any patience... other than the time it takes to ship after your purchase. ;)  If you're looking for a great read at the beach or under a shade tree... this is a dynamite read!

New Blogmania Partner - SLM Petersen

Please join me in welcoming Stacy Petersen as the newest member of our Blogmania Team.  When I met Stacy, I was instantly intrigued by her blog.  She loves Food & Crafting just like I do.  I thought she'd be a perfect fit for our theme "Our Favorite Things"  Stacy has been blogging for quite some time now and her biggest challenge was getting readership to her blog.  I loved her blog and offered to partner with her and help her build a bigger group of followers. 

Stacy is a very talented woman that wears MANY hats.  She runs two online stores, one in Etsy, and the other in Artfire.  (those will both be linked)  Stacy is a passionate foodie and has been collecting recipes since she taught herself to cook in her twenties!  I have to giggle because of her "Why" for teaching herself to cook.  She was sick & tired of frozen pizza, pot pies and ramen noodles!  LOL 

Stacy also has a passion for all sorts of craft hobbies.  She loves sewing, crocheting and embroidery just to name a few.  While they are hobbies that date back decades, Stacy does an exceptional job of creating modern projects from her traditional hobbies.  As part of her passion, she features and sells vintage sewing patterns.  As we all know, styles are cyclical, the 70's have come back around.  So the patterns Stacy offers while the packaging is vintage, the styles are once again very trendy.

For Blogmania, Stacy wants to make sure nobody has an excuse not to have good food.  So she is including one of her mini-cookbooks, a recipe card holder and she continues to surprise me with other ideas and prizes.  One thing is certain, Stacy is full of surprises, and has a tremendously caring heart.

Stacy, I can't wait to see what you come up with next! :)  I look forward to seeing more of your blog posts and checking out your store.  Please take a minute to stop over to Stacy's blog, say hello and give her a follow!  Stacy is a huge Facebooker as well, so you can always chat with her there!  Here's Stacy's links so you can get in touch with her right away.  Stacy has a wonderful story of what makes her tick on her blog!  Check out her "Who I Am" and you'll know exactly why Stacy & I clicked right away!

Blog:  http://slmpetersen.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SLMPetersen/400239890583?ref=ts
Artfire Shop:  http://www.artfire.com/users/SLMPetersen
Etsy Shop:  http://slmpetersen.etsy.com
Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/slmpetersen/

If you are interested in partnering with our team, and collectively helping each other promote our participants blogs, feel free to check out my Blogmania page.  I'm more than happy to answer your questions.  Thanks again Stacy for joining Team Favorite Things where we all can share some of our Favorite Things!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Blogmania Partner - Second Surf

As promised in yesterday's post, I'm really excited to introduce you to my newest Blogmania sponsor this morning!  Barbara Bechtel from Second Surf is our newest Team Member.  As part of our theme "Our Favorite Things" Barbara is excited to be sharing her custom designed jewlery.  For Blogmania, she is going to be creating a one of a kind piece that showcases her talent and unique style.

I met Barbara through a mutual friend's Lisa's blog when she was showcased as the Designer of the Week.  I fell in love with her "Love is All That Matters" necklace the moment I saw it.  You can see why... it's so delicious you could kiss it!  In reading her blog I found out I love that too!  It's not a wonder she was featured a featured designer.  She's really super talented in lots of areas of crafts.  From jewelry, to vintage items to artwork, Barbara has many irons in the fire and creates beautiful pieces!

Barbara operates her Etsy Stores from her home in Florida.  What fascinates me about Barbara is that she she has yes, 3 Etsy Stores for each of her unique creative outlets.  Floridity is her store where she specializes in handmade polymer clay beads and original one of a kind jewelry using these beads.  Each of her pieces are one of a kind, and custom crafted!

Barbara, we are so blessed to have such an inspirational woman such as yourself on our team.  Thank you fo joining us in helping to make Team Favorite Things' Blogmania giveaway better than EVER!

You can check out Barbara via all of the websites below!  She's a gem, and you'll really be glad you took the time to meet her and see what she's up to!

Second Surf Blog:  http://secondsurf.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/2ndsurf
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/SecondSurfcom/168725313514
Floridity Store: http://Floridity.etsy.com
Kit of Parts Store: http://kitofparts.etsy.com/
Second Surf Store:  http://2ndsurf.etsy.com/

Barbara, I don't know where you find the time to do all you do... but we sure are glad you're sharing your talents with the world.  You have many gifts dear!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Blogmania Update: Ides of June

Tis the ides of June... a.k.a. the middle of June and I wanted to give you an update on Blogmania and our team, Team Favorite Things!  Our prize package is growing steadily and is now over $300!  Yes, that's a $300 prize that anybody can win by visiting this blog during Blogmania, September 15-16th.

Our Giveaway for blogmania is "Our Favorite Things!" because all of the prizes in our HUGE giveaway are some of our favorite things.  Thus far I've introduced you to two of our team sponsors, Azure Islands Designs and Purple Vine Design, both incredibly talented creative women.  Tomorrow, I'm going to introduce you to a brand new sponsor on our team... She's another multi-faceted woman with her hands in so many crafty areas.  You're just going to love her - I promise!

As our team is growing, we're really generating LOTS of traffic.  Sending new eyes (both readers and ready buyers) to each others websites daily.  Using a co-op marketing style, we're able to spread the word  about our sponsors and their great products all over the web.  If you are interested in joining our team and sharing in our co-op advertising all summer long, click here to get more information.  Then in September, when Blogmania takes place, all of our sponsors will be front and center on our blog post and the traffic will be crazy!  I promise!

During our last Blogmania event, there were THOUSANDS of viewers on the participating blogs and their sponsors.  Blog followers increased by 300% and more on many blogs- in that one day alone!  Sales were made and relationships were built.  This time, the event is BIGGER - prizes are bigger, the participating blogs are more numerous and the event is two whole days rather than just 1!  So we're upping the stakes and it's going to be huge! 

I can't wait to share more, but right now I must utilize the sunshine I have and snap some photos for my online store.  Enjoy your day!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

New Blogmania Partner - Purple Vine Designs

I'm so excited to introduce you to our newest Blogmania Sponsor.  Kelly Jo Guastello operates Purple Vine Design.  As purple is my favorite color, Kelly Jo fits into Team Favorite Things perfectly.  Kelly Jo creates one of a kind, custom greeting cards.  From Thank You's to Congratulations to Get Well Soon, Kelly puts her heart into every piece she makes.

Based out of her home in Pawtucket, R.I., Kelly Jo started Purple Vine Design to share her creativity with the world.  I met Kelly Jo through Twitter and we have become wonderful friends.  She's a busy mother, grandmother and furry mother (she has 4-legged furry kids just like I do.)  Each card that Kelly makes is durable, adorable and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of whomever is receiving it!

When Kelly Jo contacted me about creating a set of custom cards for our Blogmania event, I was thrilled.  See, I love sending out handwritten impromptu cards all the time.  Call me old-fashioned, but people really appreciate knowing you took the time to tell them you care.  So for Blogmania, Kelly Jo is making a set of custom Thank You cards that the winner will be able spread smiles many times over!

Thank you Kelly Jo and Purple Vine Design for partnering with me for Blogmania in September.  Please Show Kelly Jo some love.  She's been selling online for quite some time, but she's just getting started blogging!  Check out her blog and her Etsy store so you can see more of her great work!  Here's how you can get in touch with Kelly Jo:

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/purplevinedesig
Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/purplevinedesign
Blog:  http://purplevinedesign.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Purple-Vine-Design/129374660411331

Kelly Jo added this about her special notecards for Blogmania: "I'm sitting in my little craft space (I work in our spare room which houses the 2nd refrigerator, overflow of can goods, treadmill and my closet--we live in a 900 sq ft 2 bedroom condo)  and I wasn't sure what I wanted to create.  I thought about your giveaway...My favorite things.  Then it hit...I had picked up some paper a few months ago and although there were so many things I could make with it, I kept holding onto it because it was my favorite paper.  I knew I could part with a few pages to make these cute little notecards.  The pink paperclip hearts were already sitting on my table and when I glued the paper to the cardstock, I knew I had to put them on the front! The other embellishments were easy to use, work very well with this paper and even though the notecards are very simple, I really like them!  I hope you do too!"

Kelly Jo, I love the pictures and I know you're going to get a tremendous response from all our wonderful friends and readers.  

If you'd like more information about Blogmania or Joining our Team, please visit the Blogmania page on the top of my Blog.  As a team we're working together to create an incredible prize package, drive lots and lots of traffic collectively to our team sites and blogs and in the meantime, meet some great people and have a lot of fun!  Who wouldn't want to have a lot of fun and get boatloads of traffic on their website?

{Hugs!}
Dawn

New Blogmania Partner - Azure Islands Designs

 
I'm so excited to announce the first partner for our HUGE Blogmania Giveaway!  Heather Cote, owner of Azure Islands Designs, has been a dear friend of mine for quite some time.  She and I met on our blogs and share a mutual interest in artisan crafted jewelry.  Heather resides in beautiful Canada and is a busy woman!  From organizing the Buskers & sitting on the Board at the local farmer's market in the summer months to participating in craft shows and continuing to design new jewelry, Heather is never at a loss for what to do in her free time!

For Blogmania, Heather is creating a one-of-a-kind, special design.  I'm excited to see her design, but more importantly, I'm grateful to have her on Team Favorite Things.  Heather is one of my Favorite Bloggers, so it's appropriate she's on Team Favorite Things!

Won't you please take some time in your browsing to check out Heather's custom jewelry? 

Here's where you can find Heather and Azure Islands Designs:

Heather's blog - http://azureislandsdesigns.blogspot.com
Heather's Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Azure-Islands-Designs/353012479650?ref=ts
Heather's Website - http://www.azure-islands.com
Heather's Etsy Store - http://www.azureislands.etsy.com

As a team, our theme for Blogmania is "Our Favorite Things!"  If you are interested in joining our team and sponsoring a giveaway for Blogmania, check out the Blogmania Page above for more information or click here to view the post about Partnering Up!  Our goal is to make an incredible giveaway, meet some great new people, and support each other's businesses.  We'll be working together from now through Sept. 15th and 16th to spread the word, build up a great following of readers and have a great time!

A special Thank You to Heather for joining us for Blogmania and for your friendship!  I appreciate you so very much!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Blogmania Update!

Less than 4 months until our 2nd Blogmania Event!  This time around, the stakes have been upped... September 15th -16th is going to be the biggest blogging event of the year!

This event is a two day event!  You can hop from blog to blog and enter to win tens of thousands of dollars of prizes!  Each blog is required to have a minimum of $100 valued giveaway... and some are crazy!  They are offering prize packages valued at over $1,000!  That's right!

While hundreds of blogs are applying to enter Blogmania, the coordinators are reviewing applications and choosing the best blogs to participate.  They must offer family-friendly content, good readership and be willing to share the Blogmania love to get the word about about the event. (i.e. promote the event consistently all summer long online & offline)

As one of the blogs that has been accepted to be a participant, I'm working on creating a massive prize basket.  My theme for the Blogmania Giveaway is "My Favorite Things!"  I'd like to put together a collection of gifts and be able to offer a HUGE prize or several prize collections. 

My online marketing campaign will massively begin over the next week and run all summer long until the event on September 15th and 16th.  I will be promoting my partners, their prizes, websites and blogs as well as the Blogmania event as a whole.  There will be massive traffic generated and getting your website advertised as part of this campaign will be huge for building your business.

Some of the things that fall under my favorite things are:  jewelry, bath salts, homemade soaps, candles, anything for dogs, snuggly things (scarves, slippers, hats, mittens), coffee, gardening items, fitness anything, or anything related to a day at the beach!  Those are just a few ideas of what my favorite things are.

If you wish to partner with me and work together to build a HUGE prize for blogmania, and receive massive new followers and fans all summer long, let me know.  I will be designing some special jewelry just for the fall Blogmania, even better than what I gave away this spring.  Any sponsored items are welcome, whether it's a pair of earrings or handmade beads, a coffee cup or gift card to Amazon.com.  We'll all put together an amazing giveaway!

Interested?  Send me an e-mail with the Subject:  Blogmania at designsbydawnmd@gmail.com.  In your e-mail, include:  Your Name, Your Website, Blog or Store, What Prize You Would Like to Contribute, AND a Picture, Logo, or Avatar I can use to promote you!  I'll set it up your avatar/button and the links for where it goes, host the button on my server and do a feature post all about you!  Plus when I launch my new website in late June, you will get free advertising on my website!  In the last month alone, I've had just over 1,000 visitors on my blog!  Would you like me to refer them your direction?  (This will be getting bigger each month this summer as my online marketing campaign hasn't even begun yet!)

I look forward to working with you!  Together Everyone Achieves More!  To follow all the news about Blogmania, check out may page Blogmania on this blog!  Or follow me on Twitter @DesignsbyDawnmd.

Have a wonderful, safe Memorial Day Weekend!
{Hugs!}

Dawn

Sneak Peek - Blogmania Giveaway

I can't tell you how excited I am to be participating in this Friday's Blogmania giveaway.  If you follow me on Twitter, or are a fan on Facebook, then you know just how pumped I am to be sharing all the blog love with visitors from around the world.

Because I know you're all curious, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the custom designed jewelry I'll be giving away.  So dear jewelry lovers... here's a glimpse into my giveaway.  You'll be able to start here, and follow the links I have to other blogs all participating! :)

All the action starts at midnight this Friday, April 30th.  I personally won't be awake at midnight to start surfing, but I want to make sure my giveaway is up for all to have an opportunity to win.  So for other Blogmania Blogs, I want to share with you how to make a post and schedule it for a specific time if you use Blogger.

How to schedule a future blog post:
1.  Create your post as usual, but don't hit "publish post."
2.  Right below the box you are typing in, you'll see a link to "Post Options."
3.  Click that link and you'll see an option for Post date and Time on the right.
4.  Switch the radio button to "Scheduled at."
5.  Set the post for whatever day & time you want it to publish at.
6.  Hit "Publish Post" and your post will be all set to launch on the day & time you scheduled it for.

So now, you too can sleep on Thursday night and not worry about your visitors not having the Ultimate Blog Experience!

Bloggers helping Bloggers

This post is so exciting for me.  I want to thank Kelly Morin over at Beadativity for sharing the love of beads with me!

Originally I met Kell through her blog and on Facebook.  You always know when you meet someone special that was destined to be your friend.  Through blogging and social networking, I've met so many wonderful jewelry makers this way. 

When I saw Kell's photo album on Facebook, this style of bracelet kept coming back to me.  I'd find myself flipping over there to browse again and after 48 hours I knew I needed to purchase one of Kell's bracelets... but in my favorite color... PURPLE!

As it happened, Kell liked one of my wire crochet necklaces!  So we facilitated a jewelry swap!  My package came in the mail yesterday and I opened it as quickly as kids will run around and hunt for their Easter Baskets this weekend!

I love, love, LOVE my bracelet and hope you stop over to Kell's Blog and keep in touch with her.  She's a wonderful woman and a great bead artist!  Thank you Kell for swapping with me!  I hope you like your necklace as much as I love my bracelet!  ♥