(First EVER Giveaway) WIN a few of my favorite things!!!!

Hello blog friends!!!!!

Now, I know I have said time and again that this blog/website has been an incredible blessing to me because of the way it has connected me with incredible working artists and art teachers. I have also shared with you all the fact that I have the great blessing of being able to do what I love (be an artist and an art teacher at an AMAZING school with just about every resource I could dream to have) despite the fact that the economy is the way it is (with teachers losing their jobs left and right) and this is my 3rd (but final) career.

I am so blessed and I want to share some of that with YOU!!!! Last week I happened to hit posting #200 for this blog and since I started it? My blog stats tell me that the hits on the site and certain pages/sections have gone from a couple hundreds hits to almost TEN TIMES that on any given day, week, and for the whole year. It's amazing to me that I can share with you all the way I do - dyslexic and ADHD writing style and all, and you keep coming back and encouraging me to not stop.

To celebrate all of this and thank you all, I picked out some of my most favorite things I have used - both in teaching and for my own personal art creation endeavors. I thought and prayed for weeks about what to pick to giveaway and then I ordered it all (this is not a sponsored giveaway unless you want to think of the Almighty God as that which I think is fair in all honesty). My goal is with what I am doing here is to take from what Matthew 25:14-30 says with the Parable of the bags of gold and live that out loud here and now.

So, without further adieu, here is a video of me presenting to you a "few of my favorite things" that make up the total prize package of what you can win...

But if you don't have the time (nor interest) in watching the video, here is a list of what is included in the "prize package" I am giving away the following:

1. The tried and true book that I simply will not stop talking about called DRAWING LAB FOR MIXED MEDIA ARTISTS
2. A set of Crayola brand Portfolio Series Water Soluble Oil Pastels - 24ct color set
3. A 9x12" pad of vellum Bristol board by Strathmore that is awesome for mixed-media as well as the amazing aforementioned oil pastel set!
4. A roll of Paint Splatter Duck Brand Decorative Tape that is sold at your local craft/art stores but it is so awesome that more of it is always useful so that's why I included it

Not too shabby, eh? But what you really want to know is "How in the world can I enter to win all of this awesome stuff?!!!

OK. There are TWO ways you can enter this giveaway.  Here's how to enter to win my "favorite things" prize package:

1. LEAVE A COMMENT on this entry telling me what YOUR favorite art product is to use and explain why. This could be something that you like using in your art education endeavors as much as your own personal works. 
2. Connect yourself with me and "follow" this blog via the section over on the right sidebar - the button is blue and it says "join this site." Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you have done so to confirm this second entry. I am actually not doing this to get myself more followers but more because if you do so, I can easily add you to the active feed of "Favorite Art Bloggers" (also on the right sidebar) a whole lot more easily.  If you already are a follower of this blog, that's fine but I still need you to leave me a comment telling me that you are already a friend of the blog.

The rules of the giveaway are below so don't forget to read those before you try and enter. The contest will close on Tuesday, Sept. 25th so please leave a comment no later than midnight EST of Sept. 25, 2012.

Thanks so much and I will announce the winner on WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26th 2012 here on the blog!!!


RULES OF THIS GIVEAWAY:

•  This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. (Sorry! Had to do it like this because I purchased the whole prize package and I am shipping it on my own dime. I may be blessed but I still have to be a good steward of my blessings too.)

• You may only enter TWICE - (one for a comment of your favorite type of art supply and one for the comment confirming that you are a follower of this blog) and if you attempt to submit multiple entries, I will only count your initial entry for the selection of the winner. 

• You must provide me with an email address so I can get in touch with you if you win!!! I will not share your email address with anyone but I need to be able to contact you if you win so I can send you all of this cool stuff!

• Anybody can enter this (meaning art teachers or just working artists) and if you win, you must provide me with a  standard mailing address via email so that I can send you your prize!!

• There is no guarantee that you will win and the winner will be selected at random.

• Your prize package is not exchangeable or returnable for money, goods, or services from me.

• Your entry will be automatically disqualified if you use any profanity, discriminating/prejudice expressions, or personally attacking or offensive (of my discretion) comments toward me and what I do here on my blog.

• I will pay for shipping & handling fees in order to mail the package to you but once it leaves my hands (meaning, it's being mailed to you) I am not responsible to anything that might happen to it OR providing you with a replacement if it gets lost or stolen during the mailing process.