I’d been wandering around blog-land, hopping here, skipping there, and I came to rest on Shona Cole’s blog ‘An artful Life’. Not only is Shona amazingly talented, and the author of a book called ‘The Artistic Mother’, but she often likes to give away a hand-made something to a random follower of her blog.
She has 750 followers, so that’s a lot of folk to choose from.
And at the beginning of August my name came out of the virtual bag, and she sent me this lovely little notebook all the way from Texas!

This was such a surprise as I usually have notoriously bad luck with competitions. So here is a late little post to say ‘thank you Shona’, and to point the way to her lovely blog. She does fantastic arty projects with her children, and I also am in deep love with her kitchen.
Shona’s blog: An Artful Life
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August continued on its merry way. I blogged, pondered how best to wrap tea-cups from my own contest, virtually pottered here, virtually pottered there, and came across Melanie’s lovely blog ‘Melanie’s Musing’. She posts excellent reviews of all the books she reads, and was holding a swag giveaway.
Well, who can resist swag? Not me, not me. I entered. And won! Look at all these book-marks and goodies, coming my way from Florida!

So here is a late little post to say ‘thank you Melanie’ and to urge you all to pay her a visit, too. She’s back at school now and could no doubt do with some new followers to cheer her up. At least, that would be the very least of what I’d need if I was back in school.
Melanie’s blog: Melanie’s Musing
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Maybe it’s contest karma, I thought, as I sent off parcels to America (Karen and VR Barkowski) and around the UK (Pen and Paints and Music Obsessive). And so I did some writing, some blogging, and then as August began ticking into September I popped into one of my favourite blogs, Pretty Far West, and saw there was a Pretty Amazing Giveaway.
Ooo! I thought. So I entered. And won!
So here is a ‘bang on the minute’ post to say ‘thank you Mise, and thank you Mise’s sister’ (who made the gorgeous necklace), and to point the way to Pretty Far West. I always enjoy my visits, and think her witty style is rubbing off on me every time I spend rather a little too long pondering the perfect sofa.
Mise’s blog: Pretty Far West
So with these three lovely prizes the notorious bad luck has well and truly been banished – hoorah! Thank you so much. I am hoping this signifies a turning point!
