A Book. A GiveAway.

Yes, I am still here. Still alive. Still beading. Still designing. Still listing. Just haven't been blogging and don't know that I have a good reason/explanation/excuse.  Do trust that you will forgive me, however...especially when you read what I have in mind.

Last week, I received my review/contributor copy of the much-anticipated Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry. 

What an absolute treasure this 500 Series volume is!  If you are a lover of beaded jewelry, this book will warm your heart and please your eyes. If you are a beader -advanced, intermediate, or beginner - , this book will feed your beading muse.

I have wandered through this, cover to cover, at least five times since it arrived. Each time, I focus on different pieces, with my favorites seeming to change as my moods do.  I'm awed by it. I'm inspired by it. I'm thrilled by it. I am humbled by it. But I don't imagine I will ever be bored by it.

The incredible variety of styles and techniques and color palettes displayed on these pages is almost overwhelming. What keeps them at the "almost overwhelming" stage is Ray Hemachandra's guiding hand in selecting and arranging these 500 pieces by 275 different artists.  Ray recognizes the community of beaders for what it is:  a diverse, supportive, and talented family. And this is our family album!

When I go to Bead & Button next year, I will be very tempted to carry this volume with me wherever I go in a crazed effort to get as many autographs on these pages as possible. What a collector's item that would be!  

If I were a more sharing, generous kind of gal, I would give away one of my two copies of this book (I've got one coming from Amazon as I write this!). But I'm not and so I won't. So there.  

I am giving away one of the pieces in the book. Yes. You can own one of these 500, - Ribbed Peyote Cuff - one of the three by yours truly included in the book.  This was the prototype for my ribbed cuff series, so it is pretty special (if unassumingly so) on more than one count. hehe

I will also have my trusty random number generator draw two names for $30 Sand Fibers Gift Certificates The winners can use these gift certificates in my Etsy store or to order a custom item. Or, because I will make the gift certificates transferable and without expiration date, you can give the certificate as a gift.

The "Rules"

To enter the drawing for these prizes, you can do one or more of the following. Please note that to take full advantage of these you must leave a separate comment for each.

1. "Like" Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry on amazon and leave a comment here telling me you did so
2. Blog about this give away and leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.
3. Twitter about this give away and leave a comment here letting me know you did. 
4. Link to this post on Facebook  and leave a comment here letting me you know you did.  

Please leave your email or your etsy/ArtFire store name or something in the comment as well so that I have a way of contacting you in case you win. 

If you do all four of these things, you will leave four separate comments and have four separate chances to win. You could, of course, choose to just do one of the four, or two, or three...and that's okay as well. Just enter!

Entries/comments must be made by midnight on Monday, July 30. I will use my trusty random number generator to determine the winners on Tuesday and will announce them on this blog later that day.

Good luck! Now be well and get going (but only after you leave your comment)!