Monday, April 26, 2010

♥ MONEY HUNT ♥

Right in time for Mother's Day! Find the coupons (up to 50% OFF) and use before anyone else to redeem.


There are four coupon codes hidden in four places in my http://mv.artfire.com shop. It will be very obvious what they are once you see them. The first people to find them can enjoy discounts of up to 50% if they are the first ones to redeem the code.

Choose wisely, you can only use ONE coupon, so if you found the easy $10_off_$50, will you risk having someone else using it while you are looking for the 50% off, or will you decide 20% is good enough? Hard choices. FUN game! :)

Here is what you are looking for:

If you find the Coupon Code containing the numbers -
10 - This code will take $10 off an order total of at least $50 (TWO available, easy to find)
25 - This code will take 25% off your order total, no minimum (TWO available, a little harder to find)
20 - This code will take $20 off an order total of at least $50 (ONE available, hard to find)
50 - This code will take 50% off your order total, no minimum (ONE available, you really have to dig for it)

There are 6 prizes total, 4 easier ones, and 2 harder ones. Each coupon also comes with a FREE GIFT to thank you for your hard work!

How to redeem:
No ArtFire nor PayPal accounts necessary to use the coupons, and no need to login anywhere. :)

To use the code:
1) Enjoy shopping at http://mv.artfire.com
2) Choose your pretties and click ADD TO CART,
3) When ready to checkout choose your Location (United States, Canada, etc.) in the upper right corner of the Shopping Cart, and click Checkout. 

The next page will have a Gift Certificate/Coupon Code right above the address. Enter the coupon code you have found and click APPLY COUPON. The Grand Total should have the amount/percentage deducted from it once the coupon has been applied.

Double check the coupon HAS been applied, as someone else may have found it and used it before you, in which case the coupon will not be available anymore.

Click SUBMIT ORDER after confirming the total amount is correct. Amazon, Google, and PayPal payment choices will be given (For Credit Card payments, choose PayPal without logging in to PayPal).

Please contact me if you run into any problems at all during the checkout process.

If needed, hints will be given Wednesday 9AM EDT. The Money Hunt will end Wednesday April 28th, NOON EDT. Will you be the ~LUCKY~ one? :)

Enjoy the Hunt and Good Luck!

Love,
mv



Mon 9PM:
Well, so far we have 15 people hunting and only one who has found a coupon (the 20% one). I might have to give out hints earlier than Wednesday :) What do you think? :)

Tue 11AM:
I had some fun taking pictures of something pretty special. My FREE GIFTS box :D Well, there are too many things in there, and the picture would have been messy, so I picked the most colorful ones for a nice looking photo :) So here are two samplers, the first one is the handmade styles (stuff I make), the second one is the commercial styles (i.e. I bought them from a store, so not handmade, always sent with a handmade item though) :)


Tue 5PM:
Posting hints in the comments :) First hint word is composed of 4 letters.

Tue 9PM:
Well, 2 coupons have been found, but none has been redeemed yet :) Is everyone waiting to find the 50% OFF? :) "Find the pipes" was a big hint, you should be well on your way to finding the big one by now! Good luck!

Wed 1AM:
♥ Next hint will be posted at 9AM EDT/6AM PDT, and it's going to be HUUUGE! Better get your cart ready tonight because there's going to be a mad dash to the finish line LOL Final hint at 10AM, and then the game will end 12PM EDT. Any coupons unused by noon will be posted on my blog. Have a wonderful night and see you tomorrow ♥

Wed 9AM:
HINT: Be sure to check ALL the pictures inside the listings. A listing could have anywhere between 1 and 10 photos attached to it. (Most have two.)
Next hint at 10AM EDT/7AM PDT.

Wed 10AM:
HINT: Enlarge the thumbnails so you can better see what you are looking for. Because it's NOT in main pics and cannot be seen when thumbnailed. :) Special extra hint available on twitter.

Wed 12PM: Game Over.

THANK YOU all for playing, it's been SUPER FUN! It was a game of patience and digging, and a lot of you have put extraordinary effort into it, especially with such a large amount of items to go through. As a thank you, all the hunters (that I know of) will get 5 extra entries in the May giveaway coming up soon. Email me to let me know you've participated in the egghunt. My stats say there were 48 hunters, so it will be exciting to find out who's been playing. :)

Getting ready to post the coupon codes now (I'll post the images, so it may take a few minutes for codes to appear). Code availability updates will be posted on twitter with the #hasbeenclaimed hashtag.

What you were searching for:

The 20% off ($10 off 50) has expired.
The 25% off has expired.
The 40% off ($20 off 50) has expired.
The 50% off has been claimed.

The codes' values were proportional to the difficulty of finding them :) They haven't been claimed yet as of now (1PM), so if you go to the top of this post and follow the steps AND your total order amount changes when you apply the code... it's yours :)

UPDATE: The 50% has been claimed. Remaining: the 40, 25, and 20%.
UPDATE 5/01/2010: All the unused coupons have expired. Keep an eye out for more games and giveaways :)

Thank you for playing! I've had a lot of FUN FUN FUN! Have you? :)


Hunters with 5 extra giveaway entries (the ones who fessed up): apronsbymeme, harlamy, NewGraphics4u, FantasyClay, AndreaTJewelry, bitspeaces,

Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy
Week of 04/26 to 05/02 Features


Daily links go live as soon as the corresponding Undiscovered Studios are featured: (This will be a very busy week for me, so I'll get the first three features out in advance)
Sunday
Saturday
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday

04/28 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

Today's shop is citlali, specializing in English and Spanish invitations for weddings, quinceanera, sweet 16, baptism, first communion, and more. There, you will find perfect invitations for any event, and with over 11 years in the design service, you know you can't go wrong.

Se habla EspaƱol.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

citlali's studio sections are:
Wedding
Quinceanera/Sweet 16
Bridal/Bachelorette
Baptism/First Communion
Labels/Seals
Thank you note cards
Menu/Place/Table cards
Business/Calling cards
Custom Orders
citlali's Lowest priced item is $2.50. The highest priced item is $175.

These Adinkra Symbols A2 Personalized notecards are one of my favorites (They are so COOL that I'm going to have to show you two pictures, one of the cards, one of the symbols):

What is YOUR favorite? :)


04/27 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

Today's shop is madebydani, a family shop specializing in wax candles, beaded jewelry, and wire wrapped crosses. There, you will find perfect gifts for all your friends. Their crosses are very unique, check them out! :)

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

madebydani's Lowest priced item is $13. The highest priced item is $50.

This wire wrapped 11.75" x 7" wall cross is one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)


04/26 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

Today's shop is CurlyGirlCrochet, specializing in elegant crocheted treasures made with the same heartfelt passion for over 30 years. There, you will find perfect gifts for your friends, as well as your pets.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

CurlyGirlCrochet's Lowest priced item is $6. The highest priced item is $34.

This cute Girl's apple tote for kids is one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy
Week of 04/19 to 04/25 Features


Daily links go live as soon as the corresponding Undiscovered Studios are featured:

Monday ~ Gold Favorite
Tuesday ~ Silver Favorite
Wednesday ~ Bronze Favorite
Thursday ~ First Honorable Mention Favorite
Friday ~ Second Honorable Mention Favorite
Saturday
Sunday
Proceed straight to comments...


04/19 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

The TOP WINNER of the ArtFire Favorite Undiscovered Studios poll has her own extensive feature (click to visit).


04/20 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

The Silver Finalist in the Favorite Undiscovered Studios Poll is CrochetKiosk, specializing in colorful handmade crocheted items. There, you will find perfect gifts for babies, friends, and even brides.

In her spare time, the artisan behind CrochetKiosk makes hats and donates them to hospitals to give to cancer patients.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

CrochetKiosk's Lowest priced item is $7.50. The highest priced item is $40.

Her baby booties are one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)


04/21 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

The Bronze Finalist in the Favorite Undiscovered Studios Poll is lesleypayne, specializing in photographic reductive examination of objects. There, you will find perfect gifts for lovers of unique art.

Lesley has been featured as Art Calendar Online Artist of the Month for March.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

lesleypayne's studio sections are:
Fine Art
Silver print
Digital
Color Film
lesleypayne's Lowest priced item is $10. The highest priced item is $40.

This solitary door print is one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)


04/22 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

First Honorable Mention in the Favorite Undiscovered Studios Poll goes to WreathsandMoreDecor, specializing in handmade wreaths, centerpieces, napkin and candle rings, as well as Holiday items. There, you will find perfect housewarming gifts.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

WreathsandMoreDecor's Lowest priced item is $6.50. The highest priced item is $55.

This super cute teddy bear Wedding wreath is one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)


04/23 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy

Second Honorable Mention in the Favorite Undiscovered Studios Poll goes to PerfectlyPractical, specializing in colorful unique jewelry and rugs. There, you will find perfect housewarming gifts, as well as birthday gifts for your lady friends.

I encourage you to contact the artisan above if you see an item you love, even if just to let them know how much you enjoy their work. Share your favorites in the comments section, and twitter, plurk, blog, etc. if you find something you like!

PerfectlyPractical's Lowest priced item is $3.71. The highest priced item is $21.95.

This Summer blueberry blue bracelet is one of my favorites:

What is YOUR favorite? :)


Monday, April 19, 2010

Multitalented DesignWithHeart


04/19 Buy Handmade, Make Someone Happy
Special Feature


Please join me in congratulating the TOP WINNER of the Favorite Undiscovered Studios contest for the month of April. From digital art to drawings, from plush toys to polymer clay, from realistic styles to anime, she's done it all. She's also an accomplished cook (except for mac and cheese LOL) and loves gardening. And video games, a LOT of video games :)

Please meet... DesignWithHeart! :)


While her shop may look young, once you look deeper you start to understand the multi-faceted, multi-talented skills on display, and realize that the listed items are just examples of what she can do. It is really a custom order shop, look at it through the eyes of what you want and you'll realize she can do it for you ~ PERFECTLY. She will be more than happy to hear from you, listen to your ideas, and make a custom listing that will be the perfect gift you were looking for.

Let's start from the first item shall we? An awesome Sonic the Hedgehog stuffed echidna plush toy. You are not looking for an echidna? You are looking for a hard to find FF Cloud? Ah, but she can make that for you! And she's a perfectionist, so you know it will look exactly the way you want it.

Next up, an example of an Easter collage greeting card. Want a Haruhi Suzumiya greeting card instead? She can make it for you. World of Warcraft? No problem! :) And just under it you can also see an example of a hand drawn greeting card. The possibilities are endless!

Moving on to the polymer clays, there are dogs and Final Fantasy figurines. Aren't they CUTE?! These are just examples of what she can make. Are you looking for a Cloud figurine instead of the whole set? She does custom orders and would be thrilled to make one for you. As she says in her Bio, she can do all styles and types :)

She also enjoys photography (although only one print is up for sale so far). There are however multiple examples of prints from her original drawings and digital paintings, and she is quite the talented lady. I am looking forward to seeing more examples of her talent, it really looks like she could do anything you wanted!

And finally, if you wanted a friendship bracelet in any colors of your choice, she can make that as well! It comes with bells, so if your pet's vision is not as good anymore and you need an auditive marker for your location, these would be perfect for that.

And if you are looking for that perfect handmade gift, do contact her through the CONTACT ARTISAN link on the left hand side of her DesignWithHeart shop.

This is definitely an up and coming handmade shop to keep an eye on. With so many talents, who knows what she'll be listing next! :)

And the WINNER of the Favorite Poll is...

...EVERYBODY. :)

That sounds familiar, doesn't it? If you've read previous winner posts, you already know that everyone in the poll is a winner because they get extra exposure needed to be found by any potential customers. Exposure is good. If people don't know about you, how are they going to buy from you?

This is the first month we haven't had first sales during the poll, but it's also the first month when it was really hard to find active undiscovered studios. We've only had 18 new submissions, and of these, only 8 have replied to the email sent out about the poll and features, 6 of which replied within the first 24 hours.

Not finding any more new undiscovered studios could be a good thing: we've found all the shops that haven't had their first sale after promoting on their own for a couple months (or not promoting, as often is the case) ~ AND there aren't that many :) So there is hope that most artists are found by their perfect customers.

This month's voter turnout has matched the previous record of 84 set back in February. It is wonderful to see all these people taking a little bit of time out of their day to visit undiscovered studios and vote. Heartfelt THANKS to all you voters out there who've graced these shops with your presence!

We've also reached a record in supporter participation, with six shops actively promoting the poll and the studios in the poll. My thanks go out to deStashNotTrash, catinalife, exquisitestudios, ThePineConeTeaCup, apronsbymeme, outtasight. @BeadersCove @DesignWithHeart @SoyScentual participated in the #undiscoveredstudio FollowFriday, and many more have helped by bumping the poll threads, promoting on their fan pages, blogs, or twitter, and in many other ways. THANK YOU for your Random and not-so-Random Acts of Kindness!

So without further ado, here is the list of eight active studios for the month of April, all awaiting your visits :)
citlali
CrochetKiosk
CurlyGirlCrochet
DesignWithHeart
lesleypayne
madebydani
PerfectlyPractical
WreathsandMoreDecor

And now, the TOP FIVE by number of votes...
~~~~~~DRUMROLL~~~~~~

(#) STUDIO - VOTES
(5) PerfectlyPractical - 11 votes
(4) WreathsandMoreDecor - 14 votes
(3) lesleypayne - 19 votes
(2) CrochetKiosk - 26 votes
(1) DesignWithHeart - 31 votes

The feature schedule will start tonight with the TOP WINNER ~ DesignWithHeart, which will also get a surprise gift at the end of their feature. All eight active April shops will be featured 4/20 to 4/27.

Here is a quick preview of the top winner's shop:


The poll is over, but that doesn't mean you can't mention your favorites. That is what the comments are for :)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

April Favorite Undiscovered Studios POLL


We have only six active undiscovered studios this month, so this will be an easy poll to vote in. Pick as many studios as you like, no limits here :) Thank you so much for participating! Tell your friends how cool you are :)

Results will be tallied Sunday April 18th at 11:59PM PST. Top winners will be featured starting Monday April 19th.

April Undiscovered Studios
Pick your favorites below:

(Studios are clickable and open in a new window)

PerfectlyPractical
lesleypayne
DesignWithHeart
WreathsandMoreDecor
CrochetKiosk
CurlyGirlCrochet
  
  

Ends Sunday 04/18 at
11:59 PM PST.
pollcode.com

Thank you so much for showing your appreciation! Tell your twitter friends to vote too, and if you'd like to see more beauty, check out the complete list of undiscovered studios.

I would like to give SEO credit to pages featuring these shops, the winner, or the poll, so do EMAIL ME your link to the feature or page running the poll widget :)

The wonderful artisans below are supporting undiscovered studios by linking to the poll or helping promote undiscovered studios. The widget code is below this list, join in the fun! :)

  • mv - Quirky eclectic jewelry handmade with love and fun
  • deStashNotTrash - Quality gemstones, beads, and jewelry supplies
  • catinalife - Handmade heirloom quality gemstone jewelry
  • ExquisiteStudios - Exquisite handmade jewelry and candle holders
  • The Pine Cone Tea Cup - Handmade scarves and kids' clothes
  • NatureWhispers Handcrafted items from the heart of Nature.
  • ApronsByMeme - Innovative dishtowel aprons & remote control caddies
  • OuttaSight - Autism and Cleft Lip/Palate Awareness Jewelry

  • Comments section is open for gushing and bragging :) Please proceed! :)

    Widget code (Run widget until 04/18/2010, your SEO link on this page will be permanent):


    <center><a href="http://mvbeads.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-favorite-undiscovered-studios.html#votenow" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGvbuZbQayOWwvmtAv9GCVNn7YOYZ-_rj2bZPbSDG3A62fROwJcOP20nqY5_ToC6g4YjHz2ashwN7fJfg8s9Ix9XCQLk5IjbPYhAaOipsfH92YlZeyDNkSOOPPJlnLO0gFvpviELPFPbC/" alt="Vote for your Favorite Undiscovered Studios" border="0"><br>Discover ArtFire Studios<br>and Vote for your Favorites</a></center>

    Tuesday, April 13, 2010

    Look closer...

    What happens when I drink some really good strong coffee too late in the day? Well... Couldn't design jewelry with the light off, so a laptop and a bunch of hours later... THIS happened. Look closer, there's more to it than just an image :)

    Lesson: Drink your coffee in the morning, especially when it's called MIDNIGHT OIL! LOL

    Luckily, the same coffee has kept me awake today despite the lack of sleep. And I was careful to drink it EARLY this time! :) Good night ZzZZzzZZZZZzzzzzzz.....

    Monday, April 5, 2010

    April Showers Bring FREE Flowers...

    ... or surprise gifts :)

    To make things interesting, this month's giveaway prize will be a surprise, not necessarily from my shop, although I will include at least one item I will make especially for the winner.

    How will I know what the winner likes? Well, this giveaway is about YOU telling me what you like :) You can use any means of communication you choose to tell me about your favorite item or story from my online shop.

    Ways to contact me:
    The easiest is the "tweet this item" button on the left of the item pages, just add @mvbeads and it will get to me.

    No twitter? No problem. The Contact Artisan link under the avatar at mv.ArtFire.com will send me an email (no need to have an ArtFire account, nor be logged in). This Email link will also send me an email. None of the emails will be shared nor published, so please make sure to sign your message so I can use that to keep track of your entry.

    Not wanting to use your email? No problem either :) there's also the comments under the April giveaway post on my fan page, as well as the comments below. Plenty of choices. :) Use whatever is most convenient for you, and new ways and ideas will be counted, as long as your message gets to me :)

    Entries:
    One entry per communication method per day. So if you want to use both your twitter account and your email, that's two entries per day.

    ~Like~ entries will also be counted, so busy people can easily participate.

    Since this is the first time I am running a multiple giveaway like this, I will keep a list of entries that I know of at the end of this post. That will give everyone an opportunity to let me know if I've missed an @mvbeads tweet, a fan page comment, an email, etc.

    I will update the list nightly.

    Drawing:
    The winner will be chosen by random.org from all the entries, and will be announced on this blog after the drawing. The drawing will be on Sunday April 11th at 9PM EST.

    List of entries
    (B-Blog, C-Comment, E-Email, F-Forum, L-Like, P-Promo, T-Twitter, O-Other)

    L Stephanie E R., L Aprilee R.-L., L Monica A M., L Lindsay J., L Heather W P. F., L Jennifer B., E hope45942 (AF), L Ginny A., F deStashNotTrash, C Tanya S. L., L Mandy C., F ExquisiteStudios, E ExquisiteStudios (AF), E Runway Crochet (E), P Runway Crochet, B Runway Crochet, T @StatGal, T @lucysbeadstudio, B Pat, C Pat E., L Julie B.

    T @PoppyLuxeDesign, T @apronsbymeme, L Kimberly M., L Marilyn B. T., C Marilyn B. T., L Kris W., C Kris W., P apronsbymeme, T @DenisesCreation, C Heather W P. F., F SuzanneMedrano, B Michele of By Your Side, E ByYourSide2009 (E), L Michele By-Your Side, T @ByYourSide2009, C Michele By-Your Side, T @ Artiste2130, P Artiste2130, L Marj B., T @HonorCrowned

    F catinalife, T @apronsbymeme, P apronsbymeme, L Danielle E., L Betsy F. B., L Kristin S. H., C Susan J V., E Crystal (E), F ExquisiteStudios, C Tanya R., E Marjorie B. (E)

    Thursday special game: Find the Yellow Square (Y)
    Find the yellow square on my blog for FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES in the giveaway. To redeem, click the square and describe its location in the Message box. When the email gets to my Inbox, I will add five extra entries for you :) The square will go away in 24 hours. Enjoy the hunt and have FUN! ♥

    T @apronsbymeme, E apronsbymeme (AF), P apronsbymeme, Y Kristin S. H., Y Kristin S. H., Y Kristin S. H., Y Kristin S. H., Y Kristin S. H., O apronsbymeme (VHM), Y Tanya L., Y Tanya L., Y Tanya L., Y Tanya L., Y Tanya L., B Aprons by MeMe, Y Susan V., Y Susan V., Y Susan V., Y Susan V., Y Susan V., C Kristen L., E Kris (E), L Danielle C., L Tanya R., L Kristin N., C Kristin N., T @NewGraphics4u, Y Kris W., Y Kris W., Y Kris W., Y Kris W., Y Kris W., Y Stephanie HCC, Y Stephanie HCC, Y Stephanie HCC, Y Stephanie HCC, Y Stephanie HCC

    Second and last special game for this giveaway: Find the Black Square (K)
    Find the black square on my blog for TEN EXTRA ENTRIES in the giveaway. To redeem, click the square and describe its location in the Message box. When the email gets to my Inbox, I will add 10 extra entries for you :) The square will go away in 6 hours. Enjoy the hunt and have FUN! ♥

    P ifrogcrafts, L AmeRayn M., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Tanya L., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Lesley D., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kristin N., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., K Kris W., T @NewGraphics4u, C Kristin N., T @apronsbymeme

    C Kristin N., T @apronsbymeme, T @NewGraphics4u, E Kris W. (E), E Kris W. (AF), P apronsbymeme

    E Kristin N. (AF), T @NewGraphics4u, T @NewGraphics4u (Sunday RT), C Kristin N., T @apronsbymeme, P apronsbymeme


    Entries are closed as of 9PM EST.
    Double checking the list to make sure I haven't forgotten anybody...
    146 entries entered at random.org's list randomizer... Picking random number: 142. 142 on the list:
    ~~~~~~ DRUMROLL ~~~~~~
    142. C Kristin N.

    CONGRATULATIONS Kristin N. from NewGraphics4u! One of your facebook comments was the WINNING entry! YAY! A surprise custom item is being prepared for you, among other goodies in the surprise gift box <3

    And since this is a surprise giveaway, there is also a surprise MOST ENTRIES prize for the participant with MOST entries, THIRTY THREE of them! Kris W. with apronsbymeme! And I know JUST what she likes! <3

    Thank you all for playing, this has been SUPER FUN and I've enjoyed it tremendously. I will contact the winners next week for the shipping details.

    ::big hugs:: and see you all next month for a new giveaway!