request for input and a give-away!!!!!!

I'm thinking of making a limited edition Stamp People desk calendar for 2018, and I need your help in choosing the images to go into it. Please link to my portfolio on RedBubble and choose your TEN favorite Stamp People images. Then list them in order of your preference in a comment below. Name them by the words in the title brackets (baby, cyclist, Lincoln, etc). This would be an ENORMOUS help. THANK YOU. (I also have some as-yet unpublicized images I plan to include, so the final selection will include some surprises.)

In appreciation for your help, I will put the names of everyone who leaves a comment into a deep bag and randomly pick out one name to receive a free Stamp People desk calendar by the end of this year.

crow-card giveaway

 Encouraged by the enthusiasm of readers for the crow-themed coasters I introduced in my last post,  I've now moved on from coasters to corrugated cardboard etegami. In fact, I've decided to thank you (commenters and lurkers alike) with a long overdue give-away.

I will accept the first ten requests I receive, but requests must be made by snail mail, and they must reach me by November 30, 2016.

If you'd like a customized, crow-themed, corrugated cardboard etegami, send me a note by snail mail with (1) your name and address written clearly in block letters, AND (2) the words that you'd like me to use on your card.  I will create an image suited to the words you give me. If you'd rather that I chose the words myself, please say so in your note.

I cannot accept requests by email or blog comment. My postal address is in the banner of my received mailart blog.

free etegami notecards with etsy order

One printed card comes free with any purchase (except digital downloads) from my Etsy shop-- and two cards if the purchase is an original etegami, including custom etegami. These are folded notecards that are already listed on my shop in sets of five, with envelopes. These freebie single cards don't come with envelopes. The offer is valid as long as the cards last, but I don't plan to mention it again on this blog. When you make your purchase on Etsy, tell me in the customer comment box which card you want. And just in case I've run out of the one you specified, give me your second and third choices too.

winner of the godzilla give-away!

First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed the comments following my last blog post. Christi reminded us that the original Godzilla was female. Thanks to QuiltFrog, I now know that somewhere in the world there is/was a litter of kittens all named after the monster adversaries of Godzilla. I wonder if Miz June still has that walking, spark-spitting, wind-up Godzilla toy. Kathleen, I too am gratified to hear that you and your grandson share a fascination with Godzilla. Linda, a Godzilla movie with Bambi in it? You've got to be kidding! Moy Sauce, I'm afraid there won't be any more characters in this etegami series. Not even Mothra. I'll leave that up to you. Mary, thanks for paying such close attention to the material I used for this etegami, and for appreciating my silly humor. I also really appreciate the kind and funny comments that came from many readers by private message.

Now it's time to relieve the suspense. I tossed all your names into a hat and blindly drew out the name of..... QuiltFrog! Please send an email to dosankodebbie (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp and give me a shipping address for the fan & etegami set.

rawr! godzilla give-away

This Godzilla-shaped uchiwa ( flat fan) was being passed out on the streets of Sapporo to promote the recently-released American film, Godzilla. The film was released in Japan only two days ago, so I haven't seen it yet for myself, but I've heard lots of positive feedback from American fans of the original Godzilla series. 

I am offering this Godzilla uchiwa to one reader of my blog as a set with the accompanying Godzilla-inspired etegami carved from corrugated cardboard. 

If you are a Godzilla fan, don't miss this chance to win the drawing. Leave a comment below, preferably one that describes your interest in Godzilla. Drawing results will be posted in 7 days. I will need to be able to contact the winner for a shipping address, so if you enter the drawing, make sure and check back here. Comments are moderated. Anonymous comments and crude comments will not be posted.

UPDATE: Go to this post to find out who won the drawing!

everyone has something to say (give-away)

Ooooookay, it's high time for another give-away. This time it's a fine quality printed greeting card (blank inside), made from an original I painted for a communications museum mailart exhibit several years ago. It's the same size as the original: 100 x 150mm ( 4” x 6” ), and comes with a blank white mailing envelope. If you want to participate in the drawing, comment below and make sure I have a way to contact you. There is only one, and I will announce the winner on November 10, 2013.

Update: Congratulations to Dana on winning the drawing for this card. Please contact me with your postal address. Thank you all for your comments and enthusiasm. There will be more give-aways in the future.

etegami give-away, deadline approaching

Just a reminder that the give-away for the etegami recipe cards is in its final week. I'm afraid several people have been disqualified because they didn't pay attention to the guidelines. The drawing is open only to people who are subscribed to the Etegami Fun Club newsletter. If you want to sign up (it's free), make sure and follow the procedure laid out in that post. Also, I'm finding it difficult to contact people to get their mailing addresses. If you want to win a card and you are a subscriber to the newsletter, please send your postal address to dosankodebbie (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp  Thanks!

etegami recipe card give-away

I painted each of these recipes over two washi postcards taped together side by side. They are the originals of the illustrated recipes in my gallery on the They Draw and Cook website.  Some of them are also included in my mini-book An Etegami Sampler, which can be purchased from my Etsy shop.

The colors have softened quite a bit since they were first painted, and rather than keeping them boxed away in storage where they aren't bringing new pleasure to anyone, I've decided to separate the two cards that make up each recipe, glue the two cards back to back, and laminate them for giving away to subscribers of the Etegami Fun Club Newsletter. If you become a subscriber to the newsletter, you can enter the drawing.

I have at least fifteen different illustrated recipes to give away. I cannot promise which recipe you will get if your name is picked. The drawing will be open until August 1. Winners will be announced in the September issue of the newsletter which is scheduled to be emailed to subscribers on August 15. Please indicate your desire to participate in the drawing by commenting below, OR send me a private email.

winners of the children's day give-away

Happy Children's Day, and thank you all for the lovely comments on the koinobori etegami give-away post. There will certainly be more give-aways in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

Congratulations to Amalia in UK and Pamela K for "winning" the drawing for the give-away. Please send your postal address to dosankodebbie (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp so I can send the cards to you as soon as possible. : )

valentine give-away winners

Congratulations to the winners of the drawing for the Valentine Etegami Give-Away! They are 1. May  2. Robin from SF  and  3. QuiltFrog  The winners will receive a nicely packaged original etegami from me. If you indicate your preference from among the ones posted above, I will try to accommodate you, but I can't promise that's the one you will get.

As I said in the original give-away post, even if you didn't win the drawing, I will send you an etegami (laminated postcard version) in return for any valentine card sent to me by February 14. My enthusiastic thanks to all who participated. You make it a lot of fun for me.  : )

valentine give-away

Who would like an etegami Valentine card from me? I have three originals to give away, one each to three followers of my blog who have never gotten an etegami from me before. Leave a comment below and be ready to send your postal address to dosankodebbie (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp if your name gets picked. Deadline to enter the drawing is February 3.

And for everyone else, send me a Valentine (store-bought is acceptable) before February 14, and I will send you an etegami Valentine card in return, as long as your address is clearly indicated on the card or envelope. My postal address is in the header of my mailart gallery blog.

Discount Coupon Give-Away! & Outcome

I have three 20% discount codes to give away. They can be used for any etegami-inspired product(s) from my Zazzle shop. They are single-use codes, and are valid till January 31, 2013. If you'd like to put your name in the drawing, leave a comment below. I will chose three winners on Tuesday, November 27. That's in just a few days. Winners will be sent the discount code by email, so please make sure that I have a way to contact you. Scroll down the right-hand sidebar to my Zazzle link, to see if there are any products that interest you.

Nov. 27 postscript. Results of the drawing. Thanks to all who submitted their names to the drawing. Winners of the discount codes are: Lisa S; Christi B; and Laura B. If you can't find the codes in your mailbox, let me know.

winners of the september give-away

Thanks to all the WONderful readers who asked to be included in the drawing for the etegami-collage give-away! I wanted to send something to each of you, but, alas, I had to draw four names from a brown paper bag, and these are the results! Congratulations to:

Aurora gets the snail.
Laura B gets the well.
Perogyo gets the cap.
Christine gets the cow-- Christine, please email me your full name and postal address so I can send the card to its new home. dosankodebbie (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp

september give-away (etegami collages)

Snail with haiku by Issa

"Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost

Common theme in Japanese horror tales

From my Proverbial Cow series

Can you believer it's already time for the September give-away? I picked out four of my etegami-collages, one each for four randomly selected winners. Each one is from a different series, and each is an original etegami-collage constructed with painted etegami images and washi paper backgrounds, glued onto re-purposed stiff paper backings.  If you want to be considered for the give-away, please indicate this clearly in a comment below.  I will chose four names on September 8. As usual, I can't promise which work will go to which winner, but it would be helpful if you indicated your preference(s) anyway.   

Note: This give-away is limited to followers of this blog. If you aren't already following, there are three easy ways you can do this, and they can be found in the right-hand sidebar of this page. If you take this opportunity to newly follow/subscribe, please tell me which method you used.

winners of the june give-away

Congratulations to the lucky winners of the June Give-Away!

Leah from Oddments & Curiosities blog is the winner of "bell crickets"
Sadami  from Sadami's Graffiti blog is the winner of "snake in the shrubbery"
Eric from My Philately blog is the winner of "bee sting"
Christine H from The Daily Postcard blog is the winner of "weaving a rope"

I will send you the hand-painted original artwork from my Japanese Proverbs series as soon as I have your postal addresses. If I haven't reached you by the time you read this, please go ahead and send your address to the contact email on my profile.

And to the other great people who left comments, there will be another give-away around September, so please try your luck again. If you aren't already "following" this blog, I encourage you to do so. You'll be less likely to miss future posts, and besides, it makes me feel loved.....
In the meantime, I appreciate your continued support. oxox

june give-away: japanese proverbs

left: "weaving a rope after the thief is already caught" right: "poking at a snake in the shrubbery."

left: "it's for their songs that bell crickets are caged." right: "a bee sting on a crying face."

I had promised you another give-away when June came around, so here it is. I'm giving away four original, hand-painted etegami from my Japanese Proverbs series, the series I painted in 2010, and which became the basis for my 2011 Sketchbook Project titled "A Collection of Japanese Proverbs and Sayings."

I will choose four names from followers of this blog who leave a comment asking to be included in the drawing. If you have strong feelings about a particular etegami, you should mention it, but I can't make any promises. Each etegami is packaged in a clear plastic envelope with my signature on the back and a typed note explaining the proverb. The actual etegami have softer colors than the scanned versions posted here. If you haven't read my earlier posts about Japanese proverbs, or if you've forgotten, do a blog search (see lower down on the right hand sidebar) for "Japanese proverbs" or "Sketchbook Project 2011" and you should be able to find simple explanations of each of the four etegami being offered. The four winners will be announced on June 10.  I look forward to your comments!

spring giveaway winners

Thank you for your participation in the etegami bookplates giveaway! Yesterday, I wrote out the names on slips of paper, crunched them all up, put them into a brown paper bag, and shook the bag as though it were a cocktail shaker (I've only seen them in the movies). Then I drew out eight names, and contacted each winner for their postal address.

The eight sets of etegami bookplates are already on their way to Linda H, Noriko I, Margie B, Maria P, Maryvonne C, Barbara V, Carol S, and Tiffany C. Your frank feedback will help me improve their quality. I'm sorry I couldn't send them to everyone who showed interest. I hope to do a new giveaway around June. Thank you all for being an inspiration to me. oxox

Incidentally, it is already Saturday, March 3 in Japan, and we are celebrating Hinamatsuri (Doll's Day Festival). Treat yourself to some cool, clever, sweet, funny, and beautiful Etegami in a variety of styles and techniques by zipping over to the Etegami Fun Club group page on Facebook.

spring give-away

It's time for another give-away! I hope I'm not the only one excited about it. ;p

As you know, I've been experimenting with very simple etegami bookplates. Eventually I want to list them on my Etsy shop, but before I do that, I need feedback from you. I have eight (8) sets of etegami bookplates to give away this time. They are printed onto self-adhesive sheets. You just peel off the backing and press the bookplate into your book.

There will be four different bookplate designs in each set: the salmon, the cicada, the stag beetle, ....and the fourth will be picked randomly from the remaining designs. Just leave a comment below, indicating that you want to be considered for the give-away. I will put your names in a paper bag, shake it up really well, randomly pick 8 names, and announce the results on my blog on March 3. In return, I ask for frank, private feedback on the bookplates after you receive them and have had a chance to try them out. Any questions?

winners of the christmas giveaway

My heartfelt appreciation goes to those who asked to be considered for the Christmas Giveaway. I was so very pleased by the response I got, it kills me that I have only two sets of etegami postcards to give away. Nevertheless, I wrote down each name on a strip of washi card stock, put them all in my favorite blue denim cap, and randomly drew out two names.

The winners are: Crafty Green Poet and Uniflame. Congratulations! I've asked for and received their addresses, so the postcard sets will soon be on their way. I hope to do another giveaway next spring, around Easter-time, and I hope you will all try again. Your enthusiasm for etegami means a great deal to me, and I thank you so much for it. oxox

christmas giveaway

Dearest friends and followers: I will be giving away two sets of printed etegami postcards. Each set consists of three etegami images from my winter holiday collection: Poinsettia, Daruma Santa Elves, and Hibernating Ladybugs. The images are printed on stiff cards with a glossy finish, and can be stamped and sent through the post, or displayed artfully in frames. If you'd like to take advantage of the giveaway, indicate this clearly in a comment below. I will randomly pick two names on December 8 (Japan time), and airmail the postcard sets to the lucky winners on December 9, in time to reach you by Christmas.