Layla Legs?

Visit Kim's Layla Legs Shop on Etsy to thank her for sponsoring January's giveaway. If you missed the whole thing, see the original post here.

Who Won!?

Random.org says entry #13, which is Andrea, for her comment on Quick Oatmeal. Congrats, Andrea, and I'll get you in touch with Kim so she can send some adorable Layla Legs your way!

How Can I Win?

Every month during 2009, one SimpleMakes reader will win a prize from one of the generous sponsoring shops. All you have to do is comment! (More details in each month's contest announcement post.)

Look out for my next post early next week, announcing an exciting giveaway for February!!

How Can I Sponsor?

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me with your shop name, proposed giveaway item, and preferred month for giveaway (if any). I'm looking for a shop to give away an item each month in 2009, and will mention your shop's name and link in each post that month.

Aren't siblings amazing? I'm so proud of my little sister. Read below for the story, plus a great deal for Simple Makes readers!


My younger sister, Mary (who's not so little anymore!), has been making jewelry since she could crawl, and has been refining her skills ever since. Around 10 years old, Mary opened a tiny 'shop' in our house: "Mary's Beads and Accessories." She sold bracelets, necklaces, and other cute items she'd made from wire and beads. I remember the Christmas gifts we got for her each year: beads, bead organizers, bead supplies. Mary just couldn't get enough of beads :-)

Since the time I went off to college, Mary's gotten even better at beading! Now, she uses more advanced tools: pliers, wire cutters, and little parts I don't know what they are :-) Beginning the freshman year of college herself, Mary's caught the entrepreneurial bug and opened her very own etsy shop!! I love that she named it Mary's Beads and Accessories; the same name she had for her shop as a kid.

Though Mary's been selling her jewelry to our family and friends for years, she's new to Etsy, so I wanted to share about her new shop here on my blog to help get her name out. When I suggested the idea to her (via skype, since we live across the world from each other), she offered a discount to all Simple Makes readers for the whole month of January! You can get 10% off anything in her shop. Here's how it works:

1. First add an item(s) from her shop to your cart and start the check-out process.
2. Enter the code "simplemakes" in the 'notes to seller' and the email address where the revised invoice should be sent.
3. Complete the order but do NOT go to Paypal to pay.
4. You will receive a revised invoice, and a link to complete payment, via email reflecting the discount.

That's it! I hope you can treat yourself to a post-holiday gift, or just bookmark the shop for a future purchase. Enjoy!

...and you?

Post in the comments what you think of her stuff, like those gorgeous earrings in the photo above (almost enough to make me get my ears pierced... but just almost).

If you have an etsy store you'd like featured on SimpleMakes, contact me. I'm looking for a shop to give away an item to a reader each month in 2009, which would get your shop's name and link out as I mentioned the contest in each post that month.