Giveaway: iPhone 5/5s battery case

Uncommon, the company that makes customizable cases for your iPhone, iPad, iPod or MacBook, has some of my patterns in their image collection. You can pick your favorite design and apply it to the case of your choice. Then Uncommon will make it for you and mail it to you in a flash.

Now they've added a customizable iPhone 5/5s Power Gallery™ case to their lineup— a case you can switch on to charge your phone while you're carrying it around in your purse. And they're giving away one case with any Jessica Jones artwork! It's a $119.95 value; not too shabby.

Some specs about the case:
- It gives your iPhone 120% extra battery life
- It features an LED power indicator, so you always know how much power you have left in your case
- You can turn the case battery on and off easily
- It has a 2200mAh battery
- The case comes with a micro USB charge & sync cable, headphone jack extender and a full instruction manual

Check out your six pattern choices here.

To win a case, enter the giveaway by Thursday at midnight EST using the Rafflecopter widget below (it might take a second to load below this paragraph— wait for it!) A winner will be selected using random.org, emailed, and announced in this post on Friday. International entries are welcome.

Update: The winner is Hanna, who lives-- get this-- "just outside Oslo." Outside Oslo is the name of my last fabric collection, so clearly it was meant to be!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: Drygoods Design Online

You may have noticed a recent burst of giveaways around here—the last of the bunch is today's from Drygoods Design. Drygoods offers pretty fabrics for sewing and crafting, custom order and ready-to-buy items including pillows and baby bedding, plus nifty packaging supplies like bags and twine.

Win $75 of goods!
Leave a comment on this post before midnight CT this Friday, 10/14/11, and you'll be eligible for the random drawing. Be sure to leave an email address or other way of notifying you. One winner will be contacted and announced here. You'll receive a code for $75 worth of fabric and goods of your choice (excludes shipping which is free in the U.S.; rates for shipping elsewhere are here).

And through the month of October, get 20% off anything in the store by entering the discount code ORANGE20 at check out.

Update: The giveaway is now closed, and the lucky winner is Rachel, with comment #796. Congrats!

Giveaway: The Key to Taking Pictures Like a Professional Photographer

Maybe you splurged on a digital SLR camera, imagining yourself taking dreamy photos like a pro. Except that you haven't quite gotten around to learning how, so your camera is permanently stuck on the auto setting. You know you can do better... but how? If that's you, Katie Evans' new e-book, The Key to Taking Pictures Like a Professional Photographer, will help you show that camera who's boss.

Katie writes in a conversational style that's friendly and accessible, and won't make you throw yourself off a bridge when you read about f-stops and shutter speeds. Topics include types of lenses, exposure, settings, lighting, how to get subjects to relax and act like normal people, composing pictures, and fixing up your photos using software. Some of my favorite tips are:
• How to get your subject's eyes to look sparkly instead of dull
• How to make a DIY clip for your camera's flash to minimize the harsh edges you usually get
• How to make a so-so photo great with a few editing tricks

Win a free copy
Katie is giving away five free e-books, each a $35 value. Want one? Leave a comment here with your email address or other way of contacting you. And mention something interesting you'd like to photograph. (I'm betting 70% of the answers will be kids, but we'll see.) Five winners will be selected, contacted, and announced in this post. Giveaway closes at midnight CT on Friday, Sept. 30th.

Get a discount
Interested in purchasing a book? Enter the code ORANGE at checkout and get $5 off the e-book, now through Oct. 7th.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to lucky random winners Robyn, Britt, Jolkipalki, Rachel, and Jessica! They've been contacted and will be soon be taking better pictures.

Giveaway: Jo Totes camera bags

It's giveaway central around here! Anyone who entered last month's camera bag giveaway might be pleased to get another shot at a gorgeous bag built for cameras. Jo Totes, specializing in "camera bags for ladies," is giving away two bags to How About Orange readers. Winners can pick any style and color they want from the Jo Totes site. Those of you outside the U.S. are included, too, so don't be shy.

Every bag is padded and features repositionable dividers so you can customize the interior for the number of lenses and amount of gear you're toting. Each bag also has extra pockets, a top-zippered closure, a comfy shoulder strap, and a removable cross-body strap.

I have the Betsy bag (pictured below) in Chocolate, and I love it. Even the flap is a zippered pocket. Pretty sweet. It's also equipped with a small fan that causes one's hair to blow photogenically in the breeze. You'll look really good while carrying it.

So I lied about the fan. Whatever. You'll still look good carrying it.

Want to win a bag? Just leave a comment on this post with your favorite style and color. Make sure you leave your email address, a link, or other way of contacting you. The giveaway closes Friday, Sept. 16 at midnight CT. Winners will be randomly drawn, contacted, and announced in this post.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winners Natalie, comment #1455, and Krista, comment #606!

Giveaway: Outside Oslo fabric yardage

Greetings, everyone. To kick off this post-Labor Day week, how about a little fabric giveaway? No, scratch that. How about a big fabric giveaway, totaling nearly $500? With not one, but ten winners!

The Needle Shop, manufacturer of the latest textile line I designed, would like to put some Outside Oslo fabric into your hands. This retro-inspired collection is 54" wide, home dec-weight cotton canvas. It's perfect for making bags, purses, curtains, tablecloths, pillows, furniture, you name it. (Or begging your mom to make those items for you; that's usually what I do. It's much easier.)

Here are a few of the awesome projects from the Outside Oslo Flickr group, where everyone is invited to add photos of their finished work:

Check out the box pouches from Belly of a Whale, or Little Ticket's sweet Ingrid dress. And the jacket by Dashasel is amazing! Inspired yet?

The prizes
Ten randomly selected winners will receive their choice of any three yards of fabric from the Outside Oslo collection. You can get continuous yardage of one design, or mix and match prints (pieces must be at least 1/2 yard). Choose from six different designs in two colorways, Dawn and Dusk. For a two-page PDF that shows the choices, click here.

Above is the Dawn colorway, and below is the Dusk colorway.

How to enter
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you. And if you've got a favorite fabric store or a manufacturer of cool products that might be interested in some Oslo, mention that, too. The Needle Shop would be happy to send them a bit of info about the line.

The giveaway closes Friday, Sept. 9 at midnight CT. Winners will be randomly drawn, contacted by The Needle Shop, and announced here the following week. International readers are welcome to enter, too.

If you're a fan of The Needle Shop, follow them on Facebook or Twitter. And if you need to purchase more Outside Oslo for yourself, visit their online shop any time. Good luck, everyone!

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Ten lucky winners have been contacted. Congratulations to Jane, Melissa, Anne-Laure, Lamina, Jessica, Katie, Mette, Mandi, Andrea, and Danielle!

For folks who didn't win but would like to grab some Oslo, check out the list of stockists.

Giveaway: Kelly Moore camera bag

Anybody need a stylish way to tote your camera equipment? Kelly Moore bags are gorgeous and functional, designed by photographer Kelly Moore Clark. A few years ago, Kelly couldn't find a bag on the market that had all the features she wanted, so she forged ahead and designed her own. The result is a beautiful line of bags with repositionable dividers and a host of pockets for stashing your gear.

See that B-Hobo bag up there in mustard? I have it. I'm crazy about it. The other day I took my camera stuff out and replaced it with folders and notebooks for a meeting. Very versatile.

These aren't just for ladies—there are bags for dudes, too. This gentleman is reflecting on how he has no friends in the world, except for his trusty Kelly Boy bag.

Win the style of your choice
Kelly Moore is giving away a camera bag to one lucky somebody. For a shot at winning it, leave a comment on this post with your favorite style and color. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you. The giveaway closes Friday, August 26th at midnight CT. A winner will be randomly drawn, contacted, and announced here on Monday the 29th.

Save a pretty penny
Get $15 off your purchase from the Kelly Moore shop, now through Sept. 16, 2011. Just enter the code HowAboutOrange at checkout.

If you like what you see, follow Kelly Moore Bags on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Update: Giveaway is now closed. The winner is commenter #1830, Jolanda. Congrats!

Giveaway: Fashionable Fabrics

Fashionable Fabrics is an online store offering designer novelty fabrics, sewing patterns, books, and notions. Unsatisfied with the selection in large retail chains, the shop's owners founded the site in 2004 to help crafters and sewists get their hands on unique prints from their favorite designers.

Win a gift certificate
Fashionable Fabrics is giving away a $50 gift certificate to two lucky How About Orange readers, good towards anything in the store! International readers are welcome to participate. To enter, leave a comment on this post mentioning something you'd spend the money on or a fun project you have in mind. Make sure you include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you.

The giveaway closes Friday, August 5th at midnight CT. Two winners will be randomly drawn, announced on Fashionable Fabrics' Facebook page on Monday the 8th, and notified. Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed. The winners were Jane and Khala—congratulations!

Giveaway: Felt & Wire Shop

Felt & Wire Shop is a curated online marketplace with papergoods from designers, printers, bookbinders, and artists. Find gift wrap, greeting cards, notebooks, art prints, and more! Among my favorites are Fox wrapping paper by INK+WIT, the quirky letterpressed Portraits print from Pistachio Press, and PaperPhine's useful paper twine.

Giveaway details
Felt & Wire Shop would like to give a $100 online shopping spree to one lucky How About Orange reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post mentioning one of the items you'd gladly toss into your cart. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you.

The giveaway closes Thursday, Feb. 24 at midnight CT. A winner will be randomly drawn, announced on Felt & Wire's Facebook page the next day, and notified.

Update: The giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Heather, commenter #803, winner of the shopping spree! Hey, that rhymes.

Giveaway: Area rug from Flor

This just in: a set of Flor modular carpet squares is looking for a good home. Flor squares come in a huge variety of textures and colors that you can mix and match to fit any space—do a whole room, an area rug, or a runner. The squares are held together with adhesive stickers that let you pull them up later and move them to a new room or your neighbor's house while they're on vacation. And if you trip over your dog and spill your Coke, just grab the dirty square, wash it off in the sink, let it dry, and put it back.

Flor would like to give away a 5'x7' area rug to... you, perhaps? One winner will receive a set of carpet squares in your favorite color. Choose from three styles: the trim and textured Feelin' Groovy, the soft and plush Rake Me Over, or the hip and patterned Haute Stuff.

To enter the giveaway, check out the styles and leave a comment with the rug you think would look most fetching in your home. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you. The giveaway closes Friday, Feb. 4 at midnight CT. A winner will be randomly drawn and notified the next day.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. The random number generator chose Linda, comment #436, to win a new rug!

Giveaway: Jo Totes camera bag

Today's fun giveaway comes from Jo Totes. If you're tired of carrying your purse and a separate camera bag, one of these lovelies might be just the thing for you. Jo Totes bags do double duty—not only will they hold your camera and an extra lens or two, they'll also hold your wallet, phone, and all the other goodies you squirrel away in your purse. Repositionable pads allow you to customize your own bag. Jo Totes sent over a sample, and I can tell you the construction is top notch and the bags are gorgeous.

Giveaway details
One reader will win the Jo Totes handbag of your choice. To enter, leave a comment on this post with the name of the bag you'd like to win. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you. (In case you're nervous, you won't be penalized for choosing a color other than orange, I promise!)

The giveaway closes Friday, Dec. 17 at midnight CT. The winner will be randomly selected, notified, and announced here.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Melinda, commenter 1643, is the lucky winner. (And not because she happens to like the Clementine bag best. Though I wholeheartedly approve.)

Giveaway: Art prints from Thumbtack Press

Happy Monday, all! I'm delighted to announce a new giveaway: two readers can win a framed art print of their choice from the new and improved Thumbtack Press! Thumbtack offers a curated collection of work from over 100 artists and illustrators. When I say I'm delighted, it's not blogger hyperbole, either. I've ordered from Thumbtack Press myself and can verify that their prints are terrific. Their paper stock is really heavy, and their inks are archival and stated to be fade resistant for 100 years, which ought to be just about long enough. Prices are super affordable.

(Above: Bamboo Pattern by Masayoshi Mizuho. Below: Volkswagen by Kareem Rizk, Spiritual Tourism by Jay Fletcher, Amsterdam by Matt Mills, Whale Says by Shino Arihara, Deep Tree Diving by Terry Fan.)

How to win a framed print
• Leave a comment on this post with the name of a print at Thumbtack's site that you admire (choose from over 1300!)
• Include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you.

Giveaway closes Monday, Nov. 29 at midnight CT. Two winners will be randomly drawn, announced on Thumbtack Press's Facebook page (give it a Like!), and notified. International readers are invited, too.

Get 15% off through Dec. 15
If you plan to order some goodies for yourself or others, enter the code orange at checkout and save 15% for a limited time.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Carrie who chose “Deep Tree Diving” by Terry Fan, and Errin who likes “Tangle” by Paul Blow. Thanks to everyone for participating!

Giveaway: Tiny Prints gift certificates

Tiny Prints is an online stationery company with gazillions of design options, from party and wedding invitations to birth announcements, thank you notes, and address labels. To kick off their brand new holiday greeting card line, Tiny Prints is offering a $50 gift certificate to two How About Orange readers. Spend it on Christmas cards or anything else you like on their site! International readers are invited to participate, too.

How to win a $50 gift certificate:
By Friday, Nov. 5 at midnight CDT, leave a comment on this post mentioning a stationery item from Tiny Prints that caught your eye. Be sure to include a link or other way to contact you. Two winners will be randomly drawn, contacted, and announced right here.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Xana, commenter 599 and Lexie, commenter 151!

Giveaway: Silhouette digital cutting tool

I've never been terribly excited about owning a digital cutter, thinking my trusty fingers and low tech X-acto knife can handle most jobs. But recently I received a Silhouette digital cutter to test and review. I'm afraid my poor old X-acto knives are going to feel neglected, because this thing is great. And you can win your own! Read on.

The Silhouette is a cute little number that's smaller than a printer, with a power cord and a USB cable that connects to your Mac or PC. After some confusion, I finally realized the accompanying instruction book is for old Windows software that doesn't look anything like the new Mac Silhouette Studio software I downloaded. Once I ignored the instruction book and referred to the Users Manual in the Help section of the new software, I was off and running. It's actually really easy to use, despite my first impression.

Now that I've got the hang of it, I'm super excited. The machine comes with 50 free shapes to cut, or you can choose from hundreds of other options available for 99 cents: boxes, cupcake wrappers, doilies, and more. Shapes are scalable and easy to modify. Or create your own shapes with the software, which works like a pared-down version of Adobe Illustrator. Or actually create your shapes in Illustrator and send them to the Silhouette. It will cut text-weight paper, card stock, adhesive vinyl, magnet or tattoo paper, and heat transfer material.

My first project was a little box. I pushed a button and the entire template was cut out in less than 30 seconds while I stood by and drank coffee. And of course it's perfect.

Then I forced it to cut something tiny and delicate from self-adhesive vinyl, just to see if it would explode. Also perfect. Dang. I'm not doing that with my X-acto knife.

For lots of project ideas, see here. As I try other things, I'll let you know how it goes.

The Giveaway: October 1 –11, 2010 (Now closed)
Want to win your own cutter? One lucky commenter will win a Silhouette machine (a $299.99 value) with everything you'll need to make it go: Software for Windows XP/Vista or Mac, a power cable, USB cable, 2 cutting mats (one for thick media, one for thin media), one cutting blade, and a $10 gift card to the Silhouette online store.

To enter the random drawing:
Leave a comment on this post by Monday, October 11 at midnight CDT. Open to US residents only; sorry! The company doesn't ship internationally. Silhouette winners from other giveaways are not eligible. Be sure to include a link or other way to contact you. The winner will be contacted and announced in this post on October 12.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Commenter 1469, Kel O., was randomly selected and has been given the good news!

If your purse is ugly, you might be in luck

If your handbag situation needs serious help, this contest is for you. 1154 LILL Studio, the original design-it-yourself handbag company, is looking for the ugliest purse in America. If this hideous abomination belongs to you, you'll win an entire bag wardrobe you can customize yourself. Mmm hmm, a whole pile of fabulous new bags.

I'm honored to be one of the contest judges, who include Meg Hemphill, writer and former fashion and beauty editor at InStyle magazine. We'll choose the winner from among the finalists selected by the public. So even if your own purse isn't ugly, you might still enjoy voting for your favorite bag entry (and then secretly feeling relieved it's not yours).

The contest runs until August 21. To see details and enter, click here!

Giveaway: Uprinting business cards and canvas print

Uprinting.com is an online printing company I've used before with good results. Now Uprinting is offering a giveaway for How About Orange readers. One lucky person can win:

One 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas print—print a special photograph, make a sign for inside your shop, print your own art, you name it. Your artwork will be printed on thick, high-quality canvas with a matte finish and an eco-friendly protective satin coating.

Two sets of 500 premium business cards—that means you get to choose from Uprinting's square, slim, or standard-sized cards printed full color both sides on your choice of gloss, matte, or uncoated recycled cardstock. You can use one of their templates or upload your own design. If you don't have a business to promote, you can always make cards with your blog address or put your personal contact information on them. I hear that calling cards have become quite trendy again. Or just print a photo or artwork on them and hand them out as mini portfolio pieces.

To enter the random drawing, leave a comment on this post by Saturday, July 31 at midnight CDT. Limited to US residents only, 18 years old and above. Be sure to include a link or other way to contact you. The winner will be contacted and announced in this post.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. The winner is Jessie B., commenter #206!

Giveaway: Amenity Home pillows

Amenity Home offers lovely, eco-friendly products for modern living, including the new Muir bedroom furniture collection. The pieces are inspired by classic modernist design and hand crafted from vintage hardwood rescued from buildings slated for demolition.


Win a pillow set
Amenity's textiles coordinate beautifully with their furniture line, and now you can win some for yourself! Amenity is giving away a matching set of two 18x18 pillows (valued at $140 or more) in one of the colorways above: 1) Moss Birdseye 2) Charcoal Birdseye 3) Silver Trail 4) Moss Trail 5) Charcoal River 6) Sienna River. Just leave a comment on this post with your choice of design by Friday, March 26 at midnight CDT. Be sure to include a link or other way to contact you. One winner will be drawn randomly, contacted, and announced in this post.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to commenter #796, Brooke! To thank everyone for participating, Amenity Home would like to offer you a 20% off discount. If you sign up for their newsletter on their website, you'll receive an email with a discount code. Enjoy!

Giveaway: Ginko Papers gift certificates

I have a terrible weakness for Asian paper goodies, so I'm really excited to post this giveaway from Ginko Papers. Shop owner Garin Hussenjian flies to Japan, hunts for the very cutest stationery items, and brings them back here for us to drool over: cards, stationery sets, stickers, erasers, and decorative masking tapes that everyone is going nuts for. Garin has also visited Japanese designer Shinzi Katoh, who is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. If you love his style, you can snap up lots of Shinzi Katoh products at Ginko Papers. Would you like some free goodies?

Win a $25 gift certificate
Ginko Papers is giving away two $25 gift certificates to How About Orange readers. To enter the random drawing, leave a comment on this post by Tuesday (1/19/10) midnight CST. Make sure you include a link or other way to contact you! Two winners will be drawn, contacted, and announced in this post.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winning commenters #69—Stacy, and #196—Becki.

Giveaway: JetPens gift certificates

I received a little package from JetPens.com the other day. Stationery, pens, and paper goodies fill me with irrational amounts of glee! So do miniature envelopes made from the insides of security envelopes. Yup, look what I did. JetPens has a mini envelope template (this) with which you can trace various sizes of envelopes, then cut, fold, and glue. I tried out their Japanese glue pen (this) to secure them, and it worked like a charm. The blue glue dries clear and bonds strongly. A tip: shake it before using.

Want to get some stocking stuffers or a treat for yourself? JetPens is giving away two $25 gift certificates to How About Orange readers. I know, it's holiday giveaway season over here, right? Just leave a comment on this post by Friday (12/11/09) midnight CST. Two random winners will be drawn, announced in this post, and emailed a gift certificate.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winning commenters #425— Malori, and #897—Toiling Ant. Enjoy!

Giveaway: Sears gift cards

Sitting on my desk is a $200 gift card from Sears, and here's my dilemma: should I spend it on myself or on Christmas presents for other people? Look at all the cool goodies $200 would buy you from the Sears website. (If your name is Jess and you like orange things and modern patterns, that is.) That doormat is calling my name. However, my mom is a huge Lands End fan and might never let me hear the end of it if I don't get her some socks, at least. While I ponder this moral dilemma, there's good news for you, too.

To help you with your holiday shopping, Sears is giving away two $50 gift cards to How About Orange readers. The cards can be used in stores and online at Sears, Kmart, and Lands End, so you have tons of options.

To enter the drawing, leave a comment on this post with a way of contacting you, plus one thing you'd like to buy with your gift card. (I need Christmas gift suggestions, so I plan to read through here and steal all your ideas.) The giveaway ends next Wednesday (12/9/09) at midnight CST. Two winners will be selected by a random number generator, announced in this post, and contacted.

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winning commenters #165— Jessie, and #636—Lynnetta. Happy shopping!

Giveaway: Epershand necklace by Isette

Always an admirer of typography-related accessories, I love this "Epershand" necklace by Isette. According to Jennifer Putzier, the artist behind Isette, "Epershand" is the Scots and Scottish English name for ampersand. How about that?

And now you can win your own Epershand necklace! To enter the drawing, leave a comment on this post before midnight CDT on Thursday (10/22/09), and one winner will be selected by a random number generator. Be sure to include a link or way of reaching you. The winner will be announced on Friday in this post and contacted.

Isette is also offering free shipping on all purchases by How About Orange readers through the end of October. Mention "How About Orange" in the "note to seller" field on your order, and your shipping cost will be refunded (including international orders.) To see Isette goodies in person, visit their booth at 1154 LILL Studio's Holiday Market on November 14.

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed. The winner is commenter #96, Esha. Congratulations!