Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen Snyder and I've been a crafter for about as long as I can remember. I am a stay-at-home-Mama of two beautiful children with a husband who makes my dreams possible.

This blog is about all sorts of crafting. I am a paper-crafter from early days, a jewelry-maker with an unending obsession for chain maille. I make chain maille purses, many of which will be chronicled in this blog as their future owners await their completion. I love metalsmithing. I am an indifferent beader and don't get me anywhere near seed beads... they scatter, screaming to get away from me. I love to try new things, have a short attention span so if its a long-term project... I'm probably not doing it LOL.

If you have questions, ask. If you have tips, share. Same with suggestions - share! I want this to be a great forum for people to brainstorm and problem-solve with a good attitude. Crabby Apples need not respond, this is a feel-good kind of blog :)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

My Christmas Gift? 1400 Facebook Fans!


I received a wonderful Christmas present this year - 1400 Facebook Fans!  I am so thankful for each and every fan!  This has been such an amazing year for me and my little jewelry business!  Thank you, all of you, for being a part of this journey with me and making it such a joy.

So, I bet you are wondering what the give-away entails, right?  The picture you see is of a brand new item of mine, not even available in my shops yet.  I've made a couple as Christmas gifts and have gotten such a great response that I thought this would make the perfect give-away item.  This is my new Romanov micro maille ring, made in sterling silver with a single Swarovski crystal.  The winner will get to choose the size they need as well as the color of crystal they would like.  Since it's the Holiday Season, I am also including a $10 gift credit for Auntie Goat's Favorite Soap's shop.  For those of you who don't know, this soap is one of my most favorite things (I'm having an Oprah moment, aren't I?) and I even include samples of it in my shipped packages.  

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post with your name and email address and tell me:  What was your favorite Christmas present ever?  My favorite Christmas present ever was the first unicorn I received from my parents when I was about 8 years old.  I still have it packed away with the rest of my unicorn collection, waiting for the day my kids are old enough to look and not touch.  To me, it was my parents recognizing how whimsical and fanciful I am and encouraging those things :)

The entries will stay open until Friday evening at 8 pm (US, CST), at which time I will draw a winner.  Thank you everyone for participating and helping to make my Christmas one of the merriest I've ever had!

50 comments:

  1. I still have the cabbage patch slippers my aunt gave me when I was about 12 lol my fav gift ever disappeared long ago... my mom made me a "coat of many colors" since it was my fav Bible story... & song!

    junie_milam@hotmail.com

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  2. My favorite gift was a Timex watch with a velvet band, when I was about 9 years old. Watches were a sign of being a "grown up" back then, and I really felt like a big girl wearing it.
    Paula
    paulamaye@aol.com

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  3. Oh wow Junie -- what a sweet memory that must be! I love that song too :) You are entered to win!

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  4. What a beautiful ring! My favorite Christmas present ever was a cowboy barbie that my grandma got me when I was in forth grade. I had wanted that barbie for a long time because she winked when you pressed the button on her back.

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  5. My favorite gift was my Frog China that my now husband gave me when we were dating. I guessed he LOVED me. When buy a home I had to make sure that there was a wall available to put my china cabinet on...LOL I love it and LOVE him...Thanks for the chance to win the Karen!! And congrats on the 1400 FANS!!!! YAY!!!

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  6. Ummm i honestly don't have one. I love christmas and the one thing I look forward to to every year is spending time with the family. We used to have Christmas at the cabins. This is beautiful by the way i think one of my new favorites! Fingers crossed here")

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  7. Hooray! 1,400 fans! Someday I hope to get there myself!

    Well, Christmas and my birthday are so close together it is kinda hard to remember which was which. :) But, my most MEMORABLE Christmas present wasn't a present at all...it was the BOX the present came in! I think it might have been a sit 'n spin or something -- that's about what size the box was anyway. LOL! I had the most fun in that big ole box on the slick garage floor!

    Kat
    kat@katscustomkreations.com

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  8. Now I have to try the soap too. I'm a soap fanatic!

    My favorite Christmas present ever?
    First would be the Gift of Life twice so close to Christmas..
    As a kid... My first tricycle. Mom has a picture of me trying to jump over the couch to get to it-tongue hanging out and all..

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  9. my fav Christmas gift was accidentally catching Santa present handed when i was like 5 or 6 :)

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  10. My favorite gift was finding out that I was pregnant with my son <3

    Maria

    Sylentskye@gmail.com

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  11. Me me me me.pick me :0)
    kaighan@comcast.net
    tracy rinehart

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  12. Congratulation on ALL your FANS !

    When I was in the 7th grade I wanted a stamp albumn. I was so EXCITED to get one and a large one at that. And I'm 62 and I still have !! Haven't worked it scence my senior year , but it has alot of memories and rare stamps..

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  13. My favorite Christmas present would probably be my lion wind chime (I collect lions). I absolutely love this ring!
    Rachel
    rachelgulick@hotmail.com

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  14. What great memories - thank you all for sharing them! Paula, Heather, Amanda, Regina, Kat, Bette, Amber, Maria, Tracy and Dora you are each entered to win!

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  15. Thank you Rachel - what a neat thing to collect! You're the first lion collector I know of :) You are entered to win.

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  16. What a gorgeous ring!!! Sure would match those earrings I have! LOL

    My favorite Christmas gift was an entire "kitchen" when I was 8 years old. I had the refrigerator, counter with sink and an oven. And, of course, brooms and mops. All in "my size"! Too bad, I never stopped cleaning! LOL

    Merry Christmas!!

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  17. LOL Cyndi -- what a great gift that would be for an 8 year old! I bet your room was the cleanest on the block! So glad you like the ring :) You are entered to win it.

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  18. Your jewelry is beautiful!

    My Favorite Christmas present was my stuffed Snoopy that I got when I was 3, I still remember what he looked like in that red box, I still have him too. He is 30 years old now,I have traveled to 31 states and Mexico, and he was right there with me!!

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  19. Thank you Misty! What a wonderful memory to have :) You are entered to win :)

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  20. My most favorite gift ever was my My LIttle Pony house it was so special to me and my sister and I played with it all the time. My kids don't care about My Little ponies, but that has always stood out in my mind :)

    Janis
    providense@aol.com

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  21. The ring is beautiful!

    My favorite Christmas present was a Barbie house I got when I was 8 or 9. It was 2 stories and had 3 different sections and was fully furnished! That was the year that I KNEW Santa was real, because there was no way my parents could afford that. :)

    Katie
    katie@planbin.com

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  22. My favortie Christmas gift was this really cool and awesome Yogi Bear watch. My mom put it "away" til i learned to tell time....well i'm still waiting to get to wear that watch! :o) its the gift that has kept on giving for over 40 years... the story told every year and at least one comment... "i hope its the yogi watch" as someone opens a gift:....Merry Christmas ...start a tradition with your family...

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  23. One December, close to Christmas, when I was 8 or 9 yrs old I went down into my Dad's workshop in the basement (he did woodworking as a hobby) to see what he was working on. He had these long posts that were going to be staircase banisters for a friend. Every day I'd go down for a while to visit and watch him smooth and round them. The day before Christmas he added blocks of wood that would be made into brackets to attach to the wall. The next morning--Christmas!!--I woke up to find the "banisters" painted bright red...they weren't banisters at all but stilts for me!!
    Pauline
    pauline@pauline-designs.com

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  24. Mt favorite Christmas present was my oldest daughter. In 1999 after the worst year of my life,at the time, I gave birth to my oldest daughter on Dec.23 She was born at 2lb.s and was 3 months early, and spent two months in the NICU(preemie ICU)While in there she developed RSV (a very bad baby cold) and we almost lost her. So that would be my best present! My beautiful soon to be 11 year old.
    Lacey
    lacey.mcinnish@gmail.com

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  25. Thank you ladies! Janis, Tracy, Katie, Pauline and Lacey, you are each entered to win.

    @ Lacey - what an amazing story! I'd say that really was the most amazing Christmas present!

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  26. My favorite Christmas was when my grandmother bought me a long Black Leather Coat as a gift. It had my name inside and I felt like a million dollars...Back then it was alot of money to own a coat like that...I strutted just like a peacock.


    blondeforever721@yahoo.com

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  27. Oh what a great gift Rene! I bet that DID feel like a million dollars! You are entered to win :)

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  28. Greatest gift...time spent with my family! Thats what the holidays are all about!


    mommasdawge@aol.com

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  29. That's definitely true Brenda! You are entered to win :)

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  30. Lets try this again. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PICK ME. I LOVE IT. Worked on ebay had to give it a shot. Ly

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  31. well lets see so many.... well my sons school has set up by PTA a store {Kids Corner) for kids to shop...we send in an amount of money they help him look well he came home with this glass blown Heart shape with MOM on in side needless to say the mom part had falling off on it way home. He was disappointed it broke I just simply tied it hanging with string... then I finally took it to fairgrounds and had them fix it at a glass stand... you would never know it was ever broke...I love it just because he chose it all himself
    Kim

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  32. LOL Dee Ann - you are entered to win!

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  33. Oh Kim - what a sweet, sweet memory! Thank you for sharing it with us :) I can surely see how that would be your favorite Christmas gift ever! You are entered to win :)

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  34. Hi hun!! My favorite Christmas present ever was when I got my first "boombox" hehe! With it came a tape of the New kids on the block!! I thought I was on top of the world! I drove my parents crazy LOL!!

    Patti Martin
    pattiscrafts@hotmail.com

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  35. LOL Patti - and now as parents, we buy our children presents that we know will drive us crazy :) You are entered to win :)

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  36. Gorgeous!!
    Favourite Christmas gift would have to be my first ever digital camera!! How ancient it seems now since they have come a long way! The ease and ability to take as many pictures as your memory card would hold was amazing!!
    carlab@xplornet.com

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  37. My favorite Christmas present was a bottle of Chanel No5 from my husband on our first Christmas together.

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  38. My favorite was the year my husband took my kids and had them hand paint plates with their hand prints and their own designs. I will treasure them always.

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  39. My fave Christmas present ever? Would have to be this year. After being apart from my love (we lived in 2 different countries), I've moved to the USA, we were married on 12/12 and we can now spend not only our first Christmas together, but the rest of our lives.

    Monique xx
    originalmischief@gmail.com

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  40. Congrats on your 1400 Fan milestone!!!!
    My favorite Christmas gift was the birth of my niece Karma Dior on Christmas Eve last year :)

    Dana
    tat2gurlzrock@hotmail.com

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  41. My greatest gift is definetely spending time with family at my Grandmothers house. Are family are now spread through out the world and I would give anything to have all of us together for Christmas. My grandmother passed away 9 years ago. she would have loved all of us to be together at Christmas.

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  42. my email is kellyward16@gmail.com

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  43. I think my favorite Christmas present is a coach purse my husband got for me. Not because it's the perfect bag (which it is), but because to him, purses aren't worth a hundred dollars. It was about me being worth the money, because to him, the purse wasn't.

    Kell

    kelly.r.morin(at)gmail(dot)com

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  44. WOW 1400 fans! Congrats :)

    Favorite Christmas present? Hmmmm I think it would have to be the metal doll house I got from Santa when I was about 6 or 7. I used to love to move things around and decorate in it. Still do to this day :)
    I hope to some day be able to design jewelry like you do....Great Work! I love it.
    Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Keep up the great work!!

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  45. Carla, Designer Shoes, Anne, Monique, Dana, Kelly and Kelly you are each entered to win.

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  46. My fondest Christmas memory and gift was when I was about 4 or 5 years old. We lived out on a farm and I was so excited that year that I'd asked my Mom and Dad if I could sleep on the couch beside the Christmas tree. The couch was across the room from a large window and moon was full that year. I can remember having trouble falling asleep....and then, all of a sudden, I thought I saw something go past the window at an angle. It kind of freaked me out until I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. I can recall thinking that it must have been Santa's sleigh that flew past the window and that I am finally going to see Santa!! I held my breath, I heard the door nob turn and .....in walks my Dad coming in from doing the chores! It was already morning and I got to open my most treasured give at that time, a walking doll that was as big as I was!!

    Beautiful ring, Karen!
    My email is e.gill@sasktel.net

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  47. BTW, congratulations on your huge amount of fans!!

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  48. Thank you so much Elaine! What a wonderful memory - thank you for sharing it with us! You are entered to win :)

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  49. Anonymous = Tonya Parker (this note is for myself.)

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  50. Comments are now closed - drawing winner announced in just a few minutes!

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