"Grow Your Blog" ...and a GIVEAWAY!

WELCOME, to new visitors and old friends alike!! So glad to have you stop by as you go through the massive list of bloggers that Vicki at 2 Bags Full has generously compiled.  Hope you can stay a while and have a look around, and then enter my GIVEAWAY at the end of this post!

I'll try to keep my post short, since you have many more stops to make, and also because I just had oral surgery today and am still recuperating (and am still a little loopy from the meds...)!  But I didn't want to miss the chance to meet and greet you!

I love to make soldered jewelry...here is one of my signature shadow boxes

A little bit about myself:  My name is Maggie, from beautiful Portland, Oregon.  I've been a professional illustrator and designer, mostly in the textile and home-sewing industry for many years.  As that industry has experienced a bit of a decline in the last few years, I'm finding more time to devote to my love of crafting and painting. I enjoy blogging because it has introduced me to a great many kindred souls out there who share many of my passions.  I like to use my blog as a journal of sorts, to share the projects I'm working on.  It also serves as a doorway to my Etsy shop, which is woefully bare right now, but should be stocked again soon with the soldered jewelry and angel paintings that I love to create.
 

Painting folk art angels is a passion of mine, and I recently started using miniature prints in my jewelry

This blog has also been a wonderful way to participate in various crafty swaps and challenges, and get to know the other participants through the sharing of our little creations.

It's fun to participate in the weekly challenges over at the Tag Tuesday blog

or to swap Artist Trading Cards at ArtJoyStuff...

or to trade crafty projects at BlissfulArtSwaps

Sometimes I share tidbits about my family.  My only child is far away for her freshman year at college (and I'm still adjusting to the empty nest!), and I lost both my parents since starting this blog --- so many folks out in blogland reached out with empathy and kind words of support.  How wonderful is that?!

I've spent many years illustrating for Simplicity Pattern Company drawing mostly little girls' fashions such as this...sadly for me, they use mostly photography these days.  I did, however just illustrate a woman's swimsuit pattern for them last week...my first in quite a while.

One of my clients manufactures tote bags.  Here is one of my designs.

Well, hopefully you've gotten to know me a little bit through this post, and I can't wait to go through Vicki's list and get to know some of you better, too!!  I would LOVE for you to visit often and keep up with what I'm working on here in my studio either professionally, or just for fun...just click on the "Join This Site" button in my sidebar to follow along,  and I'll do the same for you!

And now, for my GIVEAWAY! Actually, I'm doing TWO GIVEAWAYS, so you have two chances to win! To enter, please become a follower (optional), and LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW on this post to let me know you've stopped by (make sure there's a way to contact you if your name is chosen).  Anyone can enter, and on February 15, 2014, I will randomly select two lucky winners. Here they are:

GIVEAWAY #1 -- One winner will receive one lace necklace similar to these pictured.  A snippet of vintage lace is encased between glass with a soldered silver frame and antique pearl dangle.

GIVEAWAY #2 -- A second winner will receive a small poly-vinyl tote bag imprinted with one of my collage designs (that little baby happens to be my Uncle Marvin, circa 1920! He'd probably roll over in his grave if he knew I added pink striped tights and fairy wings to his photo :-))

Good luck to you and THANK YOU so much for stopping by!  Come back often and we'll get better acquainted!