Blog Birthday Giveaway WINNERS!

Good morning! It's time to announce a WHOLE lot of winners!!! But first...(yes, I know, the suspense!)...I had SOOOO much fun reading all your answers and responses to the questions I asked! I read EACH and EVERY one of them - and they all made me smile! :)

So, I thought I would go ahead and answer them myself as well!

Giveaway #1 - What is your favorite inspirational quote?

There are so many that it is quite difficult to choose! But most of them would probably be Bible verses. So, right now, this is a favorite of mine: 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 

I think this is a favorite right now, because it reminds me that my job is simply to have faith in what Christ has already done. It is so easy to get caught up trying to earn my own salvation, but this says it pretty clearly - I don't need to work for a gift that is freely given to me, and I can take no credit for it either!

Giveaway #2 - What is your favorite outdoor activity?

I think my current favorite outdoor activity is hiking! My daughters are getting old enough to go on a lot of hikes, and it is something my husband grew up doing and loved. So fun to share those times together as a family - and I love the beautiful places you get to find when you have to work a little to get there. 

I also love horseback riding, but haven't done that in years! And camping, but somehow the last couple years have slipped by without us having a chance to do that either! And...if I really want to suffer? Going to visit my brother and family in Hawaii and walking along the beach playing tag with the waves. Total bliss!

Giveaway #3 - What is your favorite way to show your loved ones that you love them?

Well, the obvious answer is to make cards for them! But even more important I've found is to make time for them. Time to stop all the busy things I'm doing (including making cards!) and spend time together. Time by far is my most precious commodity it seems - so I feel like it is the most valuable gift I can give. Whether it is time to visit and chat, time doing something together, time helping someone out, etc...

Giveaway #4 - If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

This is an easy one for me! I have several places I have wanted to go for a very long time! Ireland and/or Scotland - I've always been intrigued by the beautiful pictures I see from there! And New Zealand - same thing I guess, it's always been somewhere I've wanted to visit. And on a less grand scale, I've also wanted to go visit the East Coast of the United States in the fall and just drive up the coast soaking in the fall colors!

Giveaway #5 - Do you prefer to do most of your crafty shopping online or at a local store?

When we moved to very rural Wyoming a few years ago, I definitely got very good at shopping online! Now that we have moved back to Washington state, I find that I still do most of my craft shopping online. There are so many fabulous online stores that have so many different things, and much more variety than some of the big box stores. I do shop the local stores for simple staple items sometimes, but without a local small business craft store, most of my money is spent online.

Giveaway #6 - What do you think is the cutest "punny" saying?

There are SOOO many of them out there! I love sayings that make me laugh! Some of my favorites right now are Paper Smooches - "Merry fitness and happy new rear" and Lawn Fawn - "Baby, it's cold outside - Alpaca my scarf" - so cute!

Giveaway #7 - What are your favorite sentiments to use on cards?

I think by far the ones I use the most are birthday sentiments - when you have a large family, you have a lot of birthday cards to make! Close runners up would be thank you, hello, and thinking of you - all of the other little reasons to send a card!

Giveaway #8 - What is your favorite Christmas Tradition?

Wow...which ones to pick? I love when we get our Christmas tree - we put on Charlie Brown Christmas music and decorate the tree as a family. All our ornaments are a mix match assortment filled with memories - and it's fun to remember the story behind each one as we put it up. We also usually throw something yummy in the oven to eat after we're done decorating, and get to smell it baking while we work. Then we turn the lights out and soak it all in!

Giveaway #9 - What is your favorite technique to use on cards?

I am such a lover of techniques and want to try them all! Anything new or different is so fun to try! If I had to narrow it down to one, I think watercolor would top the list - it is one I keep coming back to quite often. And I love how simple and versatile it is it is, probably why it is my go-to technique! 

Giveaway #10 - What is your favorite season?

I think my favorite season is fall - I love the beautiful colors, falling leaves, cozy days, crisp nights, and change from the heat of summer to the cooler temps. Hot tea, homemade soup, fresh bread, pumpkin and apple goodies - yep, I'm a lover of fall! On the other hand, I also love spring - something about the fresh green popping up, flowers waking up, birds singing, frogs croaking away in the evening, and trading in the chilly winter days for more sunshine and outdoor activities. I guess I love the change of seasons the most!

Giveaway #11 - What is your favorite way to use sequins?

Other than just looking at them and wanting to hoard them? I love putting them on cards for accents - they add such pretty sparkle! And making shaker cards - I especially love mixing different colors together, or combining them with glitter, beads, or confetti.

Okay - finally! Time to announce ALL the lucky winners! I am SOOO glad that I didn't have to choose the winners myself! I really wanted to give EVERYONE a prize! Thanks again SOOOO much for everyone who played along! I can hardly believe it has been 5 whole years since I started this blog - thanks so much to each of these amazing companies that helped me celebrate! I am so blessed to be part of this community of paper crafters - and look forward to continuing to play with paper and share my projects here! :)

#1 - Winner of the Unity Stamp Company $25 Gift Certificate - Lisa Bankes-Lahiff

#2 - Winner of the Neat and Tangled $15 Gift Certificate - Amy Crockett Lowe

#3 - Winner of Avery Elle "Lots of Love" Stamp Set - Mary-Anne V.

#4 - Winner of the My Favorite Things $25 Gift Certificate - Barb Macaskill

#5 - Winner of the Simon Says Stamp $50 Gift Certificate -  Regina Furman

#6 - Winner of the Paper Smooches $25 Gift Certificate -  Kelly Brush

#7 - Winner of the Winnie and Walter $25 Gift Certificate - Hussena Calcuttawala

#8 - Winner of the Lil' Inker Designs Prize Pack - Guadalupe Galvis

#9 - Winner of the MISTI - Helen Gullett

#10 - Winner of an Avocado Arts Prize Pack - Beth Fiscus

#11 - Winner of the Pretty Pink Posh $25 Gift Certificate - Dee Johnson

Also announcing the winner from the Simon Says Stamp Create Joy Blog Hop - congrats to Janeen Kay!

BIG huge congratulations to everyone! Please send me an email at housesbuiltofcards@gmail.com and I will get your info sent to where it needs to go, and your prizes coming your way! Thanks so much for dropping by today - have a wonderful day!!!