My 100th post and STORY CONTEST!!!!

I have not posted in Soooooo long! I have missed it very much, so that's why I'm starting this early. I have missed posting, but it was nice to "relax" for a change :)

So I should probably start off with the rules first:

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW CAREFULLY:

1. Only one entry per participant. Your entry must or can be a little over 2,000 words. You must be a follower of this blog to enter.


2. Post your entries on your blog (that will make it easier for me instead of giving you my email and such), with the painting that inspired you to write your short story. PLEASE LEAVE THE LINK GOING DIRECTLY TO YOUR ENTRY


3. Girls ages 11-18 who have a blog may enter.


4. Please keep all entries God-honouring and clean. Stories that have inappropriate content will not be entered that includes mushy romances and crude humour. You may enter romances like Jane Austen novels.


5. Your stories need to have a title and cannot be in poetry form nor in letter form though there can be letters in the story. INCLUDE THE ARTIST AND TITLE OF THE PAINTING WHICH INSPIRED YOU IN YOUR POST


6. I shall be judging your story by how original it was and how well you combined your art piece and story together. This is not a must, but please watch your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. (I was reading my last post on the "unofficial rules" and I thought that was a bit harsh to have an entry be based on the things above.)


7. All late entries will not be accepted


8. Have Fun!!!

Here are some buttons I created for you to spread the word.
<br /><a href="http://gracesgardenwalk.blogspot.com/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 293px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498416945303029970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKquiJfDRBLU4j3l8s-mFM9UgGZHVXgtfYJVeEtlVzYGsvH1u58NlOVliaLJg_GElc0YOyH_M79wXVCJWZaiO_9YBDxEi77KNWRqXBIIv0JtGWMfVVgUQbVuJIcitzMxEvppTEp6ySJU/s320/story+contest+button.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br />

<br /><a href="http://gracesgardenwalk.blogspot.com/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498417602171865458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5BgMRo2k-zTQWc6qCFkHeXDAjrKl6AorDTmeDo8eXEB7aBbzSCz69kGOweCPWbwADcC7amHe-6Z3BmqF8L4PzgzYm_qTA_v1GqWJ-4sgS9Phta4B3ndy0hzLatOcrcubW4TGBRhXuGo/s320/Story+Contes+(North+hanger+abby).jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />

<br /><a href="http://gracesgardenwalk.blogspot.com/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498418286616420434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAzcWdWiufQ1jlKKE5ErntEMknOQLDblKBFi1ER4kh19J-mN35pmAdT0Q_tjLAaqT_GgZyU-2SPEdxrAQ3W_JjorNlIMIckbcOv13HYCCoxix-HbKtDxdbLt58DoO0kCc3apRNVqjDu0/s320/!cid_image1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />

Now for the fun part! The prizes. I want to tell you a little bit about the first place winner prize.

I did not want to take the time of making a frustrating drawstring bag. So, I took one I had purchased from my trusty herb shop. It started as a plain muslin bag...

And with a bit of sewing here, a bit of ribbon, and a few embroidery stitches there we have this:

So, this bag has one of my crocheted flowers sewn on it, and I embroidered the word by hand. (Click for a larger image) The FIRST PLACE WINNER will receive this lovely bag along with a handmade sachet and this lovely flower:

...and this....

....a beautiful bracelet handmade by me:)

Second place winner will receive a sachet (now you see why the hint was lavender, right?)

....a handmade flower with covered button
...and a bracelet handmade by me!

Third place winner will receive a sachet and bracelet as well.

(Recognize the material of the sachet? This is from the blouse I wore on Modest Fashion Week Day 3! It had a hole in the lining, and was getting too small for me, so why not recycle it? It was a little weird cutting up one of my favourite blouses:)

When spreading the news about my giveawy, go ahead and post some of the pictures of the prizes.

WILL ONLY SHIP PRIZES IN THE U.S. NOT INCLUDING ALASKA AND HAWAII SORRY!

However, if you do want to still enter and win, I will create a button that you can post on your blog saying "I won Grace's Story Contest." There will be honourable mentions as well.

Hope everyone has fun! Contest will be starting this evening and going until August 16th (three weeks from now). It's good to be back! I have so much to tell you all! :)

Love from your scribbling friend,

P.S. If you are looking for an art piece for your story, this is a good website

Eras of Elegance