Welcome 2024!

EDIT: Jan 7, 2024
Thanks to everyone who commented for a chance to win this handmade monthly planner! I made a list of all the names from the blog comments and the Instagram comments and then used a random number generator to pick the winner, which was #16, also known as Purple Butterfly Paper! Congrats! The book is in the mail!

ORIGINAL POST
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Happy new year, everybody! I'm going to kick off the year with a giveaway, as I've often done in the past, perfect for those of you who still like to write in real books. I have one handmade book to give away and it is a 2024 monthly planner, shown below.

It is a hardcover book with my own original marbled paper on the covers. The spine and corners are dark grey cloth. The book contains a printed monthly calendar for 2024. In addition to the calendar pages, there are also standard pages for personal information, lists, and some blank pages at the back. The various preprinted text is in both English and Chinese. There is a flyleaf of handmade paper, which happens to be a sheet of paper that I made myself. There is also a pocket inside the back cover for tucking in whatever loose things you need to save throughout the year. It is 15cm wide and 21cm tall (6" X 8.25").

To get your name included in the draw, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 PM (Atlantic Time) January 6, 2024 and include your email or a profile link that will allow me to contact you if you win. Also, tell me something interesting: maybe your new year's resolution, or perhaps a book recommendation for my reading list, or tell me some obscure fact that you happen to know! You can get a second entry if you also leave a comment on the associated Instagram post.

After the deadline, I will number all the entries and use a random number generator to select a winner. Then I'll contact you and let you know. I will ship the book, for free, anywhere in North America.

2018 Weekly Planner Giveaway!

Happy New Year! I'm going to start off this year with a giveaway!

I made a batch of these hardcover 2018 weekly planners for the holiday market season last Fall. I have two left. I want to give them away while there is still time for them to be useful to someone.

So, if you like this offline method of keeping track of your life, leave me a comment here to have your name entered into a draw to win one of them. I will draw two names on January 31st. You can also follow me on Twitter (@rhondamillerMHB) to get two entries into the draw. I will also collect entries on my Facebook page. The first name will get the beige planner, and the second name will get the teal & orange planner.

These are handbound, hardcover books. The cover features my own original Suminagashi marbling and the year printed in gold or silver foil. There is a ribbon bookmark and a two-page spread for every week. Book size is about 18cm x 10.5cm (or 7" x 4").

Comments are now closed. Winners will be announced shortly.

Comment to WIN a 2015 Desk Calendar or Weekly Planner

I have some extra weekly planners and calendars to giveaway!

Just leave a comment here before the end of January. Enter your comment before midnight on January 31st to be eligible.

For a second chance to win, you can also enter your name over at my Facebook page: facebook.com/MyHandboundBooks.

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Prize details:
There are four prizes. From the entries that I receive here on my blog, I will randomly select two names. The first of those names will win a Leather 2015 Weekly Planner and the winner can pick whichever colour they like from the available stock. The second name will win a 2015 Desk Calendar featuring my marbled papers. From the entries that I receive on Facebook, I will randomly select two names. The first name will win a Leather 2015 Weekly Planner and the winner can pick whatever colour they like from the available stock. The second name will win a 2015 Desk Calendar featuring my marbled papers.

I will ship to you anywhere in the world.

If I contact a winner and get no response from him/her within five days, I will pick a new name.

Your comment must include some way for me to contact you, either by clicking on your username or by including an email for me to use. Thanks!

Edit February 1st - This contest is now closed.

BLOG WINNERS
I used Random.org to select the winners. I numbered all the blog comments 1 to 62, top to bottom.

The first number picked was:
#39 Petra Black
She wins the Leather Weekly Planner!

The second number selected was:
#8 Letterlady
She wins the desk calendar!

I have sent both an email, please contact me within 5 days with your mailing addresses.

Winners have also been selected and announced on my facebook page.

Congratulations :D

Happy New Year & Congratulations!

So, Happy New Year to all my blog readers!

Yesterday, I selected two winners to receive 2014 Desk calendars. From the 53 entries here on my blog, I used Random.Org to pick a number and it selected 46, which is commenter "sarah sar", also known as Sarah Khan. So congratulation to Sarah your calendar is in the mail! Also, from the 32 entries on my Facebook page, I used Random.Org to pick another number and it picked comment #10, which is Yasmeen Khan. Congratulations to Yasmeen, your calendar is in the mail too! (I think it's amazing that both winners have the same surname!)

2014 Desk Calendar Giveaway!!

I designed a very cool desk calendar this year. It features 12 of my own marbled papers, one for each month, and perfect for sitting on my desk! I had a bunch printed, though, so I can share. There are a few available for purchase through MyMarbledPapers Etsy shop. AND I'm going to give one of them away, for free! All you have to do, is leave a comment for me and I'll include your name when I make a random draw for the winner. I'll also be collecting entries from my Facebook page (you can enter there too, for two chances to win)!

Leave your comment sometime this week - before midnight on January 5th. Make sure your comment includes some information or a link so that I can contact you, if you are the winner. I'll pick the winner on January 6th. I'll accept entries from anywhere in the world and ship it to you for free.

2013 Weekly Planner Giveaway

I have two 2013 Weekly Planners to giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me how much you want it. Or tell me how it will help you get organized for the rest of the year. Just tell me whatever you want to tell me, really. If you want to get extra entries, you can tweet (include @myhandboundbook) or share on your own blog (and leave a link)! Comment here to tell me you've done those things. Be sure that your comments include an email address or something that will allow me to contact you if you win.

So, as I said, I have two planners to giveaway.

First one. This planner is my standard leather weekly planner, with a camel-brown wrap-around cover and a strap. In addition to the standard 2013 calendar pages, there are lots of extra blank pages, a pocket page, and there is a ribbon bookmark too. Value $30.



Second one. This is a simple, slim, purple planner with a cover made from gorgeous St Armand handmade paper. It's a sturdy cover and it has a little pocket built into the back cover where you can store a pen or some business cards or whatever fits in there. The front cover is stamped with my original 2013 rubber stamp. Value $10.



I will accept entries here on my blog, and on my Facebook page, until the end of the day on March 20th. Then I'll number all the entries according to the order they are received, and use a random number generator to pick two winners. The first number drawn will win the brown leather planner. The second number drawn will win the purple planner. I will ship them anywhere in the world. So leave a comment and cross your fingers!

Blue Ridge Origami, peace cranes for Zambia, and a giveaway too!

Last year, I met an origami artist who was looking for marbled paper to use for her origami cranes. The paper that I normally marble is meant for bookbinding, and would be too thick. So I marbled a special batch of lighter-weight papers for Jeanne, of Blue Ridge Origami. Jeanne started making origami cranes as an inexpensive giveaway for a trade show event, but afterwards took the extra cranes to the hospice where she works. There, the cranes were given to patients and families where they became very popular and much appreciated. Jeanne also told me that several years ago, her hospice "adopted" the country of Zambia. She said, "we have been working hard since then, fundraising, educating, etc. The first trip to Zambia was made by my boss, our Chief Medical Officer, and our VP of Clinical Ops, an RN. With them went over 50 cranes, which flatten nicely and don't take up much room or weight in a suitcase. Today many of those cranes hang in a children's play room at the main hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Many made out of Rhonda's beautiful marbled paper." She has also refined her skills to make tiny cranes, as small as 1 inch! These tiny cranes are perfect for earrings and she's also started making other tiny origami figures like stars and flutes. Now she makes origami earrings to sell at craft fairs and on Etsy, donating some of the proceeds to the Zambia fund raising efforts. I am really impressed with these tiny origami figures she's making. I've done some folding, but I know my fingers cannot manipulate paper so small! Also, learning about her efforts to support medical assistance in Zambia makes her peace cranes even more special. I'm glad I was able to contribute a few unique sheets of marbled paper for her to use.

A Giveaway!

When I asked Jeanne if I could feature her origami work on my blog, she graciously agreed, and generously offered to giveaway two pairs of earrings to my blog readers! There will be two winners, selected randomly. The first winner can pick a pair of earrings from Jeanne's shop (up to $18 value). The second winner can pick a pair of earrings from her shop (up to $15 value). Shipping will be free to USA and Canada. There are two ways to get your name into the draw. If you do both, your name will go into the draw twice. First, you can visit her Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/BlueRidgeOrigami) and decide which pair of earrings you would pick if you win. Come back here and leave a comment, including a link to the earrings you like. Second, you can visit Jeanne on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BlueRidgeOrigami). "Like" her page, then have a look at her wall posts where she shows some of her earrings, and "like" your favorite. Then come back here to my blog and leave me a comment to tell me about it. When you leave your comment(s) here on my blog, be sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win. Enter before March 24th (midnight) to get your name in the draw. Winners will be posted here on Sunday, March 25th.

Happy Thanksgiving - Giveaway!

It's Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend! So Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canucks. We get to eat turkey and pie and have an extra day off from work and school. Woohoo! AND - I'm adding another bit of fun by giving away this "Acadmic Planner"! This is the last of the Academic planners that I made this year. It is a monthly format calendar, so there is a two-page spread for each month. It is set up for the current academic year - so it started in July 2011 and ends next August 2012. It also has lots of blank pages for notes, and a pocket at the back, a ribbon bookmark, and standard reference pages as found in most such calendars. It is handbound using a longstitch binding and the cover is a really nice brown cowhide leather. I will have a draw to pick a winner for this amazing prize! If you would like to get your name into the draw for a chance to win - you must leave me a comment here and either: tell me what you think is the best thing in my Etsy Shop right now! OR tell me something fun about your Thanksgiving celebrations (this is not just for those celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving - this giveaway is open to everyone, everywhere). Leave your comments before the end of day Thursday, October 13th. I'll draw the winner on Friday, October 14th.

You could win...

Etsian, blogger, and mommy extraordinaire known online as rikrak is having a little (kinda big) giveaway on her blog right now to celebrate her birthday. I bring this to your attention, since included in that giveaway is one of my handbound leather journals. Lots of other terrific prizes too. It's easy to get your name in the mix - all is explained over at the rikrakstudio: rikrakstudio.blogspot.com.

"It's not too late to stay organized in 2011" Giveaway!

So I thought all the weekly planners were dealt with, but I had a sold one returned which was undeliverable and the buyer no longer wants it. So I'm going to give it away to some lucky blog reader or Facebook fan, yay! Here's how you can get your name into a random draw for this weekly planner: Tell me what you think of the new product photos in my Etsy shop. Leave your feedback as a comment either 1. Here on my blog or 2. On my Facebook page Also be sure to leave enough information so that I can contact you if you win. I'll do the random draw on February 14th - this is the planner that you could win! This weekly planner has a wrap-around leather cover and is bound using a longstitch sewing, visible on the spine. The wrap-around cover is soft honey yellow cowhide leather. There is a leather strap to wrap around. Book size is about 6¼" x 3¾" (or 16cm x 9.5cm). This book contains: * a 2011 calendar with a 2-page spread for each week * other standard pages for personal info, phone numbers, conversion charts, important dates, 2011 & 2012 at a glance, reference maps, etc. * a set of pocket pages at the back * lots of blank pages for notes * an attached ribbon bookmark --> Comments for this Giveaway are now closed - winner will be announced shortly!

Celebrating Earth Day (wtih free stuff)!

April 22nd is Earth Day! In recognition of Earth Day, I am giving away free eco-friendly journals with any order from my Etsy or Artfire shops for the rest of this week (so, until midnight on Friday, April 23rd). Eco-friendly journals are ones that I have made entirely with materials that would have been otherwise destined for landfill. There are actually two ways you could win something from me: 1. Any purchase from MyHandboundBooks will receive a free eco-book automatically! 2. Leave a comment here telling me what you are doing to celebrate Earth Day. I'll randomly select one person's comment to win an eco-notebook too! (Make sure you leave your email address or link to contact information so that I can contact you if you win!) Edit April 24: This giveaway is closed. The winner! Congratulations to Pegg, the winner of my Earth Day giveaway! I had 15 comments to pick from, and I used random.org to generate a random number and it picked 10, and Pegg was lucky commenter number 10! Thank you to everyone who left comments here telling me about Earth Day activities, and thanks to those who made purchases this week; they got free eco-books too.

Check this out

Super nicey blogger, rikrak, over at therikrakstudio just did a little feature on my shop, showing off a little collection of mine! Check it out for a chance to win one of my weekly planners.

Free Shipping and more prizes to win

Apparently this is the big weekend to have a sale, so my Etsy shop is offering Free Shipping to all Canada and USA locations. All other countries can get half price shipping. So, Free Shipping at MyHandboundBooks until Monday night (Nov 30th)! On top of the free shipping, and on top of the 12 Days of Christmas promo that I mentioned in my last post, there is yet one more fun thing happening. The Bookbinding Etsy Street Team presents the... BEST Holiday Book Event! You can get all the details at www.bookbindingteam.com. Basically, by shopping in any of the participating Etsy stores, you get your name into a draw for prizes (shown below). Books made by our team members and a couple of gift certificates are up for grabs! So if you still have some shopping to do, get at it! Best to get the online shopping done as soon as possible so you aren't victimized by the postal system too. (I think this is the end of my own holiday promotions, I promise I'll get back to some more interesting bookbinding-related stuff soon!!)

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Be sure to check out the 12 Days of Christmas promotion that the Trans Canada Etsy Team is having right now. For the next 12 days, you can get your name into a draw for this rather fabulous prize - consisting of handmade goodies from 22 different artisans across Canada. During these 12 days, each shop will be featured on the TCET blog sharing favorite Christmas memories, recipes, and traditions so you can get to know us all a little better. Ballots for the prize are earned by shopping in the participating Etsy stores, and you can get one free ballot by writing your letter to Santa and telling him about three particular items you would like to have from the participating shops. Check out the details, find the list of participating shops, and leave your letter to Santa here: transcanadaetsyteam.blogspot.com

Back to School: Weekly Planners (and *free* book pendants)

Now I have weekly planners, as well as the monthly and daily planners that I mentioned before. Some people are very particular about their planners and it can make a big difference if you have space to write every day or not! My favorite planner is the "weekly" variety like these ones. These particular planners are 13-month agendas, starting Sept 2009 and ending Sept 2010. This is one designed to my own preferences concerning size, format, page layout, etc. So whether you like daily, weekly, or monthly, these might just work for you! And for the next month, I'm going to give away *free* mini leather journal pendants with every planner. Woot! Kinda like these ones:

Trans-Canada road trip & some really awesome giveaways

I am a member of the Etsy street team, called the "Trans Canada Etsy Team" and we are a group of artisans, spread across Canada, who all sell our work on Etsy. We work as a group to help promote each other, for example, we have collaborative advertising efforts and cross-promotions by including other team members' business cards in packages mailed to our customers. Socially we have done things such as secret Santa gifts during the holidays and we may do trades or supply swapping as well. It is a very supportive group and the active members see many benefits. I mention this, because, as you can see from that badge on the side of my blog, there is a "Trans Canada Road Trip" happening right now, which is a collaborative promotion that our team has put together. There are over 20 Etsy shops participating, including mine. All the shops are giving out ballots into a draw for two really amazing prizes. The promotion runs until July 1st, so this is our way of celebrating Canada Day! First of all, there is a gorgeous handwoven rag rug to be won. Who wouldn't want to win this?? (This rug is valued at $240.) To make it even more special, each of the participating members provided the raw materials to make it! It is made from t-shirts! All our participating members sent t-shirts to Fiveforty and she used the t-shirts to create this rug. It is stunning, and it is big, measuring 34"x55"! Also to be won, is a Grand Prize package containing handmade items from all the participating shops. This package of goodies is valued at over $350! And we are just giving it away!! So by now you must be wondering how you can get your name into the draw for this stuff?? It's pretty simple. Go visit the participating shops. And for every $10 you spend in those shops, you'll get a ballot into the draw. So, that's one ballot for any purchase that is $10 or less. But then additional ballots if you spend more. And when you make your purchase, if you mention the promo code "Road Trip" in your message to the seller, we will give you an extra ballot! It's never too soon to start your holiday shopping... especially if it gives you a chance to win one of those totally amazing prizes. Of course there are also lots of things in these shops that you might want to buy for yourself anyway... soap? We all need soap. How about some cranberry jelly, mmmmm. Reuseable food storage bags? They are better than plastic. Baby gifts? There will always be more babies who need stuff. Maybe you like to have a few birthday cards on hand? Maybe you need a leather journal?! Have fun shopping. And check out the full contest details on the TCET blog. Also on the team blog we are introducing our members from East coast to West coast as we make our virtual road trip across the country. Yesterday we visited a couple of places in Nova Scotia, and today we got as far as Moncton, New Brunswick. We'll keep going until we reach Vancouver on July 1st.

Japanese paper!

The Japanese Paper Place is well known to me even though I've never had an opportunity to visit the physical store - all lovers of Japanese papers will seek out the sources and this is THEE place to get Japanese paper in Canada. Can you imagine having 637 different sheets of Chiyogami all for yourself? Well, here I will increase the chances of me getting 637 such papers in my hands. Over at the Japanese Paper Place online store, they are having a little contest to win this pot of gold!

Sweet Giveaway ends tomorrow

My absence from blogging does not mean have been slacking off - quite the opposite, in fact! And I do intend to share some new things really soon. In the meantime, I wanted to remind eveyone that the Sweet Figments giveaway closes tomorrow. There are 30 handmade goodies up for grabs, including a handbound leather journal made by me. Hop over to the Sweet Figments blog to find out how you can win! And just some qucik photos for now of things I've done recently. A hardcover stab binding with some pretty awesome red and black fabric for the covers: Some new earrings: And my small leather notebooks in lots of new colours:

Virtual Trunk Show - Trans Canada Etsy Team

Everyone is invited to the TCET first Virtual Trunk Show! This is part of the "Around the World" Trunk Show that is being hosted by Etsy. Teams from different regions around the globe will be participating. Thursday, Nov 13th, at 10:00pm Eastern in the Etsy Virtual Lab. These team members will be presenting their work:

• MyHandboundBooks
• Enthral
• RikRak
• DesignbyRJ
• PaisleyBaby
• PinkfireDesigns
• iHeartThatDance
• StringmeAlong
• Intuibead
• TanisAlexis

Blog A Day Giveaway

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am participating in the Blog A Day Giveway extravaganza over at the Sweet Figments blog. There are 30 prizes to be won from 30 different Etsy sellers. All you have to do, is pick one of the Etsy sellers represented and post about them on your own blog, or your MySpace page, or anywhere else that you can link to. Then go back to the Sweet Figments blog and put your link in the comments there. Easy! And it is called "Blog a Day" because you can write up a new blog post every day and enter your name every day for multiple chances to win!! Definitely check out all the cool stuff and get your name in, you might even get a leather journal from MyHandboundBooks!

MuseACDonline

I'd like to feature one of the other Etsy sellers right now! If you like unique and beautiful jewelry, check out MuseACDonline on Etsy, a design house with a mission. Their shop profile states that "we create fabulous ornaments and clothing that make a person feel good to wear them. We want our piece to be your favorite piece. There are many other clothiers out there. There are also a lot of jewelers, but we want to be your MUSE... we want you to wear one of our accessories, or items of clothing and feel inspired." Shown here are a pair of earrings by MuseACD.