Oh, golly. Today’s the big day to find out who won the Embroidery Flowers for Elizabeth book, plus the other goodies. This give-away is a little more difficult to bring to a close than usual, for a number of reasons…
The first reason is that the response has really been fantastic! I’m sure this is due to the book, undoubtedly. I wonder how much of it has to do with the extras? Are the extras worth it? (Of course, to the winner, I think they will be!) But what I wonder is, would everyone have signed up for the give-away still without the extras? I think pretty much everyone would have. What say you?
Yes, Susan O’Connor’s book is beautiful, and I do hope that you all have the opportunity of acquiring it for your own libraries. If not, I hope you can talk your local library into carrying it, so that you can use it there!
Now, the other point of difficulty. You know, it’s one thing to do a give-away and disappoint 100 or so people. It’s much harder to do one and disappoint some 270 people. The larger the number of disappointments, the harder it is to do this! I just can’t help thinking that there are going to be some 270-something disappointed people in the world – all because of me. Aaaaaaack!!!
But that is the nature of the thing, I suppose. And on the bright side, I’ll be giving away another copy of the book in the coming week!
Now, to answer the question someone posed, about how I choose a winner. It would be impossible to keep something like this fair – totally objective – unless it were done in a totally objective, random way, like pulling a name out of a hat. I’m sure you all understand that I’ve got regular readers I’ve gotten to know well, communicating with them often, reading their frequent comments, and so forth. Wouldn’t it be tempting to just pick one of them? At the same time, there are several folks who read my site who are friends off-line. Wouldn’t it be ever-so-easy to pick one of them? Then, if you look at responses – well, if I judged on those, it would be so difficult to pick a winner, because I would mull over so many of your responses, over and over and over again. (This would not be easy!) So, you see, none of those will do, because they aren’t really objective.
So, the solution is complete objectivity. I use a random number generator. I move all the names to a spreadsheet and mix them up (like shuffling, electronically), removing any duplicates (identical posts) along the way. Then, I generate a random number via random.org, and that’s the person who wins. To me, it’s important not to stray from this, because then it would become less objective and too difficult to choose.
So, we’ll just call it …. Fate. Destiny. Divine Providence.
The winner of this give-away is:
MNStitcher (signed Bonnie)!
Bonnie, please contact me before Thursday morning with a mailing address! If I don’t hear from you by Thursday morning, I’ll draw another winner.
For everyone, thank you for your responses! I wish I could give you all a book, but since that isn’t possible, I’ll give away one more in the upcoming week. Look for the give-away!
Congrats, Bonnie!
Congratulations to Bonnie! I'm sure she'll love the extras as much as the book. I'm certainly going to recommend to my library that they purchase a copy.
Thank you for giving us all the opportunity Mary. Also, for sewing the seeds of 'possibilities'. 🙂
Enjoy this wonderful give away, Bonnie!
Congratulations, lucky girl!
Thank you Mary! for the chance you gave all of us
Well Mary, That was interesting. I run my eye over most of the responses and checked every day to see how many more came in. Like I said, it's interesting.
Yes the book is a drawcard but for myself I'd enter for the other things alone too. All things I haven't tried and are of interest to me to see what they're about. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Thinking tho, if per chance I won a prize, it's not fair on you to have to send overseas re postage. So perhaps to be fair I shouldn't enter.
That brings to mind an email I sent recently. Understand if you haven't had time to answer but just wondered too if I sent it correctly. Does your reply come thro my email? Not hassling, just wondering.
And last but certainly not least, CONRATULATIONS TO BONNIE. You lucky lady you. I enjoy sharing in your excitement. Please contact Mary in time!!
Bye for now Mary, Kath.
Congratulations to Bonnie. Mary, I am sure there is always something in your posts that open up the windows of opportunities. You have already put the list of outlets where this book is available like the Book Depository which ships books to all over the world but not to India yet, but I will get around the hurdle. So thanks for all the effort you take on our behalf.
Congratulations, Bonny! I hope the book brings you many hours of stitching pleasure. Thank you Mary for having a really fun contest.
Wow! Thanks so much! I sent my contact information. I still can't believe I won!
Congrats, Bonnie, and I hope you get to post some of the things you make.
Of course, now, there's only one possible course of action.
*heads off to her Amazon Wish List and makes a very pertinent entry*
Congratulations to Bonnie, she is one lucky lady. And yes I would have signed up just for the book or even an embroidery hoop.
I will put this book on my wish list and am definitly looking into ordering a embroidery hoop or two, too.
One heck of a lot of people would have signed up with just the book – but with the linen, pens and hoop as well it was just so perfect that I almost wrote yesterday that I hope your comment box for that entry didn't overfill!
Congratulations Bonnie.
To answer your musings, I think most people would have entered for just the book, but appreciate the extras too. We all know that you don't have to do any give-aways so I think most of us are just thrilled at the chance. And maybe there are 269 of us who are disappointed that we aren't Bonnie (in this case) but that is the nature of the beast. These are still waaaaayyyyy better odds than the lottery. It is just exciting to me to think that it just might be me some day!
The way you pick the names is probably the fairest way I can imagine. All in all, I enjoy your blog and would read it irregardless of the prizes….those are just icing on the cake!
Congratulations Bonnie!! Lucky, lucky girl!☺
Lucky Bonnie! Congratulations.
And lucky all of us, your readers, because it is just plain fun to learn about embroidery through your instructive posts. Yes, the book alone was worth trying for – and the other items were a bonus.
Your site is really a lovely community of folks, and am learning so much…
-Sharon in France
Congratulatios, Bonnie..enjoy the book !!! 🙂
Well,Mary, the book was the major attraction..had it not been there,probably the number of comments would've been a little less (including me 🙂 ) as compared to now.
Regards,
Deepa
Congratulations Bonnie! I bet you're bouncing around the house today.
I wanted to comment on the book but didn't want to be entered into the giveaway. I don't do embroidery work (not well anyway) but I love visiting your blog everyday. The information you share, the books you show are a great temptation even to someone like me who can't stitch a straight line. That's why I do cross stitch. I can put thread in holes. LOL
Again, congrats to Bonnie and Thanks to Mary for this wonderful place to visit.
Congratulations Bonnie. Have fun with your book and other goodies,
Thanks Mary for the offer and the work that goes into choosing a name. I'd not realized what a time taker this part of a competition is.
The book certainly was the drawcard but the hoop for me was a hot second.
congrats Bonnie. Do we need to do anything else to be in the drawing next week? I mostly wanted the book. I'm mostly a reader and don't comment much.
Congrats to Bonnie and thank you Mary! I'm not that disapointed, because I'll get the book anyways-I'll just buy it! ~_^
Congrats to you Bonnie…I have won something from Mary in the past and I know how exciting it is to win. I no longer enter these drawings because I have won before.I know just how you feel!
Again,Congratulations from…
Annie in Michigan
Congrats Bonnie! (great name by the way.LOL). Mary, I actually like the extras MORE when entering these types of draws. I guess I figure I can always buy the book if I really want it, but the "goodies" are just so fun. It's like buying a "lot" of items off ebay, opening the box and seeing whats in the package. A little like opening a present!
Harah Bonnie! I know you will really enjoy your prize!
Congratulations to Bonnie…I know she will enjoy her treasure trove of goodies! I love anything to do with embroidery, so I would enter whether it was *just* the book or additional goodies too. New-to-me stash is ALWAYS a thrill!!
Here's wishing you many hors of happy needling, Bonnie.
Mary, thanks for your generous offer.
Congratulations, Bonnie! You have won a wonderful selection of items. I hope you will share what you do with them.
Whoo whoo, Bonnie. You are one lucky lady. Congratulations. Enjoy the book and goodies you won.
Can't wait for next weeks turn. Mary, you are just too sweet for words.
Cheers,
Linda Adam
Ontario,Canada
Hi Mary,
You are so generous to even give us a chance to win your goodies. Of course we all hope "I will be the lucky one", but then again, we are happy for the lucky lady. The "losers" did not lose anything, and if we are really so keen on any of the goodies, we just have to dig in our pockets and get whatever we had our eyes on. Does that sound callous?
So Mary, please don't have any qualms about the odd 200 "unlucky" readers, we love to read your blog and we are lucky to have you to keep our enthusiasm for embroidery alive
LOL
Congrats Bonnie… Enjoy your gift..
And Mary I reaaly adore your kind good heart.. Such a precious gem you are.. Your feelings for all the participants touched me a lot.. I'm glad that I'm a member of your needle n thread family.. God bless you always..
Many Congrats Bonnie on winning this!! Hope you'll definitely enjoy Mary's gifts..
True, Mary, that the book is the major attraction in this give-away.. But I would have opted in had you given away the other accessories separately too 🙂
You pretty much explain in every draw on how you choose the winner.. I (for that matter I think most of us here) do not have an ounce of doubt on your objectivity of choosing a winner! So no need for a concern..
And I'm really astonished when u told you are going to give away another copy of the book.. Gosh this is the height of generosity 🙂
Looking forward to it!!
Thanks,
Dhivya
Heartiest congrats to Bonnie. lucky lady.
regards,
kirti
Mary,
Well, Bonnie is indeed one lucky lady! I ran to my local library last night to see if they had the book, but was disappointed to find out they did not. So, I am looking forward to your next give away of book. If I dont win that one too, well, I might just go ahead and buy one from the sites you have recommended.
Thanks Mary!
Well done Bonnie, we are all thrilled for you!
Mary you presented the book so beautifully, wonderful pictures, that it made us all dream of creating such lovely pieces!
Thanks for doing this for us, we all appreciate it
cheers
Julie in Australia
Congratulations, Bonnie! Enjoy!
Thank you, Mary, for doing this!
congratulations to Bonnie:-)