Just before Christmas 2008, on a rainy lunchtime, I went along to a crafty/arty exhibition in Leith and there I discovered the gorgeous work of Emily Hogarth.

She had an absolutely amazing ‘Caledonia’ papercut that I so wanted to buy…

… but then she confused me by telling me she did custom papercuts meaning I could have anything I wanted. So I went off to think about it and I’m still thinking about it now!

Anyway, for today’s giveaway Emily is offering up two amazing prizes…

One winner will win the tea-towel of their choice…

… and a supremely cool Highland cow postcard!

While another winner – and this one needs a drum-roll! – will win their very own customised A5 cutout!

How amazing is that?! Here’s a few examples of what Emily has done in the past for other people…

Emily says she “could include names, special dates, themes etc” so it’s totally up to you what you want!

Here’s one she did for a couple representing all the places they had lived in…

And here’s my absolute favourite of the things she sent through… I feel very Scottish all of a sudden!

So here’s what you have to do to win… Visit Emily Hogarth, have a wee look around for ideas, then come back here and tell us what you would like to be in your cutout and why.

Emily’s favourite will win the customised cutout. The second favourite will win the tea towel and postcard… so remember to say which colour you want too!

I’ll reveal the winner next Tuesday. If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

And that’s it! The blog birthday giveaway is over…

Well almost… but more on that another day!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNERS ARE….

Over to Emily to announce who she’s chosen as her winners. (I have no idea who I’d have chosen if I’d had to pick someone!)

“Well I have read through them all and it was really really hard! But the winner of the commissioned cutout is…

… LEXI! It will be lovely to create something for her new baby!

And as i found it really hard to choose a winner i thought i would give away three tea towels! So…

BUTTERCUP CAREN has won the light blue tea towel and postcards! As it sounds like it will match her apartment wonderfully!

JENNY has one the navy tea towel as i have an Irish husband and loved everything she had to say about Ireland and made me very excited about going back there next weekend to catch up with our Irish family!

NICKIE C has won the red won (hopefully the red can be be a nice Xmas one for her, as I’m also a huge fan of Christmas!)”

So well done to Lexi, Buttercup Caren, Jenny and Nickie C!

Now you’ll all laugh but when I originally thought of doing a blog birthday giveaway, I wasn’t sure if anyone would want to do it at all. So I asked a few people, in the hope that at least one of them would say yes, and to my surprise everyone said they wanted in.

Which was amazing… and brilliant because it means I get to introduce you all (if I haven’t already) to my favourite shops and crafty people. They all make shopping in Scotland so much cooler

Anyway, that’s why we have two giveaways today – because more people said yes than I expected. On the plus side, you guys get the chance to win stupendously lovely stuff from Cut Copy Create and The Spider and The Fly.

First up, Cut Copy Create…

Now you all know how much I love my Diana camera, so I was instantly smitten when I came across Cut Copy Create‘s fab prints, bags, badges and keyrings.

For today’s giveaway, she’s offering you the chance to win this lovely tote bag…

… and these snap happy camera badges!

To win, see the bottom of this post for the ‘how to’!

Up next is The Spider and The Fly…

Now due to my self-imposed no buying stuff while we have two mortgages (ok, it’s less self-imposed as much as it’s a necessity!) I’m yet to make to the The Spider and The Fly.

It opened up in Edinburgh the same day as Hannah Zakari‘s shop. I know I’m going to love it though as it’s run by Emily who organises the brill Magpie Market. And because these images are the shop’s logo… I absolutely adore the spider and fly mascots!

Oh yes and it also stocks such lovely stuff as this…

(I need this owl canvas in my life! It sooo reminds me of our owl-fox-cat…)

For the giveaway, Emily has very kindly offered one of these gorgeous Nikki McWilliams Tea Cake cushions… which is so on my wish-list right now. I think it would look exceedingly good in one of our Parker Knolls!

To be in with a chance to win the bag and badges or the cushion, here’s what you have to do… simply tell us why you need these items in your life and Ashley from Cut Copy Create and Emily from The Spider and The Fly will pick their favourites!

I’ll reveal the winner next Monday – and the best two reasons will win the prizes!

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Happy Monday everyone!

P.S. Tomorrow is the last giveaway… phew! … and it’s Emily Hogarth.

Interior shots of The Spider and The Fly from Lou Lou and Oscar‘s blog

UPDATE: AND THE WINNERS ARE…

So this time round, Mr Random Generator has been retired and it was over to Ashley from Cut Copy Create and Emily from The Spider and The Fly to choose their favourite ‘why I need these things’!

Ashley from Cut Copy Create choose:

That’s Lucy A (aka @midcenturylass) who said:

“Amazing giveaway…how to choose?! Such a fab idea for a cushion. I have to go with the camera goodies. I am MENTAL for lomo cameras and accessories and goodies and trying out different film types and trying out wierd ways to take interesting photos. My OH buys me lomo stuff for my – Diana, my Holga, my Fisheye and my (not strictly lomo but very lomo-fiy) Robot – cameras…for every birthday, so I have all sorts of hot shoe accessories, wierd flashes, lenses, gismos, books and other jiggery-pokery. However, I have nothing to carry any of this stuff around in and my normal bags are getting a bit out of shape, and using my supermarket jute bags just feels w-r-o-n-g. So the bag would fix that problem sharpish and be thematic to boot. As for the badges, I’ve just turned 31 and it freaks me out, as I don’t fancy being as grown up as that number of years sounds, so a bunch of badges would take me back to the ’90s and my badge-wearing yoof. Yay.”

And Emily from The Spider and The Fly choose (and I think a few of you might have guessed this one!)…

Tunnocks said (and this is some story so you might need a cuppa and teacake for this one!)…

“Ever since I saw the picture of the Tunnock’s Teacake cushion I have felt an endless void burrowing its way into my life… When I was at school I was never wooed by the novelty froggyness of Freddo’s, the sheer scale of the wagon wheel or the crispy, sugary shell of a party ring… I was loyal to my teacake like little else and I ate (atleast) one every.single.day for my entire school life. It became something of a game between my friends to see what it would take to make me swap my Tunnock’s (a massively edited list would include: a substantial slice of lovingly dinner-lady made lemon meringue pie, a jumbo bottle of yazoo milkshake, a champagne crunchie (remember them!?), endless jaffa cakes and, of course, substantial quantities of dairy milk. Was I swayed?… was I hell! Nothing came close to the shiny red and silver wrapper, carefully peeled off and flattened into a perfect square, and the joyous, gooey MOUND OF WONDER within.

By the time I left school, my best friends only referred to me as ‘Tunnocks’ and my leavers t-shirt was scrawled with arty interpretations of the red and white pattern. Shortly after this I moved South. A place where corner shops rarely stock individual teacakes and at an age where people didn’t take such pleasure in their lunchboxes and to a group of new friends who would never know to call me Tunnocks.

I’m sure you’ll agree this is sad. Every year when I receive a birthday card from my best friend, addressed to ‘Tunnocks’ I get a warm glow and often celebrate said glow by tucking into a teacake (of which I keep a supply, oddly, in my wardrobe).

So, for all of the above reasons, I would dearly love the Tunnock’s Teacake cushion in my life. I would display it proudly in the middle of my shamefully bare armchair (i want it so badly I even did a rhyme for you!) and I would recreate the daily teacake moment of my childhood with a giant, squishy cushion version nestled next to me. That would be pretty awesome. I would also be tempted to place it in the middle of the ledge above my little fireplace from time to time so it could feel extra special and get lots of lovely comments from my flatmates who all laugh at me for keeping my MOUNDS OF WONDER in the wardrobe.

Tunnock’s teacake cushion… I salute you x”

Well done Lucy A and Tunnocks!

P.S. An honourable mention must also go to Hannah Evans as I absolutely adored her story!

“My nan, Florence Gertrude Sherwood, has just turned 101 and she always says Tunnocks on a Sunday and a glass of milk a day is what has enabled her to do this! ….personally I think it was because she was a nurse…but her reason is much cuter.

I would LOVE to be able to give her one of these cushions for her 101st Christmas (only 99 days away whoop!) then when she’s gone keep it with me always as a beautiful reminder of the best person in my life.”

The Red Door Gallery is where all my friends tend to go when they want to buy me a present (and I love them very much for it!).

It’s where I go when I have money. I can’t go when I don’t, as I honestly can’t step into this shop without leaving with something.

In fact, every time I’ve mentioned this shop (such as here) I’ve said that it’s bad for my bank balance… so it must be true!

So you can imagine how pleased I am that Sarah from The Red Door Gallery has offered you all the chance to win your favourite item from the shop!

(I had problems even picking what pictures to use for this post so I know this is going to be a tough one!)

To win, here’s what you have to do…Visit The Red Door Gallery, pick your favourite item, then come back here and leave me a comment saying what it is.

The winner will be chosen at random next Saturday – and will win their favourite item! (I do not envy you lot having to choose one thing!!)

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck my lovelies!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

So we put all the numbers together (all the comments, tweets, retweets and posts) and stuck that number into the random generator…

And he chose number 42… which was…

So the lovely Anna from Anna and the Ring wins her favourite item fromThe Red Door Gallery.

She said: “Seriously, one thing?! I’m going to go a little crazy and choose the decision maker necklace. Too cute!”

Well done Anna!

Based at the end of the Royal Mile, next to the lovely Lickety Splits, Moleta Munro is a one-stop-shop for design porn. (I was go to say loveliness but the actuality is it’s design porn!)

They sell such drool-worthy stuff as this Bold & Noble print…

And these gorgeous Donna Wilson fox cushions…

And the supremely fab Carrie bike basket (which I have in white)…

For the giveaway, Moleta Munro are offering up an Anorak Kissing Animals picnic blanket…

… and a super cute giant pencil sharpener pencil holder by Suck! (Try saying that one fast!)

To win today’s giveaway, here’s what you have to do…Visit Moleta Munro, pick which picnic blanket you would like, then come back here and leave me a comment saying which ‘kissing animal’ print you want.

The winner will be chosen at random next Friday – and will win the blanket of their choice and the pencil holder too! (A double prize!!)

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck Friday folks!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

Thanks to Moleta Munro, today’s winner will be receiving an Anorak Kissing Animals picnic blanket… and a giant pencil sharpener pencil holder!

So over to Mr Number Generator…

And he’s picked 86! Number 86 was tweet number 3 who was…

That’s Elizabeth from Rosalilium who said in her blog comment…

“Ooooooh, stop it….it’s all too good and tempting and lovely. Right, I think I would pick Kissing Stags, but any of them would be gratefully received. This would be perfect now that me and the boyf are broke – we could entertain ourselves with all-season picnics! I am afraid I am now covet that Bold & Noble print too…”

So well done to Elizabeth… get ready for some all season picnics!

It was the Glasgow Breakfast tea towel that totally won my heart. As an ex-Glasgow gal, I have seen many a wee soul chugging back Irn Bru and munching on Scotch pies first thing in the morning! (Actually, switch that Scotch pie for a macaroni one and I’ve been that soul on a hungover day!)

But the clincher for me was when I discovered she was doing things with Creamola Foam on them!

Like many Scots, I adored this drink as a child. It was sugary, it was sweet and it must have been soooo bad for you – exactly what you want as a kid! I was allowed to have it every now and then at my grandparents’ house (along with a slice of toast with Golden Syrup!) and I must have been bouncing off the wall after having it!

So when we last went to Made in the Shade in Edinburgh, I had to buy Gillian Kyle‘s Creamola Foam mug… ok, so I’m drinking green tea out of it but I can pretend it’s really bad for me!

So I was super happy when Gillian said she would be part of the blog birthday giveaway… and not just because I think these Scottish Plain bibs are the cutest thing ever!

To win today’s giveaway, here’s what you have to do…Visit Gillian Kyle, pick your favourite thing, then come back here and leave me a comment saying what it is.

The winner will be chosen at random next Thursday – and will win their favourite!

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck chucks!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

Tunnocks teacakes, creamola foam, wham bars… with this Gillian Kyle giveaway we were really spoiling you! (But it was all calorie-free!)

So I put all your comments, tweets and posts into the random generator and he (not sure why I think it’s a he?) came up with number…

And number 48 was…

Alison, from Hestia’s Larder, said her favourite item from Gillian Kyle was…

“Tunnnocks teacake BAG!!!!!! *hyperventilate*

Oh and the mug with the part teacake image on it is fablas!

The BAG! I neeeeeeeeeeeeeed it!!!!”

Wish granted Alison Well done!

That’s because the lovely Emma who runs Showpony not only does the most fab bags, cool kitchen commandments tea towels (I may have bought quite a few of these for friends in my time!) and these awesome natural hot water bottle dogs (which I think would make an excellent birthday present, hint hint!)…

… but she also made these super sweet tea towel favours for her wedding.

I’ve stolen this quote from her blog as I thought this described them best…

“When Michael and I got married we wanted to give our guests something they would remember, or at least find useful. The commemorative tea towel was Michael’s brainwave, I did the graphics, we printed them up and gave them out to all our guests on the day. Since then we’ve not heard the end of it from our friends and family, it’s still about all they talk about.”

If you fancy having your very own Showpony tea towel favour, you can order them here…

Have to say I love the idea of a keepable favour – wish I’d thought of it!

And on to the giveaway part of today’s post…

Looking back, I’ve blogged about Showpony’s lovely stuff three times (including in one of my first Friday I’m in Love posts)… I’m guessing you can probably tell how happy I am when I come across someone doing something very cool and they’re Scottish to boot!

Anyway, for the giveaway you can now win your favourite item from Showpony… including these amazing ‘trompe l’oeil’ canvas bags and the lovely hot dogs!

To win, here’s what you have to do…Visit Showpony, pick your favourite item, then come back here and leave me a comment saying what it is.

The winner will be chosen at random next Weddingnesday (when I also have our friends’ awesome response video to our Save the Date to share with you) – and will win their favourite item!

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck my dears!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

So there were 96 comments, tweets and facebook posts for the Showpony giveaway…

And the random generator came up with number…

And number 60 was the last comment on the blog post, who was…

Kerry, who writes the gorgeous blog The Seventy Tree, said “I like the embellished bag-bow the bestest. Fingers crossed!”

Well done!

I love Hannah Zakari. I really do. I’ve blogged about the ace things from this wonderful shop 5 times now. I’ve probably bought from the shop more times than that!

My favourite item (still) is my sloth necklace. He cheers me up on gloomy days.

My second favourite is probably my bunny vase… not the most practical item I’ve ever purchased but I love him so.

There’s now a real-life Hannah Zakari shop in Edinburgh… which sadly I’ve not been to yet.

(I’m trying to be good at the moment and not buy anything while we’re selling the old flat… and I sooo know that I couldn’t go to Hannah Zakari without buying anything!)

So I was very happy when Rachael from Hannah Zakari offered a very lovely £25 voucher for the giveaway…

Here’s what you have to do to be in with a chance of winning… Visit Hannah Zakari, pick your favorite thing, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what it is.

The winner will be chosen at random next Tuesday – and will win the £25 gift voucher. (How gorgeous is the design by She Draws?)

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck everyone!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

Well after our excessive use of post stick notes yesterday, I thought it best to go a bit more eco friendly!

So we counted up the blog comments, tweets and facebook posts… 127 all in! (Glad I didn’t have to write out all your names!!)

And we put the numbers into the generator…

And number 5 was…

So well done Lisa from Mathilde Heart Manech you win a wonderful £25 voucher for Hannah Zakari.

Do let us all know what you spend it on!

Back in May 2009, I blogged (twice) about how much I loved these uber cool samplers from Miso Funky.

Since then I’ve bought the ‘in case of emergency breakdance’ kit – it seemed appropriate given that my OH’s party piece used to be breakdancing.

(By breakdancing, I mean launching himself towards the floor – at high speed – and usually breaking something, such as a rib or part of his foot!).

Anyway, since I’m huge fan of this emo-broidery, I was delighted when Miso Funky agreed to be part of my blog birthday giveaway!

So here’s what you have to do… Visit Miso Funky, pick what your favorite item is, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what it is.

The winner will be chosen at random next Monday – and will win their favourite thing. (How cool is that?)

If you’re one of my Facebook fans, you can also leave your comment there. Follow me on twitter? You get an extra vote for tweeting about the giveaway!

Good luck everyone!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS…

So the OH wrote all your names on post-stick notes for me…

And we popped them into our popcorn bowl…

Then I did some shuffling…

And the OH made fun of my shuffling technique…

And then some choosing… turns out post-stick notes stick together when folded so this was harder to open than expected!

That’s my ‘oooh, we have a winner’ expression…

And the winner is Holly June… if you can’t read my OH’s handwriting!

Holly June wins her favourite item: ‘the “What Would Nigella Do?” plaque because obviously she’d just bung it all in a bowl and look sexy. A good way to live I think!’

Well done!