Four Harp Designs

Giveaway Winners!!

2010-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered!! That was a fun giveaway! :) Using random.org I chose one winner for the nursing cover and 4 winners for key fobs... All winners have been contacted. My lucky nursing cover winner chose the Asian Blossoms cover - I was excited and surprised to see how many people chose that as a favorite!

Never fear -- it is listed in my shop as a made-to-order item now (1-2 weeks to ship). As a special thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway, please use coupon code GIVEAWAY10 at checkout to get 10% off your order. Coupon is valid at fourharpdesigns and fourharpdesignsTOO.

Happy holidays everyone!!

CLOSED Nursing Cover Giveaway!

2010-11-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

******* This giveaway is closed now - stay tuned to find out who won! :) *******

You may or may not know that I opened a second shop on Etsy called FourHarpDesignsTOO. I was getting a little weary staring at the computer so often and decided I need a hobby where I could work with my hands. So I bought a sewing machine! So much fun! I love making all kinds of fun gifty things with my sewing machine.

Reversible Autumn Placemat

A friend of mine asked if I wanted to sell some of my stuff at her holiday boutique and I went a little nuts making a bunch of things. I wasn't really sure what to expect - how many of each thing I should make, what patterns would be most popular... My poor family was a little neglected for a few weeks :)

ruffled camera strap cover

Well the boutique has come and gone and now I have an abundance of nursing covers! I'd like to sort of clear out that inventory and I figured what better way than to give one away, right? I love giving free things (I like getting them too ;-) ).

Zippered Sash Clutch

So let's do a giveaway. One person will win a free nursing cover of their choice out of my shop. My nursing covers measure approximately 35" wide by 25" long. They have an adjustable neckstrap (2" by 26") that doesn't slip (my biggest pet peeve of the nursing cover I used for 2 years). The top has 16 inches of boning to hold the top open making it easy to see baby. I only use fabrics I LOVE and of course find myself wishing I had use for one.... Here's just a sampling of what's in my shop:

And maybe I'll feel extra generous when I'm drawing a name... perhaps give away some key fobs too. 'Cause I kind of have a lot of them (lots and lots...).

Wanna win? I'll give you several ways to do so. You can do one or all, it doesn't matter to me. Just make sure that you leave a seperate comment for each entry and you leave an email address in your comment or visible in your profile. Open to residents of the U.S. only.

Visit FourHarpDesignsTOO and leave a comment on this post letting me know which cover you would choose if you won. (you can describe it or tell me the name of it which is in the listing just after the words "nursing cover -"
"Like" FourHarpDesigns on facebook. Leave a comment on this post letting me know you're a fan.
Follow FourHarpDesigns on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post letting me know you're a follower.
Tweet about the giveaway: "Win a free nursing cover from @fourharpdesigns. http://bit.ly/dFzJ6N " Then leave a comment on this post with a link to your tweet.

Giveaway will be open until Friday, December 3rd at 3pm PST. Don't forget to check back... I'll probably give you a discount code if you don't win. Just sayin'.

Okay? Ready, Set, Go!

Gotta Love Freebies!

2010-07-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry to burst your bubble, this is not a giveaway - just wanted to show off a photo book I was recently gifted. A friend of mine sent me a coupon for a free 8x8 photo book from Shutterfly. I decided to turn my freebie into an alphabet book for my boys (two toddlers). Instead of using their templates, I designed full pages to upload. I was crunched for time to design it so I opted for a simple background.

I chose three pastels for background colors, contrasting darker colors for the text and then designed a few simple patterns to lay over the pastels (open circles, open stars, open diamonds and open squares).

I wrote out a list of words that start with each letter of the alphabet, words that mean something in particular to my family. I waded through 2 years of photos to find some that would fit at least one word for each letter and then narrowed it down. Because it was only a 20 page book, I had to put two words to a couple of photos. For example, I used this photo of my older son picking strawberries out of his garden and called it "G is for garden, H is for harvest".

After completing the pages, I designed a simple cover page and back page using the same colors, patterns and fonts. The back page is a photo index so as the boys grow we will remember when each picture was taken.

I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. Although it was put together quickly and I wish I had more pages, it is a very special book that the boys already LOVE to read and will be with us for a long time to come.

One Little Candle

2010-06-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

When I first designed my One Little Candle birthday invitation, I had no idea what a hit it would be! I remember sitting on the couch with my husband (after wrestling our two boys to bed) and this card just flashed in my head - I hopped if the couch and said "I have this great idea!!" Grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled it down quickly before heading to bed.

This card has been HOT. I have been so blown away by the response I've had - it has been so much fun to create everyone's birthday invitations and to see their own babies grow through the last year.

These are some of my own designs that you'll find in my shop for different holidays:

Little Pumpkin for the fall babies:

Little Snowflake for the Winter babies:

Another option for winter babies, the Winter ONEderland:

New for 2011, Little Lovebug

(lovebug clipart by Jessica Weibel at jddigidesigns.com)

Also new for 2011, Little Valentine

Also new for 2011, great for little boys - Little Heartbreaker

I've had a few customers want some creative and unique changes to the card so I wanted to share some of their fun ideas...

A new poem provided by the customer:

Something summery to match the wording provided:

A second birthday invitation:

I actually loved the idea of a second birthday invitation so much that I made a whole listing for it! You can find it here.

a first birthday announcement to share the year with family and friends:

for a bowling party:

A Mickey & Minnie Mouse themed party:

Creative Touches - Floral Design

2010-04-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Inspired by arrangements I found in Creative Touches, a book my mom gave me years ago when I was first married, I went out this weekend to buy some fresh flowers and greens for my home. Usually I just buy fresh cut flowers from Whole Foods or our local farmer's market. This time, I did things a little different.

Contemporary Elegance
This would make a fabulous Mother's Day gift, hostess gift or even baby/bridal shower decorations! I actually made two of these arrangements, one for the family room and one for my bedside table.

WHAT I USED

3" potted Parade Rose

4.5" cylinder clear glass vase

green moss

rafia

WHAT I DID

I placed the potted roses in the cylinder vase (still potted) and stuffed moss down around the edges to cover up the plastic pot the roses are in. To finish it off, I simply tied a bit of rafia around the vase! It was super simple. I think this arrangement would look great with most potted flowers or plants, I just happened to find these roses on sale!

Serene & Sophisticated
I went to the market with a picture in mind of an all-green arrangement with very specific foliage that I wanted. Of course, they didn't happen to have anything I had in mind! This was a last minute plan that I put together while browsing all my options. I really wasn't sure about it at first but it's definitely growing on me!

WHAT I USED
white rectangular vase - $12 at Michaels (4" W x 4" D x 12" H)
cut flowers and greens in different textures and shades of green

WHAT I DID
At the mouth of the vase, I placed baby's breath so it was just popping out the opening. From there, I layered lady's mantle and then lime green chrysanthemums. I topped off the arrangement with a spray of bear grass.

Tutorial: DIY Earring Display & Organizer

2010-04-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Three or four years ago I came across an article in Real Simple on how to make your own earring display for your dangly earrings. Perfect! My dangles were always getting misplaced or wrapped up in each other. So that weekend, I purchased the supplies and set my husband to work (yes, I could have done it myself but he was more than happy to help!). I love my earring display and have been using it ever since!

WHAT YOU NEED

wooden frame (without glass or backing) - we used a shadow box and carefully broke the glass out the front of it
piano wire
small eyelet hooks (two per wire)
pliers
ruler
pencil

WHAT YOU DO

Using your pencil and ruler, mark where you want each wire to hang. Screw in the eyelet hooks. Using the pliers, pull the wire taut and twist it around the hooks.

Hang your earrings from wires. The frame can sit on a dresser or hang from the wall.

Giveaway for Facebook Fans ONLY!

2010-04-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

When Four Harp Designs reaches 100 Facebooks fans, 2 winners will receive a photo card digital file of their choice (can be used any time in 2010). Head on over to my fan page and don't forget to spread the word!!

I've added some new categories and designs to my etsy shop...

Religious

(baptism, dedication, first communion, christening)

Baby Shower Invitations

Kids Birthday Invitations

Tweeting or Twittering?

2010-02-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

You can now find Four Harp Designs on Twitter! Follow me!

14 days of giveaways!!

2010-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

It's here!! The Knotties & Nesties on Etsy Valentine's Day giveaway extravaganza!

One team member is giving an item from their Etsy shop EVERY DAY. Items vary by shop so make sure you check every day!! Each giveaway will be posted at midnight the day the giveaway starts and will be drawn the same day at 10pm CST. Make sure to come back everyday and enter as many giveaways as you want!

The first day's giveaway has already been posted - check it out!

Check out the shops of participating KNET team members:

And the giveaway winner is...

2010-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kim who wrote:

Kim said...

I am a fan! I love Simple Modern birth announcement! My baby is due to arrive March 4th!

JANUARY 11, 2010 7:12 AM

Please claim your prize by emailing me at FourHarpDesigns@gmail.com by Monday 1/18 at noon PST.

If you didn't win, don't worry! The Knotties & Nesties on Etsy Team are having a special "KNETteam loves you: 14 days of lovely giveaways" running February 1-14. I will be giving away another free digital file on February 1st! Stay tuned for more details! :)

CLOSED Giveaway Time!

2010-01-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

* This giveaway is now closed - please check back for future giveaways! *

I love giveaways! I really do - giveaways make me happy. :) My oldest is turning 2 in just a couple weeks so I figure, let's do a giveaway in his honor (that's him... isn't he cute?).

I'm giving away TWO FREE digital files. Winners can use their prize on any type of photo card (birth announcement, birthday invitation - or contact me to create a special card not listed in my shop - I love custom cards!). Prizes must be claimed within 3 days but may be used at any time in 2010 (even for a holiday card at the end of the year).

You may enter up to FOUR times. The winners will be chosen from among comments on this blog post. You must comment one time for each entry, so you may comment up to four times. Here's how to enter:

Become a follower of this blog by clicking "follow" in the righthand column. THEN comment on this post with the words "follower". (e.g. I'm a follower!) - If you are already a follower, skip that step and simply post "I'm a follower!".
Become a fan on facebook (click here) THEN come back here and comment on this post with the words "I'm a fan!". (e.g. I'm a fan!) - If you are already a fan, skip that step and simply post "I'm a fan!".
Visit my etsy site and browse through my photo cards. THEN come back here, post a comment on this post with one or two of your favorite cards. (e.g. I love the Simply Stated birth announcement!)
Leave a comment on this blog telling me what event you have coming up in 2010 for which you would use a photo card (having a baby? child's birthday? moving?).

** Please make sure you either leave a way for me to contact you if you win - with your email in the comment or make sure your email shows in your blogger profile! **

Giveaway will end at 4pm PST on Friday January 15th.

DIY - Gift Tags

2010-01-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

Every January, I sit down and sift through all the holiday cards I received that year. I keep all the photo cards and letters in a scrapbook (labeled by year) because I love to look through them year after year. The store-bought holiday cards always end up in the recycle bin. But this year, I decided to get some use out of them! In just a short time, I cut them up into gift tag sized cards and strung them with ribbon to be used on next year's gifts. I made 21 unique gift tags for $1.09 (could have been half that cost if I wanted just one color ribbon!). What a deal!

What's great is this can be done with any cards you receive - why not make your own birthday/Valentine's/New Baby tags this year? Here's how:

What You Need:

cards to be re-used
scissors or paper cutter
hole punch
ribbon (1/8" wide) cut into ~ 7.5" lengths

What You Do:

1. Using a paper cutter, cut off the front of your holiday card. (Recycle portion with greeting inside.) Look carefully at your card to decide what image/words you'd like to include in your gift tag. Cut the card into gift-tag sized squares or rectangles.
2. Using your hole punch, punch a single hole in each gift tag - either in the corner of the card or in the top center.
3. Take your ribbon and fold it in half. Tuck the folded part through the front side of the card.

4. Brings the ends up and through the loop in your ribbon.

5. *voila!* Homemade, money-saving, unique gift tags! Write your to:/from: on the back side and attach to your gift.

Custom Orders

2010-01-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes buyers will contact me with a few ideas they have for a card but that they haven't been able to find anywhere. Wanted to share a few samples of cards I created from scratch by request...

To see more, please see my photo album!

For a Disney-loving Mama (birth announcement / Christmas card combo):

Sesame Street birthday invitation:

What a Fun Giveaway!

2010-01-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Mada's Place has partnered with The Nerdy Katie for this super cute giveaway!

Enter the giveaway HERE!!

More ways to save!

2009-11-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

I just found that artscow.com is offering 100 free 4x6 prints AND 50 free 5x7 prints when you register a new account. 150 cards for $0.08 each?

I will create your custom designed 5x7 card for $12 (buy now! prices go up to $15 on December 1st!) and for FREE will also make the same card into a 4x6 for you if you'd like to take advantage of artscow.com's offer!

What a deal!

EDIT 11.29.09 - You actually get 1200 free prints through artscow.com! Wow! I misunderstood. Apparently the 11 free 4x6 and 50 free 5x7 is what you are allowed monthly, up to 1200 free prints total. Click here!

Featured at Mada's Place

2009-11-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Mada's Place is featuring different Etsy sellers every Friday on her blog and I was featured this week! Check out my interview and then head on over to Mada's Place and Mada's Place Baby on Etsy!

Thanks Steph!

100 holiday cards for $0.12 each!!

2009-11-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

The photo sharing website, SeeHere.com, is offering 100 free 4x6 prints when you sign up for an account! Talk about saving a bundle on holiday cards this year! You can purchase your custom designed 4x6 digital file from Four Harp Designs for as low as $12 and print them through SeeHere.com for free! Essentially, all you will pay for is the digital file, and the cost of envelopes and stamps. Wow!

My standard files are for 5x7 printing, so if you are planning to take advantage of this HUGE savings please let me at the time of purchase that you would like your card to be designed for 4x6 prints.

What a fabuLESS way to kick-off the holiday season!

* it's SALE time!! *

2009-11-12T22:24:00.000-08:00

Knotties & Nesties on Etsy Team are having a sale! Participating stores are offering 13% off items in honor of Friday the 13th! Check out this blog post for information on participating stores.

Four Harp Designs is offering 13% off all birth announcement digital files. (Bummed it doesn't apply to holiday cards? They are currently on sale for 20% through the end of the month!) Purchase the special listing on Etsy to receive the sale price.

Sales run Friday 11/13 through Sunday 11/15.

Another fun announcement!

2009-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce that I am now a part of Team Christian Artists and Crafters on Etsy! We are a group of Christians who come from all levels in their faith and walk with the Lord. I love that we can come together to encourage one another no matter where we are at in our faith!

Check out the team blog for fun give-aways and use search word "teamCAC" while shopping on Etsy to find awesome handmade items by these team members.

tricks of the trade

2009-11-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a little-known secret.
Kuler
It's an Adobe site that allows you to create, save and download color themes. I use this site often when trying to match colors for my photo cards. I can also see themes that others have created - and those color themes often inspire new ideas in me. I could spend hours on this site!

A few examples of cards I created based on color themes I've found or designed on Kuler:

If you're new to Kuler, you may find this helpful:

So for all you designers and graphic artists out there that haven't already discovered Kuler, go have fun!

Etsy Team

2009-10-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I have joined the Knotties & Nesties on Etsy team! This is a group of wonderful women from theknot.com, thenest.com, or thebump.com who have joined together to form a team. We have a wide range of items for sale, from graphic design and paper goods to hand-stitched items, bows and clippies to wedding materials, glass jewelry to reusable grocery bags.

Use searchwork knetteam when searching Etsy to find these great items! We also have a blog where you can meet the members.

WINNERS - Fall Give-Away

2009-10-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Fall Give-Away!

To claim your prize: send an email to fourharpdesigns@gmail.com - you must claim your prize by 11:59pm PDT on Sunday, October 18th. Your free design may be used at any time, but you must claim it by the deadline. Prizes are transferrable - please just let me know (at any time) who you are passing it on to.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I will be doing more give-aways in the future, so keep an eye out for that. :)

CLOSED Fall Give-Away!

2009-09-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

To welcome in autumn and the holiday season, I am raffling off FOUR FREE photocard digital files! Winners can use their prize on any type of photo card (birth announcement, fall/holiday cards - or contact me to create a special invitation, thank you, etc.). Prizes must be claimed within 3 days BUT may be used at any time. So for example, if you win but want to announce your spring 2010 baby's birth, you may do that!

You may enter up to FOUR times. Here are the FOUR ways you may enter:

Become a follower of this blog by clicking "follow" in the righthand column. THEN comment on this post with your full name and the words "follower". (e.g. Jane Doe - follower)
Become a fan on facebook (click here) THEN come back here and comment on this post with your full name and the words "I'm a fan!". (e.g. Jane Doe - I'm a fan!) - If you are already a fan, skip that step and simply post your name and "I'm a fan!".
Visit my etsy site and browse through my photo cards. THEN come back here, post a comment on this post with your full name and one or two of your favorite cards. (e.g. Jane Doe - I love your Thanksgiving Mosaic photo card and also the Initial Birth Announcments!)
On your own blog, link to my etsy site and tell everyone about this drawing. THEN come back here and post a comment with your full name and a link to your blog post. (e.g. Jane Doe - http://your.blog.post/)
~OR~
Once you've become a fan on facebook, write this into your facebook status: "Four Harp Designs is giving away free photo card digital files! Check it out and enter to win ~ it's time to start thinking about where to buy your holiday cards! http://fourharpdesigns.blogspot.com" Tag Four Harp Designs in the status by typing @Four Harp Designs THEN come back here and post a comment with your full name and "facebook status" (e.g. Jane Doe - facebook status).

Contest will be open until 12:00pm PDT on October 15th. I will use a random number generator to choose FOUR winners. Check back to see if you won and find out how to claim your prize! Prizes are transferrable.

The fine print

2009-09-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Shop Policies:
Welcome to my shop! I'm a new seller around these parts and I'm looking forward to working with you!

But you may be wondering, "What exactly does 'Four Harps' mean?" The name for Four Harp Designs comes from biblical imagery. In the Bible, the number four is used to symbolize creation (e.g. the four elements, the four directions, four corners of the earth). You may have noticed in the banner on my home page that the number four is inverted like a reflection. This is to symbolize that everything we are (creativity included) is a reflection of part of who God is. My creative side is a reflection of God's creativity. Harps, in the Bible, are an instrument of praise. I hope that my shop, my designs, my work can be used to bring praise to God as well. So from this, I came up with Four Harp Designs!

Payment
PayPal only - payments must be made before I can send you a proof.

Shipping
Photo cards are digital files only and will be sent to your email account.

All other items will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail within two business days of purchase. Custom orders will require a few extra days to make them.

Refunds and Exchanges
Photo cards:
I am not responsible for errors once you have given your final approval. If you do find typos or want to make minor changes after your final approval, I would be happy to do so free of charge. However, I will not refund your cost of printing the photo cards.

Additional Policies and FAQs
You agree that I may use your image and/or photo card as samples of my work. I will not use any of your personal information, including full names, address, etc. If you do not agree to allow me to use your image and/or photo card, you will include this request by email at the time of purchase.