Win a free greeting card!

Here's a quick and easy contest:

First visit my website sharedcards.com. Find your favorite card and then post a comment here about what you like. The comment must include the title of the card from the top of the web page. You have until Fri August 13 at 11:59pm EDT to comment.

Second, become a public follower of this blog. You must be a public follower so I have a reliable way of associating the name on your comment with an email address. Please make sure your comment and follower entry use the same name, even its a made up name, otherwise anyone can claim to be the winner. Followers are listed on the right hand side if you scroll down to the bottom.

On the 15th, I will use random.org to pick two or more numbers. The numbers will be the comments that win.

If your comment gets picked and you are a follower, you win the chance to win the card you commented on, if I have more of it. If not, we'll work out a second choice. If you get picked but aren't a follower, I will go to the next number from random.org until I find a winner.

The winners will be announced on the blog before the end of the month. It might be announced as part of another post, so actually follow along.

Once announced, you will have 5 days to comment on the post. You don't actually win the card until you comment on the post that announces you as a winner.

Not all of the cards I have made will mail well without additional postage and packaging, especially if you want a usable envelope with the card. In order to maximize the number of people I can pick this time, you must have a USPS Domestic address to participate, or be willing to make up the postage difference for that card.

Finally, if you share this contest with others on your blog or Facebook page, send me an email at the address on the bottom of any of the http://www.sharedcards.com/ website pages with Contest Linky in the subject and the url of the page and I'll give you 5 extra entries in the contest if I can verify your link.

Who wants to win stuff? Become a fan or follower now for extra chances!

It looks like contests are going to be shaping up for later in August. I've got a few prizes I purchased, some cards ready and should have a $50 gift certificate to give away to a large online shopping site that wants to sponsor a contest soon.

The first giveaway is going to be for a membership drive. Everyone who is already a fan or follower at the time I formally announce it will get bonus entries, possibly one bonus for being a fan and one for being a a follower.

So NOW is the time to click on the follow button on the right and become a follower and to click on the Facebook button on the bottom and become a fan.

If you are reading this from a feed, you will need to actually visit the blog to do this.

Contests

There are lots of unfinished or sparsely populated areas on the website. One of those is the contest area. I had a bunch of great ideas and started building the section as challenges but that hasn't gotten very far because I don't get to stay at home all day and can't seem to get the winning lottery ticket I need.

So I have come up with a far less ambitious plan for 2010 called Christmas in July. The idea is simple - register as a public follower. The sooner you register the better your chance. Read the blog posts as they come out. I'll throw followers names in a post on occasion and if you notice your name shout out in a comment before the deadline and you can win one of the cards I've made and posted. At Christmas time there will be bigger collections of cards and maybe some other stuff. The sooner you sign up, the better your chance of winning and again, you will have to actually be reading the blog and shout out in a comment to win.

The RSS feeds are enabled so after you follow publicly you can subscribe to a feed and your browser will tell you when there is new stuff to read if you add the feed to your favorites bar. You need to follow publicly though (separate from the RSS feed) so you will be on a list I can use. If you follow privately or just get the RSS feed you aren't on a list the blog will manage for me.

All the details are on the new blog page you can get from the link at the top of every blog page and the follow and RSS links are over there on the right hand side if you want to participate.

Mother's Day Card Contest

Wondering what my 2010 Mother's Day card looked like?

Take a guess by posting a comment here. I'll send the first person to correctly guess the main image/item/focal point on the card a copy of the birthday version. The first person with the most specific correct answer about what's on the card will win. One entry per person and if no one gets close enough, no one wins.

Sorry US residents only as I really don't understand International rules and rates right now. Relatives of mine are not eligible.

Some evil clues that will make total sense later:

• The image used can be found somewhere on my website: http://www.sharedcards.com/.
• If you are good at memory games, it's the one that doesn't fit the pattern yet.

The correct answer is actually right there on the web site, no guessing involved, if you pay attention, visit the right page and can figure out the clues above.

You have 14 days from the date of this posting to add a comment and try to win.