I WON! (pinch me)

 

A few months ago I was browsing through the new Apps in the Apple store and I came across a new app for Blacks Photography and they were having a contest.  It intrigued me so I downloaded it and read all the rules and decided I might like to take part.  This required submitting photos, taken on your iphone, over a three week period and getting your friends to vote for them too.  There were three weeks to the contest – each week there would be a grand prize winner and two runner ups (then some participation prizes as well.  The grand prize for each week was a signed hockey jersey by Sidney Crosby, and being I am NOT a hockey fan in the least I’m actually relieved I did not win this (though I’m sure thousands of others would have) 

The contest wrapped up and the winners were to be posted sometime after April 21st – so after that date I just kept checking now and then… checking now and then, checking, checking CHECKING.  I admit I was getting dismayed but just last weekend I looked and saw that the winners had been posted.  The first two weeks go by (and personally, I thought my best photos had been submitted in the first week, particularly the one of my friend Marie with her sweet alpaca friend Frosty…

I mean who can resist something like THAT? 

Anyways, I kept putting pictures in until week three.  My photo library was getting a bit thin by this time but then it was an abstract theme so I put one in of a leaf texture taken when my Mr. and I visited a botanical gardens at the coast.  And that’s the one that secured a prize for me!

When I first read my name there I somehow assumed I was qualified for one of the prizes of free prints – I told it to my Mr. when he came home that day.  He said it was nice.  Later, I got to thinking “I’m a RUNNER UP” and thought to recheck what I’d won and was way beyond delighted to find that I really won a Nikon d3000! 

I cannot say enough about the people and service at Black’s – they have been amazing in getting the camera here in time I will be able to enjoy it for summer photography!  Each person I phoned or emailed got back to me right away and got things rolling and I now have the camera unpacked and snapping photos.  I’m truly impressed. 

Now the funny thing is, and my Mr. made me assure him that I would blog this end of things – is that my good old Sammy the Samsung Pro 815 which I hauled around in my (suitcase of a) purse for 4 years finally suffered a dead flash.  Sure, I could have searched out an external flash and had the joy to put it on and remove it all the time but really that thing was HEAVY, battle worn and weary.  It still took wonderful pics but it was time for me to move on.  So, a few weeks ago we were at the coast and we were in Best Buy and we were… I was drooling over new cameras and trying to engage my Mr. in looking through them and vocalizing the wonders of the new features and batting my eyelashes and all that, but he was not falling for it.  And eventually, when I realized I had no hope of wearing him down I finally resigned myself to waiting (till my birthday in the fall at least, according to him)  It was just not in our summer budget. 

I was fine with it really.  I knew what he said was true.  But he kept apologising to me and assuring me I could use his nice camera in the meantime.  And I let it go in my heart.  I decided to be meek about it even though I knew I could have played it for a bit. 

So, imagine my surprise when less than a week later my dream comes true?  I’m still walking on cloud 9!  THANK YOU to all of you who actually went in and voted for me, I could not have won it without your support. 

And a post here would not be complete without some tatting, of course!  First thing I tatted was a pretty necklace and earrings for my sister in law.  I won’t do a preview here for I am sure she will post a photo or two on her blog and don’t want to spoil it for her! 

But I’ve been gleaning inspiration from Super-Tatter Krystle and I came up with a wonderful idea.  My Mr. approached me TWO DAYS before the graduation at the Learning Centre and asked me to make “a little something” for about six people so I put my thinker on and came up with the following, loosely based off of one of the pretty flower things on Krystle’s blog, but turning them into “Window Charms”

These hang on invisible thread and have a metal ring at the top.  The beautiful crystals were salvaged from some cosmetic jewellery I bought at yard sales recently.   I’ll just bet Krystle can improve on these – have you SEEN her latest designs?

And this is an anklet I designed and made using some more castoff jewellery given me by a friend recently – nice stone beads.  I like the natural colours and also the little metal things that “tinkle”    And I’ve got more ideas brewing all the time!

And also – HAPPY CANADA DAY!  Perhaps I’ll post some photos from the Canada Day parade tomorrow (using my nice new Nikon, of course!)