Finger Puppets and Flip Draw book Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Joy for winning my Mudpuppy Finger Puppets and Flip Draw book!

Joy wrote:

My five year old daughter, Edie, is dying over both the finger puppets and the flip book! Our favorite creative summer activity is to do all the messy art projects out on the patio.

To read more great creative summer activity ideas, just read the comments on this post. Thank you all for your support and inspiration!


Joy please contact me at merrrilee [at] hotmail dot com to send along your shipping address and I'll get these out to you. Thanks!


(applicants names were written down and entered into the drawing. If the person liked mer mag on facebook, their name was put in the bowl twice. Name was then selected randomly.)

What I'm up to when the blog is slow...And a Giveaway!

**Update: Giveway Now Closed**

So you might have noticed the blog has a few lulls every now and again. This typically happens when things get a little crazy around here. You see, in addition to crafting, blogging and the typical mom stuff (soccer camp, art camp, music class, oh my!) I more than likely have a number of exciting illustration projects on my plate. And so I thought, instead of hiding out when this happens, why not share a few of them with you?! I do have an illustration blog, that is quite neglected and not at all updated regularly, but I think I might try to merge some of these things onto Mer Mag. What do you think? Would you be interested?
At the moment I'm working on a super super fun project! I can't disclose what it is but it involves horses and I just can't wait to share it! I also have a number of other book projects going on that are just so cute and so much fun! If you are interested in looking up some of my work, I illustrate under the "pen name" Tuesday Mourning. Long story but basically I just loved the name and enjoy it when artist personas are as whimsical as their work.

You might have noticed from this blog that I love children's toys and so when I have the opportunity to illustrate for companies like Mudpuppy, working on great projects such as these fun finger puppets and flip draw book, I'm just head over heels! I'm crazy for this kind of stuff, aren't you? And I have to say, you should get some, because they are so much fun! And better yet, super affordable. The finger puppets are only $6 and the flip draw book is $8! Perfect birthday gifts, if you ask me.
And guess what? I'd love to share some with you! I've decided to gift a set of finger puppets and a ballerina flip draw book to one lucky reader. What do you say?! Just make a comment mentioning one of your favorite creative summer activities and I'll enter you into the drawing to win these fun gifts! And if you like "mer mag" on facebook and I'll enter you in twice! (I know, I'm seriously a slow poke when it comes to social networking - just joined Instagram this past week - so I'm finally getting around to really sharing mer mag on facebook :)).

You have until Friday to enter. I'll then Announce the winner on Monday, June 25th!

Hand in Hand:Crafting with Kids Winner!

Happy Friday friends! A big thanks to all of you who entered the Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids Giveaway! You had some wonderful things to say about crafting and creating with kids. I was inspired!

And now to announce the winner! The winner of the Hand in Hand:Crafting with Kids book giveaway is comment #35...

HAYLEY LAM

who wrote:
"I would love this book, want to try the geometric tiles!!"

Congratulations Hayley! Please contact me at merrileeliddiard [at] hotmail dot com and I'll ship your book off to you!


And I couldn't help but share a few inspiring comments from you readers to get us all crafting with our Littles this weekend!

Steph mentions:

"Lately Creed's favorite is when I draw a mystery picture in white crayon and he watercolors over it to find out what it is."


Holly Sarah shares:

"My oldest likes to use his chalkboard easel to tell stories with pictures before bedtime...one of my favorite things."


Rachael suggests:

"The best project I did with my students was making button yo-yos...that was by far their favorite, a button on a loop of string. Some of them were still pulling out their backpacks to play with three months later."


And Emily says:

"My daughter is 22 months old and one of her current favorite creative activities is "painting" on coffee filters. She draws on the filters with washable markers and then "paints" using water and small paintbrushes. After the filters are dried, we cut them into shapes, make flowers, mobiels, etc."


And there are so many more in the Hand in Hand Giveaway comment suggestion. Great reading to start your weekend off! And if you didn't win, be sure to pick up your copy of Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids at your local bookstore or Amazon. You'll love it!

Wishing you all a creative and crafty weekend!


*Winner was selected randomly. If there was one more than one comment from the same person, it was considered as one comment total.

[Christmas GIVEAWAY!!!]

In the spirit of giving this season, I want to give a gift to YOU! I'm offering a personal portrait drawing of you (or someone else of your choosing) as a Christmas giveaway this year. All you have to do is make a comment on this post stating one of your favorite things about Christmas, along with your email address. It's as simple as that. But wait, that's not all... (I've always wanted to say that). If you link to this post telling others of the giveaway you will be entered into a second drawing for an entire family portrait (again this can be of your family or another of your choosing). So if you are asking yourself, "You mean I have the chance to win both a personal portrait AND a family portrait?" then your answer is YES! It's possible you could win both! If you do link to this post on your blog, then please let me know when you comment so that I can enter you into the family portrait drawing as well. You have until December 17th to comment and then this giveaway will close. I will announce the winner on Dec. 18th when I will proceed to contact the winner about getting this started. I will not be able to have the portrait to you before Christmas so if you want to give this as a gift you can give the recipient a gift certificate that I will create for you. The portrait will then be drawn and shipped off to you in the new year. Thanks. I can't wait to hear all your comments!