Virtual Yard Sale Giveaway...

When I was growing up, my parents took their yard sales seriously. (They still do to this day, actually.) We'd wake up early on the weekends, driving around keeping an eye peeled for handwritten neon posters and the infamous arrowed black and white signs with red-lettering. We'd search out treasures, hunt for deals, and in the process meet the neighbors. Each of the kids got a dollar in their pocket and we could buy whatever we wanted with it.

When it would come time to do our own yard sale, we'd plan it around a big cleaning event like mucking out the storage shed, emptying the barn, or clearing out the porch. We'd have a couple of items that we'd spend extra time on, making special and hopefully ready to go to the right home at a fair price. But we also had giveaway piles and bins designated "dime boxes", where everything in the box – no matter what it was – cost a dime. You had to sell a lot of ten cent bargains to see any decent money, but it was less about profit and more about making space and passing along the thrill of the Find. Sometimes we'd hide a really cool toy or handicraft in the dime box amongst the inexpensive knickknacks, so that a kid like us who only had a dollar to spend could take home a real prize and not spend it all in one place.

Going into this Virtual Yard Sale, I'm carrying all those memories and applying some of those homespun principles. Besides making a little extra money, part of the reason why I'm having this Virtual Yard Sale is to purge the studio AND share some really great finds. I'm featuring lots of artist-made pieces at severely discounted prices in hopes that they will go to a good home and possibly introduce the buyer to a new artist or reacquaint them with an old favorite.

So, here's the deal...

If you help me "hang signs" around the internet, I'll enter you to win the above stash of artist beads and jewelry-making components. You can mention the sales in the Ebay shop, the new additions to my regular Shop, the Quick Fire Giveaways happening all week long, this giveaway, the fifty $10 Lots to appear in the Sale section of my Shop or even the Thursday Giveaway scheduled for tomorrow courtesy of Eclectica Beads. Just add a comment to this post with your act of social media kindness. You can blog, tweet on Twitter, or update your Facebook status (or any number of ways to get the word out) about any or all of these great events. Don't forget to leave a separate comment for each "sign" posted, for all your chances to win.

And... if you're the winning bid on an Ebay auction or place an order in my Shop during this Virtual Yard Sale, you'll automatically be entered to win! And if that wasn't enough... for every $10 you spend, you'll earn an extra entry (i.e. spend $80 in a transaction = 8 additional automatic entries)!

Here's what you'll win:

1. Ceramic components, Keith O'Connor.

2. Electroplated lampwork glass, Denise Billups Walker.

3. Resin, Natural Touch Beads.

4. Porcelain, Off Center Productions.

5. Porcelain cab, Nancy Schindler of Round Rabbit.

6. Fine pewter, Green Girl Studios.

7. Dyed jade, Bead Trust.

8. Metallic lucite leaves, The Hole Bead Shoppe.

9. Etched shells and wood, Lillypilly Designs.

10. Silver-plated chain, Michael's.

11. Flexible beading wire, Soft Flex Company.

12. Ceramic components, Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio.

13. Ceramic button, Lisa Peters Art.

14. Polymer clay, Heather Wynn-Millican of Swoondimples.

15. Polymer clay, Heather Powers of HumbleBeads.

16. Czech glass, Raven's Journey.

17. Natural Brass charms, Vintaj.

18. Silver-plated bezel bracelet, Jill MacKay collection.

This giveaway, with a retail value over $200 is open to all blog-readers, including international readers. The winner of this prize will be randomly drawn on Friday, July 1st at midnight EST. Anonymous comments will not land this prize, make sure you leave your name and email address if it doesn't already appear next to your name. Don't FORGET to include your random act of social media kindness promoting any or all of the great events taking place this week! (You do not need to leave additional comments for your automatic entries.)