Victoria Everman
Feeling patriotic? OK, so it’s nowhere near July 4th, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try and channel your love for the stars and stripes … especially for over $6,000 in prizes! The Great American Craft Off was established by Homegrown Market and features the most extensive Grand Prize package I’ve ever seen:
+ An all-expenses-paid trip to the John C. Campbell Folk Art School including one week’s tuition, room & board, and round-trip airfare. Total value over $1500.
+ A Singer CE-250 embroidery/sewing machine & serger valued at $1200.
+ A complete custom website design including online store and hosting from BizLandCrafters.com valued at $2100.
+ A $500 gift card to Michaels Arts & Crafts.
+ A gift certificate to SonicPrint.com for 2,500 custom postcards and business cards.
+ A $375 Premium Subscription to the Online Learning Library at Lynda.com.
+ A signed copy of Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts by Leah Kramer, founder of Craftster.org
+ A HomeGrownMarket.com Handmade Gift Pack valued at $350
+ PLUS the winner will also be featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Adorn Magazine!
In addition to the Grand Prize, two runners-up will receive a HomeGrownMarket.com Handmade Gift Pack and a signed copy of Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts by Leah Kramer, founder of Craftster.org.
What kind of creations are permitted in the contest? Anything your imagination can come up with! “Any one-of-a-kind creation that exemplifies your personal vision of what America is all about is acceptable,” says the contest’s FAQ page.
How does the contest work? Here are the details:
+ American artists, designers, crafters and creators of anything that is handmade in the USA can enter a photo of their original American themed handmade creation for a chance to win the grand prize from November 1st, 2007 until December 31st, 2007.
+ Starting January 1st, 2008, entrants will be encouraged to tell friends and family to come vote for their creation once daily. The number of votes each entry receives will determine the top ten finalists so we encourage you to tell your friends and family to visit the site to vote for your creation every day.
+ On January 7th, 2008, voting will end and the 10 entries which received the highest number of votes will be asked to mail them in for a final review by the HomeGrownMarket.com judges. These top 10 entries will be evaluated by our judges based on creativity, relevance to the American theme, and materials used.
+ The Grand Prize winner will be announced on January 20th.
This is a pretty awesome opportunity for American crafters (apologizes to our foreign readers; we’ll be featuring more international contests soon), so if you can find some time in your holiday schedule to concoct a patriotic project, go for it!
