GRAND PRIZE Giveaway – Cheers My Darling Canvas Art

What better way to wrap up four wonderful weeks of free prizes than to give away to ONE lucky winner – a piece from my very own collection?!

In honor of our 4 year Anniversary Celebration at Sugarluxe, I am thrilled to offer (for the first time ever) a FREE giclee canvas.  For those of you who have joined me all month long for our giveaways – I hope you’ve enjoyed our brand new items, the chance at winning these goodies, and the anticipation of seeing what comes next. I’ve had so much fun and I sure hope you have, too.

Week #1 – Sugarluxe Art & Soul Mirror Compact Winners
Week #2 – Sugarluxe SMART Collection Cufflinks Winners
Week #3 – Sugarluxe Decor Vinyl Big Wall Graphics Winners

So, let’s talk a little bit about this week’s Grand Prize…

You already know that I work on so many different things at once and I have a multitude of projects underway at any given time. That’s why it made it kind of hard to figure out exactly what I was going to do for the Grand Prize.  When I started this 4 weeks ago, I knew I wanted to give away something BIG…I just didn’t know what!

More importantly, as the clock was ticking, I realized I also wanted to offer something that is unique and meaningful to me.  When it came right down to it – I couldn’t think of anything better than this.

And here she is folks:  Ruby Moon in Cheers My Darling

But why is this piece so special?  After all, you can find Ruby Moon on our website and also a derivative at Z Gallerie.  You can even get a mini print version on our archival paper prints.

HOWEVER – there is ONLY ONE like the photo you see below.  This is a canvas like no other. 

So, this week – for our BIG GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY – someone will win this one of a kind:

• 40″ x 40″ Gallery Wrapped Canvas Art by Sugarluxe
• Signed & Numbered – AP 1/1
• Embedded with 10 Genuine Swarovski Crystals
• With a Personal Note to Winner on the Back
• Also Includes a Certificate of Authenticity

And like all of our prizes, this too, includes FREE shipping. 

If you were with me last year during our benefit to help raise money for the Austin Children’s Shelter – you may have seen the Cheers My Darling art before.  It had the honor of being on public display for two months.  But this particular piece was NOT for SALE. 

Why am I finally giving this canvas away now?  Well, it’s simply because:

1. I want it in the home of someone who I’m sure will love it like I do.
2. It’s valuable to me because it’s long been part of the Sugarluxe Studio.
3. I want the winner to receive a gift that NO ONE else will ever have. 

Ruby Moon will be around for years to come…but this is a version that I had made just for my studio.  The “my darling” part is so exquisitely old school and I just can’t wait to share it with you.

Do you want to win?  Do you?  Do you want this REALLY BAD???

If so, make sure you are familiar with the Official Rules.  You must subscribe or have already subscribed via email. 

Plus, even if you’ve already commented elsewhere, remember – you need to leave a comment on this post telling me how much you love me would love to have this canvas…and STUMBLE IT, you can BLOG ABOUT IT, or POST the LINK ON FACEBOOK (and tag me so I know about it) to earn extra entries into the Grand Prize Drawing.

Retail Value?  Priceless.

——————————————————–  WINNER ANNOUNCED ——————————————————–

UPDATE March 2, 2009:

Little did I know that last Monday would set off what would end up being both the most fun, and the most gut-wrenching giveaway to date.  With each remarkable comment, my heart sank.  I was so excited for who might win, while I often felt like I would be letting down at least 50 other people.  As someone who doesn’t much like to disappoint…it’s been tougher than I thought it would be. 

Everyone brightened my days, many people made me laugh out loud.  But in the end…this past week’s contest really came down to who could spread the word about Sugarluxe the most.  Not in a spammy, click the site all day kind of way…but by being someone who brought in MORE unique visitors, turned on MORE people to Sugarluxe, and introduced my art to MORE people than anyone else - and that person is…

wait for it

wait for it

Stean P. – YOU are the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

You were relentless, involved, fun, relentless (did I already say that?) and you sent the MOST pageviews and MOST unique visitors to both Sugarluxe and the Sugarluxe Blog!  You did an amazing job and you certainly deserve this piece.  As much as I never thought in a million years that it would end up in the man cave we’ve all heard so much about – you definitely earned it.  You are a genuine FAN, a true FRIEND and a FANTASTIC commentator.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

P.S.  There are four other people who followed close behind Stean and deserve credit too.  Want to find out who they are?  Read more about the BONUS PRIZE in this week’s newest post.

In the words of Will Smith…Ahh hail NO!

Taffeta?  Check.

Baby tee?  Check.

Black tennies with teeny little skulls that look like cherries?  Check.

Flower in hair because I will never stop loving flowers in hair?  Check.

And oh yes…artwork installed?  Check.  Interns on time?  Check.  Interview on TV?  Check.  Art lovers everywhere for big Sugarluxe Show?  Check.

Hail balls the size of sno-cones?  Um…

I checked…the Weather Channel said 96 degrees and sunny all day.  Sugarluxe?  She say bad words under breath at massive hail balls.

Waaaaaaauuuugghhhhhhh!!!

Well, it was supposed to be perfect weather (except maybe for the 100% humidity making the 96 degrees feel like 110) but hey, we were moved inside and we worked our BUTTS off to create this showcase. 

As you know, it was a charity benefit for the Austin Children’s Shelter and the weather wasn’t going to stop us from selling every single painting. 

Or…was it?

We started the show opening early just for mid-day shoppers.  However, the special events director thought it would be better for us to save our energy for the 6-9pm crowd.  I really didn’t mind hanging out and mingling all day…as long as we were ready for the 7 o’clock rush hour later. 

The Sugarluxe girls looked like beautiful little rosebuds despite loading in tons O’ crap that morning…I was ready to sign magazines, hug lots of people, kiss sweet smellin’ babies and sell large scale works of art (most - NEVER before available pieces) in an effort to raise awareness and money for ACS…

And then this…Large Hail and Dangerous Lightning Hits the Austin Metro Area.

But alas, if you thought it was all sweet here in candyland (or if I somehow fooled you into thinking that way) then it’s time to come clean…some days just SUCK!!!!

However, if I can at all help it, we try to make sucky situations better.  I used to get so frustrated with my mom who has ALWAYS pointed out the bright side to EVERYTHING.  Now, I realize that the bright side (thank you MOM!) is a perspective that aids survival. 

Here’s the bright side of Saturday:

My interns are about to graduate, so we can’t help but be excited about that. I did get time with friends who I hadn’t seen in ages (and typically, I never get time to talk to them at our shows). I saw, held and kissed many babies (self-pity alert: a bit harder right now considering I am going on FIVE years of no two pink lines on my pregnancy tests).  And we did sit with jaws dropped when we watched the band disappear and people fleeing the show in droves as they dodged huge chunks of ice falling from the sky (we were seriously concerned about people’s safety and our cars) but when things feel a bit hopeless…you can either laugh, or you can completely lose your mind. 

So, what can a group of really disappointed girls do?

What else? Get a glass of wine and toast to good times.

That’s how it is around here.  Many things never work out as we plan.  But we DO try to make the best of it.  Stuff happens every day making us want to pull our hair out…but I’m trying to learn that some things just can’t be helped.

As a control freak  perfectionist  person who wants everything to be a major success, sometimes, it’s just hard to admit that things like, you know, weather, getting pregnant, and sold out shows are not completely up to me.

Luckily, when we were doing the installation for the show, the fabulouso Central Market asked if I would be willing to have the art in there for 6 weeks!

ABSO(freakin)LUTELY.

Now, after weathering Saturday’s storm, I am even happier that the good people at Central Market responded to the work so well as to ask us to display/SELL (subliminal message to buy) over the next couple of months…giving us WAY more time to help raise money for the abused children who need this shelter and care from the wonderful people who work there. 

So, if you’ve ever wanted Sugarluxe for your walls, won’t you please consider buying now?

The pieces are signed, numbered and many are Artist Proofs with an enclosed Sugarluxe Certificate of Authenticity on the back.  Very cool, very limited and for a very good cause. 

All artwork is currently located at the original Central Market on North Lamar in Austin, Texas and most will be available until June 30, 2008.