Stack The Deck Revisited Winner Announcement

Stack The Deck Revisited by Karla Alexander

I said I'd draw a winner on Wednesday....and today is Wednesday....and the winner is:

Quilter In The Gap

Congratulations to you!  Please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your full name and address and I'll put your book in the mail to you.

Time to say thanks to Martingale Publishers who gave the book for review and then to be given away.  THANK YOU Mary and Martingale and Company :)

As many of you know I had the privilege of being a guest blogger on Stash Manicure yesterday.  Someone had to tell me to go over and read the comments....duh....so I did.  Clearly I don't have access to comment there but to everyone who was kind enough to leave a comment THANK YOU!!

Mommarock left this comment:

love your posts! It is good to have someone try out products before you buy them.. my question to you is... do you buy all of the products you try.. or do the companies send them to you to try and do demos etc.? Do you search out the products or do the companies now find you? okay.. more than one question LOL.

I e-mailed her with the reply and she suggested others may want to know too.  If Inquiring Minds want to know....I'll just tell ya....

There are many different answers to this question.  When I do a review if folks would like to know where I found the item please let me know and I may consider adding that as a routine part of my review posts.  (Time for a fun pix....too may words without something to brighten the black print)

Waldo's Market Place India Quilt (aka Mrs. Rosemary)

Ahhh....that ought to feed our eyes for a few more sentences.

Most all of the products I review I have purchased myself.  From time to time I am given something, like my Sizzix Vagabond, that rocks so wildly that there is no way on GGE I would part with it unless you had an AK47.  (did you see my review?  click here and here )  Every other product that is listed on the sidebar of my blog under Product Reviews I have purchased.  Frequently authors have book signings at Market and a copy of their book is given to store owners for their shop displays.  Since I don't have a physical store I feel reviewing it on my blog and giving it away is still in line with the spirit in which the book was given.  I've been given an EnviroMate Pronto P7 Steam Cleaner that I won't part with either.  Believe it or not...I've had it for months and I have done several videos while using it....however Mr. McSteamy has to get the time to edit the video so I can show everyone what I'm talking about.  I'm just grateful the folks at Reliable have not come to my house and repo'd it.  They would need an AK 47 too. 

I also review books for a few publishers and those who ask me to review their books.  When it is for a publisher typically I get to choose the books I'm interested in reviewing.  Everything else I just find and review.  I have lots of friends who give me a heads up when they see something I might be interested in as well.  I do all of the research and use it and then just say what I see....pretty straightforward stuff.

While many shop owners to go Quilt Market to purchase for their next seasons needs, I go to see all the new products and ask if I can try the new product.  If I like it....I review it.  If I don't like something....I smile and keep walking.  Just because it is not something that interests me does not mean that it does not have another audience...it's just not me. 

The  reason I try the products first is because of my lack of faith in advertising and marketing in general.  How many times have we all purchased something thinking it was going to be the best thing since sliced bread and were disappointed...either it did not do what the advertisement said it would do or the quality of the item was not really worth the price you paid for it?  My answer to that question is way too often. 

Time to feed the eyes with a little visual candy... a random photo from Market:

Frogfolio by Java House Quilts (photo taken at Fall Quilt Market in Houston 2010)

Aside from being known as "front street" I'm also known as the woman who returns things that are sub-par without embarrassment and requests her money back.  Not that I'm a know it all.....because I certainly am not....however I do Have A Notion about many things and I've always wondered why folks did not just ask me first....I could have saved them a lot of time and trouble...some things just seem clear to me that are not clear to others.  Why?  Who knows...I can't sing, dance (well), draw.....but I do seem to be able to see many things clearly and I'm able to communicate without much hesitation.  I guess if you like me....you really like me and if you don't....you really really don't. 

If you have any more questions you would like answered....just leave them here on this post and I'll do my best to reply....I'm pretty much an open book.

If you have shopped at IHAN then you know I do my very best to make certain folks are happy with their purchases.  People call me all the time asking questions about products and they'll tell you...I don't try to "sell" them anything.  I'm all about edcuation and getting a good fit....the right item for the need/want.  If you've not purchased from IHAN.....dang....what are you waiting for?  Get over there and find a treasure and bring your friends too :)

Smiles,

Kelly

"Stack The Deck Revisited" by Karla Alexander Book Review and Giveaway

Karla Alexander, Saginaw Street Quilt Company,  published another book with Martingale Publishing / That Patchwork Place in 2010.  The title is, Stack The Deck Revisited and I have the good fortune to review the book and also offer it as a giveaway on my blog :) 

I had the pleasure of meeting Karla at Checker Distributor's 62nd Anniversary Open House last year.  If you are a IHAN blog follower you may remember my post.  Karla has several beautiful quilt patterns as well as being a designer for Creative Grids Rulers.

Before I get into her latest book, Stack The Deck Revisited, I just want to take a minute to show you some of her work that I also love:

I know these have absolutely nothing to do with Stack The Deck Revisited, but I figured if you are anything like me you might want to see some of the author's work and other creations along the way.) 

For some reason the photos of Karla's book don't look as bright on the Internet as it does in my hands so I took my own photo of it for you to see.

Karla has updated her patterns from Stack the Deck, her first book.  I like Karla's style of writing and the photos that accompany the patterns clearly explain the process she is following to complete the quilts successfully.  Karla also goes into a discussion about fabric choices, finishing your quilt and variations on block designs. 

This one is "Going Green" and I thought it was a great example of a variation because the initial blocks were shuffled and combined to make an interesting pattern and then it was changed by adding the black inner squares.  So much more interesting and balanced ....don't you think?
I have really enjoyed reading Stack The Deck Revisited and I'm going to hate to see it leave however, I know it will be equally enjoyed by one lucky IHAN blog reader!  To have an opportunity to win Stack The Deck Revisited, please leave a comment on this post telling me if you have ever made on of Karla's patterns or used one of her Creative Grids Rulers.  If not, just let me know what intrigues you about the book and your name will go into the drawing.  A winner will be selected on Wednesday March 9th.

Smiles,
Kelly