Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Stuff

Get out of jail.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

For the criminal and not-so-criminal element...get your own "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

You can win one of these hastily drawn, hastily printed, sloppily plastic-laminated, crookedly hand-cut wonders of the art world...free of charge!

All you gotta do is email me a paragraph on why you want to get out of jail (or why you don't).

I like creative and witty stuff, so be creative and witty.

Each card comes signed by me on the back with a marker and some other random message that comes to mind when it comes time to sign the card. This is a true treasure and valuable item to own in an era of coming recession and rising gold prices.

So:

Write a paragraph.
Email it to me.
Wait anxiously.

Easy.

Labels: contests, giveaway

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Bookplate Contest: Design revealed (finally).

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

To my shame and dismay, it's taken me this long to get the bookplate design to Todd, the bookplate contest winner.

I started the design immediately but hit a serious wall of creativity. I even had two earlier versions (the first of which you will not see, the second can be seen partly done here) that I didn't finish because I could tell they were heading downhill.

The ideas that Todd gave me to work with were gold, and I thought they'd be a breeze: whimsical astronauts, dinosaurs, frogs -- the idea of all kinds of stories bursting from a book, mingled with swirls...

Alas, I struggled. My first attempt looked like I was trying to channel Edward Gorey, and doing it very badly. My second attempt was just as bad, and bordered on creepy.

I junked them, and left a blank piece of paper sit on my desk, taunting me.

Get this done, Julie! I thought for weeks.

Finally, last night, I picked up a pen and decided I'd just start scribbling and sketching and do as many of these "practice bookplates" as I needed to loosen up. I figured that once I got rid of the "I must do a perfect job" I'd stop being so tight and over-controlled with my drawing.

The result? I used one of those "practice" sketches. Sometimes thinking of something as just a warm-up lesson is all it takes to get past some weird art blockage. Hard to explain.

Anyway, I hope Todd likes his bookplate.

Links:

Labels: bookplates, contests

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Bookplate Contest: Winner announced!

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

At long last, there is a winner to this year's bookplate contest.

The winning entry was as follows:

If I were to receive a complimentary bookplate, I would affix it to my AP Stylebook. I know...I know...it's not romantic or whimsical or any other positively wonderful adjective to describe the type of book in which one typically puts a bookplate. But it is my most treasured tome. Without my stylebook I am as useless as a telephone without an "8" key.

But much bigger than my personal effectiveness, the stylebook speaks to a time in our history when there were standards and clearly defined parameters for behavior. Today, we are seeing a lawless land full of lawless people -- mostly on the blogosphere -- showing no respect for the grammatical foundations our forefathers (Strunk and White, Turabian, et al) laid. With my stylebook in hand, I ensure that at least one corner of the vastly expanding blog-world will be free from major grammatical oversights and improper state abbreviations.

I'll post the image of the final bookplate when it has been created. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: The winner has revealed himself! So here he is.

UPDATE 2: See the winning bookplate here.

Labels: bookplates, contests

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Contest: 2nd Annual Free Bookplate Contest

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

::This is a duplicate post of one in the Lone Prairie Journal.::

There was last year's contest.

Now there is this year's contest. A contest to win a free bookplate. If you're a reader or book lover...this is your contest.

How to win: Just email me, with the words "Bookplate Contest" in the subject line. In your email, tell me what book you would put your bookplate in first and why. Be creative because I so like witty and creative.

But I hate pretentious. So don't be pretentious.

Once I get fifteen entrants (which could take a few hours, a few days or a few months), I'll pick a winner based on the most creative book choice and response. I will then email that person and we'll hammer out the details.

If you win: I'll draw a bookplate for you, completely yours and unique. No cost. You'll get a high resolution image file and be free to print bookplates from that. You'll also be the envy of all the book readers in your huge book-reading circle.

Printing: Last year's winner had her bookplates printed at bookplate.com -- you might want to consider that. Other options would be your local Kinko's or print shop on adhesive paper (though that wouldn't be archival).

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. 10/29/07

Fine print: Your bookplate can contain an element representing a favorite hobby, your profession, a favorite animal, something historical, and so on. I can't depict copyrighted characters, nor will I depict anything lewd. I will email you a high-res image of your bookplate for you to print and use. Your bookplate will never be used for any other person on this planet: it's an original for you. However, you are not allowed to use it for anything but personal use; no commercial uses or profiting off of my design are allowed without my written permission. My designs are copyrighted by me, Julie R. Neidlinger. The bookplate will be displayed on this site in a low-res format so readers can see it.

Labels: bookplates, contests