Giveaway!

Did you hear? It's Better to Give Than to Receive.

Lo and behold, it's another giveaway on Mercantile Muse. Do you like beautiful sunsets? Do you like the country?  Well, then start warming your fingers up, hit the keyboard and enter to win a 5x7 archival art print of my photograph Barn Rye.

It features a field of rye, waving in the sunset, in front of a New England barn.

We have the most glorious sunsets here and I'd like to share this one with you.

This giveaway for the Barn Rye print begins today and will close on February 16th at 11pm est.  I'll announce the winner the following day.

All you have to do to enter is: 



*Follow this blog (check out the right hand sidebar for ways to follow), and tell us how you're following in the comments.

(if you already 'follow' and 'like' Bates Mercantile Co. & Mercantile Muse, just say so in your comment)

Earn one extra entry for each of the following:

*Visit Bates Mercantile Co. and comment on your favorite item.

*Like us on Facebook, and let us know you did.

*Spread the word about this Giveaway (receive one extra entry for each way you share this giveaway):

            *Blog about in a post

            *Tweet about

            *Tell your Facebook friends

            *Pin this on Pinterest

 

            *Stumble it on Stumble Upon

            *Tumble on Tumbler

           

            *Put a button for this giveaway on your blog. Giveaway button     

              available on the button page of the Muse (see navigation bar under   

              header). 

Best of luck to all of you. The most recent giveaway prize, my Louis Louis in Pink print, is currently enjoying a nice trip to South of France on it's way to Cari-Jane's house!

Thanking You..........

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to link up and spread the workd about the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It shop and blog link up party now underway. If you're an online shop owner or blogger, be sure to link up if you haven't already. If not a shop owner or blogger, you must check out the link up and see all the wonderful things and places being linked up.  Very cool!

Freeform Friday

It's cold here. Sunny though. Hope it's the same where you are. Enjoy your friday. Take a break and enjoy a little classic Fleetwood Mac. (click here if you're reading by email).

Have a fantastic weekend. Ours will include a couple of neighborhood SuperBowl parties in honor of our New England Patriots, who will surely take care of the Giants. Sorry Giants fans, but you already stole one from us. This one's in the bag. 

LET'S GO PATS!!! BRING IT HOME!!!

Ciao for now,



A Merry FREE Printable & Link Up Party

Do Like The Sign Says

Eat, drink and be merry. I love that saying no matter the time of year, but especially at the holidays.

I think it speaks to me because it reminds me of some of my favorite times with family and friends; of gatherings I hold dear to my heart. 

I hope it speaks to you in the same way. 

I created this free printable in Illustrator and would like to give a nod to the graphics fairy, who was nice enough to share the pine and pine cone clipart for free. If you haven't stopped by her blog, you really should. 

If you'd like to download this FREE printable wall art, click right and save the jpeg image below to your computer, OR download the pdf here. 

You Are Cordially Invited

It's party time again!  Grab one of the Irish coffees from the buffet, and be sure to top it off with some real whipped cream.  Then settle in, get to know the other party goers, and if you have an online shop or blog, be sure to share their links. If you don't, browse around. You won't believe the wonderful things you'll find in the shop link up and the great reading you'll find on the blogs.

Now, go and enjoy yourselves.

It's pretty easy. PLEASE READ THIS before linking:

*After you've linked up, take a look around Mercantile Muse. We'd love you to follow if you're so inclined. 

*Post one link. Two if you link one under Gotta Have It (for shops, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers) and one under Gotta Blog It (for bloggers).

*Be kind and check out other's links that catch your eye. You never know what may come back to you for supporting small shop owners and bloggers.

*Share a link to the party. If we all share, the party will get more traffic which benefits us all-- blog, tweet, facebook, etc. If you blog and are so inclined to grab a button (from Mercantile Muse's button page)  and feature it on your blog, that would be, as we say 'round these parts, wicked awesome. 

*Leave a comment and check back Friday when I feature some things I've found through the link up. It could be you!

First up, the shops.

And last, but not least, the blogs.

Make it a great one in your corner of the world, and I'll do the same from my little corner office and studio.

Adios amigos, 

Mantle Tease and Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Party

Welcoming White

As promised, I am finding a spot bring the season alive in white this year.  My mantle.

Now, I usually deck it out full of color with holly in my pretty chinoiserie vases with orange and ginger tones, so this is really different and so far I'm happy. I'm just not done yet.  Here's a small peak.

I've done a little crafting for this too, which I'll share in the near future. 

Hopefully when I take the reveal shots, I'll have better lighting and will capture a better picture to do it justice.

I admit, it won't be all white. There will be some touches of silver and gold and some things from nature. It's all good.

Will Someone Get The Door?

It's party time and the Christmas music is playing.

Really, it's playing. I can smell the mulled cider. A dash of Flag Hill Winery's maple syrup liquer, makes it the perfect cup o' the season.  It's time to mingle and get to know each other. If you have online shop or blog link up so we can take a look around. If you don't, do a little window shopping at the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party.

It's pretty easy. READ THIS before linking:

*After you've linked up, take a look around Mercantile Muse. We'd love you to follow if you're so inclined. 

*Post one link. Two if you link one under Gotta Have It (for shops, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers) and one under Gotta Blog It (for bloggers).

*Be kind and check out other's links that catch your eye. You never know what may come back to you for supporting fellow shop owners and bloggers.

*Share a link tothe party. If we all share, the party will get more traffic which benefits us all-- blog, tweet, facebook, etc. If you blog and are so inclined to grab a button (from Mercantile Muse's button page)  and feature it on your blog, that would be, as we say 'round these parts, wicked awesome. 

*Leave a comment and be sure to check back Friday when I feature some things I've found through the link up. It could be you!

First up, shop owners:

Now all of you bloggers link up:

This link party will be open to links for one week, instead of the usual two.  That way we can have more parties during the holidays. 'Tis the season, afterall.

Have a great Wednesday and thanks for stopping by the party.

Things I Found At the Party

Favorite Etsy Finds From Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It

If you haven't stopped by the shop and blog link up party, it's still going strong. In fact, I was just thinking, I don't think I've even added a link yet to our shop! Say what?

Despite that fact, there's lots to discover already. I'd like to share with you just some of the things I've found via that people have left behind (so far). What a party!


The cutest foxy loxy reusable sandwich bag.

via blueberryjunkiekids

This fab chunky bead and wood necklace. Swoon.

via citythistle

An elk in a sweater. Ever so dapper and season appropriate with his fashion choices.

via ucjohnstone

This darling vintage hankie bunting.

via maggiejanesvintage

Have you taken a look around the party? It's fun checking out the other guests. 

Freeform Friday

A couple of clips I think are worth watching today, Veteran's Day in America. We have all that we have because of the sacrifices of a few.  I thank all those who have served their country. If you receive this by e-mail and can't see the videos, click the post title at the top of this email and it will bring you to Mercantile Muse so you can see the videos.

First, Col. Potter sums it all up.

and Freedom Isn't Free



I'm off to the services in Hampton.  Thank a veteran for their service today.

You're Invited to a party!

RSVP: Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Free Promotion Party 

Hi Guys, it's time for our 2nd link party, after a very successful first. This party is now scheduled to take place every other Wednesday.  Good news.........Mercantile Muse's free promotion link up party will now not only be a place to link up your online shop, but also a place to link your blog.  Please be sure you're linking your shop/product under Gotta Have It and your blog under Gotta Blog It! As links are added, you may have to scroll a little further down to reach Gotta Blog It. 

In case some of you don't know, I've run my own adv/pr/marketing firm (Speakeasy) for 17+ years in the 3D world.  Combine that with a personal mission to pay it forward, my love of all things artistic, crafty or vintage and this is what you get: a place for etsy shop owners, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers and bloggers to promote what they do. It's a natural extension of my 3D and online business, Bates Mercantile Co. So take advantage of it and add your link.  Today on the Muse, it's about you!

Here's all I ask:

*Keep it to one link under Gotta Have It (for shops, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers) and one under Gotta Blog It (for bloggers).

*Please take a moment to click on links of other participants that catch your eye and see what they've got. You never know what you might find, perhaps something you've just GOTTA HAVE.  You also never know what may come back to you for taking a moment to support fellow participants.

*If you can share a link to this promotion party, the more traffic the link ups get, the more it benefits us all! So it is greatly appreciated if you blog, tweet, facebook about the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It free promotion link up party.

*Leave a comment and let me know if this is working for you (or how it could work better) and how you found the party.  Did you get traffic from the last party?

*If you blog and are so inclined to grab a button for this free promotion link up party from Mercantile Muse's button page and feature it on your blog, that would be, as we say 'round these parts, wicked awesome.  Thanks to those who already have!

*Consider following the Muse if you like this free promotion opportunity. Check out the right hand sidebar for ways to follow!

*While you're here, check out and enter our current giveaway. Click on picture in upper right hand corner. It's just for fun!

Did someone bring the champagne, because it's time to party!

If you liked this free promotion party, don't miss Stacey's link party at A Sort Of Fairytale tomorrow! And if you missed her tutorial here on Mercantile Muse yesterday, be sure to check it out.

Thanks for coming to Mercantile Muse's Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It party! Come again.