Alpaca Treasury Challenge Lucky # 13

A fun treasury challenge, hosted by the 1000 Things Alpaca Team on Etsy!

Anyone on Etsy can participate! You do NOT have to belong to the team, to participate or win the challenge!

Simply create a treasury featuring the "Inspiration Item" and following the guidelines listed below. If you WIN, something from YOUR shop will be our Inspiration Item next week!

This week's unique Inspiration Item...



The cool Black Key Choker by NouveauTique.

Check out her stunning winning treasury from last week's challenge here.

To Participate...

Read the rules carefully, especially if it's your first time with us!

Create a treasury (or two... or three...) that follows the "Challenge Requirements". The theme can be anything at all, as long as you follow the guidelines. You may create as many treasuries as you'd like and enter as many times as you'd like!

This week's Inspiration Shop will select a winner, at the end of the challenge. The winner is completely up to them! Create the best treasury you can, and maybe... yours will be their favorite!!

You have until 6 pm Eastern time on Saturday, July 9...

Challenge Requirements:

1. Include this week's Inspiration Item, anywhere in the first 3 rows (NOT as an alternate in the fourth row).


2. Do NOT include any of your own items, or more than one item from the same shop.


3. In addition to the Inspiration Item, your treasury must contain at least 4 items that are related to Alpacas, camelids, fiber, fiber arts, or are from 1000 Things Alpaca Team members. These "team-related" items can be placed anywhere in the treasury. The theme can be anything you'd like, as long as you include 4 team-related items and the inspiration item! For a list of team members, click here.


4. While the challenge lasts, be sure to change out any items that disappear from your Treasury! But... Do NOT replace the Inspiration Item if it sells!!


5. Tag your Treasury "alpacateam" and "ALPACAchallenge13" (#13, NO spaces). If your treasury isn't tagged correctly and doesn't show up in the Treasury search results by the judging deadline, it will not be judged.


6. Include a link to this blog post in your Treasury description (or in the first comment). This is very IMPORTANT! This is what helps get the word out about our Challenge! If you're not sure what to say, feel free to copy and paste this:
   
   
   
   This is an Alpaca Team Treasury Challenge entry! Anyone can play!
   Find out how to participate: http://1000thingsalpaca.blogspot.com/

***And before you participate... Make sure you'll be available to judge next week's challenge on Sunday! The winner this week gets to pick the winner next week!***

Recommendations:

1. Follow this blog!


2. Leave a link to your treasury in the comments of this blog post. Highly recommended! This helps others find your treasury more easily.


3. If you have Alpaca-related items in your shop OR just love Alpacas, join the 1000 Things Alpaca Etsy Team! We'd love to have you!


4. Members - You can post your treasuries in this week's entry thread, on our team forums. And DON'T forget to tag your items "alpacateam" to make it easier for participants to find you!


5. Message the shops featured in your Treasury, letting them know about the Treasury and the challenge!


6. Promote your treasury and the challenge! Tweet, Facebook, and share with friends. And don't forget to visit the 1000 Things Alpaca Team Facebook page, and share your Treasury link on our Wall!


7. Use themes from Etsy's June or July Merchandising Desk, to increase your chances of getting a Front Page Treasury!


8. Support other participants! Click, comment, and share other ALPACAchallenge treasuries.

Important Notes: Only shops that abide by Etsy's Rules & Regulations are eligible to win. Past winners are eligible to win again. Well Criated (the team captain) and AcornAlleyDesigns (the team's Treasury Challenge Leader) are the only people who are not eligible to win.

If you have an Etsy account, but not a shop, you can still participate and win! If the winner doesn't have a shop, they'll be asked to select their favorite treasury from the "Honorable Mentions" list, to be next week's Inspiration Shop.

This challenge ends... Saturday, July 9th at 6 pm Eastern time.
The winner will be announced... Monday, July 11th at 12 noon Eastern time.
The next challenge will begin... Tuesday, July 12th at 12 noon Eastern time.

HAVE FUN! AND GOOD LUCK!!

Alpaca Treasury Challenge #8

5/31 - 6/4

A fun treasury challenge, hosted by the 1000 Things Alpaca Team on Etsy!

Anyone on Etsy can participate! You do NOT have to belong to the team, to participate or win the challenge!

Simply create a treasury featuring the "Inspiration Item" and following the guidelines listed below. If you WIN, something from YOUR shop will be our Inspiration Item next week!

This week's wonderful Inspiration Item...

The bright and sunny Canary Yellow Crochet Pineapple Necklace by gogogorobot!

Check out her stunning winning treasury, from last week's challenge, here.

To Participate...

Read the rules carefully, especially if it's your first time with us!

Create a treasury (or two... or three...) that follows the "Challenge Requirements". The theme can be anything at all, as long as you follow the guidelines. You may create as many treasuries as you'd like and enter as many times as you'd like!

This week's Inspiration Shop will select a winner, at the end of the challenge. The winner is completely up to them! Create the best treasury you can, and maybe... yours will be their favorite!!

You have until Saturday, June 4...

Challenge Requirements:

1. Include this week's Inspiration Item, anywhere in the first 3 rows (NOT as an alternate in the fourth row).


2. Do NOT include any of your own items, or more than one item from the same shop.


3. In addition to the Inspiration Item, your treasury must contain at least 4 items that are related to Alpacas, camelids, fiber, fiber arts, or are from 1000 Things Alpaca Team members. These "team-related" items can be placed anywhere in the treasury. The theme can be anything you'd like, as long as you include 4 team-related items and the inspiration item! For a list of team members, click here.


4. While the challenge lasts, be sure to change out any items that disappear from your Treasury! But... Do NOT replace the Inspiration Item if it sells!!


5. Tag your Treasury "alpacateam" and "ALPACAchallenge8" (#8, NO spaces). If your treasury isn't tagged correctly and doesn't show up in the Treasury search results by the judging deadline, it will not be judged.


6. Include a link to this blog post in your Treasury description (or in the first comment). This is very IMPORTANT! This is what helps get the word out about our Challenge! If you're not sure what to say, feel free to copy and paste this:
   
   
   
   This is an Alpaca Team Treasury Challenge entry! Anyone can play!
   Find out how to participate: http://1000thingsalpaca.blogspot.com/

***And before you participate... Make sure you'll be available to judge next week's challenge on Sunday! The winner this week, gets to pick the winner next week!***

Recommendations:

1. Follow this blog!


2. Leave a link to your treasury in the comments of this blog post. Highly recommended! This helps others find your treasury more easily.


3. If you have Alpaca-related items in your shop OR just love Alpacas, join the 1000 Things Alpaca Etsy Team! We'd love to have you!


4. Members - You can post your treasuries in this week's entry thread, on our team forums. And DON'T forget to tag your items "alpacateam" to make it easier for participants to find you!


5. Message the shops featured in your Treasury, letting them know about the Treasury and the challenge!


6. Promote your treasury and the challenge! Tweet, Facebook, and share with friends. And don't forget to visit the 1000 Things Alpaca Team Facebook page, and share your Treasury link on our Wall!


7. Use themes from Etsy's June Merchandising Desk, to increase your chances of getting a Front Page Treasury!


8. Support other participants! Click, comment, and share other ALPACAchallenge treasuries.

Important Notes: Only shops that abide by Etsy's Rules & Regulations are eligible to win. Past winners are eligible to win again. Well Criated (the team captain) and AcornAlleyDesigns (the team's Treasury Challenge Leader) are the only people who are not eligible to win.

If you have an Etsy account, but not a shop, you can still participate and win! If the winner doesn't have a shop, they'll be asked to select their favorite treasury from the "Honorable Mentions" list, to be next week's Inspiration Shop.

This challenge ends... Saturday, June 4th at 6pm EST.
The winner will be announced... Monday, June 6th at 12 noon EST.
The next challenge will begin... Tuesday, June 7th at 12 noon EST.

HAVE FUN! AND GOOD LUCK!!

Treasury Challenge #7 Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Alpaca team's 7th treasury challenge! I hope everybody had fun and I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Below is this week's winner, chosen by gravityforge.

Here's what gravityforge had to say about the challenge and the treasuries!

Thank you very very much to all of the wonderful people who participated in this challenge!

Most of you probably noticed..... my shop is brand new! To have this kind of exposure, so soon after opening my shop, was the most amazing thing ever. I was overwhelmed with all the views and hearts and goooorgeous treasuries that were made! You are all so sweet, supportive, and talented. :]

About choosing a winner... this was really really hard! I don't think people realize how hard it is, but every single treasury was amazing! It took me almost all day Sunday to pick my winner. I loved all of them, and was so honored at all the wonderful interpretations of my shell beads.

As this week's Winning Treasury, I finally chose.....



This was such a fun and exciting treasury! I kept looking at it over and over, and every time I looked at it, I liked it even more! So well put together and all of the items are super clickable! Really amazing work - it couldn't have gotten any better! :]

And because there would have been a tie, if I were allowed to do that, I chose a Runner Up......



This treasury was SO CLOSE to being the winner. I alternated back and forth between this one and "Feral Forest" for I don't know...... 15 minutes at least. A stunning treasury, full of amazing finds, soft colors, and with a magical mood! Brilliant curation. :]

The wonderful Honorable Mentions are:

Afternoon Espresso by AlpacaYarnShop
Sex in the Country... by GreenFoxDesigns
Down by the shore... by doolshandmade
Sailing Along Together by pamelasjewelry
Into the woods... by barefootbananas
Finding Fauna at the Farmer's Market by ecofriendlyfreckles

And finally, thank you so so much to AcornAlleyDesigns and WellCriated for all of your hard work and stunning support treasuries! It's a good thing you two aren't eligible to win - this was hard enough already!! :]

Can't wait for next week's challenge and to see what beautiful item Gogogorobot picks! :]

Love, gravityforge

Congratulations to Gogogorobot and all the honorable mentions!!
The next challenge will begin... Tuesday, May 31st!

Cria Coat Season!

Early Spring is here! (Also known as... Cria Coat Season!)

Unlike baby sheep (who have lanolin oil in their fleece to help them keep warm), baby Alpacas don't always thrive in the colder early-spring weather. So Alpaca breeders generally try not to have their cria too early in the Spring.

But, of course...

Accidents happen. So we like to be prepared!

What Kind Of Coat Do You Need?

When selecting a Cria Coat there are three important things to consider: material, weight, and size.

Materials vary mostly in levels of water resistance (from Cotton Duck which is porous but "resistant" - to heavy duty materials that completely protect from water and dampness). Coats also come in different weights, based on the number of layers. A 2-layer coat is generally just the water-resistant outer layer, and a fleece lining. 3 and 4 layer coats have batting in the middle, to add some extra warmth for colder climates.

If it's only a little cold, the 2 layer will be perfect (cheaper too!). But if it's snowy or icy where you are, the 3+ layer coat is a must. And of course, you'll want to keep in mind how much rain the little coat will be up against too, when considering water resistance! If it's just an insulator for the Cria, a cheaper material such as Cotton Duck will work perfectly. But that certainly won't do in heavy rain or snow.

And finally... the size. You'll need to make sure the length and girth are correct. Measure the length, from the back of the neck to the butt of the Alpaca. Measure the girth around the chest (right behind the front legs) of the Alpaca.

If you're looking for a Cria Coat, or know anyone who will be having early Cria...

Be sure to check out our team members' shops! Three of our members offer selections in high quality and affordable Cria Coats (which are also GREAT for dogs)!

Cria Coat Options:

Custom Medium Weight Cria Coat by Well Criated

Size: 3 sizes available (Newborn, Medium, Large)

Weight: Medium (2 Layers)

Materials: Water Resistant Outside (Ripstop or Duck), Polar Fleece Lining

Custom Made to Order! We're happy to do custom colors and sizes, too!

Premature Medium Weight Cria Coat by Nobella Alpacas

Size: Premature, 14" long, 15"-19" girth (under 12 lbs)

Weight: Medium (2 Layers)

Materials: Ripstop/Water Resistant Nylon, Fleece Lining

Ready to ship today!

Small Medium Weight Cria Coat by Nobella Alpacas

Size: Small, 16" long, 19"-24" girth (12-18 lbs)

Weight: Medium (2 Layers)

Materials: Ripstop/Water Resistant Nylon, Fleece Lining

Ready to ship today!

Custom Heavy Weight Cria Coat by Well Criated

Size: 3 sizes available (Newborn, Medium, Large)

Weight: Heavy Duty (3 Layers)

Materials: Heavy-Duty Water Resistant Material (Outside), Thick Cotton Batting (Middle), Polar Fleece Lining

Custom Made to Order! We're happy to do custom colors and sizes, too!

Quilted Heavy Weight Cria Coat by Cheshire Farm

Size: Small/Newborn, 18" long

Weight: Heavy Duty (4 Layers)

Materials: Water Resistant Outside, 2 Layers Batting, Fleece Lining

Embroidery: "I ♥ My Alpaca"

And... some excellent Adult Coats too...

Adult Alpaca Coat Options:

XL Medium Weight Alpaca Coat by Nobella Alpacas
Size: XL Adult Alpaca, 35" long, 42"-53" girth

Weight: Medium (2 Layers)

Materials: Ripstop/Water Resistant Nylon, Fleece Lining

Ready to ship today!

Custom Medium Weight Alpaca Coat by Well Criated

Size: Adult Alpaca, Custom Size

Weight: Medium (2 Layers)

Materials: Water Resistant Outside (Ripstop or Duck), Polar Fleece Lining

Custom Made to Order! We're happy to do custom colors and sizes too!

Custom Heavy Weight Alpaca Coat by Well Criated

Size: Adult Alpaca, Custom Size

Weight: Heavy (3 Layers)

Materials: Heavy-Duty Water Resistant Material (Outside), Thick Cotton Batting (Middle), Polar Fleece Lining

Custom Made to Order! We're happy to do custom colors and sizes too!

Other Ideas:

Cut the sleeve off an old sweat-shirt and use it as a neck warmer! Their long necks, often get cold too! :)

Follow this blog for more fun Alpaca finds, and "1000 Things Alpaca" Team updates and events!

If you're not a member yet, check out our Team Page!