Saturday 10 November 2012

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAY - DAY 4

Is it really only Day 4?

Just remember you have until midnight, 30 November 2012 AEST to get your entries in for all the giveaways.

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Today I want to talk about Beautiful Books. Made by me. And maybe you.

With the help of BLURB.

I first signed up to Blurb, an online publishing system, a few years ago. I had some ideas for making some photo books but I didn't get very far.

So when Blurb recently offered me a $50 voucher to review its online bookmaking site, I thought the time had come to finally try it out.

And I'm genuinely glad I did.

It was as easy as creating a login so I could save my work, uploading my photos, making a book with one of the bookmaking tools, ordering the book and sitting back and waiting for it to arrive (which took days only).

You have to love the Internet!
 
The hardest part was choosing the theme for my book.
 
I actually have a list of photo books I want to make - Italy, Hong Kong, Thailand, Melbourne, my Father, family history, my Message from your Mother blog series and my favourite recipes, oh shame, they don't make books with 2 pages.
 
I chose to make a Plane Photos book. Yes plane photos not plain photos, although I have plenty of them too.

Plane photos are pictures I took out of plane windows in 2010 (I know a little sad).
 
This book cost $50 ($49.93 inc $10.99 postage). It has a glossy dust jacket, a black linen cover, 20 pages long and is a Standard Landscape 10x8 inches (25x20 cm) size. I like the size and I am now going to make a whole series of them this size (are you listening Blurb as I would like a deal on this.)
 
 
I was really surprised with the finished product - it really is bookstore quality. The cover of the book is the middle picture and the other images are included in the book.
 
With Blurb you can make a whole range of books, anything you want. You can also create PDF versions and convert it to an e-book.
 
 
So this is a special call out to all bloggers, this is a great giveaway for you in particular as I know that you could make a great book about your blog.
 
GIVEAWAY
 
I have a $50 voucher courtesy of Blurb up for grabs so leave a comment in the comments section if you want to enter. That could be someone's Christmas gift sorted or a chance for you to try Blurb and make a special book.
 
Also, up until 10 December, Blurb is also offering Lilly's Life readers a 25% discount on its products before Christmas - these books make great Christmas presents. I would tell you what I personally have planned, except my family may be reading this.....and they unfortunately still believe in Santa Claus...... (The 25% off code is LILLYS and it  expires on 12/10/12 - up to $150).
 
 
TO ENTER
 
No forms this time, just leave a comment (below) and tell me what book you would make for yourself,
 
 
Psssttt.....if you 'like' Lilly's Life Blog's Facebook page (if you do Facebook that is) you get a second entry into the giveaway as well. Just let me know in the commments. 
 
 

51 comments:

  1. I absolutely need this :-) I have about 50 poems written about a dog called Bozo (based on his photos), belonging to a blog friend (Bozo has his own blog as well). I am looking for someway to make it into a book and present it to someone . Thank you!

    P. S. I have already LIKED your FB page which is how I got here :-)

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    1. You have I know. You could fill 200 books Ugich with your writing, poetry and images from India. Do you want the 25% code as well.

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  2. What a great idea these books are. I would like to win it for my friend who is planning her mother's 80th birthday and wants to do a photo book. I am not on Facebook so can't like you, if you get what I mean.

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  3. I've been wanting to do this forever! I'd make one of my daughter! Off to like your FB page! Happy Weekend!

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  4. I might make a book of my favourite art pieces! Your plane photos look beautiful...lovely blues and greens.

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  5. Just the other day I was looking into blurb. I want to make a family recipe book for my girls for Christmas. This $50 voucher would be perfect. Hope luck is coming my way... :)
    Love to see your fb updates. I think I was one of your first "likers" :)

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  6. This is so cheesy, but I really want to do it. I'd make a book about my relationship with my awesome boyfriend!

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  7. Dear Santa,
    I would make a book of select Helen poems from my blog ... with images to compliment them.
    And even if I don't win your voucher, I'm intrigued with the whole concept.
    Yours truly,
    Your Fan in Bend

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  8. I've used Blurb twice and can vouch a well for a great quality product! Once was for the "early years" of the blog posts, which is a coffee table item. The other was a birthday gift for my Mom, had pictures (from when she was a little girl to now) and poems (that my Dad wrote for her). She absolutely loved it.

    I just "liked" your facebook page! I didn't know you had one :) You know I'm a fan :)

    I'd like to create a book, but it might be a while in the making... until our baby is born :)

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  9. Last year I made a book of my daily photos for the year and this year I want to do the same. Last year's book was with Blurb's competitor so it would be interesting to see how they compare.

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  10. I would like to make a book about my trip to the Canary islands. What a great idea they are. Am a Facebook liker.

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  11. I would like to make a book about my beautiful baby daughter Madeline. I did not realise that you could do these books that easy. My email address is madeline.browne321@gmail.com - I would also be interested in getting the code for the 25% just in case I do not win.

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  12. I would make a birthday book to celebrate my daughters 2 years bringing joy to my life

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  13. I am a fan of yours on Facebook :)

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  14. I would love to make a book about my family tree and these look good. Thankyou.

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  15. I would love to have a book of my family happenings, gee there are some whoppers :)

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  16. i would do my nan's life story she is 81 this christmas and would make her one pround nanna. facebook liker

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  17. I would like to make a book about my cat, Smokey. It would be fun. Thanks for the opportunity.

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  18. Dear Lilly of the giveaway I would be so grateful to win a $50 voucher. If I was being too inquisitive and someone asked if I was "writing a book", then I could answer yes. Is the world ready for Lisleman's Loopy Logical Advice?

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  19. I really like these books. I would make a book about my wedding. Thanks for the giveaway. Jessicasimms234atgmaildotcom

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  20. I would like to put my blog into a book, I would just love to publish all those words.

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  21. I also like you on facebook!

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  22. I might make a book about interior designs, something that I am passionate about.

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  23. I would make a book using pic from my camping trip with my boyfriend :)

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  24. I would make a book for my boyfriend about us :)

    minuhno@gmail.com

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  25. Animals- I have taken soooo many pics of animals that have come into my life or I have shared a moment with and collating them into one book would be so precious
    I have also liked you on facebook :-)

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  26. Lilly, you're not alone as I also have an extensive collection of plane photos! I have so many photo books I'd like to make: flowers and foliage, places I've been, special people in my life, sunsets, our house, our garden, gardens I've visited etc etc

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  27. I'm a FB 'liker'. :-)

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  28. Oh WOW! This is a wonderful idea!

    My son is always writing stories and has been insisting that he'd like to create a 'real book' to put them all in. He particularly likes writing War Stories and has hundreds of photos of army tanks and war things from a visit to a European war museum earlier this year. This would be an amazing thing for him to take in and show to the class - although I'm sure once he created one book he wouldn't be able to stop!

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  29. I would LOVE to make a book of all my favourite things - photo memories, favourite recipes, poems and drawings I have kept from my childhood and old diary entries. Bound together in a beautiful book is one way I can secure and store them for my grandchildren to read!

    angieboylan12@gmail.com

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  30. I would love this to make a book out of a story I wortoe my daughter. This would be a great prize.

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  31. I would love to make my wedding book. Thanks for the giveaway, I like you on FB!!

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  32. I'd make myself a cookbook, I have lots of photos from when I used to have a food blog. Then I could add the recipe text, and voila! No more searching through my random scraps of paper/scribbled notes to myself to find my recipes.

    kate1485 at hotmail dot com

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  33. I would make a book about the things our family has done over the past year. One for each child.

    ashe_nelson At yahoo.com

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  34. I would make a "Grateful" book about all the things I am truly grateful to have in my life.


    mardit227 at gmail.com

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  35. I love cute and cuddly baby animals, so I thnk I'd make a cutesy book to cheer me up when I'm feeling down

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  36. I'd make a book with all the pictures of my family and friends I haven't had time to print out!

    ashmarie670 @ yahoo.com

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  37. I liked you on Facebook!

    ashmarie670 @ yahoo.com

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  38. I am putting together my first Blurb book now, for my little girl's special moments to now.i REALLY should do one for our wedding from 10 years ago, or our amazing overseas holiday in 2004... A voucher would really help!
    Lewisclaire2011@yahoo.com.au

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  39. Already a liker on FB!

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  40. A family history book - we have 4 generations and it would be great to share the memories

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  41. A diary with motivational verses for each day
    arballantyne@dodo.com.au

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  42. What a fantastic idea. I would compile photographs from my last holiday visiting relatives in my motherland and send it back to my dear Grandma.

    tnsource@gmail.com

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  43. my little man is 11 months and birthday just after christmas if i won this off blurb i would create a book dedicated just to him his first year! fabulous gift and precious idea

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  44. I really want to make a book of photos of my 5 year old son through the years (even though I do have a blog - I'm not sure which section of my blog I could use this for :o/).
    djchilds@hotmail.com

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  45. And I've liked your FB page as Dianne Childs
    djchilds@hotmail.com :)

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  46. I'd make a book about my second daughter as I often feel guilty thatI never had much time for her

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  47. Id make a family album book of my baby boys family, all his cousins, aunties, etc with their names in it for him to learn, theres so many!

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Thanks for your comments.