**CLOSED**please have your number two pencils ready. it's giveaway time.

when it comes down to it, i'm a straight A student. i might go about my homework using unorthodox methods, i might have a whiskey neat by my side, but really in the end i want a gold star. boxes of them. and smiley faces. and prizes.

every september, i look with longing at the rows of toys: pencils, notebooks, zipper cases, trapper keepers... i remember carefully laying out my mall bought outfit and accessories, gleefully anticipating the stares i would garner, packing my jansport backpack with an arsenal of college ruled notebooks and marvy pens. i don't envy the pre-teen set much, but i do get a serious desire to go all undercover drew barrymore when the leaves start to change.

that wistful feeling is happily eased by sewing. i can still be the overachieving geek of my teenage career, but better. sewing notions are like, come on, THE BEST SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN THE WORLD. never ending! and my carefully assembled ensemble is now the very product of my homework. for which i still yearn for a grade. AN EXCELLENT GRADE. teacher's pet, baby. sure, we put our stitches out there for advice and opinions, but nothing beats a gold star. or five of them...

you may have seen my smug mug gracing the front page of craftsy recently. i was honored when they asked me to kick off their new contest: submit a photo of yourself (or a lucky loved one) in something handmade, and you could be frontpage news. i humbly accepted. (read: inner oona sticks her tongue out at popular girl and jock boyfriend two rows over). but wait! didn't i mention some stars for teacher's pet? oh yes... since this is a contest, complete with prizes, they surprised me with five free craftsy classes!

inner oona did a little dance of gleeful abandon! classes!! i would need supplies!! silk thread... interfacing... closures... perhaps some horsehair...

catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, i stopped in shock. who IS this overachiever, i thought. when i started sewing, i wanted it fast and easy. like a trip to the mall. two yards of jersey, a straight stitch, ikea scissors and i'm in a dress. i suppose it was my smoking in the girls room phase (oh wait, that's vicki).

if i had to pinpoint my desire to go all AP honor roll, it would be the day i started gertie's bombshell course on craftsy. up there at the top of this yarn, that's me on craftsy, in my underlined, interlined, boned, basted and padded tiki tiki dress. i never had any inkling i could make something so involved, so fitted- and enjoy the hell out of the process- until i took that class. you can read my original love song to the whole shebang here. from that class forward, the skills i learned stepped everything up. yes, i still sneak a cigarette every now and then (if by cigarette you mean skipping a prewash of fashion fabric), and i do on occasion sip some alkie-hol (if by on occasion you mean on the hour), but now i get giddy at the thought of hong kong seams and bias cut.

you too? I KNOW! we should take a class together, we can TOTALLY sit next to each other and pass notes... what? you don't feel like dropping 40 bucks on a class? okay then. i feel you. howz about i give away 3 of my class slots to 3 of you lovely peeps? maybe you've been eyeing susan's chic couture class... christine's adorable librarian blouse... kenneth's genius jeanius, or gertie's growing collection? maybe you're a knitter? a quilter? they've got you covered there, too. hell, you can even learn how to decorate a cake with fondant. jump in, yo. just leave a comment telling me what class your heart desires (this doesn't have to be your final choice, i'm just nosy), and your name is in the hat! but wait... you get more entries, one apiece, to be exact, for: liking me on facebook, following me on pinterest, twitter (@oonaballoona), and here in the sidebar! why? BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL, THAT'S WHY.

that's five whole chances to win if you go hog wild. make it easy on a girl and let me know how many chances you've taken in one comment, won't you? gold stars if you do. and of course if you're already a follower at any of those options, you've got extra entries. because you're amazing and your taste level is beyond compare.

you'll need to sign up as a craftsy member if you win, which, wow, you should be already, i mean, everyone's doing it. since these are online classes, this is open to the world wide web. i'll announce the three winners monday september 17!

EDIT: closed!  i'll be back a bit later today to announce the winners... good luck!

Craftsy surprised me with five free classes. i'm happy to share and give three away!