Let’s review the prizes, shall we…

Grand Prize: One grand prize winning business will recEIve a $1,000 Visa gift card to be used for an internal office party and $200 in Sharpie products. In addition the person who submitted the winning photo on behalf of their business will receive a $100 Via gift card.

First Prize: Five (5) first prize winning businesses will each receive $200 in Sharpie products.

And the winners are….

A panel of expert Sharpie elves got together to review sleigh-fuls of entries. After eating one too many cookies and drinking hot coco till we sweat, a decision was made!

Congratulations to our GRAND PRIZE WINNER, Jacquie Wiggins of Advanced Bionics in Santa Clarita, CA! Donning her office with holiday flair and Sharpie accents, Jackie went the extra mile spreading the spirit of the season in creative ways such as Sharpie wreaths, Sharpie snowmen, decorated trees and one loooooooong letter to Santa.  Here are a few close up pics:

First Prize Winners (in random order)

• Nancy Kevorkian of HOLDstor
• Shannon Evans of Freedman’s
• Shannon Angle of Tristate Office Products Co
• Kris Long of Drs. Bost & Manganello
• Judy Cole of Cherokee Lanes

Thank you to all who participated and once again, CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners!

Now onto the next holiday – Anyone making Sharpie Valentine’s??

This season, Sharpie challenges you to bring that holiday joy into your work place for the chance to win a $1000 office party and an assortment of Sharpie products!  

December 2, 2010 through January 15, 2011 email a photo that clearly shows how you and your co-workers have brightened up your office for the holidays using Sharpie products along with a completed entry form (found below) to SharpieHoliday@gmail.com. The entries will be judged by a panel of Sharpie reps. at the Sharpie headquarters based evenly on three (3) criteria: Originality/Creativity, Holiday Spirit, and Quality. On February 1, 2011 we will announce the winners.

Prizes

Grand Prize Winner: One Grand Prize winning business will receive a $1,000 Visa gift card to be used for an internal office party and $200 in Sharpie products.  In addition, the person who submits the winning photo on behalf of their business will receive a $100 Visa gift card. 

First Prize Winner: Five (5) First Prize winning businesses will each receive $200 in Sharpie products. 

Entry Form

(Click the links below to download the entry form. If you have trouble viewing the PDF file, please try the Word format.) 

• PDF format: Sharpie Holiday Contest Entry Form
• Word format: Sharpie Holiday Contest Entry Form

Official Contest Rules

(Please click the link below for the complete rules and regulations.) 

• Sharpie Office Party Contest Official Rules

Contest begins 12/2/10 and ends 1/15/11.  Open to a legal Business registered and located in the 50 United States/DC. Void where prohibited.  

*** 

Looking for inspiration to bring in some holiday cheer to your office? It’s as easy as seeking out items that could use a POP of color. Look for things that will brighten up your desk and bring a joy to your co-workers’ day. 

Below are some small scale ideas to get you started but there are so many big ways to turn your office into a Winter Wonderland. For the winning entry, we are looking for something BIG, BRIGHT and COLORFUL! Show us what you got – Knock our ugly holiday socks off! After all, the Grand Prize is a pretty sweet deal!

Using your favorite Sharpie colors, turn a square pencil cup into a Nutcracker.

String a collection of Sharpie Mini markers & dangle them along your wall.

Alli runs through a simple step by step how-to for making these festive candleholders. With just a few simple supplies and Alli’s “Sharpie Stencil Technique“ your home will be glowing all season long.  

What You’ll Need:

• Glass cups – Anything that will fit a votive or tea light candle will work – from thrifted cups to old jars.  
• A doily (Alli used two – one small and one large)
• Spray adhesive or water-soluble craft glue
• Sharpie metallic paint pens.

Step 1: Spray a light coating of adhesive onto the back of the doily and stick it onto your cup.  Or, if you’re like me, discover that your spray adhesive has adhered its nozzle shut, be too afraid of getting adhesive in your eyes to try to fix it, and use a glue stick instead.  Whatever works!

Make sure to press all the little pieces down firmly!

Step 2: Following the directions from my Sharpie Stencil Technique, use the paint pen to color all the open spaces of your doily.

Step 3: If you’d like, trace a line around the outside edge of the doily.

Step 4: Wait a minute for everything to dry a bit, then peel the doily off of the cup (my favorite part!).  Don’t worry if some pieces are stubborn.

Step 5:Let the cup sit for a few hours to set the paint.  When it has thoroughly dried, run it under warm water and rub gently to remove any excess glue and paper.

Step 6: Place a votive or tea light inside and enjoy the glow!

Big thanks to One Pearl Button for this clever Sharpie DIY! Do you have any Sharpie holiday tips and tricks up your sleeve? Tell us about them!

You can check out more Sharpie creations on SharpieUncapped.com and stay connected 24/7 with us on Facebook & Twitter!

Happy Birthday America!

I’m always in search of a good piece of Red, White & Blue flair to show off my American pride- especially on the 4th of July!  Nothing caught my eye this year so in true Sharpie fashion, I took it upon myself to DIY the colors of the flag…  

Celebrate USA in with these DIY Sharpie Shades

In just about 5 minutes, you too can sport team USA and be the envy of all your friends!  All you will need to make these American flag Sharpie shades is:

• 1 White pair of sunglasses
• 1 Blue Sharpie paint marker
• 1 Red Sharpie paint marker
• Cotton swab
• Rubbing Alcohol

Steps

1. Start out by drawing an outline of half of a blue box on the left eye with a blue Sharpie paint marker.  Color in the “L” shape you’ve made while drawing star outlines as you go. 
2. Next,  draw red stripes with a red Sharpie paint marker across the remaining area.  If you are worried about drawing straight lines, just do as I did and cut thin strips of tape to lay across the rim.  This will also ensure that the white stripes are even with the red. 
3. Lastly, (this may not apply to everyone) if you smeared any red or blue marker onto the white space use a cotton swab to wipe of access ink.  Wet one side with Rubbing Alcohol then wipe off the paint, then dry that spot off with the other end of the cotton swab. 

TAH-DAH! You’re finished!  Now you are set to look Sharp(ie) & celebrate the holiday weekend with family, friends & fireworks!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

Just to make your day a little bit more difficult to get through, here’s a reminder:  V-Day (or should I say D-Day) is right around the corner! The pressure is really on to get your that quality gift.  So what does this mean?  Are you excited or aggravated by this fact?  Maybe last week you were all for the lovey dovey holiday but as the pressure mounts are you beginning to change your mind?  Or maybe you absolutely hated the thought of hearts and candy last week and now that you have a date, you’re all for it!  Hey, I don’t know what your thoughts are…but that’s why I’m asking:

Valentine’s Day: Love it or Leave it?

Check out these brand new videos from our on-street Chicago interviews and see what people had to say:

Join the debate on Facebook !  Upload your videos, pictures & comments all before Sunday – VALENTINE’S DAY!

So you’ve heard!! – Sharpie is sponsoring a Valentine’s LOVE ♥ HATE Debate Feb. 1st thru 14th)!

For a quick recap, on Monday the conversation focused around whether or not you LOVE or HATE Valentine’s Day.  For the most part, I’m getting Lots O’ Love!  but believe me the numbers are there in terms of  Haters!  *I’ll fill you in on the official L vs H count later on!*  We also debuted the 1st set of several videos from interviews hosted on Chicago’s Maginificent Mile, featuring what people had to say about V-Day !  (You can still see Monday’s videos on Sharpie’s YouTube page, under the “Valentine’s Day -Love Hate Debate Playlist”

Now, onto Today’s topic…

      Today is all about the GIFTS!!

Valentine’s Day is different from other gift-giving holidays.  Let’s be honest, there is plenty of room for error here and sometimes our sweethearts hit the target right on, while other times we aren’t so fortunate and end up with a half eaten box of chocolates and a carnation. 

Check out our latest and greatest videos from our Michigan Ave interviews where we asked Chicagoans about their V-DAY gift giving experiences:

 So now that you’ve seen these vids., let’s get to talking!  Here are some topics that could stir up some debate! - However, if you have a topic of your own, go right ahead and start up the convo! 

• “OMG! BGE (best gift ever)!!”
• “You’ve got to be kidding…YouREALLY thought I would like this?!?”
• Back in the Day Valentine: FavoriteValentine’s Day memory from when you were little.
• Awkward V-Day!
• “I left blatantly obvious clues, but he/she just didn’t get the hint!”
• Homemade OR Store bought?  Which do you prefer?
• ONE-OF-A-KIND Valentine: What original Valentine’s Day gifts have you received and/or given?!  *(this could go both ways, good or bad )

As a reminder, here’s how the debate works…

Share your thoughts, stories & all the in between:

1. Make a video and upload it to YouTube (post a video response in the comment section) on: http://www.youtube.com/SharpieUS
2. Join Sharpie’s Fan page and leave your comments, videos and photos on our wall: http://www.facebook.com/Sharpie
3. Follow & share your thoughts on Twitter with @SharpieSusan! Don’t forget to add #SharpieDebate hashtag

♥ Check out SharpieUncapped for more!

Valentine’s Day… The infamous February 14th.  The holiday celebrated around the world to express love.  A  romantic, heart-felt, candy-filled day represented by hearts, exchanging Valentine’s and a cherub aiming his bow at love-seeking pedestrians.  You’d think that such a holiday would be cherished by everyone….right?!

Well, apparently not!  While it may seem like everyone is seeing red and pink lately there has been a lot of back and forth regarding whether to love or hate Valentine’s Day.  This controversial topic has inspired Sharpie to host its own debate and find out where YOU stand on the issue.  Maybe you’re that gal who LOVES LOVE and enjoys getting wrapped up in all the Valentine’s Day  hoopla?  Or maybe you’re the kind of guy who claims Valentine’s Day is a greeting card manufactured holiday?!  Whoever you are, whatever side you take,  we want to know!  Express yourself and let your voice be heard!   Be a part of Sharpie’s first ever

 Love-Hate Debate!

HOW IT WORKS!

Share YOUR OPINION February 1st through 14th!  Tell us if you Love or Hate Valentine’s Day by:

1. Make a video and uploading it to YouTube (post a video response in the comment section) on: http://www.youtube.com/SharpieUS
2. Join Sharpie’s Fan page and leave your comments and photos on our wall: http://www.facebook.com/Sharpie
3. Follow the discussion on Twitter and respond directly to @SharpieSusan with a #SharpieDebate hashtag

Need some inspiration?  To kick things off we took our question to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to find out what people had to say about Valentine’s Day!  Check out the first series of videos to see what was said!  Come back throughout the next two weeks to see more of what Chicagoans had to say on this hot topic:

We will be posting more Michigan Ave. interviews and sharing your uploaded videos and pics February 1st through February 14th so check back every day to see what’s new!

Check out SharpieUncapped for more details tied to the debate!

Gather up boxes that you can neatly and carefully pack everything up into.  Here’s a tip: Re-organize storage bins to maximize space and re-use the gift boxes from the holidays instead of buying new ones to store your things in (Pictured below: a shirt box, a box that came with a mug and one large mailing box).

Label your boxes with the coordinating items inside and when putting away, arrange them so that labels are easily seen and organized for your convenience when you take them out next year! 

If you pack smart now you’ll be able to spend more time later doing the things you really love with family and friends!

Some holiday items to consider organizing to keep you ahead of the pack:

• Special plates & dishes
• Ribbons and Bows
• Wrapping Paper
• Greeting Cards & Gift Tags
• Indoor/Outdoor Lights
• Indoor/Outdoor Decorations
• Fragile Ornaments
• Kid-made Ornaments
• Garland
• Wreaths
• Tree
• Tree Skirt

Any questions? Ask away! 

How do you use Sharpie markers to stay organized?  Leave your comments here or on Sharpie’s Facebook page!

Most likely, you have had your tree up and decorated for some time now, right? Yeah, me too.. but I had an idea after throwing a Sharpie DIY holiday party with some co-workers, where we customized and designed holiday gift wrap, cards, boxes, ornaments and more.  Ornaments, being the biggest hit, got me thinking that this would make for a fun activity to do with friends and family on a day like Christmas!

What you’ll need:

1. Plain ornaments (Matte-style work best)
2. A sleigh-full of Sharpie permanent markers

Take this in whatever direction you feel like!  If you’re a group of artists, go to town and get all artsy on the ornaments.  If you all have little to no artistic talent, scribble down favorite holiday memories, funny stories or write each other’s character traits on the ornaments (hah that one could get interesting!)  Whatever you decide make it fun! With Sharpie markers and your imagination, the direction you take it is completely up to you!

These are some of the ornaments that my co-workers and I made.  As you can see, some are more detailed than others and they all still look great!

Ornaments made with Sharpie!

Close up!

Lookin' good Ornies! (we're on a nickname basis)

Sticking with the ornament theme, you may remember these bells from back in the day or maybe your kids are at that age now and have brought them home from school.  I actually made these when I was in grade school and thought since I’m older, actually have control over my hands and have legible handwriting, I could take a second stab at this..

Every time a bell rings...

What you’ll need:

1. Small terra-cotta flowerpots (found at any craft store)
2. Tiny bells (also at craft stores)
3. Ribbon
4. A slew of Sharpie markers (I used a combo of Sharpie Water-Based Paint markers and good ol’ fashioned Sharpie Permanent Markers(not pictured))

Materials

Color the pots any color you’d like – and be sure to color a little on the inside too so that you don’t see any clay from an outside view (I had a ton of silver, red, blue and black, hence the color scheme – even Sharpie employees run low own product from time to time).  After coloring, embellish however you’d like!  When finished, thread the ribbon through the drainage hole to make a loop for hanging, then loop another ribbon inside the pot and attach a bell.  Now, start obnoxiously ringing your bells (heehee)!

These are the ones that I made…

O Christmas Tree

Draw your fav mascot or go with a college theme like this! (Rock Chalk)

Anchors away!

Lights. CAMERA. Action.

Now, just for fun I wanted to include this…   When I was out to lunch the other day with a coworker, the restaurant we went to decorated their tree with Sharpie-made ornaments!  In a timeless and classic style, employees names were handwritten on ornaments in metallic gold Sharpie.  Take a look..

Don't mind my brown gloves!

Oo I like the lighting in this one!

Sideways stocking

The Tree! Can you spot the ornaments?!

So what do you think?

How did you decorate for the holidays?  Post your pictures at www.Facebook.com/Sharpie, leave your name, favorite holiday memory, as well as how you used Sharpie markers this year! I’d like to write up a blog post and feature your Sharpie creations!  Can’t wait to see the pictures and hear how you celebrated!

Unwrap What’s Inside!

Happy Holidays!!

]]> http://blog.sharpie.com/2009/12/hows-it-hangin/feed/ 1 http://blog.sharpie.com/2009/12/an-unexpected-lifesaver/ http://blog.sharpie.com/2009/12/an-unexpected-lifesaver/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:36:10 +0000 Whitney http://blog.sharpie.com/?p=2852 Continue reading →]]> Sharpie markers are great for all sorts of different things:  labeling, customizing, fashion, art, usueful around the house, in the workshop, at school…the list goes on and on, but a lifesaver?

Let’s take a short break to reflect on how lucky we are to be alive and well this holiday season.  Here is a letter that our Consumer Affairs team received from a man who credited his Sharpie marker with saving his life!

The Chisel Tip that risked its own life.