I'm A Basket Case for Lauren DeStefano!!!

Hey all! I'm not really a basket case (or am I?), but I am really excited about a contest that the author of the Chemical Garden Trilogy, Lauren DeStefano, is having! It involves designing something so I am in!

She wants a banner for her new Facebook fanpage that is changing over into the timeline look and she doesn't know what she wants so she's turned to her legion of fans for help. 

To see her actual blog entry, go here: http://www.laurendestefano.com/blog.php 

Or here: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2166555-who-wants-free-stuff-in-a-basket-basket-not-included

Now you know why I titled my blog entry the way I did.

Here are my two banners. I've already sent them in to her, so no copying (she's very strict about people using other people's artwork for this, as she should be). 

This one uses the original artist's photograph for the cover of "Wither", so I'm not sure if it's an actual contender. The photographer is Ali Smith with the original cover design created by Lizzy Bromley. Still, I think it's lovely, obviously you know what it represents, and the quote is very dramatic - "Love is not enough to keep us alive." This is why I love DeStefano's work!

I have higher hopes for my second entry!

This one is based upon the second book in the trilogy, "Fever". The quote is from the pages of the book itself: "Everyone should remember being born. It doesn't seem fair that we only remember dying." It's similar to my first design albeit with a different color scheme and obviously steals a bit of Bromley's cover ideas. I found this picture using Google and I couldn't find a person claiming direct ownership of the photo, so I re-colored it in Photoshop and used it for this design. If someone does own this picture and doesn't want me using it, please let me know ASAP so I can design a different entry before the contest is over (March 31st at 12:00 am).

I like how it's obvious that the pretty bird has escaped the cage, but there is still one feather left behind as if she hasn't really got away as cleverly as she thinks she has.

Anyway, wish me luck! The prize isn't money but it's still pretty awesome nonetheless - autographed books, bookmark, a copy of an originally unpublished short story, and a sneak peek at the third novel!!!

Go ahead, throw in your own entry. But honestly, you haven't a chance against these two! lol jk :/