LuckyBella Giveaway - May 1st - 7th

A custom avatar giveaway! So much fun!! Luckybella made a custom avatar for me! I love it!!:)

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Introduce yourself!:)
Hello! :) My name is Laura, I'm an artist and I love to do crafty fun stuff. I'm 26, from Brooklyn, NY and I love the city!

Tell us a bit about your business...
My etsy shop is more of an extension of my professional illustration work- it's a great little venue to sell things, and I'm hoping to add more over the summer. Right now, I've got some custom digital art available, as well as some tiny paintings, and paper dolls. Gocco printed stuff coming up next!

What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
My sister (bellatote.etsy.com) started a shop and is doing really well! I was inspired by her shop to start making & selling neat art stuff. Things are still picking up, but it's the best little sales venue site I've come across. There's even a speciality website for selling illustration goods, but Etsy is just so much fun, it comes with the community, and it's just a really nice place to hang out.

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
When I'm not promoting my work or making more samples, I like to hang out with fellow artists in the city, ride my Vespa around town, and play lots of video games :)

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
Ooh, I'm so bad at picking! Tim Robbins is my fav author, couldn't pin down a book that's the best. Same for tunes, although Rockabilly and Daft Punk pretty much dominate my play list! I love "My Neighbor Totoro", an old Japanese animated movie, and my favorite website- besides etsy of course- is http://www.drawger.com. It's a community art blog I'm a part of, and someone's always posting something interesting up.

How do you promote your work?
I'm still starting promotion for my Etsy shop- feeling my way around. I love posting in the Etsy forums though- not a lot of sales, but I get about 10 hearts every time I pop back there to say hello!

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short-term: I'd just love to share some of my art with other women, girls, families, and heck, even some of the more open-minded boys! I'm also working on developing some new products to list up there.
Long-term: Famous artist rock star with a gazillion dollars and maybe some groupies.

Tell us something random about you!
I had an epiphany while glittering & packaging the paper dolls- if I can be "grown up" and still working on glitter fairy paper dolls, then I don't want to be in other line of work. Ever!

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Items up for grabs: Custom Avatar from LuckyBella

To enter the giveaway: Go to LuckyBella, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop!

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on May 7th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Thursday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Congratulations!

The winner of the ToddlerToppers Giveaway is now in..



&& the winner is..

Congratulations Amber!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Nounces Giveaway - April 30th - May 6th

Nounces is such a great etsy shop & Jennifer who runs it is super sweet! Her shop is full of Birth Announcements, Birthday invites, Baby Shower invites, Wedding & Bridal goods & lots more!

What I love so much about her shop is that you have the choice to purchase just the digital file or you can choose for her to print them! :)

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Introduce yourself!:)
Hi! Thanks for your interest in me and my work! My name is Jennifer. I am mother to two boys under two. Lately,they have been giving me a run for my money!

Tell us a bit about your business..
At Nounces, I design custom cards for just about any occasion.


What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
After the birth of my first son, I started dabbling in design. After
I had several friends ask me to design their cards, I decided to go into business!

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I love photography. I am always striving to improve my photography skills...
it's quite the challenge. I love going out to dinner at great restaurants. Of course, I love spending
time with family and friends.

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
I am kinda embarrassed to say I don't have a favorite of any the above. Is that bad? I love
to read (don't have any time for that lately). Of course, my song selection changes every few
weeks. Right now I like Will.I.Am's, It's a New Day, Kanye West's, American Boy....anything
Renee Olstead sings. Of course the classics, Sinatra, Al Green, Neil Diamond.....YES! :) Neil Diamond


How do you promote your work?
Most of my business is from referrals or repeat customers. This the best kind of business!
I have to say, I am not good at promoting my own work, something I need to work on.

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short-term goals are to get better organized with the business stuff! I especially realize this at this time of the year, tax time! Get my website to a place where I am completely satisfied.

Long-term, I have a few new projects I am working on that I would like to complete. Sorry, can't get specific!
Keep growing my business.

Do you run nounces full time?
Yes, I run Nounces full time. In between two kids and a part time job.

Tell us something random about you...
I am a completely random person in general. I can ever walk out of the house without forgetting something. I ALWAYS have to go back in.

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Items up for grabs: A digital file from Nounces!

To enter the giveaway: Go to Nounces, look around.. come back & tell us what you would choose for your digital file!


Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on May 6th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Congratulations!

The winner of the FlyingButtons Giveaway is now in...



&& the winner is...

Congratulations Mia!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Congratulations!

The winner of the JpatPurses giveaway is now in...


&& the winner is...

Congratulations Deb's Country Crafts!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Congratulations!

The winner of the MashenkaFashion Giveaway is now in...

&& the winner is..

Congratulations Ariela!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Rainbow Swirlz needs your help!

Hello!:) I need your help..

So Alternative Apparel is officially discontinuing the tunics..
So once I sell my stock, they are gone for good :( - sadness -

I've been trying to decide on a new style.. and I would love
to hear everyone's opinion!

I will show a few sample pictures and just put the number
of your favorite in the comment!

I really really appreciate it!

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1. Tiffany T-shirt Dress! (Comes in Black, White, Ice Blue, Raisin Brown, Midnight Blue)

2. The Bo Tank Dress! (Comes in Midnight Blue, Black, Raisin, White, Elephant Grey)
3. Gauze Babydoll Top! (Comes in poppy, charcoal, cactus green, chocolate, eggshell)

Fun Finds Wednesday - April 29th

Sleepymoondesign - Summers Breeze - $35.00
AntheaArt - Greeting Cards - $10.00
RachelleD - Delphine - $35.00
Studiolyon - Yellow Warbler print - $18.00
IMCreations - Sunflower Pendant - $6.00
LAPellaPottery - Personalized Potbelly Mug - $17.00

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If you haven't already.. go enter our current giveaways!
You can find a list at the top right hand side of our blog!

Tuesday - April 28th

I am totally on a sweet kick lately.. lol
I am so making these bad boys tomorrow!!

*Be careful not to overbake these cookies so that they'll have a chewy texture. If you like gooey chocolate chips, microwave the cookies for a few seconds.*

Ingredients (Makes 48)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; room temperature
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and corn syrup until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Drop dough by tablespoons onto two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are no longer shiny, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks, and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 5 days)

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Helpful Hint:

For evenly round cookies, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to release neat balls of dough onto the baking sheets.

(From Marthastewart.com)

ScamperingScotties Giveaway - April 27th - May 3rd

Oh puppy oh puppy you will look so cute in this adorable collar!
I love this fabric, I love puppies & I love ScamperingScotties!!

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Tell us a bit about your business..
Scampering Scotties sells cute, unique and most of all AFFORDABLE dog collars. My collars are made with fun (and often whimsical) ribbons sewn onto lightweight nylon webbing. I work in a Pet Boutique and know how expensive dog collars can be, forcing people to buy the not-so-stylish collars from larger chain stores. My concept is to bring collars that are stylish and quirky to all pet owners at a price that anyone can afford. The collars can be custom made to fit any dog and I am more than willing to do so if it would mean having one more dog in the world feel proud when they trott down the street! As my website states these are the collars that all dogs are barking about!

What inspired you to start making doggy collars?
I am proudly owned by two lively Scottish terriers, Brodie and Caolin. When they were younger I tried to dress them in clothes but they were unhappy with anything that I picked. So instead, I purchased collar upon collar to compensate for their unwillingness to comply with clothes.

As the collars kept piling up and the money kept going to the collars I realized that I might as well make my own. After making B&C their own and sharing my designs with my family and friends I decided to venture out and try to sell them to others.
When you're not being crafty what do you do?
I work full time in a corporate job during the week and work weekends at a local Pet Boutique. I love my jobs but sometimes feel that I am a little crazy to be working so much!

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
My ultimate favorite book is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I have read it at least 20+ times.

I don't have a favorite song since I feel that you have to listen to a full album to truly enjoy the artist. My favorite artists are Kate Nash, Regina Spektor, Niko Case, and Haley Bonar.

My favorite movie is a tie between BBC's version of Pride and Prejudice and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I could watch both over and over and over again without being bored!

My favorite website is anything that allows me to shop! I am addicted to Etsy, but also love any site that sells anything dog related!

How do you promote your work?
Right now just blogging, using Twitter, and Etsy forums. I really need to get myself out there more and promote my site, but haven't had time to dedicate to that yet!

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short-term: Sell 5 collars within the next month!

Long-term: Start my own Pet Boutique and move overseas (my husband will be moving overseas for grad school next year and I would LOVE to join him).

Tell us something random about you!
I used to HATE dogs when I was younger. I was always a cat person. I didn't convert to a dog lover until I met my husband and went with him to meet his family. All of his extended family owns a dog (airedale terrier to be precise) and after spending time with all those dogs I was in love. I am now the random stranger who stops people on the sidewalks just to say hi and pet their dog!

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Items up for grabs: Forest Block Party Dog Collar from ScamperingScotties
(Small - Large) You pick the size!

To enter the giveaway: Go to ScamperingScotties, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop!

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on May 3rd at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Sunday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

ToddlerToppers Giveaway - April 24th - 30th

Oh my gosh! How stinkin cute is this hat? (&&& the baby!!!) ToddlerToppers makes the cutest baby hats!

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Introduce yourself!:)
I am a stay-at-home mom with a two year old son, Harrison, that keeps me very busy. In addition to my Etsy shop I also run my own online business (www.CustomBoardBooks.com). I have been crocheting for many years. My mother taught me how to crochet when I was in College and I have not stopped since. I find that it is a wonderful stress reliever.

Tell us a bit about your business..
I started ToddlerToppers exactly a year ago this April. I came up with the idea and my husband came up with the great name. I have made so many afghans, doilies, and placemats for myself that I decided it was time to put my crochet skills to another use. I started making hats for my son. I got so many compliments on the hats that I decided to go into business making them.


What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
Since leaving my job to be a stay-at-home mom almost three years ago I had been wanting to start a little business on my own. I had been thinking about how wonderful it would be if I could create some crochet items and sell them. When I came across Etsy I thought it was such a great way to reach people all over the world. I love the fact that toddlers all over the United States, England, and Canada are wearing something I have made. It is very fulfilling.


When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I love playing with my son. Spending time with family. Reading.


What’s your favorite book, song, movie & website?
I love the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series of books by Alexander McCall Smith., my favorite movies are Love Actually and Forrest Gump. My favorite websites are my own of course (www.CustomBoardBooks.com and www.toddlertoppers.etsy.com)! I also like hulu.com and allrecipes.com.

How do you promote your work?
I have used Etsy showcases and Facebook ads to promote my work. I plan to have a booth at my town’s farmers’ market in the late summer, early fall.

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
My short term goal is to make a little bit of extra money doing the thing I love to do. Long term I would love to see ToddlerToppers become so successful that I would need to hire assistants. ☺


What advice do you have for other crafters who may want to start an indie craft business like yours?
Crafting takes lots of time. Make sure that you are doing something that you LOVE to do. Don’t expect to have immediate success. It may take some time for word to spread about your business. Take advantage of free ways to promote your business on the web such as facebook, twitter, forum/blog posts, etc.

Tell us something random about you!
I am a direct descendant of Benjamin Rush, a founding father of the United States and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

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Item up for grabs: Spring Flower Hat from ToddlerToppers (You choose the size + colors)

To enter the giveaway: Go to ToddlerToppers, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 30th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Thursday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

FlyingButtons Giveaway - April 23rd - 29th

FlyingButtons has the most adorable hair barrettes! If you love hair barrettes you are going to love this giveaway!:)

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Introduce yourself!:)
My name is Kristin Kline, and I run the happiest shop on etsy! I am the proud owner of http://www.FlyingButtons.etsy.com and I love it! I also have a marketing/fun blog at http:www.HappyFlyingButtons.blogspot.com.

Tell us a bit about your business.
I design Happy Hair Accessories, Fun Jewelry, and Unique Goodies. The mission of my shop is to make people happy, whether it's by reading my item descriptions, browsing through my shop, or buying themselves something special! I like to design items that are a mix of traditional, quirky, and cutting edge. I have chosen to focus on small accessories because I believe the low-budget items in your wardrobe can often have the biggest punch. Especially in this recession! I don't think people can frivolously purchase a new dress, but for under $5.00 you can punch it up with a great hair accessory! Put a smile on your face AND in your checkbook!

What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
I kept hearing about Etsy, but I have had a very succesful career in public relations, marketing, and Journalism so it wasn't something I had time to pursue. As a consultant, I was busy. I was very involved in an investigative series I was working on for a newspaper, and a weekly column I was writing, as well as some pr/marketing contracts I was working on. Then, the recession hit, and I had some free time. I realized I really wanted to pursue creating and designing.
When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I have a fifteen year old son, and I'm on the board of directors for his high school football team. I love to write, read, cook, and I love antiques. I'm going to train for another triathlon again this summer. Trust me, I have gained about three pounds a week since I started etsy, and I need to get back in shape!

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
Hard to pick just one: My favorite book growing up was Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. Nowadays, I love historical fiction because I'm a history buff, Margaret George is a great writer. Favorite song? "3 Little Birds" by Bob Marley. Movie? Probably Braveheart. I even made a "If William Wallace Loved Me" ponytail holder. My favorite website, please don't laugh...is http://www.georgenoory.com. I love looking at ghost photos, reading science news, things like that. As a reporter, I love the unexplained! I think I may have caught a ghost in a photograph and I posted it on my blog. I love stuff like that.

How do you promote your work?
I'm using all my skills I learned as a professional in the industry and reinventing the wheel, because the on-line industry is different in so many ways. Mainly it's about building relationships and community marketing. I've developed a whole list of marketing guidelines and I'm writing a book about it which I will eventually share with any etsian who is interested! I am already posting bits of it on my blog, http://www.HappyFlyingButtons.blogspot.com.

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short term, I'm in the process of stream-lining my production system, finding out what makes it easier for "mass production" in my craft room. I am launching another shop, and I want to help others on etsy with their marketing and pr. I love teaching and helping people, and writing about it! Long term, I want to help and teach, and I want to market my designs all over the world. The sky is the limit, and I've just begun! I can't wait to see where I will end up.


Tell us something random about you!
I was born with no sense of smell! It has made life very interesting, to say the least.

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Items up for grabs: $25.00 Shopping Spree to FlyingButtons for Hair Barrettes!

To enter the giveaway: Go to FlyingButtons, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 29th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Fun Finds Wednesday - April 22nd

JAustinRyan - Love To Jump - $30.00
PatriciasPalette - Red Squirrel - $5.00
Amberalexander - Viv - $18.00

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I seriously adore squirrels..
I have a giant tree in front of my house and
an adorable squirrel lives in it.
I bought a squirrel feeder & he loves it!

A couple years ago we found 4 baby squirrels
that were abandoned by their mommy.
My cousin took 2 & I took 2!

When we found the squirrels they were only a week or two old..
I built a HUGE cage for mine and bottle fed them every couple hours!
We talked to several vets and they told us that they would
NEVER make it.. HA we proved them wrong!

We ended up letting them all go at around 8 months old..
Mr. Squirrel (the most tame) still comes around..
he will walk right up to you and let you feed him!


Next time I catch them around.. I will snap a picture!
I miss them.. they were super fun.. they are BIG now..
My babies are all grown up.

I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!

PDF Tuesday - April 21st

Sweet tooth anyone?
I have one right now.. can you tell? :D

GulfCoastCottagePDF - Pattern - $5.99

StripeyBlue - Pattern - $4.50

Rainbow Swirlz Giveaway - April 20th - May 4th

Woohooo!
Another Rainbow Swirlz Giveaway!

There will be 2 winners!


Items up for grabs: 2 Goodie Bags from Rainbow Swirlz - (2 entries will win 4 random totes from Rainbow Swirlz & a random shirt!!) - Goodie bags are made up from Rainbow Swirlz Oops, they still look awesome just have a slight boo-boo.. you probably wont even be able to point it out..

To enter the giveaway: Go to Rainbow Swirlz... look around.. come back & tell us your top 5 favorite designs from our shop!

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on May 4th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address & size for the shirt. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Congratulations!:)

The winner of the Bayanhippo Giveaway is now in...



&& the winner is...

Congratulations Mia!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Congratulations!:)

The Rainbow Swirlz Giveaway winner is now in...


&& the winner is...

Congratulations YZgirl4!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Who will miss me?

Ohhh blogger friends I am going to miss you!
I am leaving today & will not return until Sunday night!
So there will be no blog updates in between..
Who will miss me?




Sad Puppy print - Shepaintsthesky

JpatPurses Giveaway - April 16th - 22nd

Wow... Jpatpurses are so unique & fun! I love love love them!:) & this adorable little coin purse is my favorite.. & guess what! It's up for grabs! Yep yep, someone is going to be very happy a week from now!:)

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Introduce yourself!:)
Hi, my name is Jenese Patanella, therefore explaining my shop name JPATPURSES. I am a wife and mother of two teenage daughters and a wonderful Corgi dog named Ginger. My Bachelors degree is in Accounting, about as far away from creating handbags and accessories as you can get. After over 25 years in the corporate world it was time to explore my more creative side.


Tell us a bit about your business..
JPATPURSES is a one woman operation- I do it ALL!! I get most of my inspiration from trying to create the most functional and efficient items as possible. I love trying to make items that make life more organized. One of the reasons I developed my special bat quilt interfacing technique is because I wanted structure and form to my creations, thus making them easier to use.

What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
The opportunity to sale online presented itself quite by accident one afternoon when my daughters mentioned that they would like to have the most recent brand name handbags that were a big hit among their friends. I told them that I would be more than happy to try to make them each one myself. So I pulled out the sewing machine from the back of the closet and went to work. Several of their friends at school inquired as to where they got their new purses and were surprised to hear that their mother was the creator. It was this positive feedback that initially inspired me to consider the prospect of sewing handbags and selling them online.

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I love to garden, walk my dog, and spend tons of time with my family. I am also an avid reader and must always have a book to wind down with at the end of each day.

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
As an avid reader I could never name just one book. I will mention “To Kill A Mockingbird” due to the lasting impression it made on me as a teenager.
Don't have just one favorite song since I love all kinds of music. As far as movies a few of my favorites are:

Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly- such beautiful cinematography
The Last of the Mohicans
Forrest Gump

How do you promote your work?
When I first started on Etsy it was easier to get into the forums to promote, so I did tons of SNS's and my own promo giveaways. Now , I do some outside advertising, but word of month and repeat customers is my best way to keep my sales going.

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short-term goals in this current economy is to just keep consistant sales month to month. I do not believe in very Long-term goals since one can never predict the future but I do know that within the next 1-2 years I want to improve on several of my current wallet designs because it is such a challenge to design with efficency, yet keeping it super functional.

Do you run JPATPURSES full time?
Yes, I was terribly burned out after 25 years in the accounting field, so this was something I told myself I would give a year!! Now I am going on three years and loving it!!

What advice do you have for other crafters who may want to start an indie craft business like yours?
My advice is to watch those material /supply costs. I find that the biggest down fall of many small businesses is not the lack of sales but the over spending on their raw materials before they have really established themselves within their product market. I guess that is the accountant in me. I also find that here on Etsy patience is key. Keep focused on your creative side and the rest will fall into place.


Tell us something random about you!:)
I must have at least one Coke a day-- look out otherwise!!

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Item up for grabs: Pink Harmony Little Zip Pouch by JPATPURSES!

To enter the giveaway: Go to JPATPURSES, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 22nd at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

MashenkaFashion Giveaway - April 16th - 22rd

Ohh super adorable! I recently got to work with MashenkaFashion on this giveaway & I really enjoyed it. She is such a sweetie!

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Introduce yourself!:)
My name is Maria van Bruggen and I am addicted designer who recides in Belgium in little green town together with her husband, two great kids and piles of pets (4 dogs, 2 cats, 5 chickens, 1 water turtle, 1 guinea pig, 1 parrot, 1 bunny and loads of fishes :))

Tell us a bit about your business..
As I can remember myself I was always creating something. It could be a painting, a sewing project or even bilogy research box LOL This part of my life was always there as it was simply part of me. It why it seemed so perfectly normal that my interest in sewing in design slowly transformed itself into somethin serious. My real shop The Red Trhead (De Rode Draad) is going to be open next month here and Belgium and I have my Etsy shop Mashenka (which is a name of my clothing line) is open for about 2 month now, yes, I know we are still in a diapers ;) In both of my shops you will be able to find a designer clothes by seasons (I am currently busy with Summer 2009 collection of which some of the designs are availiable as a sketches in my Etsy shop), fabrics, sewing materials, bags and sewing machines. Each of my creations is created and designed by me. I always try to have range of the different sizes and themes so it can fit everybody.


What inspired you to start crafting?
I think it just was always there. May be it was less business related but I was creating as long as I can remember myself. I love the feeling I have when I sit near my sewing machine or when I painting my next design...it is almost like a meditation :)

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I love travelling! Living in Europe is wonderful because we can simply jump in a car and drive to France, Holland, Germany...this winter we were again on our usual vacation place in Czehia, I find it such a beautiful country! I also love photography and share some of my photo stories on my blog: http://mashenkafashion.blogspot.com/

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
It would be so difficult to fit in just one title :)....
I love books of the Richard Bach... but I love books of the Stephen King as well :) From the movies I think I will pick up the Butterfly Effect, Beautiful mind and Rose Red. If we will be talking about music I think I can go forewer because we are very music related family - you can always hear music on the background here. I love classical rock and hard rock music but I am no stranger to the classics as well :) My favorite websites are constantly changing and most of them you can see mentioned on my Blogger as well.

How do you promote your work?
In so many different ways...online and offline of course. I think the biggest trick of the promotion is just a good communication with a people around you. Blog, forums and just link exchange is one of them. But no, there are never a "magic trick" and I know it so well after working as a freelance illustrator for more than 10 years. Be good in what you, LOVE it do and it will go just fine :)

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
My short term goal at the moment is my real life shop that is opening here in Belgium next month. I am excited and very busy at the moment. I try to write some of my progress stories on my blog to share it with my customers and friends. My long term goal will be to keep it running perfect, may be to grow bigger and to be able to produce steady 4 seasons collection every year :)

Tell us something random about you!
I speak 4 different languages :) thanks for us moving so much through the life I speak perfect english, russian (I was born in Moscow), hebrew (I lived for 15 years in Israel) and now dutch :)

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Items up for grabs: Renessance Pincushion + $5.00 store credit to MashenkaFashion !

To enter the giveaway: Go to MashenkaFashion, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 22nd at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

4 Giveaway Winners

4 Giveaway Winners!!

The winner of the GirlieBirdBoutique Giveaway is...

The winner of the Rusty Rooster Metal Giveaway is...


The winner of the Patchworkids Giveaway is...




The winner of the PunkyBunny300 Giveaway is...

Congratulations Ennadoolf, Rachel H, Brown Bag * Boutique & Hana!

I have sent you all an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

Fun Finds Wednesday - April 15th

ThePigAndThePeacock- Brazilian Acai Berry Glycerin Soap - $5.00
SeaGlassVintage- Dew Drops - $12.00
FaraField- Wood Violet - $15.00
GypsyMoonDesigns- Juju Earrings in Plum - $16.00
Tagodesign- Japanese Kimono Fabric Corsage Brooch - $19.90
VintageFiligree- La Belle Epoque Purple Jeweled Necklace - $133.00

Make this...

Oh how adorable is this flower cone
I just found on MarthaStewart.com?

I am so making one of these..



Check out the tutorial here!

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!
We are supposed to have some nice weather
today! I really need to clean up some outside!

Rainbow Swirlz Giveaway - April 13th - 19th!

Items up for grabs: Black Bird Messenger Bag from Rainbow Swirlz!

To enter the giveaway: Go to rainbowswirlz, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from the shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 19th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Sunday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Easter 2009

:) We celebrated Easter today since there
is 100% chance of rain tomorrow!
It was so cute watching my daughter hunt easter eggs! :)

I hope everyone has a fantastic Easter tomorrow!!

Keep Oklahoma in your thoughts!

Please keep us Oklahoman's in your thoughts!
There are tons of fires going on.. and still sparking up!
Insane winds that just keep it going..
I just heard from my Grandma and she can see flames down
the road from her house..

It's really scary around here..
So many people have lost their homes..

Please keep us in your thoughts!

Bayanhippo Giveaway - April 10th - 19th

I so want this bags.. it's amazing! Bayanhippo makes the most adorable & affordable bags! I'm in love... I'll take one of each.. kthnx!:) hahaha!

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Tell us a bit about your business.
Firstly I made dresses for my twins (5years old girls) and the next step was to design the mother child purses. I start to make trendy, fancy and fashionable products for everyday uses. The positive suggestions of my customer are the best origin source for me to design and to develop the new products.

What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
Etsy is the right place start to make business and connections with people worldwide. The nice communications feedbacks, trade, business with so much people from so different and far countries, this is wonderful and it is a big inspiration for me.

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I spend time with my family, especially with my twins….

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
Italo Calvino, Gabriel Garcia Marques and Orhan Kemal are my favorite authors.

I love rock, jazz and classic music Duman, Badem (these are Turkish rock groups), Rahmaninov, Yehudi Menuhin ….

Movie, “As Good As It Gets”.

How do you promote your work?
Online advertising, giveaway like your web :), customer feedback..

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short term to finish my new summer collection :) long-term, I am trying to complete my product line with new trendy and modish items for everyone.

Do you run bayanhippo full time?
Ohh yes!! :)

Tell us something random about you...
I am graphic designer and I like to make drawings … I like coffee … my radio is mostly on during working :)


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Items up for grabs: Daphne in Garden Purse from Bayanhippo

To enter the giveaway: Go to Bayanhippo, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 19th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Sunday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Congratulations!

The Simbiosisbyjulia Giveaway winner is now in...

&& the winner is...

Congratulations Tammiemarie!

I have sent you an e-mail!
Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner
will be chosen! Thank you to everyone who participated!

If you haven't already.. go enter
our other giveaways! You can find a list of
current giveaways over at the top right hand side
of our blog! Thank you!

PunkyBunny300 Giveaway - April 9th - 15th

Emily contacted me about doing a giveaway and I am so glad that she did. She runs PunkyBunny300 on etsy part time! She is a sweetie, I'm honored to have worked with her on this giveaway! A week from now someone will be VERY happy!:)

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Introduce yourself!:)
Hi! I'm Emily and I am the owner/designer at Punky Bunny Designs. I grew up in New Jersey and I just moved back home after living for 1.5 years in Israel, where I started my business. While in Israel I adopted 2 little dogs and when I'm not working they are what fills up my time.

Tell us a bit about your business..
I started selling my jewelry online in July of 2008. I started out doing beadwork but I'm moving towards metalsmithing/enameling.

What inspired you to start your business?
I've always loved to make my own jewelry. I usually walk into a place selling jewelry and will say "I like this but I think it should be...". So I decided to start making my own about 6 years ago. People had told me for a couple of years that I should try and sell my jewelry somewhere but I had no idea how and I was in school so I didn't really have the time I needed to start a business. My husband and I moved to Israel in 2007 and about a month later I ran across the Etsy site. After having a buyer account for about 8 months I decided to give it a go and posted my first few items. After about a month I was hooked!
I also come from a family of entrepreneurs. My grandfather and uncle owned their own metal shop where they made crazy things out of aluminum and steel. My father is a self-employed environmental geologist. So everyone was really supportive!

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
I work for a bioinformatics website when I'm not being crafty.

Whats your favorite book, song, movie & website?
This is probably the hardest question I've ever been asked! Etsy or Smitten Kitchen are probably my favorite website. I love too many songs/books to commit to one! My favorite music group is the The Killers though. My favorite author is Terry Pratchett. I can't pick a movie!

How do you promote your work?
This is one of the areas that I'm still working out! I try to hand out my business card to almost everyone I meet. I also use Project Wonderful and have advertised on a couple of other sites.

What are your short-term & long-term goals?
In the short-term I'd like to finish learning enameling and some basic metalsmithing so I can add new fun items to my shop! I'd also like to be a vendor at more craft shows. In the long-term, like most people on Etsy I think, I'd like this to become my sole income.

Do you run punkybunny300 full time?
Not at the moment. I work part time for a bioinformatics website and run my Etsy shops part time.

Tell us something random about you!:)
I have a masters degree in Neuroscience that I've never used!

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Items up for grabs: Personalized Tiny Disc Necklace from PunkyBunny300 (Picture up top)

To enter the giveaway: Go to PunkyBunny300, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 15th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.

Origami Rabbit!

Oh cute!
An easter project!
Make an Origami Rabbit!
I love easter & I have been excited for my
little one to hunt eggs for her first time... now I'm bummed..
we have 100% chance of rain on Easter here!
No fun.. at all!

If anyone decides to make one of the Origami Rabbits
I would love to see!!!

Hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday!

$100.00 Rainbow Swirlz Shopping Spree Giveaway - Ends May 7th

**$100.00 Shopping Spree Giveaway**
Spend $20.00 or more in the Rainbow Swirlz
shop & you will automatically be entered into
our $100.00 Rainbow Swirlz shopping spree
giveaway! - Starts April 7th - Ends May 7th!
Winner will be notified by the e-mail address
that they use for etsy! Good luck!! :)

Comment here if you spend $20.00 or more with
your receipt number & I'll enter your name in twice!

Fun Finds Wednesday - April 8th

Zygopsyche - Mopsy Bunny - $33.00
Tiedyediva - White Rabbit Hat - $20.00
Jenniferladd - Bunny Slippers - $26.00
Rainbowswirlz - Bunny Top - $25.00
Adriennekinsella - Organic Baby Hat - $25.00
Minu - Schlaf - $36.00

PDF Giveaway - Patchworkids - April 7th - 15th

Something just a little bit different for PDF Tuesday today && I'm sure you will love it! I had the pleasure of working with Patchworkids, she decided to do a giveaway for some of her paterns! Yippee!!!


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Introduce yourself!:)
Hello, my name is Sherrie Tucker.

Tell us a bit about your business.
I started PatchworKids in 2002 on ebay as a way to get out all of my crazy ideas. I made a lot of boutique style outfits for girls but hated to mass produce any one design. A friend approached me about writing an ebook for youcanmakethis.com. I didn’t think anyone would buy it. It turned out to be a great seller, so I decided to keep going. She introduced me to the world of ebook patterns and now I work for the YCMT team.

What inspired you to start your etsy shop?
Honestly, money! I need to support my Fabrioholic habit. Etsy seem to be the perfect place to find the buyers looking for what I was writing.

When you're not being crafty, what do you do?
4-wheeling, biking, shopping, camping, dreaming of going to Hawaii and dancing.

What’s your favorite book, song, movie & website?
Fav book: Twightlight series. Come on, everyone needs to escape reality from time to time. Fav song: The main theme from The Band of Brothers. It is so powerful and moving. Fav movie: Princess Bride. Fav website: Anything selling new fabrics!
How do you promote your work?
Great pictures sell great products. First impressions can be the only impression a customer gets. Fortunately working for youcanmakethis.com has given me the insider scoop on good advertising.
What are your short-term & long-term goals?
Short-term goals: Pumping out as many ebooks as I can. I love thinking up a new pattern and getting it onto paper. Long-term goal: Maybe starting an online fabric shop!

Do you run patchworkids full time?
Nope, my kids run me full time. My first priority is my family. Hobbies/work come second when time allows.

What advice do you have for other crafters who may want to start a business like yours?
Just start! Do your homework and research. Find what you are best at and most passionate about. No business owner/momprenuer ever started at 100%. Build slowly and accept advice and feedback. Keep on growing and progressing till you find the place you want to be.


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Items up for grabs: 3 eBooks from Patchworkids
-The Wrap Dress (Size 1-10 yrs)
-Boys Tie (Sizes 6mnths - 10 yrs)
-The Katelyn Teen/Tween Skirt (6 yrs - Jr's 9)

To enter the giveaway: Go to patchworkids, look around.. come back & tell us your favorite item from her shop! Please be sure to leave your e-mail address in the entry.

Earn extra entries:
*Subscribe to our blog.
Do no forget to activate your subscription.
*Blog about this giveaway on your Blog.
Leave a link to your blog in your entry.

You will receive one extra entry into this giveaway for each of the above actions you do.

This giveaway will end on April 15th at 11:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The winner will be notified by e-mail and it will be posted Wednesday night on our blog. Please be sure you have provided a valid e-mail address. If there is no e-mail address provided to contact the winner, another name will be drawn. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail notification with their mailing address. This information will then be forwarded to the sponsor. If this information is not received within 48 hours another name will be drawn.