Hall of Fame {Hot Toffee}

Welcome! I'm back from this year's Craft Attack outdoor marketplace (pictures coming soon), and my shop will be re-opened later today or tomorrow morning. Thanks for all the well wishes and support for a successful show.

Some amazing artists are lined up for the coming weeks that you're sure to enjoy reading about. Today, meet Nicole, the talented Australian behind Etsy shop Hot Toffee.

Nicole's work is "Inspired by all things sweet, Japanese art & design and strongly influenced by the beautiful beaches of Australia." Each piece she creates is a unique piece of art - art you can wear!

Read on to learn more about her, why the area she lives in is called 'the salad bowl', and just where the name hot toffee came from.

What inspires you?
Nature, the beach in the afternoon, colours, Japanese design, light…

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
We have lived in a small country town called Laidley since we bought a house 2 years ago. I was born in Sydney but grew up on the north east coast of New South Wales near gorgeous Byron Bay.

Name something unique to where you live.
This area has many names; one of them is ‘the salad bowl’ as there are so many farms. We are lucky to buy the freshest veggies straight from our local farmers.

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
My left eye is 2 colours; it’s green with a brown section that covers about 1/3 of it.

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
indecisive
What made you decide to open up shop?
At the time I had a stall at the local market each Saturday and thought an online presence would compliment that nicely and keep me busy during the week.

How did you come up with your shop name? Any special significance?
A lot of the first fused glass pieces I made looked a lot like toffee and because I fire my glass up to 800 degrees (Celsius) ‘hot toffee’ seemed perfect.

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
To be honest, it’s the people I’ve met. The customers who have embraced me and the other creative souls I’ve met along the way both online and offline. I’m lucky to be part of the brisStyle etsy street team which is an amazing group of people. Also, being surrounded by the handmade community has made birthday and Christmas shopping a lot more fun!

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
For 3 years hot toffee was my full-time job. That included etsy, wholesale and selling at local design focused markets. Early this year I decided I needed to work out of my home based studio and feel like I was connected to the off-line world and I was lucky enough to pick up 2 days teaching English to International students in order to prepare them to join mainstream high schools. I now juggle hot toffee and teaching which is challenging but so rewarding on many different levels.
Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
Wake up between 6am – 7am to the barking of our dog Pochi.
Enjoy a fresh coffee & (gluten free) toast
Check my email and read my favourite blogs.
Make a ‘to do’ list so that I can get through the day without too much procrastination.
Cut & fire glass.
Pack orders & take them to the post office. Our town is very small so it doesn’t take long to finish my chores which means there is always time to have a peek in the opp shops*.
Then it’s back home for lunch and an afternoon of firing glass, printing and cutting swing tags and replying to emails. If new items need to be photographed for my etsy shop I do that around 3 pm. I try to switch the computer off and finish ticking things off my ‘to do’ list by 6 pm.
The evening is spent cooking, talking, eating, watching TV or listening to music, flicking through my favourite magazines and books for inspiration.

*opp shops = opportunity shops or thrift stores

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
I’m wearing my favourite etsy purchase in the photo. I bought them from windowsill.

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
Drinking & eating with my partner; Ryo, going to the movies by myself, opp shopping with my Mum, visiting garage sales and markets on the weekend, walking on the beach with my Dad and I LOVE painting (it's so therapeutic!)
Read any good books lately?
I always seem to have a few books on my bedside table, at present they are:
Lessons of a Lipstick Queen by Poppy King, Richard Branson – the autobiography, Geisha by Liza Dalby

What is your most prized possession?
A collection of paper boats made with my grandfather from all his old (losing) horse betting tickets. I have a basket of these in my wooden chest which holds all my sentimental belongings.

What are three of your favorite foods?
I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease 2 years ago which means I can’t eat anything containing Gluten which is quite a lot! With the support of Ryo and a lot of experimenting we have discovered some new favourites:
Thai style chicken balls, gourmet crepes & Chicken & pumpkin curry (with pappadams of course!)
What would you like to learn to do?
I have always wanted to learn graphic design

What are you listening to right now?
my local radio station

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
Hamilton in Scotland as this is where my grandfather was born. He migrated to Australia when he was 7 years old. There is a big part of me that really needs to see where he came from.


Nicole, thanks for stopping by and sharing with us!

To keep up with Nicole and see more of her creations, visit her website and blog.


Time for a Give-
away!

One lucky winner will get to choose any pair of studs from Nicole's shop!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your contact info - name and email address or Etsy username.

Good luck!

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Nicole's blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from Hot Toffee: 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, October 18th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, October 19th.

Hot Off the Press...

...a little late!

My friend had her baby last night! His heart rate kept dropping, so they had to take him by emergency c-section. I got to witness! Everyone kept telling me not to faint, and I had to reassure them that this is what I will be doing one day, after all ;)

It was a blessing to be able to share in something like that. The miracle of a precious, new life coming into this world is absolutely amazing. Little Elijah is doing great (and mom too!), and weighed in at 6 pounds 0.9 ounces.

AND my other friend has been induced today, so her little bundle of joy will be here any time now! I guess it's off to the hospital again to visit both little babies. ♥



Before I go, I wanted to remind you about the Baby Muffalatta Giveaway. If you're a vegan or vegetarian, or just interested in trying out some vegan fare, you should really get in on this!! The winner gets a DOZEN muffins from my sister's vegan Etsy shop - Baby Muffalatta! You can choose two of six muffin flavors and will get half a dozen of each.

Get all the details here!

Have a great weekend everybody!!!

Hall of Fame {Baby Muffalatta}

Welcome back! You're in store for another sweet treat this week!

I am so happy to introduce you to Stephanie, my beautiful sister behind Etsy shop Baby Muffalatta.

I have Stephanie to thank for ever getting started on Etsy! She is the one that introduced me to the site, and encouraged me to open my shop. The rest is history, and here we are!

There is an eleven year age gap between my sister and me. I remember, as a child, that it seemed like such a huge difference. Although, as I've gotten older, the gap seems to be closing (my sister, my mom, and I, often get mistaken for three sisters *hehe*). When I was ten, my sister joined the Air Force and moved to Texas. Then after several years back in North Carolina, she now lives in Tennessee. Even though we have often been apart, I have always looked up to her. She has never failed to be an inspiration to me. I am so grateful for her and blessed to have her in my life.

Read on to learn more about Stephanie, her yummy shop, and discover her passion in all that she does.

What inspires you?
My animals, my husband, daughter, my sister, nature, my grandmother Mildred Smith Nelson (German Moravian), my grandfather Clyde Shreeve Nelson (Swedish), both of whom were awesome bakers. My Grandfather baked for a bakery. My close friends, my dreams for the future, my political views, animal welfare activism, Etsy Artists, my Mom Frances' awesome food growing up, my step-father Mallory's awesome food and Upside Down Cake growing up and his wonderful garden (me shelling buckets of peas)!!!! My Grandparents Edith and Roland DeMers, so many things.....of course, the dreams of others in our Society, the needs of others around the world......

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
I call North Carolina home. I am from Union Cross, an area near Wallburg, Kernersville, and Winston-Salem. When my grandmother's ancestors moved to Wallburg from Germany in the middle 1700's, it was called Abbott's Creek. It is about 10 minutes from Old Salem, the second original Moravian settlement in the United States. For the past 5 years, I have lived in Columbia, Tennessee with my husband, daughter, and our animals. I love it here but it is not home.
Name something unique to where you live.
I absolutely love the Duck River!!! We love to canoe it! It is one of the most bio-diverse rivers in the United States and is home to an endangered species called the Pearl-lipped Mussel, which has an absolutely beautiful shell!!!

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I have webbed feet!!!!!! Just kidding..... Well, I can't really think of anything out of the ordinary or interesting. Oh, okay. I was in the military as a young adult!!!!! I was a United States Air Force Medic!!!!!!!

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Unpredictable!!!!

What made you decide to open up shop?
Well actually, I was looking up resources on how to open my own internet store back in 2006 and came across The Black Apple on the search engine "Google". It said Etsy, hand-made goods in the Google Search and I clicked on it. The Black Apple was the first person I ever favorited, I think!!!!! I love her artwork!!!!!
The name Baby Muffalatta is so cute! How did you come up with it?
I had a little muffin hat for my daughter when she was a toddler. It looked like "Blueberry Muffin's" hat from "Strawberry Shortcake". I automatically thought of it. I love to name stuff after the thoughts of my daughter.

Why vegan?
Well, I believe in believing 100 % in your product. You must use it to sell it. This is what I eat and many people I know personally love it. The ingredients I buy make a political statement about me - who I am and what I believe in. Rather, how I wish my values and beliefs to be remembered. Also, it is much more healthy. I didn't really understand this perspective until a few years ago. It was a slow evolution. My sister also gave me this awesome book Skinny Bitch which highlights things about foods I didn't know before or did not believe as 100 % fact. Thank you Lory!!!! I love you!!!!

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
Nothing really beats being able to homeschool my daughter and be there for her. To support her and give her more options in life. I'm just so appreciative of this opportunity to take things day by day with her.
Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
Wow, well there's a long answer to that little question!!! I have no day job right now. I sell on Etsy full-time. My mind is always brewing with things to do. I try to take things day by day. Right now, I am planning on taking a metal smithing class. My other shop, Moon Garden Studio, was my first shop. I did a few metal smithing projects, but have found teaching myself how to transform the sculptural ideas in my mind to metal difficult. I put that on hold a while back. I love sculpture. Clay and metal are my favorite mediums. My third favorite medium is food and the process of food preparation and cooking.

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
Well, there are many favorite Etsy shops let me tell you!!!!!! I love my Jibby and Juna necklaces!!!!! I love her textures and mixed media pendants so much!!!!!

I also love my Maggie J's necklaces!!!!!!!! She is a North Carolina artist with a store in Cullowhee. My latest purchase is from Lisa's Lovlies. It is a Fossilized Sand Dollar in a sterling silver bezel. I love it so much! I'm actually wearing it in the picture you have here!!!

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.

Watching educational television programming of course!!!!!! I love nature and history shows!!!!!!

I cook, of course!!!!!!! I have recently been looking into my own organic farming and food preservation!!!!!!! I absolutely love playing tennis with my husband and daughter. I adore spending time sleeping with my dogs and cats!!!!!! We all also love to watch movies together!!!!!!

Read any good books lately?
Not really darling!!!!!! I haven't read a book in a very long time!!!!!! I actually love to read books though!!!!!! My favorites are probably Edgar Allan Poe and historical autobiographies, especially slave narratives, such as Olaudah Equiano. I have a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology with coursework in Native North Americans and Cultural Anthropology, so you see where I'm going with this. I subscribe to Mother Jones Magazine, The Utne Reader and if I subscribed to all the journals and magazines I had interests in, I would never do anything else!!!!!!

What is your most prized possession?
My wedding ring.

What are three of your favorite foods?
Tofu, especially the faux-chicken-fried tofu you buy in the prepared service area at Whole Foods. It's like chicken nuggets!!!!!! I used to hate vegetables. My second favorite food is probaby cremini or baby portabella mushrooms. My third????? Hmmmmm????

Right now, believe it or not, my third I have to say is the Bob's Red Mill brand Vegi Soup Mix. It's a bag of lentils, beans, and small whole-grain alphabet pasta. The bag is like, $4.50. It will feed our hungry family of three humans and three dogs for about 4 days, no kidding!!!!!! It is almost like a "Stone Soup"!!!!!!! I just found it!!!!!!! You can add any kind of broth, mushroom, vegetable, or just water. It takes a little over one hour to cook. I throw whatever in it!!!!!!! Last night, I put in about a cup of old dry wheat corkscrew pasta, about 1 cup of leftover jasmine rice, looked in the freezer- threw in some frozen corn, some frozen black-eyed peas and LOTS of roasted garlic!!!!!!!! Salt, pepper, a dash of Garam Masala, some ground coriander (Alex insisted so just a dash, I didn't want this to taste like an East Indian dish), and VOILA!!!!!! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!

What would you like to learn to do?
Metalsmithing and Pottery most definitely!

What are you listening to right now?
Well, I am eclectic in my musical tastes. I grew up dancing to Soul Train in the late 70's thru the 80's.My grandmother said I danced as a baby holding onto the dresser and stomping my feet to my mom's record player!!!!!!

Music and dancing is in my blood. My husband of 9 years has really introduced me so much musically. Right now, I am listening to LUX and I also just discovered Lady Gaga! I love her song Love Game! It's a little wild 'n crazy for me as a mother, but my daughter and husband don't know! I guess when they read this they will, though!!!!!!

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
This is a hard one!!!!!! I'd like to visit many places!!!!!! Probably Hawaii!!!!! I have this idea in my mind of tropical flowers, waterfalls, lagoons......

I always wanted to go to a luau and eat the pork (pig) cooked in a pit with banana leafs on top- the whole smoking pit thing!!!!!! Now that I am a vegetarian, it doesn't really work!!!!!!!! : ) I think I would love a home in Hawaii and could find tons of vegan fare that would suite me just fine!!!!!!

Stephanie, thank you for participating in my Hall of Fame series and sharing with my readers. Keep up the good work. I love you!!
Time for a Giveaway!
One lucky winner will get a DOZEN MUFFINS from Stephanie's shop! The winner will get to choose two muffin flavors, and will get six of each.

Flavors to choose from are:
I Love You Chewey: Double Chocolate Cherry Chocolate Chip
Oh My Gosh Give Me One: Sweet Potato Vegan Chocolate Chip
Vegan Apple Walnut Cinnamon with Brown Sugar Top
Groovy Blueberry with Agave Nectar
Popping Over Deelish Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk
Kiss Yo Mama Lemon Cream Poppy Seed

I don't know about you, but my mouth is watering! :}

To enter, heart Baby Muffalatta and leave a comment on this post with your name and email address or Etsy username.

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from Baby Muffalatta: 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, September 27th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, September 28th.

Hall of Fame {Lynsey & Harper Confections}

Happy Monday everyone! You're in for a mouth-watering treat today. For the first time, this week's interview features a lovely little shop that is sure to tickle your taste buds.

Meet Brienne, the talented baker behind Lynsey & Harper Confections.

Brienne Lynsey, and her partner Tevye Harper, are the creative duo behind the shop, which in Brienne's words was, "Created from brilliant minds over a glass of wine under a starry sky."

Read the interview below as Brienne divulges a bit about herself. After all, "Cookies are always better shared!"

What inspires you?
People with passion. There is nothing like someone who is passionate about what they are saying or doing. It really makes me want to do more and pay attention to what makes you smile at the end of the day.

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
California is home at the moment. It’s home because most of my family is here now. Originally, I am from Maui. Ok, well born in California, but we moved when I was little. Most of my earliest memories are from our life in Maui.

Name something unique to where you live.
Wineries. I was surprised to see such a variety of wineries right around the corner from us. It is so desert like out here, figured that was the last thing I would find. Low and behold, the wineries are really popular and a lot of fun. Great weekend getaway, even if it takes only a few minutes to get there.
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I have my own language! Yeah, I switch it all up. I will be surprised if you don’t come across something I have written and you have to ask yourself what I am trying to say! Nicknames end up being crazy too. Example: My cousin’s name is Nathaniel.. So it went from Nate to Nattie to Fattie (yeah he is far from fat..it just rhymed) to Fattalina. Yeah he is a trooper.. and yeah I am goofy. My sisters are always laughing at me!

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Loyal. There is not enough loyalty in the world anymore. It can be hard to keep that up when you don’t always get that in return. But at the end of the day you're always happier when you are being true to yourself.
What made you decide to open up shop?
Actually the thought came to me a while back joking with a friend about selling cookies to the neighbors to make extra money. My partner at the time loved my Peanut butter Cookies and so watching GMA one morning I decided that was what I was going to do. Sell delicious cookies. Single mom, needing to provide for my son really helped me stick to my guns and really follow through. Now I get to stay home with him, even though I am still pretty busy.

How did you come up with your shop name? Any special significance?
Yes, my middle name is Lynsey and two of my favorite people share the last name Harper. Between the three of us there is a great deal of inspiration.

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
I like that it is from the heart. To make it handmade really shows the joy and passion one has for what they do. I love to see it expressed!
Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
LHConfections is my full-time job. That and being a mom of course. I wasn’t sure if it was more a hobby until I first listed my items and actually got orders. They kept coming and I have gotten some amazing feedback and things are looking promising. I still can’t believe I own a business. Etsy is rather addicting if you ask me. There is so much going on, time gets away from you.

Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
Typical day? Well Khyre, my nine month old, usually wakes up smiling around 7a.m. I get up with him and start the coffee. He has his Cheerios and I have my java. Then off to work for a bit in between feedings, naps, playing, diapers, you know, the usual mommy stuff. I try to give myself a “To Do” list every night before bed so I have a game plan for the day. Doesn’t always get accomplished but I try. Then Khyre goes off to bed about 7:30p.m. That is when I get a few hours usually to myself. Usually I try to finish anything I have had to hold off on due to taking care of the baby. I just try to maintain some sort of balance, which is always a work in progress!
Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
Hard to say, my favorite. Well I have a lot of favorites, especially the children’s shops. I love them. They are so tempting! I do definitely have a FAVORITE item. The Sock Monkey Shoulder Bag from iSew. I hope it doesn’t sell before I can grab it!

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
Rollerskating.. No bed time!.. Sitting at the beach with my cousin, Nate, reading and chatting about nothing.. The Chocolate Affair! (wink wink).. Cake decorating with my bestie!

Read any good books lately?
Haven’t read anything since the baby was born. Guess the last book I read was What to Expect When You're Expecting.

What is your most prized possession?
At the moment Khyre’s pacifier!!!!!!

What are three of your favorite foods?
Chips and salsa… My dad’s preferably… Cookies of course… Anything Tevye makes!
What would you like to learn to do?
Kind of weird.. I would love to be able to chop like the pros!

What are you listening to right now?
Sesame Street is on!

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why?
Wow that list is kind of long. I think about all the places I can’t wait to take Khyre. His first big adventure was the beach and the next will be Disneyland when he turns one. How fun is that going to be!! I can’t wait, he has no idea!

Brienne, thank you so very much for sharing with us! It was a pleasure getting to know you...

Please stop by her shop and blog. You'll be glad ya' did!

Now, on to the good stuff ;)

Time for a Give-
away!

This week's winner will receive a sampler package like the one pictured to the right.

That's a DOZEN COOKIES!!
You get to choose four flavors, and will receive three of each. Yum!

Brienne would like to know what your favorite kitchen gadget is!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your answer. Please be sure to include your name and email address or Etsy username.

*Important Note: This contest is open to residents of the US only.

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Brienne's Blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from LHConfections: 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, September 20th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, September 21st.

Hall of Fame {Mia Beads}

Welcome back! You've been missed! Once again I want to say thank you for the love and support. The comments, tweets, convos and emails have meant a lot. Thank you, thank you.

I feel so honored to have been able to interview this week's Hall of Famer. Mia is just about the sweetest gal you will meet. She runs a beautiful and successful Etsy shop, Mia Beads, filled with "freshly picked pretties." Her shop is brimming with colorful, unique pieces. Personally, I own a couple of Mia's designs and was blown away by not only the craftsmanship, but her outstanding customer service and packaging. All of this from her little attic studio!

Mia has a bit of experience under her belt, since she started creating jewelry at the age of five! She began making "real" jewelry in middle school and participated in craft shows, thanks to her creative mom and grandma, and supportive father.

I feel privileged to call her my friend and have enjoyed getting to know her better. I know you will too, so read on as Mia divulges a bit about herself (and offers one reader something lovely)...

What inspires you?
Color & nature mostly. I'm also inspired when I find a cool vintage bead or locket and I'll often build a piece around one component that I love.

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
I live in Western New York, where the weather is crazy and we have snow half of the year. I've driven down snow covered roads where the only thing guiding me was flares. As much as I'd love a sunny & warm climate to call home, I can't leave my family and friends!
Name something unique to where you live.
Buffalo Wings!

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I get the hiccups every time I really, really laugh... and I can cross only one eye at a time.

What made you decide to open up shop?
My cousin told me about etsy and I immediately signed up after checking out the site. Two years later, while selling my jewelry locally, I finally started my etsy shop as a place to send local customers who found me at shows. I definitely wasn't expecting etsy to become my main venue, but I'm so happy it did!
Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
I love when I get to know my customers and I think that people who buy handmade really appreciate that; I know my jewelry is going to a loving home.

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
I design and sell my jewelry full-time now, through etsy and my wholesale accounts. I do home parties on occasion, but mainly for friends and family. I also teach a workshop on jewelry design at the local bead shop on Thursday evenings... nice to get out of the house once in a while!
Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
I wake up and do all of the "computer stuff"; Answering emails, relisting sold items and thanking my customers, purchase supplies, type up invoices for wholesale clients & write out my orders to be shipped that day. Then I go up to my workspace to make & fill orders, print shipping labels & take everything to the post office. Once I'm done with these things I'll work on custom orders, making & listing new items, blogging, etc. When my boyfriend gets home from work, we'll make dinner and relax together. I try to stay off the computer and away from my work during this time, but I usually find something I need to do.
Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
I love my "Live What You Love" Print from Hijirik and my Faux Bois Inspiration Board from Shabby Vintage Mom.

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
I love cooking with my boyfriend, and spending time with him and our puppy! Concerts in the summer, dancing, hysterically funny movies, shopping for vintage goodies and doing crafty things with my mom and friends & just relaxing and having a good time with the people I love.

Read any good books lately?
I used to read constantly, but lately it's been strictly business! The last book I read was "Craft, Inc." which shares inspirational stories and interviews from successful indie entrepreneurs. It's a great book for people just starting or even thinking about selling their work, too.

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Indecisive. I can't pick just one.
What is your most prized possession?
I'm pretty psyched about my autographed Bono shirt at the moment. I'm super excited to see U2 in Chicago and Toronto this fall.

What are three of your favorite foods?
Strawberry shortcake, yellow cake with chocolate frosting (both with vanilla ice cream) and chicken parmigiana.

What would you like to learn to do?
I would love to know more about graphic design. It's always been really interesting to me and sometimes I have something in my head, that I would like to turn into an image. Specifically for my blog and packaging, as well as designing things like stationary and labels. I love fonts and colors and making things pretty.
What are you listening to right now?
At this particular moment in time I can hear the tv in the background and the really annoying buzzing noise that my dryer makes, but I am listening to Modest Mouse.

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
I'd love to visit Europe; Italy, Ireland & the city of Paris. My parents backpacked through Europe when they were my age and they've always talked about it being such an amazing experience. I studied French when I was younger and although I don't remember everything, it's a beautiful, romantic language and I'd love a good excuse to practice!
Thank you to Mia for sharing with us! Please visit her blog for further inspiration, and her mom's shop that she helps out with, Paper Pumpkin, full of paper and fabric goods, and accessories.

Time for a Giveaway!!
One lucky winner will get their choice of any item from her shop valued at $18 or under. Awesome huh? There's so many great pieces to choose from - this may be hard! ;-)

What's your favorite piece from Mia's shop? To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your answer, name, and email address or Etsy username.

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Mia's blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from Mia Beads: 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, August 9th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, August 10th.

Hall of Fame {City Farmhouse}

Hello there! Welcome to this week's Hall of Fame Interview and Giveaway. Kick back, relax, and enjoy...

Meet Jen, the sweet lady behind the shop City Farmhouse. Jen is a stay-at-home-mom to her three year old boy. One of four kids, she was always encouraged to be creative and was taught to sew by her mom at age eight.

Read on to delve a little into her passion. Learn where she lives that is so inspiring to her, her love of ice cream, and a chance to win some of her lovely work!

What inspires you?
Life, history, design, nature, music but most of all it is people that inspire me the most. I am inspired by their stories; hardships, triumphs, dreams fulfilled, dreams lost, love for family and friends and their resilience.

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
I call Bellport, NY home. I was born and raised in this quaint little seaside town.
Name something unique to where you live.
Bellport is a historic town situated on the Great South Bay. If you walk the village streets you will see beautiful historic homes lined with white picket fences, you can watch the sailboats come in and out of the harbor, take a ferry ride to Fire Island, park yourself at the band shell for a concert, let the kids run around at the “slide beach”, walk through town and browse the local shops, cool off with a little ice-cream and/or finish the night off with a great meal at one of our 4 incredible restaurants.

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I received my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and taught the first 3 years out of college.

What are three of your favorite foods?
That’s easy, ice cream, enchiladas and bread, not all together of course.
What made you decide to open up shop?
It just seemed like the next step, I have been designing and selling my products for a very long time and through that experience I thought selling on etsy would to be a win, win. I had a brick and mortar shop along with a web site and I actually think etsy is the best fit for me.

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
I definitely wear many hats through the day. I am a stay at home mom who sells on etsy as much as possible and who just in the last year made my way back into teaching.

How did you select the name City Farmhouse? Any special significance?
I wanted a name that brought together old with new, urban with country and I like the play on words, people are always curious.
Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
I love knowing that someone out there appreciates my designs and the time that it took to create it. I enjoy the chit chat with my customers whether in person or via email, I get a thrill knowing they’re happy.

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
I have so many favorites!

Here are a few of Jen's favorites, which I think reflect her lovely personal style...

earrings
cuff
bobbies
print

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
I walk almost every day, it is my time to reflect, I am better when I have this time. I enjoy taking photographs just for fun. I love garage sales, tag sales, antique shows, any place where I can find a diamond in the rough and turn it into something spectacular and spending time with my family.

Below, are a few of Jen's photographs...

Read any good books lately?
The last book I read was about a month ago, it was Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux. Amazing book I highly recommend it, a great summer read.

What is your most prized possession?
I would have to say old family photos and my wedding rings.

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Nice. I have been on the receiving end of kindness and I value it tremendously. I think lending a hand so to speak is one of the most important things we can do for each other.
Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
I think I would have to say France and Ireland. My father’s father was from Nice, so I would love a chance to visit, to connect to that part of my heritage plus the fact that it’s a magnificently beautiful area, which is all the more reason. My mother was 100% Irish and she was very proud of her Irish roots, they were from Belfast. Since all I have left from her and her side of the family are notes and letters from the past I would love any opportunity to rekindle my connection to my Irish legacy.

A huge thank you to Jen for participating in my little interview and sharing her lovely work with us! Please stop by her shop and give her a heart and her blog to read more about her.

Time for a Giveaway!!
Oh how I wish I could get in on this one! Jen has so generously offered the winner their choice of one of the two lovely items shown below. The Tattered Flower Necklace or The French Beach House Pillow which reads - Maison de Plage. Both are valued at $30! Wow, thanks Jen!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your name, and email address or Etsy username. That's it!

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Jen's Blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from City Farmhouse : 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, July 26th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, July 27th.

Hall of Fame {Eastern Sky}

Welcome back, everyone! Grab a cup of coffee (or maybe tea would be more appropriate in this case), and kick back to read what may be the most insightful and inspiring interview yet.

Meet Lana, the dexterous woman behind Eastern Sky. Lana is truly a jack-of-all-trades, running not one, but three successful shops on Etsy.

Keep reading and discover her undeniable passion for handmade, her many skills, just who is Mr. P, and a chance to win some of her gorgeous, handmade work.

(above polaroid: Lana with her father - she's "the one without the beard.")

What inspires you?
Anything and everything! Inspiration can hit from the strangest places; a smell, a sound, the play of light through leaves, a ripple on water, the curve of a unfurling fern… Almost anything you see can evoke a thought which can grow and take shape in your mind, and turn into the most unexpected things…

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
Home is currently Shropshire (England), and I have lived here since 1994. It’s a beautiful place, with rolling green hills, picturesque villages and ribbons of woodland. I was born in Manchester, but moved from there to the countryside of Cheshire when I was about 5.
Name something unique to where you live.
The world's first cast iron bridge was built over the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire in 1779. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has 10 museums along the river including Blists Hill Victorian Town, which is a recreated Victorian town full of people in costumes where you can experience Victorian life up close and personal! Fun AND educational… : )

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
Interesting huh? Let me see… I was born backwards. Yup, came out butt-first. With my feet tucked behind my ears

What are three of your favorite foods?
Is a cup of tea food? Cause I love a good cup of tea. (It has to be Twinings Earl Grey though, it’s the best sort.) I’m not sure I’m able to choose just 3 things, my favourite foods depend entirely on what time of day it is, whether it’s summer or winter… There’s just too much good food out there! I’m quite partial to a bit of seafood though. Mmmm, prawns…
What made you decide to open up shop?
Opening a shop wasn’t really so much of a decision as a necessity… I literally can’t stop myself from making things. My bedroom/studio is filled with wire, gemstones, fabric, yarn, paper, pencils, paints, fibre for felting, glue, beads, thread, pliers, random supplies I’ve had an interesting idea for but haven’t got round to using yet… I drag my crafting supplies around with me; if I know I’ve got to sit somewhere and wait even for 10 minutes I take knitting with me, or a sketchbook. If I sit down to watch a movie in the evening I will generally be knitting at the same time, or making felt beads, or drawing, or wire wrapping some gemstones… I have several boxes filled with bags of jewellery I’ve made and haven’t had chance to photograph yet. I’ve got bags stuffed with hand knit scarves and cowls that need listing, I’ve got about 3 massive quilts that need finishing off and about a hundred other projects on the go. I’m learning to make shoes. If I don’t sell some of this stuff I will eventually disappear beneath a mountain of handcrafted goodness… Also I need money to buy new supplies so I can make more things! I love the sense of satisfaction you get when you sit back and look at something you have made all by yourself. Honestly, I never want to do anything else.
Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
I used to have a day job! Until April of this year I was working in a hospital pathology department (my degree was in Biology and Biochemistry…), but it was only a temporary position, and when it finished I decided to take the plunge and concentrate full time on my etsy shops. It’s been a lot of hard work so far, and I’m anticipating more hard work to come, but it’s also been a lot of fun! I’m really hoping to be successful enough not to have to go back to a ‘regular job’. I’m currently running 2 shops on etsy, EasternSky and FirebirdJewellery, but I’m considering opening some more! (I guess I’m a sucker for punishment…) I want to keep each of my shops looking cohesive and not too cluttered with random things, so I’m thinking I might open a separate shop for hand knit things, clothing, quilts (and maybe shoes when I’ve figured them out), and another one for artwork and photography… I don’t know, is 4 shops a crazy idea? Cause I’m also thinking about another shop for handbound books and one for stuffed animals too… Oh yeah, and there’s my beading supply shop. (themagpietree, currently empty…) Too much? Feel free to write and tell me I’m crazy.

How did you select the name Eastern Sky? Any special significance?
Picking a shop name is one of the hardest things ever. It has to be something you won’t get fed up of, cause you can’t change it! I did have a pretty long think about it, and I ended up with Eastern Sky mostly because it sounds quite nice and not too silly… Also it’s quite symbolic in a way; the East has always sounded exotic and interesting, centuries ago all the traders would head off into the far East and return with exciting cargoes of silk, spices and gems. The East has always made me think of things like Arabian Nights and exotic adventure… The sun rises in the Eastern sky and so it symbolises new beginnings and rebirth. I wanted my etsy shops to be my rebirth, moving away from the world of 9-5 jobs and commuting, and into a world of creativity where I felt happy and fulfilled. I’ve kind of got a rebirth theme going on with my shop names now since I opened up FirebirdJewellery (firebird = phoenix), so I guess I’ll have to bear that in mind if I open up any new shops!

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
Everything! I love every aspect of it. I love looking around for the perfect items and supplies to work with (online shopping is great for this as the whole world is my store), I love opening packages that arrive in the mail and inspecting the new goodies (I’m currently awaiting the arrival of some handmade lampwork beads that I’m quite excited about), then I get to make things! Lately I’ve been finding the photography quite tedious as I end up taking so many photos, and then I spend hours editing them, and I’m never quite satisfied with the end results. Although just the other day I got a lovely surprise convo through my jewellery shop from someone who just wanted to tell me how much she liked my work, and that my photos were stunning! (Thank you Charlotte!) And that’s another thing I love about selling handmade, the interaction you get with the people who buy your work – knowing that something you’ve made, and put a little piece of your soul into is being loved and appreciated by someone far away, perhaps on the other side of the world…
Once upon a time, everything was handmade. Everything that was ever made was made by someone’s hands, and each item had care and attention put into it. That somehow made things more special, gave them more meaning. If I drop a shop bought bowl and break it, I just throw away the bits and buy another one from the supermarket or wherever. It’s identical. A thousand people have the same bowl in their kitchen cupboard. If I drop a handmade bowl I bought from a ceramic artist, I would feel really upset. The bowl would be gone, and there would never be another one quite like it. I love everything about selling (and buying) handmade, but perhaps my favourite thing is the fact that the item in question IS handmade, and when you hold it in your hands, you are holding a little piece of someone’s soul…

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
Where to begin? There are so many! I love shopping on etsy. There are so many things I spot every day that I really want to buy, but I have to restrain myself… My last real impulse buy, where I spotted something and loved it so much I had to buy it there and then was a beautiful pale blue vintage Amelia Earhart suitcase with hand drawn illustrations on it from Rachel of GetReadySetGO. I couldn’t really afford it, but I bought it anyway. I wasn’t even going anywhere.

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
Making things! : ) I also love reading, but lately just haven’t had the time to sit down and read something. I can quite happily spend a whole day curled up in a chair with a good book (and a cup of tea), but these days my head is filled with thoughts of “I should really be doing that photography now” or “Don’t I have about 500 photos to edit?” and “I’d better get those orders packed up to go to the post in the morning”…
I love going for walks too, not huge mad hikes or anything, just happily wandering through the countryside and daydreaming as I go.

Read any good books lately?
See above! I think the last book I actually sat down and read was ‘The Woman in White’ by Wilkie Collins. I wouldn’t say it was my favourite book ever, but I did really enjoy it. Some of my favourites include ‘Voice of the Fire’ by Alan Moore, ‘And the Ass saw the Angel’ by Nick Cave and most things by Neil Gaiman. (I also have a secret love of the Harry Potter books, but shhhh! Don’t tell anyone…)

What is your most prized possession?
I’m not sure I have one single possession that stands out above all the others… Out of all the things that I can be said to own, I would be most upset if something happened to my cat Pippin (that’s Mr P to you…) although he’s not really my possession, he comes and goes as he pleases.

Pippin

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
I only get one? Hmmm… I think I’ll go with ‘creative’. Although perhaps it should be ‘indecisive’…

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
Again, only one?! I’m no good at this choosing thing… There are so many places in the world that I really want to go to… How can I choose between Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat? Although just lately I do really have my heart set on Australia…

A huge thank you to Lana for sharing with us! Stop by her blog and show her some love...

Time for a Giveaway!!
Didn't I tell you you'd be glad you stopped by?! Lana is generously offering one winner a set of two of her lovely bracelets (as shown above) in either cotton or merino yarn in whatever colors they choose!! Awesome!

Lana would like to know what your favorite movies are!
To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your answer, name, and email address or Etsy username.

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Lana's blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from Eastern Sky or FirebirdJewellery : 10 additional entries
(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, July 19th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced Monday, July 20th.