Giveaway from Vinyl Graphics Creations: $12 Gift Certificate

Win a $12 Gift Certificate to spend on Vinyl Graphics Creations.

Learn more about Becki, the artist behind this great shop, here on yesterday's Saturday Artisan post.  

Number of winner: 1 (One)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts now and ends on September 10, 2014. Contest opens US and Canada (Free Shipping to US only). Open to Legal Residents (18 years of age or older). Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on September 12th. Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by e-mail. Adorebynat is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prizes and in a timely manner. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Don't forget to check out other current giveaway here.

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

Here is how to apply.

Saturday Artisan: Vinyl Graphics Creations

Meet Becki of Vinyl Graphics Creations, our Saturday Artisan.

Looking for useful Vinyl products, whether applied or ready for you to apply? Check out Becki's shop! Contact her if you have a custom request just like this one below.

Let's get to know her, shall we?

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

We love working with vinyl! We have found that almost everything can look better with vinyl!! We do Ready to apply vinyl as well as finished products. Thank You so much for taking a peek.

What is the story behind your shop name?  

We love to create using vinyl and have learned that it is more than just signage.

Who is your target market?

Everyone!

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

I really love the creation part but I also love to hold the project that began as a concept.

For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/ city? 

I live in a beautiful little Swedish town! (I am having no luck sharing pictures).

Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little tips here and there in this department?

I could absolutely use some tips.

What is your best seller?

Love Dashboard Graphics.

How does your day go in general?

My day job requires lots of travel and federal regulations, So when I get home from work I can relax, be creative and not worry about regulations.

How do you balance your personal and work life?

I am not so good at this. My work life overwhelms my personal life regularly.

What inspires you?

Color and style.

What is your goal for 2014?  And are you on the right track?

To begin working my day job half time and my vinyl designs half time. Yes there are lots of changes coming in the next few months :)

What is the key to success?

Persistence and dedication

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?

Persistence and Dedication are very necessary

What does handmade mean to you?

Anything created on a small scale with love

What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?

Life is not about the number of breaths that you take. It is about the number of moments that take your breath away.

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway? Here is how to apply.

Giveaway from Angel Crafts Shop: $10 Gift Certificate

Win a $10 Gift Certificate to spend on Angel Crafts Shop.

Learn more about Sandra, the artist behind this great shop, here on yesterday's Saturday Artisan post.  


a Rafflecopter giveaway 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts now and ends on September 2, 2014. Contest opens Worldwide. Open to Legal Residents (18 years of age or older). Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on September 3rd. Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by e-mail. Adorebynat is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prizes and in a timely manner. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Don't forget to check out other current giveaway here.

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

Here is how to apply.

Saturday Artisan: Angel Crafts Shop

Meet Sandra, the artist behind Angel Crafts Shop. She is our Saturday Artisan for this week. It's an honor to know Sandra and to feature her shop. I admire her dedication in helping special need orphans. Check out Sandra's shop and you will see that her products are beautifully made. 

Without further a due, let's get to know her, shall we?

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

I'm a WAHM (Work-At-Home-Mum), living in Switzerland with my sweet 10-year-old boy and my loving husband. We moved here for my husband's work and love living in this picture-postcard-beautiful country. 

I make Kanzashi-inspired Hairclips as well as Suffolk-Puff Flower Hairclips. I also make Hairbow Holders which help keep all those pretty hairclips organised and available at a quick glance. I have recently added Fimo Keyrings to my craft items.

I decided to combine my love for crafting and my love for these kiddos. So this store was born. 50% of the sale price of every item goes back to the orphans. The other half goes to buying more supplies and keeping the store running.
Every month i will select a couple of special needs orphans who are listed on Reece's Rainbow to benefit from the sale of my crafts.

You can read more about the orphans I advocate for on my blog - trippingdifferently.com.

What is the story behind your shop name?  

AngelCraftsShop started out as a project for a Sunday School class to help a couple of special needs orphans, initially called Angels for Orphans. After that one project, I felt the need to do more and have been advocating for special needs orphans since 2012, mainly working with Reece's Rainbow, a Christian advocate ministry. After a year, I wanted to have a constant way of giving to these precious children.

Who is your target market?

Anyone who supports handmade and orphans really. Of course, with my current range of items, mostly women and people who have little girls to dote on. I hope to expand my range of products to include some things for boys in the near future.

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

The actual making of the item, cutting up the material and putting it all together.

For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/ city? 

What you see in postcards about Switzerland is indeed what you get to see when you come here. It is a beautiful country, with stunning scenery and lovely old towns to explore. Of course, it also produces some of the world's best chocolate!

Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little tips here and there in this department?

I use Ikea's inexpensive yet durable self-assemble cardboard boxes to store all my materials. Divided into different categories such as Knitting, Fimo, Cloth, Beads/Buttons, Ribbons etc. I find having boxes of the same size allows for easy stacking and moving them around is also a breeze.

What is your best seller?

It's a tie at the moment. The Classy White and Turquoise Kanzashi Flower Hairclips and the Sweetie Blue and Orange Kanzashi Hairpins.

How does your day go in general?

Different days of the week vary, depending on the activities the family has on. On production days, when i'm working on making items, I generally start after I had a quick look at my emails, about 9 am. Then I work till about lunchtime. Usually I try and make production days when my boy gets to stay in school for lunch. That way I can have a quick lunch and can get back to work for a couple more hours before he gets home from school. Other things, such as updating the website and social media etc, I usually do after my boy is asleep.

How do you balance your personal and work life?

Family comes first so if there is a need to, I will shorten production days or move things around to fit the family schedule.

What inspires you?

Nature! I love how pretty and intricate flowers are. And I keep on making because I want to help the special needs orphans I advocate for.

What is your goal for 2014?  And are you on the right track?

To do my first fair and have at least 100 items listed. I think I'm more or less on track ;)

What is the key to success?

Perseverance and Patience

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?
I just started myself so my advice would be to just start and learn on the job cos that is how I'm doing it.

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade means something which someone has used their very unique set of skills and put their heart into creating. It means one of a kind, it means intentionally and lovingly made.

What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?

My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway? Here is how to apply.

Oh Happy Mails

Receiving snail mails (with the exception of bills!) is pretty exciting!

I was patient enough waiting to see these goodies. They arrived months before me, so opening them all at once is just like opening presents at a Christmas day all over again. 

Be warned! I will show you a lot of amazing products. Please don't drool! Tee hee! And if you love them, you know where to get them. Links to the shops are provided below.

These stamps and washi tapes are treats for me. I have ton of stamps already and most of them are still unopened. But as one that has a serious hobby, you would understand, wouldn't you? 

I also bought myself a birthday present from one of the amazing jewelry artists, Aya of Aya Designs. I truly love her designs.  

Not too long ago, I purchased these cute necklaces and bracelet from my buddy, Zei of Pelhuaz by Red.

Check out this beautiful flower charm from Pelhuaz and adorable pink owl from Unique Creations by Tracy.

I was lucky enough to win this cute Wezen by J by G's giveaway, hosted at Pelhuaz's blog. I'm going to put it on my desk. I think it will do a very good job in cheering me up whenever I feel my day is not as good as I'd like it to be.

Networking with other business owners are rewarding. When you have a small business and your marketing budget is so limited, working with others is the best way to go. Interacting with others such as commenting their FB statuses, helps you to be seen as well. When they do a giveaway, you participate by entering and spreading the word. Who know, maybe you are lucky and you get to be the winner. 

This beautiful scarf is from Alesia of Green Barn Yarn and Gifts (previously known as Sew Accessible).

These pretty earrings are from Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. Catherine is an amazing lady and her creations are one of a kind, beautiful and made with only high-quality material. Such a blessed to have a friend like her.

This cute monster plush is from Cody of Lu & Ed. It was made based on my little guy's drawing. Truly one-of-a-kind!

In addition, I received this goodies bag. What not to love? Such a pleasure being in this amazing community. These are from my favorite handmade shops! Some I come to know as wonderful virtual friends.



Now, who is not going to love Pedra, the lion? Kelly of Kiser Krafts is the amazing creator.



Pedra is so cheerful and a perfect companion for my little guy. He said she is pretty. :-)

Last but not least, look what I got in the mail the other day, a surprise bag from Violetsbuds. Pretty, pretty, and pretty!

I want to thank all these ladies for creating beautiful products. I'm honored to be the recipient. 

If you are looking for a gift for yourself or loved ones, I highly recommend those shops above. Their products are one-of-a-kind, created with passion and I guarantee you that you get superb customer service. 

Giveaway from Strega Jewellry: Set of 7 Earrings

Ready for another GIVEAWAY? 

One lucky winner will win a set of  You-Nique Earrings from Lee of Strega Jewellry. These are only available on Strega Jewellry as far as I know. You just don't get just a pair of earrings! You-Nique earrings is a set of 7 different earrings in a color palette based on Pantone's palettes in the book, Communicating With Color. Each palette reflects a different mood or personality type. There are the Playful, Dramatic Black, the Cool, the Warm Palette, the Woodsy or Earthy, the Romantic palette, etc. The idea is to suit the palette to the colors you wear the most. With 7 different earrings, you wear mismatched pairs and by doing this, you can end up with 21 different combination. Lee call them You-Nique Earrings and they are for folks who like to be daring and different. The set you win will be based on your color palette choices, not necessarily the palette shown. 

Check her blog to see examples of each palette (psst! She's having a giveaway there too!).

Learn more about Lee, the artist behind this great shop, here on yesterday's Saturday Artisan post. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts now and ends on August 18, 2014. Contest opens US and Canada. Open to Legal Residents (18 years of age or older). Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on August 19th. Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by e-mail. Adorebynat is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prizes and in a timely manner. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Don't forget to check out other current giveaways here.

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

Here is how to apply.

Saturday Artisan: Strega Jewellry

Meet Lee, the owner and artist of Strega Jewellry. Lee offers unique handmade jewelries. Her You-Nique Earrings are something that you rarely see in other shops. Let's get to know her more, shall we?

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

I suppose I am a "jack of all trades", have tried my hand at many things, am a knitter, do kumihimi, Chinese knots, macramé and sew but my most favorite past time is making jewelry. I started out taking wire wrapping classes at the Art Center here in Dayton and ended up as an instructor in the Arise program. I continued classes and fell in love with metal clay for a while, dabbled in polymer, but always come back to wire. It's such a versatile media. I'm happy to learn the other things because I can use them all.  

What is the story behind your shop name? 

I am pagan. Originally I wanted a target market of wiccans and needed a name that would mean something to that particular group. I also did not want something too witchy because it's scary to some people who do not know about nature based religions and think that Wiccans are devil worshipers so I I doodled around with earthy names and blue moons and fairy names and finally settled on Strega which is an Italian word for witch. 

Who is your target market?

When I started, I had a target market in mind, the metaphysical group who love natural stones and stone lore and pieces that reflected a certain spiritual inclination. Then, I grew outward from wire wrap and learned new things and had so much fun, I make all kinds of things. Now, I think that has changed and I target folks who like bold and unusual items, one of a kind.  

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

I LOVE finding or making a focal or beads and then dreaming up what I am going to do with them. I love sketching out a design and even if the idea falls apart and I have to back up and dream up something new, I love that part of it. I love finding the beads and wire components that fit together, rummaging through my stash for beads, browsing books or tutorials for links or components that will really set off a piece.  

Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little tips here and there in this department?

Did you say "organize"? Wait, I may have to go look that word up.

What is your best seller?

I sell more earrings than anything else. After that, I would have to say stone pendants.

How does your day go in general?

I try to have a plan. I take care of my son's 3 boys while he works so I have to work around their schedule. Usually mornings are for "around the house" stuff. If I have pictures to take, or pieces that need hammering, I get them involved so I am not ignoring them. Even the 3 year old knows what to get when I say "I need the bench block, the chasing hammer and leather" and he can help if I am using a rubber hammer. They love doing things with me.
After lunch, when it is "rest period" I sketch or sort beads for a project work on my blog or list items. After they leave, it's me, my beads and wire. Not a lot of time but we work it out.  

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by the natural world, the colors, the stones, ancient stone lore and the general "feel" of a rock in my hand or the earth under my feet. I'm inspired by music some times. A song or tune will get stuck in my head and I will wonder what it would "feel" like if I put it to beads.  

What is the key to success?

Perseverance  

What does handmade mean to you?

Hand made is time and energy and love all poured into creating something by one's self, or as much by one's self as possible. It's taking the time for details and not turning out pieces that look just like every one else's work.  

What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?

Apache proberb: make my enemy strong, so that if I am defeated, I need not be ashamed. My favourite song is Little Wing.



Connect with Lee here: 

https://twitter.com/stregajewellry

http://www.pinterest.com/stregajewellry/

https://www.facebook.com/StregaJewellry

http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com 

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

Here is how to apply.