Giveaway from Ovella Wool: a six Pack of the Terra Collection Wool Dryer Balls

Win this set of amazing Wool Dryer Balls from Ovella Wool. This set of 6 dryer balls comes from Terra Collection and  is worth $27.95

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

Number of winner: 1 (One)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. The contest starts now and ends on January 19, 2014. The contest opens to 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. The contest winner will be drawn on January 20th. The winner will be selected by Random.org and 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 in a timely manner. The 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: Ovella Wool

Happy New Year!

Welcome to our first Saturday Artisan post of 2015. 

Say hello to Justen, the owner and artist of Ovella Wool. Natural is always better. Saving energy is even more fantastic. 

Get to know Justen and her amazing wool dryer balls, shall we?

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

I am a mom, first and foremost, to three, Aiden 8, Carly 4, and Parker 2. I have been married for over 10 years to my high school sweetheart, and while it has been a rough going, we always come out on top. We live in Midland Michigan, not far from the small town we grew up in. I work full time at the post office delivering mail. Ovella wool is relatively new, while I have been working with wool for a few years, the company was basically formed on a whim! I currently make wool dryer balls and am working on adding felted soaps to my store. My specialty is hand dyeing with natural dyes. It has become an addiction!

What is the story behind your shop name?  

Ovella is Galician for sheep. I am a huge Outlander fan and had originally wanted to incorporate Gaelic words in the shop, but "Caora" wasn't what I was going for. I believe my finger slipped to Galician and before I knew it, I had a name. I also use Galician words for the dryer ball collections. 

Who is your target market?

My targeted market is anyone who is looking reduce their carbon footprint on the plant, wants to save money, wants to reduce chemicals in their home, and who is just looking for natural products.

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

My favorite part is packaging the dryer balls up and sending them out! I hope that people are happy with their purchases and enjoy using my product!

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

The organization of Ovella is evolving. All of my supplies are currently located in the closet in our bedroom! They tend to take up a lot of space, and even more so when I return home from the wool processor! 12 pounds of wool tends to take up half the closet! 

What is your best seller?

The Crema Collection is my best seller. It is a natural ivory color and requires the least amount of overall time so they are the cheapest collection for Ovella.

What sets you aparts from your competitors?

My dryer balls are soft! From my understanding, most of the name-brand balls are small and dense, mine are soft and light!

How do you balance your personal and work life?

I am currently in the process of learning this one! I tend to work six days a week at the post office, so my evenings include helping the kids with homework, getting dinner around, cleaning up the house, laundry, and finally getting the kids in bed so I can work with my wool! 

What inspires you?

Working with my hands. I have always enjoyed the hands on approach to everything in life, and have always wanted to own my own business. This is the best of both worlds to me, and I get to make money by doing it! 

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

My goal is to get my name out there! I believe that is happening. I have held fundraisers for a local charity, and have had multiple giveaways. Most customers are impressed with the quality and performance of my dryer balls. I also have had the pleasure of supplying wool dryer balls to two stores here in Michigan. Also, to work even more with natural dyes. The colors are amazing and am happy that I have been able to create them without any extra chemicals!

What is the key to success?

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?
Be patient. Sales are still slow for me, but I believe that just like anything else, good things come to those who wait.

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade means taking pride in your work. You want you work to be a reflection of you, and that is what I try to do. From the packaging to the quality control, I inspect each and every dryer ball to make sure that it is perfect.

Please check and like her FB page: www.facebook.com/ovellawool

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

Saturday Artisan: Faded Leaves Naturals

Meet Shannon, our Saturday Artisan! She is the artist and owner of Faded Leaves Naturals.

I simply love Shannon's shop! It fills with products that you need on a day to day basis. And the plus is, they are all naturals! It's one of the shops I have on my list to go to.

Let's get to know her more, shall we? 

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

I am a cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, earth mama. The birth of my daughter awakened a person inside of me that I was always meant to be. I became more natural minded and interested in holistic health. I started creating salves and balms for use on my daughter and family and soon had family and friends asking why I wasn't selling them. My products expanded as my knowledge of natural living expanded. I am now pursuing my certified herbalist degree as well as practicing as a postpartum doula in my community. I am passionate about a more natural way of living and love spreading my knowledge and love to others. Peace, love, and happiness.

What is the story behind your shop name?  

I wanted something that sounded earthy but wasnt so far fetched that it would ostracize anyone. After months of searching, Faded Leaves Naturals just came to and stuck.  

Who is your target market?

My target market is natural minded women, men, and families, or people interested in pursuing or starting a more natural lifestyle for their families. The first mentioned group are sometimes known as the "crunchy" families or the hippies. ;)  

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

The education that goes into each item I make, esp the salves and balms. Learning the function of each herb and plant that I use and how to combine them to make a product that helps with many issues. Watching all that hard work come together and form a great product that helps people is just the best.

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

My products are organized by their main function: salves/balms, sugar scrubs, lip balms, sprays, etc. Once in their respective category I typically organize them by color or function. sometime alphabetically if i am feeling in the mood. ;)

Once made, any extras that were made but not needed for the order, go into a tub I have and are stored in my pantry as my items need set temperatures and dark environments. 

What is your best seller?

My nursing necklaces, my calendula salve, and hand sanitizer.

How does your day go in general?

M, W, F- i spend 2 hours in the mornings marketing/listing/creating/accounting for the business. The afternoons are reserved for my daughter. After she goes to bed at night, I typically list some more, work on blog articles, more marketing, or creating items for orders. I try to ship all orders in the morning, but if that doesnt happen I package them that night and ship the next day.

T, Thu- I work outside of the home at my other, unfortunately necessary, day job until my soul business takes off.

How do you balance your personal and work life?

I hired a mothers helper to come in on M, W, F to watch my daughter for those 2 hours so I can devote those hours exclusively to my business. But once those 2 hours are done and the helper is gone, I put work aside and focus on my daughter. Some days I get very little done after the helper has left and other days more, but I dont regret the time spent with her and not on my business. One day she will be gone, but this business will still be here. I do enough to keep my name out there and the orders coming in and realize that the success I want will come in time, not necessarily my timing.  

What inspires you?

Nature, my daughter.

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

My goal is to get my name out there and to turn a profit. So far I am on the right track. I keep a notebook with all my goals in it and read over it often to make sure i am staying on track.

What is the key to success?

Determination.

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?

Never give up on your worst day. Tomorrow is a new day and a new start. And tomorrow might just be the day you hit it big, but you would never know if you gave up too soon. 

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade is a way of life. I make all of our own condiments, food, snacks, detergents, napkins, etc. Handmade means being creative and using that creativity to bring happiness to others. Handmade is something, that once started, is impossible to stop. And once you start shopping handmade, you will never go back.

What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?

Never let success go to your head or failure go to your heart.

Faded Leaves Naturals can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Here is how to apply.