Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Etsy Seller Feature & Giveaway: Sammys Grammy

This giveaway is now closed!


We're excited to feature another Etsy seller with you today !  Sammy's Grammy is a lovely shop full of beautiful re-fashioned and transformed vintage pieces that have been handcrafted into new works of art.  Rita, the shop owner, is such a thoughtful person who finds beauty in so many things, I think that's how she creates such beautiful and timeless pieces. You can find her stop here: SammysGrammy Etsy Shop.  I personally love her refashioned vintage jewelry and lace headbands.  She has also made a lovely pair of earrings to giveaway to one of our awesome readers, find out below how to enter to win!  Take some time to get to know Sammy's Grammy!

A little bit about Sammy's Grammy:  My name is Rita and I am Sammy's grammy. She's 8 years old.  I live in western New York, on the shores of Lake Ontario, in the fingerlakes region. It's wine country, loads and loads of grape vines. And along Lake Ontario's shores is a fruit belt (apples, mainly but also peaches, pears, pumpkins, lotsa corn) Lots of maple trees tapped in springtime to boil up maple syrup.




What do you create?  I do "needlework". Therefore whatever I make, I use some kind of needle. it's usually hand sewn or hand knitted, hand beaded. I love using a vintage component in my creations thus repurposing - leaving as small a carbon footprint as I can. I'll repurpose a bunch of old jewelry into one new smashing piece. With the vintage linens - they are completely transformed. A vintage towel will become an angel, a vintage doily will become a purse or a shrug, a vintage pillowcase will become a child's dress. 

I have just opened a second shop, called "needleworx" to showcase all the things I love to make but do not have a vintage component. They may have an upcycled component, like the silk pillow I made from a second hand men's shirt. 



 

When did you start creating?  I started to create as a small child, watching Grandmom stitching on her Singer foot treadle machine. I wanted a turn. She let me. Pretty soon I was making clothing, nothing complicated, of course. Halter tops for my sisters and myself. As I grew up, I continued sewing because I always wanted the latest fashions and usually was unable to afford them, so I made them, often reusing fabric in the process. 


Why did you choose your medium?  As a young wife and mother, the draperies I wanted always cost more that I had so I had to make them too. This habit of wanting to be surrounded by beautiful things is what led me to "estate sailing". And the rest is history. 




Why did you choose your shop name?  I have a granddaughter named Samantha (Sammy).

What inspires you?  Because both my grandmothers did handwork and were patient with a little girl who wanted to learn, these were skills that I grew in as I matured. We are experiencing a renaissance, presently, of these arts but the actual items that the Victorians used by necessity are not needed any longer, or modern materials have replace the old. For example in a Victorian household, every piece of linen (dish towels-bath towels-sheets-pillowcases-napkins-tablecloths-underclothing) was embellished with hand crocheted lace!!! Just not so any longer. I, personally love the luxury of a lace trimmed pillowcase to sleep on rather than a polyester and cotton mass produced, no iron, one. 



What are your most cherished handmade items? The hand crocheted tablecloth my grandmother made for me for a wedding gift and a small doll coat made of wool crepe with a lace collar (which I now have on a teddy bear) which my other grandmother made for me.




To Enter to Win these lovely earrings made by Rita:

Just leave a comment below with your email address!

Extra Entries and chances to win (Leave another comment for each additional item for extra chances to win!):

1. Follow this Blog
2. Leave a comment stating your favorite item from Rita's Etsy Shop
3. Become a fan of Sammys Grammy on Facebook
4. Share this Giveaway on Facebook and Twitter!

Thanks so much for joining us today - you have until Sunday night to enter and we will announce the winner on Monday! Winner will be picked from random using random.org. Have fun!

58 comments:

  1. I am now following your blog.
    I love Rita's shops.

    ♥♥♥
    Sue

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  2. I love this purse.

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/72937952/vintage-lace-doilies-purse

    ♥♥♥
    Sue

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  3. My favorite thing is the Silver Skeleton Key & Bird Necklace.

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  4. oopps messed up. I'm following your blog.

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  5. I would love to win
    uk7ss@yahoo.com

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  6. I am a public GFC follower as uk7ss@yahoo.com

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  7. my favorite item is the Vintage Baubels Redeemed Necklace

    uk7ss@yahoo.com

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  8. Beautiful earrings!

    maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. I follow on GFC as Mary Lee

    maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. I love the Silver Skeleton Key & Bird Necklace, it's so pretty!

    maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. I liked Sammy's Grammy on Facebook! Mary Lee on fb

    maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. I tweeted about this giveaway!

    http://twitter.com/#!/MaryLeeByTheSea/status/70972621570850816

    maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. I would love to win these!

    deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com

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  14. The Vintage Linen Angel is my favorite!

    deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com

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  15. You've really taken this blog and run with it. I check whenever I see a post on twitter or facebook, but pretty soon it will make it into my starting rotation.

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  16. The earrings are adorable!

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  17. I follow this blog - janetfaye

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  18. I like Vintage Button Charm Bracelet.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  19. I like Sammys Grammy on FB - Janet Fri

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  20. This blog is absolutely better than the other blogs in the Picket Fence site.

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  21. Oh! I love these!
    aomillerL16@gmail.com

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  22. So cute!! early dot erica at gmail dot com :D

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  23. I visited Sammy's Grammy's site and LOVE the Vintage Crocheted Pillowcase Infant Dress! early dot erica at gmail dot com

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  24. What beautiful earrings!

    shilobeedy@gmail.com

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  25. I follow with gfc as Shilo Beedy

    shilobeedy@gmail.com

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  26. I like the Glass Heart on a Wrapped Cord Necklace

    shilobeedy@gmail.com

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  27. I love the pretty colors on these earrings.
    jhbalvin at gmail dot com

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  28. I especially love the Vintage Hearts and Flowers necklace because it's sweet and dainty.
    jhbalvin at gmail dot com

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  29. I love the idea of making new things out of old things. I'm always inspired, but hardly ever follow through!
    nineteen19 at blackfoot dot net

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  30. follow you on GFC
    nineteen19 at blackfoot dot net

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  31. Already following this blog...
    newcreation2c517@gmail.com

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  32. My favorite would have to be the Vintage Lace Flower Headband. I love how the old doilies are incorporated into something new!

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  33. I'm having such a good time reading all these delicious comments.

    Thanks you so much, Megan (remodeling diva) for featuring me ♥ ♥ ♥

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  34. Love this giveaway

    paula.elizabeth at cox.net

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  35. Thank you for hosting this giveaway!
    ninajoleisa at gmail dot com

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  36. Your GFC follower.
    ninajoleisa at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Favorite item from Rita's shop is the Vintage Button Charm Bracelet!
    ninajoleisa at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  38. https://twitter.com/#!/ninajoleisa/status/71281338422018048
    ninajoleisa at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Lovely earrings!
    katelyn.j.stephens at gmail dot com

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  40. Beautiful earrings! Would love to win!

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  41. My favorite item from Rita's shop is the Vintage Hearts and Flowers Necklace

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  42. very pretty earrings! Love finding out about new shops.

    micaela6955 at msn dot com

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  43. I love the Pearl and Crystal Bib Necklace from Rita's Etsy shop.
    micaela6955 at msn dot com

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  44. tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/micaela6955/status/71418244656930817
    micaela6955 at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'd love to win these earrings, so pretty!
    luckysluna(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  46. My favourite item from sammysgrammy is

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/70270927/victorian-vintage-lace-bolero

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  47. I'm following your blog :)

    email is: frangipanipalace at gmail dot com

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  48. Beautiful earrings!

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

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  49. I follow this blog - Cynthia Richardson

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

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  50. My favorite item from Rita's Etsy Shop Vintage is the Button Charm Bracelet

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

    ReplyDelete
  51. I am a fan of Sammys Grammy on Facebook - Cynthia M Richardson

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

    ReplyDelete
  52. Shared on Facebook
    http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=206072019431059&id=1372571824

    and Twitter
    http://twitter.com/#!/hofken/status/71714784512454656

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks for the giveaway!
    skklemm at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  54. cute shop love the earrings

    www.thecrochetloft.etsy.com

    ReplyDelete