Etsy Seller Feature & Giveaway: Saved By Grace Designs

So this week Justin and a bunch of teenagers and a few more adults are off to Costa Rica to spread God's love on a mission trip.  They are doing everything from feeding the homeless, vbs, hygiene distribution and of course sharing the gospel wherever they go.  I just received a little mini report from Justin and it sounds like they have had a wonderful time today, Justin is so proud of the students and their eagerness to share Jesus with others.  


I'm so excited about our etsy feature and giveaway today.  Andrea Anderson of Saved by Grace Designs is sharing some beautiful insight into her shop and also her faith.  She is a sweet, sweet person whose love for God is evident in what she does.  She is offering two handmade reversible headbands (of your choice) to one of our readers - but that's not the coolest part.  She will also send two of her headbands to two girls in the Dominican Republic (a place her parents go on mission to every year).  And, even cooler yet, each time anyone makes a headband purchase with her she will send a headband with the Dominican Mission - how awesome!  (She loves custom orders so if you have something else in mind, don't hesitate to ask her!)  She has a heart for missions and I think it's so cool that this happens to fall during the week that Justin and our students are off on a mission trip themselves.  So take some time to get to know Andrea, I know you will enjoy reading her feature.  The giveaway starts today and a winner will be announced Saturday morning!

Where are you located? Cleveland, Ohio

What do you create? So far...reversible aprons, reversible headbands and hot/cold packs filled with dried cherry pits, but I have a few other ideas in the works too ;)

Tell us about your blog: "Whispers in the Silence" refers to God's voice, quiet, yet there, just waiting for me to listen to Him. I love writing about what God whispers to me and can feel a difference in my writing when He is speaking through me versus when I'm just writing for fun. "Whispers" also provides a creative outlet for me - in writing, projects and photo styles - and a way to honor the creative spirit God placed inside me. 

Are there any charities you support? I give to a number of charities as I feel led. I especially have a heart for organizations which help woman and children - especially when it comes to basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and medical care. Currently, my husband and I are planning to do a triathlon in honor of Charity:Water which brings clean, safe water to people in underdeveloped countries. There is a link the donation page on my blog if you want to check it out.

Why is missions important to you? As God has grown me in knowing Him, He has opened my eyes to the suffering His children face around the world. I often feel the tug to go and help. So far, God hasn't opened the way for me to physically go to another place and help, but He has made it possible for my husband and I to provide financial support. Last year, when I started making the reversible headbands, I thought it would be fun to make headbands for girls in the Dominican Republic - my parents have led an annual construction mission there for the past six or seven years. As I made the headbands, I thought of the girls who might be wearing them and loved how this was one more way I could participate on the mission. 

Where do you create? You can see this post on my blog for a tour of my "workshop." I'm dreaming about a sewing room however...

Why did you choose your shop/company name? "Saved by Grace" is a reminder to me that everything I have, is because God loves me as His child and chose to have His Son die for me. As someone who struggles to break free from a legalistic way of thinking, I need this grace reminder daily, otherwise, I would easily fall into the trap of thinking that what I do in my life and my shop is somehow earning my way into His kingdom. And, perhaps, if there are others who are seeking God's love, but have yet to encounter it, God may use this shop name to point them to His message of salvation.

What have you learned in the process of growing your business? Making sure all the "i's" are dotted and "t's" are crossed. I used to thinking selling handmade items was as simple as making the item and slapping a price tag on it. However, I've come to learn there are regulations which need to be followed and that it's helpful to have a lawyer review marketing language and policies. For new products which I want to sell, I also need to budget in extra time for testing patterns and products to ensure the end product is of high quality and durable (I'm tired of buying this which break 2 seconds after I buy them and I imagine my customers are too :) )

What do you do when you are not creating? Loving my husband, raising my children, homeschooling, writing, training for my first triathlon (yikes!) and setting time aside in my day to listen to God.

To Enter to win two of these headbands of your choice from Andrea:

Just leave a comment below with your email address!

This Giveaway is now Closed!!

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 Andrea's Etsy Shop

3. Share this Giveaway on Facebook and Twitter!

You have through Friday, July 29th to enter!  Winner will be announced Saturday!!

Etsy Seller Feature & Giveaway: The Crochet Loft

We have a great feature and giveaway for you all today.  I am always a fan of crochet, It's one of those things that I've always wanted to learn but haven't because I know I don't have the patience to do it.  Renee from The Crochet Loft is a sweetheart and has a neat Etsy shop where she offers one of a kind handmade cozies, scarves, gloves and headbands, I love the detail she puts in her work.  She has graciously offered to make a custom cozy for one lucky winner and I think that is so sweet of her.  You can see below how to enter. 

A little bit about our Etsy Seller:  My name is Renee and my shop is thecrochetloft. I reside in California. I crochet water bottle cozies in the warm months and scarves, fingerless gloves and wide headbands in cooler months.

When did you start creating?:  I started to crochet when I was about 9 years old with my mom.

Why did you choose Crochet?:  I like to crochet because it relaxes me and puts me into a zen mode.

What inspires you?:  I get my inspiration from the colors out in the world whether it is from nature or just looking at items from a store.

Where do you create?:  When I create I have a quiet place in my bedroom next to the window and sitting on a rocking chair.

What is your most cherished handmade item?:  The most cherished item I have made is not in my shop. I made a sweater jacket and it took me 4 months to make. The funny thing about it is I never wore it because I did not want the jacket to get dirty.

To Enter to Win a custom cozy made by Renee:

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 Renee's Etsy Shop

3. Become a follower of The Crochet Loft's Blog

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!

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!