Lanatema Giveaway and Review

I would like to introduce you to my new Italian Etsy friend Alessandra,
owner of the super cute shop Lanatema. When she contacted me
about sponsoring a giveaway and review I was delighted
to find her shop full of adorable felt plushies, magnets and bookmarks.

She sent me this fuzzy little treat last week, and my refrigerator couldn't be any happier!

I love this particular design because you can center it over a face on a picture or a date on a calendar.

 

I think these little treasures would make a perfect "Thinking of You" gift,
all wrapped & ready to go.

Alessandra would like to giveaway one of her scrumptious little cookie bookmarks

to one lucky blog reader!

First, let's find out a little more about Alessandra and her brand new small business.

Q: Congratulations on starting a new Etsy business! I see you are just 21 years old. I don't think I was as entrepreneurial at that age.  Tell us a little more about yourself.

A: First of all thank you for your congrats! I opened my shop on August 2014 with curiosity, to try a new experience and to see if other people would like my creations.

I study at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera most of the day and spend every minute of free time doing something for my shop  (for example during train travels to the academy); it takes a lot of effort but it is so much fun.

Q: How did your products come to be?

A: When I create a new item, I take inspiration from things I like such as animals or little colorful objects that attract me. Once I have an idea, I draw it on cardstock. Then I copy it on felt, cut, and sew all the parts together.

I am very lucky because in my town there is an amazing fabric shop where I can buy very good quality materials (I almost live there :-) ).

Q: What do you think sets you apart from other Etsy shops? What do you want people to know about you?

A: I try to create something useful, that also makes people happy. This is the reason why many of my creations have a lovely smile. I put all my best in every stitch, in fact my family makes fun of me because they say that i'm too particular. I've made many custom orders (in particular for friends) and I am very happy to do it because it helps me to create new objects. Creating something personalized is very exciting because I can bring to life any item you can imagine.

Q: I see you've joined the Etsy Italia team. I would never have known so many Etsy sellers were based in Italy! Have you focused your efforts on sales locally or do you hope to take on the international market?

A: Yes, it is a very big team of Italian sellers; we try to help each other with suggestions or tips. I hope to take on the international market because handmade is more appreciated and valued. In Italy e-commerce isn't as widespread as in the US . Here, we prefer stalls or little shops where one can touch and see the product.

Q: Do you have any big plans for the future?

A: Yes of course :-) I would like to increase my online sales! I'd also like to have my own stall and meet people so I can show them how I make my items. But my adventure has only just begun.

Now, on to the good stuff!

We are making it super easy to enter the giveaway.

Simply visit Lanatema & tell us what you think

in a comment below!

*Bonus entry for sharing this giveaway on Facebook and tagging www.facebook.com/lanatema

Don't forget to leave your email or a way to contact you!

Alessandra would like to offer everyone a coupon for 20% off, 

now until the end of the giveaway.

Use the code 20COUPON to receive a discount off your entire purchase at Lanatema!

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Be sure to follow me by email for future giveaways & product reviews.

Visit the giveaway tab at the top of the page for more chances to win.

Giveaway winner will be chosen on Monday, April 20, 2015 at noon PST.

Must be 18 years of age and a US/Canada resident to win.

Winner will be chosen with random.org and have 3 days to respond to this post or email.

A Little Something for Valentine's Day: Coupon Code

Just wanted to send a little love your way this Valentine's Day!

Coupon code is good for 20% off your entire purchase at Modern Typography on Etsy now until February 14th at 11:59pm.

My Latest Fix (Stitch Fix)

My Stitch Fix box arrived, just in time for Christmas (and 5 days earlier than expected)! I had ordered it mid-November and it was the earliest date available. At the time I was very pregnant and home on maternity leave, dreaming of clothes that weren't 99% spandex. I gave a pretty tall order, "make me not look fat" more or less. I filled out their style profile, left a note for my stylist, and wished for the best.

For those of you unfamiliar with Stitch Fix it's a styling service. They send you 5 items for a $20 fee. Keep and pay for what you'd like, send back the rest. If you keep all 5 items you get a 25% discount, if you send it all back they keep the styling fee. The fee goes toward the items you keep. I think what sold me was the not leaving your home part. With baby number 4 and just having finished Christmas shopping I am really over my need to go anywhere. I also have very little time when I do go shopping. When I do get the chance to shop, I always end up in the same stores buying the same style of clothes, if you could call it a style. According to the website the average price of an item is $50, it's more than what I usually spend but there are no additional charges for shipping, just tax.

I seriously couldn't believe I decided to keep everything. So here's what I got!

EZRA

Eileen Striped Dolman Top $38.00

I hate the neckline, it's too low and I never wear v necks. Its also long and frumpy looking. I don't think horizontal stripes are ever going to work for me. I do however like the material and color. Not my favorite in the box, but I didn't give up hope!

Size Just right
Price Just right
Style Hate it
Fit/Cut Hate it

PAPERMOON

Elvina Embroidery Detail Pocket Front Top $44.00

I'm not into boho, seems like a mix up. But I love this top, the small amount of detail, otherwise simple. Great colors for me, goes good with jeans. I don't like that it needs dry cleaning, how is this "easy to take care of"? I'll make it work though, I love this shirt. It was the first thing I wore from the box.

Size Just right
Price Just right
Style Love it
Fit/Cut Love it

EZRA

Isaac Open Cardigan $48.00

Great color for me, soft and luxurious, goes well with jeans, perfect amount of detail, great length. This was my favorite, instantly loved. Do this again Stitch Fix and you'll have me for life!

Size Just right
Price Just right
Style Love it
Fit/Cut Love it

LOVEAPPELLA

Evie Draw String Funnel Neck Sweatshirt $64.00

I wasn't sure about this style and fit, and the pocket sort of falls on my baby bump. The funnel neck seemed odd. But it just works. It's incredibly soft and the color/marl is flattering. 

Size Just right
Price Too high
Style Like it
Fit/Cut Like it

HONEY PUNCH

Mya Plaid & Lace Button-Up $48.00

Returning, small stain. It was too long, very unflattering with baby bump. I don't like long shapeless shirts. I rarely find button ups that work. I also prefer warmer pieces, I get cold easily. 

Size Too Big
Price Just right
Style Just okay
Fit/Cut Hate it

So I liked/loved 3 out of 5 items, this far exceeded my expectations. At first I was a little put off by them sending something they considered boho and saying it appealed to me, as nothing in my profile suggested I like boho. And the really long flowy shirts totally went against the classic, fitted style I prefer. But I did just have a baby and if I'd gotten tightly fitted clothes they probably wouldn't have worked. I'd say their instincts paid off.

Stitch Fix didn't have a replacement for the Mya Plaid shirt but they were very nice and let me have the 25% off the other items (as I had planned to keep them all for the discount). Great customer service was the cherry on top of this great fix! So for about $140 bucks I got 4 new tops. With the discount the price is pretty close to what I'd usually pay. I'm hoping the striped Eileen grows on me, maybe it'll look better as the baby bump does. It is really comfortable either way.

Needless to say, I will be ordering another Stitch Fix box in the future. I may have even sold my sister on the idea! You can go ahead and add a Stitch Fix gift card to my wish list! Be sure to follow a link from my blog to help me get my next fix :)

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/melanierhoades?sod=w&som=c

DIY Snowglobes: Upcycled Jars

While I'm not sure I'll ever be able to give up shopping, I love giving handmade gifts at Christmas.
For years I've been making photo calendars, and since Eleanor was little I've been making ornaments.
In addition to these favorites, this year the kids and I are making snowglobes.

Thanks to my Mom and our baby who wants nothing to do with baby food I had an assortment of fun jars to work with. You really don't need much for this project. Here's the list:

1. Empty jars

We used pasta sauce, soup, hot pepper, olive, and baby food jars.
Here's a link to a cute snowglobe done with jelly jars.

2. Fake snow
I bought a huge bag at Michaels that will probably last me a lifetime.
Didn't seem huge at the time but you don't need much.

3. Bottle Brush Trees
My favorites ended up being dollhouse size trees from Hobby Lobby and miniature trees from Michaels. I had purchased a huge bag of assorted tree sizes but none of them really fit the jars I used.

4. Tiny reindeer or other figurines
We used dollhouse sized reindeer from Hobby Lobby, too.

5. Cotton balls

6. A hot glue gun and glue

Optional: acrylic paint, glitter, tiny snowflake paper punch, empty spools/bobbins.

After you've gathered all the thingsyou need, you'll want to prepare the jars.
I just ran mine through the dishwasher with a load. We decided to paint the jar lids.
This step can easily be skipped, especially if your jar lids don't have words on them. But the kids enjoyed doing it.

Next, glue your trees and figurines to the inside of the jar lid. As you can see we actually glued our trees and reindeer onto spools prior to gluing them to the lids so they'd be higher up and more visible. This also allows you to use more snow.

Next you'll want to cover any areas you don't want seen with cotton. Make sure to glue it down or it will go flying. Also be sure your jar will fit over your creation and you can see everything in the jar before going to the next step.

Next add snow, glitter, and tiny snowflake paper punches to the jar. You won't need much, just enough to cover the very bottom of your little scene.




We made a few inside plastic ornaments to see how that woud turn out too.



Didn't these turn out adorable? Isn't Henry Adorable?!

Meet the Artist and Giveaway: LaNae from Crumbles Cookie Factory

Another Giveaway?

Yes, Indeed!

Lucky for you, Mari from Hobbies from The Heart

mentioned Crumbles Cookie Factory in her giveaway post.

When I let LaNae know about the feature, 

she said she'd love to host a giveaway, too!

For this giveaway one lucky winner 

will receive a package of Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

from Crumbles Cookie Factory!

Buy it here

Here are just a few of the items

I had the pleasure of sampling:

Caramel Candy Brownies

Buy it here

These are not your average, everyday cake like brownies.

These rich, delectible treats are dense and full of true cocoa flavor.

The caramels are like a fun little surprise.

Warm these suckers up for just a few, and they'll melt in your mouth!

TwinkleCream Pumpkin Sandwiches

Buy it here

This was the first thing that caught my eye,

I'm a sucker for pumpkin and nuts.

While the nuts are optional, I highly recommend ordering with

as they are the perfect match for the buttery filling.

The cake is just perfect, need I say more?

Let's get to know the genius behind these creations

while I tempt you with a few more pics:

Crumbles Terrific Toffee

Buy it here

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: I grew up with my mother the artist ( painter ) she also baked and cooked from scratch! She taught me baking at an early age, fast forward to cake decorating classes, and decorating cakes for weddings. My obsession then became decorating cookies, thus Crumbles Cookies on Etsy.

Q: 790 sales in less than 2 years? In edibles on Etsy that's incredible! Did you ever see yourself taking it this far, online?

A: I did have plans to take it this far, however, I am still surprised that it happened so quickly on Etsy.

Guinness Beer and Pretzel Marshmallows

Buy it here

Q: In a category like this, it is really hard to stand out from the crowd. What do you think sets you apart from other sweet shops?

A: I feel you need to stay true to yourself and your own artistic abilities, use the freshest, highest quality ingredients and don't compromise. Good photos also help, because online it is all about the visual.

Q: Which is your favorite creation? Are the recipes your own?

A: My fav is the 3D Peach cookie- they were inspired by a recipe I got from a Victorian Magazine years ago and I have been baking ever since. Most of the recipes are my own, some are inspired by mentors such as Martha Stewart and the like.

Q: I imagine in baking, consistency is key. I imagine you must run a very tight ship. Do you do this all from your home kitchen? Do you have any help?

A: I do certainly feel that consistency is most important and we have to stick to a tight schedule. My husband and son help tremendously with the shipping and business end. We are looking into a commercial kitchen at the moment, and maybe our own bakery someday.

3D Summertime Peach Cookies

Buy it here

Q: What is your busiest time of year? 

A: Christmas is the busiest. 

Q: Do you sell locally? Have you sold any huge orders? Special events?

A: Many friends and family keep us busy locally. I'm doing 250 mini red velvet whoopie pies for a wedding in just a couple weeks. We have supplied many a wedding, including a 'Georgia Peach' wedding thru Etsy with my afore mentioned 3D Peach Cookies!

Q: Do you take custom orders?

A: Yes, I welcome custom orders and have done many.

Q: I hear you make dog treats, too. Be honest, do they taste as good as people treats (in other words are they shareable?!)

A: My doggie treats are 100% shareable...I have one friend who has to eat one every time he smells them baking :) They are just not sweet like the human cookies.

Stirrup Steak Dog Cookies

Buy it here

(See more from Dog City Bakery)

Q: Just for fun, name a few of your favorite Etsy shops.

A: A few of my fav Etsy shops are my Mom's shop Dragonfly Studios 74, my friend Michelle's vintage clothing shop KnowItAllGrrrl, my cookie friend on Esty Aymee, the cutest decorated kids cookies Wacky Cookies, and I almost forgot a great silhouette artist I love Tina Tarnoff.

Q: Would you like to offer my readers an exclusive coupon code?

A: Use coupon code MELSBLOG15 to receive 15 % of of your order!

Follow Crumbles Cookie Factory on 

Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy to stay up to date on the latest.

Hungry yet? Thought so!

Go buy yourself something already.

Before you know it, something delicious will be

waiting on your doorstep.

And now, what you've all been waiting for...

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Add Crumbles Cookie Factory to your 
favorite shops on Etsy 
and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

3. Leave a comment about your favorite item 
from Crumbles Cookie Factory.

Best of Luck!

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 

and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine print:

Only 3 entries per household please

Giveaway ends June 22th at midnight PST

Winner will be chosen by random.org

Entries will be validated

Winner will be announced here

Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Otherwise open to everyone! 

Remember the Artist and Giveaway: Mari from Hobbies from the Heart

Remember my friend Mari from Hobbies from the Heart?

Mari gave away a $15 gift certificate 

in what has been one of the most popular giveaways on this blog!

I can feel the excitement building already.

Yes, Mari is doing it again!

You'd better sit down for this one.

She's giving one lucky winner

a $20 gift certificate!

Buy it here

For those of you familiar with Hobbies from the Heart

$20 is like $1,000,000 over there.

Mari has the best deals around on craft supplies such as

twine, tags, and paper cutouts.

Mari turned me on to a lot of my favorite products,

and gave me some great ideas for my shop.

Not only is she talented, she's very kind and obviously generous.

I can't wait to show you some things from her shop!

Buy it here

Q: Your giveaway was one of my most popular of all time! 

Why do you think your products appeal to such a wide variety of readers?


A:

I think this might be because of the variety of items I offer. 
I have things for “DYI’ers” but I also sell other things already made for a variety of occasions, 
such as seals/stickers, tags, twine, etc. Who doesn't love doesn't love stickers? 

Buy it here

Q: As we know, you are a busy lady! 

What have you been up to lately, other than running a fabulous Etsy shop?

A:

Yes. I’m about to finish my Masters degree this summer and I’ve been very busy finishing experiments and working on my thesis defense. It has been one of the busiest semesters ever with the juggling work/baby/house/etsy, and everything in between. The good thing is that hard work pays off (and having a supporting husband too!). We’ll be moving to Wisconsin later this year and I will be starting my Ph.D in Neuroscience next summer. Yay! 

Buy it here

Q: What is your favorite item to make? 
A:

Seals/stickers are my most favorite things to make. I love working with the customer to come up with custom designs for their special occasion or business. (Ps. There are a lot of creative people out there!)

Buy it here

Q: Any new products coming in the near future?

A: Well, since I will be moving in the Fall, I might want to do some “de-stash” sales to get rid of extra “stuff” I don't want to take with me to WI. I might also create new seal designs, and such, but I haven’t much time to plan right now given that all of my attention is on my thesis right now. 

Buy it here

Q: Just for fun, what are a few of your recent favorite Etsy stores? 

Bought anything amazing lately?


A: I actually love shopping on etsy for me, and my family either through this account or another one I have. One of the last few things I ordered was this cute mustache seal 

that I’ll probably be using to create some neat stuff soon.
I also ordered some time ago these super unique little earrings which I wear almost all the time.
And of course, everyone deserve a little treat, and these smores are just that… they are AMAZING (I’ve also tried her chocolate chip cookies and they are pretty good too!) 

Ready to win? Let's do this!  

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Add Hobbies from the Heart to your favorite shops on Etsy 
and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

3. Leave a comment about your favorite design(s) 
from Hobbies from the Heart.

Best of Luck!

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 

and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine print:

Only 3 entries per household please

Giveaway ends June 15th at midnight PST

Winner will be chosen by random.org

Entries will be validated

Winner will be announced here

Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Otherwise open to everyone! 

Meet the Artist and Giveaway: Claire from Aden Creations

Wowza, ya'll are some lucky readers.

Here's ANOTHER giveaway, just for YOU!

Claire from Aden Creations has graciously agreed to gift

this lovely necklace to one very lucky gal:

Buy it here

You are going to LOVE it. 

How do I know? Because I love my Aden Creation!

Ain't it perty?

Buy it here

It's delicate, well crafted, elegant

and very reasonably priced.

There are so many lovely items in her shop, you really must check it out

for yourself. But I'd be happy to share a little more whilst we learn a bit more

about this talented lady. 

Buy it here

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. 

A: I am a friendly outgoing woman who loves meeting new people and spending time with my family and friends. I am a mother to two children, daughter Aden and newborn son Spencer. I love spending my free time designing and making my jewelry.

Q: How did you get started making jewelry?

A: Honestly I began dabbling a bit when I was around 12 years old. I would spend any money I earned on supplies and made jewelry all the time! I decided to open my shop on Etsy once I became a stay at home mom when my daughter was a baby. First it was just a hobby - an outlet for me do to something creative that I loved. As time went by I began to see how this might eventually become something wonderful and decided to treat it more like a business instead of a hobby and the sales continuously began to escalate.

Buy it here

Q: You've had over 1000 sales, congratulations! Do you remember your first sale? Are you surprised by how far you've come?

A: Yes :) My first sale was actually from one of my aunts! She heard from my mom that I opened my shop on Etsy and wanted to give me a boost.

Q: Jewelry can be difficult to sell on Etsy, so much competition. What do you think sets you apart from other sellers? To what do you attribute your success?

A: Yes it can be very challenging sometimes. What works for me is to only create jewelry that I would wear and not try to create something that I think people would wear. Because I prefer a simple style of jewelry, I stay close to that niche. It seems customers aren't looking for a seller to be good at everything, just really good at one thing.

Buy it here

Q: Any advice for new sellers?

A: Even though it sounds cliche, keep believing and stay true to yourself. It's so easy to look at successful sellers and try to copycat or mirror them, but seldom does that work. The more effort you put into your shop the more you will see what does and doesn't work for you. Don't let people who think you're silly or jealous get you down.

Q: What are your future plans for your shop/business?

A: My goal is to reach 2000 sales before the end of 2012. My pebble necklaces have been very popular and I am currently working on more styles in that direction.

Buy it here

Q: What is your favorite piece of jewelry to wear?

A: I always wear jewelry, but most days it's a necklace. I feel a necklace simple or statement can really add to an outfit.

Q: Just for fun, what are a few of your favorite shops on Etsy?

A: Oh I have many! But these are my top 5:

BlueBirdHeaven - repurposed organization and more

BeSomethingNew - unique hair accessories

OneGarnetGirl - fine jewelry

LovelyMelodyClothing - soft feminine styles

JewelsForGrace - beautiful gemstones and supplies

Buy it here

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for..
your chance to win a lovely piece from Claire's collection!

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Add Aden Creations to your favorite shops on Etsy

and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

3. Leave a comment about your favorite design(s) 
from Aden Creations.

Best of Luck!

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 

and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine print:

Only 3 entries per household please

Giveaway ends June 15th at midnight PST

Winner will be chosen by random.org

Entries will be validated

Winner will be announced here

Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Otherwise open to everyone!