Guest Blogger: Meet Kaniema Bey

Since becoming an active member on Etsy I have been able to meet people from all over the world! It has been the most rewarding experience. Through Etsy I had the great pleasure of meeting Kaniema, who I like to call Kammi. She is one of the coolest people I have met and creates some of the most wonderful shirts!! I know because I personally made and order and she went above and beyond my expectations! I will definitely be ordering from her again. She is so easy to work with and completely down to Earth! Like myself she also runs a shop on Etsy and you can find her store xMurderWearx here.

She gave me the whole story behind why her store is called Murder Wear, a lot of people have a misconception of what her store is or why it may be called so. Here is her story in her own words.

Kaniema Bey, artist and screenprinter

My name is Kaniema Bey. Im a graphic designer based in Pittsburgh Pa. I love to draw paint and create digital art. Recently, I began placing these designs on tshirts. I found myself with enough money to purchase a heat press, a HQ printer, and a professional screenprinting press.  I call my line Murderwear.

Murderwear. Sounds harsh right? The reason I chose the name is because... well, I hate fashion, and I hate the American beauty standard. Be thin or you're ugly. Girls go through such great lengths, starvation, surgery, self hatred. I personally had a lot of issues with self hatred while in college. I would hate myself for eating, and starve myself more often than not. I had issues with bulimia and depression. Im not big, Im not small, Im somewhere in between. It took a lot to get to a point where I was happy with myself. One day- I just stopped caring what other people thought.

Now I'm fine with the way I look. I dress how I want- I wear artwork on my clothing as opposed to low cut flashy tops.  I buy silly cothing from Japan, or I make things myself by layering things together. I've come to embrace the tshirt as my canvas and my outlet.

I named my brand Murderwear because people kill themselves trying to fit into a skewered standard of beauty. They murder themselves to look good.  My logo is a heart monitor going into a flatline.

My inspiration for that was a story I heard...I believe it was the mother of Kanye West, who died on an operating table while getting liposuction. She died because she wanted her body to adhere to a certain standard. Its silly, its sad, its pathetic. Love who you are.

I'm inspired by music, geeky tv shows and anime, videogames, and nature. I love the great Renaissance artists, and I love pop art. My digital designs have a poppy feel and they are vibrant and unique.

My digital designs are all done by hand on a pen tablet. The Billy idol was actually drawn by hand with permanent markers and razorblades. I do not trace or let the program do the work for me- I have a problem with that. I feel like if I dont create every angle, and mix each color- then I'm not doing my job.

They make for awesome tshirts that stand out- in a good way. My goal is to have onlookers see you for what's inside- what you love, what the artwork on your shirt is saying, as opposed to how they think you look.

I use great brands for tees- Gildan, Anvil, Hanes, and Fruit of the Loom. I take pride in what I do- making great art on quality tees, makes me feel great!

I just started selling on etsy. Selling shirts is tough- everyone sells shirts! I just hope that people find my artwork interesting :D

Maddie Rose Doodles Custom 8 x 10 Illustration Giveaway

"Each day is like a blank canvas to me that I try to cover with as many colors as possible." 

- Maddie Rose from Maddie Rose Doodles

My son unwrapping the painting

Close up

Maddie Rose Doodles is run by Madeline a fun loving and wonderful woman full of talent! Maddie Rose Doodles is a cute shop on Etsy. You can find all types of characters ranging from Disney princesses to Marvel super heroes to Star Wars. What makes each character so cute is the way each one is painted. They are doodled paintings! There is no way a child will not love one of the hand painted characters over at Maddie Rose Doodles, there are so many to choose from, super fun and colorful!

The Hulk in his new home :)

I had the honor to receive one of my very own hand painted doodles from Maddie Rose Doodles. (Wait I know what you are thinking, I might be kind of grown to be decorating my room with child characters right? But it was really for my son, lol, he is 3 years old and LOVES The Hulk.) Well, my 3 year old received one of the hand painted characters from Maddie Rose, and to his surprise it was his favorite super hero; The Hulk! He just couldn't put it down! He had to tell everyone in the house he got The Hulk in the mail and he wants to put it in his toy room (but he still hasn't even let me frame it to put it up) Of course, he wants to thank Maddie for his wonderful painting of The Hulk.

He was amazed,
couldn't believe it was all his

neatly wrapped

What I love most about the painting is the way the character is drawn in doodle form. You can absolutely identify that the painting is of The Hulk. The painting is textured as well and the mediums used are durable, which is great when you have kids! I have yet to find the perfect frame for this wonderful painting, but The Hulk has become the center of attention, he decorates the door to my son’s room! It even livens up our hallway with the bright colors featured in the painting and I absolutely adore it! Maddie also does a great job at packaging the illustration! 

Time to learn about the woman that paints these wonderful doodles! 

Stick around for a chance to win your very own custom doodle by Maddie Rose!

Q. When did you start getting into crafting, what did you start with?

A. I honestly cannot remember when I first got into crafting and art. It has always seemed like a natural thing to me. Learning about it, viewing it, creating it; anything involving it makes me light up inside. I feel so alive when I am doing something creative.

Q. Do you work outside of your Etsy shop? If so, what is your occupation? How do you find time for both?

A. I am a wife, a student and a nanny. Because art is such a passion of mine it isn’t difficult to fit it in. Every day I feel a need to be creative in some way. That makes it a lot less work and a lot more fun.

Q. How did you learn about Etsy?

A. I learned about Etsy a long time ago. I don’t really remember how.

Q. When did you start your shop?

A. I started my shop last fall. However, I did not start putting items in my shop until less than a month ago. I really wanted to start my shop, but last fall/winter was crazy for me. I had just moved, got married and with the holidays and everything else I was just too busy.

Q. How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?

A. Growing up I was always called Maddie Rose. Because my style is childish and fun I think of them more as doodles. Combine my name and doodles and that’s what you get!

Q. Where does your inspiration for your items come from?

A. I love children. They are another thing I am very passionate about. I have been working with children as a nanny for years. I am also studying Elementary Education.

Q. What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?

A. I still love trying new things. But, my favorite mediums that I usually work with are acrylics and sometimes watercolors.

Find Maddie Rose Online!
Etsy Shop

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Q. Anything you would like to share with readers?
A. I love doing custom pieces. Working on a piece that is for a special person makes the piece have even more meaning.

Getting to know Maddie a bit more!

Q. What is the furthest place you have traveled?

A. San Carlos, Mexico

Q. Do you have pets?

A. I LOVE animals! I have a dog (dachshund/poodle mix) named Belle and a cat (black and white tuxedo) named Lucy.

Q. What is your favorite food?

A. Sweets, sweets, sweets! I probably have the biggest sweet tooth ever. I especially love bakery types of sweets (cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc.)

As far as “real food” goes I love Mexican food. Spicy please! :)

Q. What do you enjoy doing on your past time?

A. I love spending time with my husband. He is my best friend. I also love playing with my nieces and nephews, baking, reading, and creating, creating, creating.

Q. What would people be most surprised to know about you?

A. Since you can’t see how tall I am… I am six foot two inches and do NOT play basketball. My coordination is awful. ha :)

What you could win:

Maddie is offering 1 custom illustration in the size of 8" x 10" of a little loved one, worth a total of $20.00!! The illustration will be hand painted by Maddie herself!

**PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ ALL THE RULES PRIOR TO ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY**

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: GIVEAWAY IS OPEN to US and CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FILL OUT ALL THE MANDATORY (IN BOLD) OPTIONS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET, MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. (ALL INFORMATION AND ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED) ON THE END OF THE GIVEAWAY (AUGUST 22nd,2013) A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND CONTACTED. THE WINNER WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO CLAIM HIS/HER PRIZE, FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A FORFEIT AND ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN.

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KOCO and VIKING $50.00 Custom Jewelry Giveaway!!

Jasmine and Lou are a mother and daughter team from California; together they run an Etsy shop named KOCO and VIKING. When you visit their store you are welcomed by a wonderful collection of pleasant colors and wonderful shapes, and this is just on their shop banner. Their items are all handmade by either Jasmine or her mother and their passion and love shines through each and every piece.

 

From their shop:

"Each pendant is handmade from clay and hand painted to your specifications with choices that will make you smile! We make each piece to order with lots of love and no 2 pieces are ever alike."  - KOCO and VIKING

Check back for my review of TWO of their necklaces

Continue reading on to get a chance to meet the two wonderful women behind the scenes of KOCO and VINKING and for your chance to win an awesome prize c/o KOCO and VIKING.

Many of the answers were provided by Jasmine and some were provided by both.

Q. When did you begin getting into crafting? What did you begin with?

A. I started crafting because my mom had been crafting from even before I was born. She had an established crafting business and I would make things our of her scrap pieces of dried flowers, jewelry; anything that was laying around or in her "trash" bin.

Q. Do you work outside of your Etsy shop? If so, what is your occupation? How do you find time for both?

A. My mom and I both trade off taking care of my ailing grandfather. She also designs and creates award winning costumes, ballroom dresses and pageant dresses. I do graphics and marketing for non-profits. Making time for both is difficult, but we work together and that makes it, not only easier, but fun!

Q. How did you learn about Etsy? When did you start your shop?

A. I learned about Etsy through friends that share my passion of all things handmade and local. We started our Etsy shop in December of 2009 after being active at events and in boutiques for about a year.

Q. How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?

A. Koco and Viking are beloved dogs. My mom and I adored our Koco; a Jack Russel Terrier and Viking was the prized pet of my husband's family. They were both loving, spirited and filled our homes with love, all of which we want our customers to feel wheen they have/give a piece of ours. The stories of the 2 dogs are so similar and we knw that we wanted to honer them in a special way. 

Q. Where does your inspiration for your items come from?

A. We get inspiration EVERYWHERE. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and my mom in the California Central Coast - each by the beach. So, we're influenced by all of our experiences growing up by the beach and the different cultures in our areas. Also, we both love nature and other cultures so you'll find the in our pieces as well.

Q. What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?

A. We both love to work with anything we can get our hands on. My mom is big on fabric, being a designer, as well as crystals and other jewelry pieces. I'm into  things I can manipulate: clay, paint and wire.

Q. Is there any item in your shop with a story behind it?

A. All of our pieces have something behind them, We wouldn't be able to make a piece become a reality if it wasn't first inspired by something. The dragonfly means a lot to my mom and I. After my grandma passed a year ago, I would be followed by dragonflies all the time and we don't see those unless we go out hiking. So, now the dragonfly represents my grandma and her spirit, always with us.

Q. Do you have any advice for shops just starting?

A. Etsy is a community that allows you to connect with people just like you from all over the world; take advantage of it! Reach out and build relationships, it will make a world of difference.  

Q.  Anything you would like to share with the readers?

A.We really are greatful for all of the blessings we have received through our business. We have made so many new friends. Love goes into everything we make and our goal is for you to feel that love when you receive or give the pieces as well.

FIND KOCO AND VIKING ONLINE!

FACEBOOK

"Like for exclusive specials posted all the time"

KOCO and VIKING on ETSY

This mother and daughter team put their whole heart into making these gorgeous items for each and everyone of their customers, and you can see it! I got my own two necklaces from them, and I cannot put them down! They are absolutely gorgeous and mean the world to me because they include my son's initials. Let's get to read a bit more about this mother and daughter duo, come back soon for my review on the lovely pieces they were so kind to send me. 

All of these have been answered by Jasmine!

Q. What is the furthest place you have traveled?

A. Australia and the Phillipines (based that on how long I had to be in a plane vs. how many miles actually traveled! haha)

Q. Do you have any pets?

A. Yes, our house lives our MinChi, Izzy. He even has his own facebook fanpage!  

Q. If you could get back a lost item from your past, what would it be? Why?

A. Unfortunately, all of our family Christmas ornaments were lost. Every year, when preparing for the holiday, I get heartbroken knowing that we'll never see them again. Those ornaments held a lot of memories in them.

Q. What is your favorite food?

A. I'm into everything. We are a big foodie family and we experiment all the time. I couldn't say just one thing.

Q. What do you enjoy doing on your past time?

A. I absolutely love spending time with my husband. We like to go out on, what we call, "Discovery Days." That's when we explore a place we've never been. Growing with your partner makes your bond even stronger.

Q. What would people be most surprised to know about you?

 I'm an open book, but for those that don't know me? I used to direct and choreograph theater internationally!

What you could win:

Jasmine and Lou have been absolutely kind enough to offer TWO (2) prizes!! That's right we will have two winners for this giveaway and they have been absolutely generous in offering EACH winner $50.00 worth of CUSTOM JEWELRY from their shop!! The winners will be able to choose the design, color, etc. Jasmine and Lou will e-mail the winners directly to offer them their choices. So why not head on over to their Etsy shop and start looking around and getting ideas!

KOCO and VIKING on ETSY

**PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ ALL THE RULES PRIOR TO ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY**

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: GIVEAWAY IS OPEN to US and CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FILL OUT ALL THE MANDATORY (IN BOLD) OPTIONS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET, MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. (ALL INFORMATION AND ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED) ON THE END OF THE GIVEAWAY (AUGUST 10TH,2013) A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND CONTACTED. THE WINNER WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO CLAIM HIS/HER PRIZE, FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A FORFEIT AND ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN.

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So Sew Organized "Floral Fusion" Giveaway

What better way to start off a Monday than with another giveaway!?! Today I introduce to you Nicole, Etsy shop owner of SoSewOrganized. In Nicole's shop you will find many different items to keep your life organized, and I know we could all use some help with that! Nicole is also a fellow blogger over at Nicole's Life After 20.

Find Nicole Online

ETSY SHOP

FACEBOOK

BLOG

PINTEREST

Nicole began sewing at the early age of 14 years old, when her grandmother taught her how to sew. Nicole has been able to learn some new things since then. She has "dabbled" in crochet, crosstitch and other crafts, but s always coming back to sewing. When she first began, Nicole started with simple things such as blocks, soon after learning how to sew clothing. When she began making quilted accessories, this is when she realized that this is her favorite type of sewing project. Like many of us, Nicole learned about Etsy through word of mouth and from following other bloggers, who also have shops in the Etsy community. Just like many fellow Etsy shop owners Nicole says, "I was pretty naive about the whole process when I started out.. I've had a lot to learn!" Nicole began her shop in early January of 2012, she started out with just organizational printables, although she did plan on adding quilted accessories later on, all of which she did within just a month or so of opening shop.

Now, let's get to hear more about Nicole and her shop through a little interview series and learn about her first hand, in her own words. Continue reading on for your chance to win an accessory from So Sew Organized!

Q. How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?

A. I actually started my shop under my own name, but that seemed boring, and my last name is easy to misspell. I knew I needed a name that was easy to remember, and reflected the variety in my shop. I initially planned on using "Sew Organized," until I found it had already been used in the past. So I added the additional "so" on there, and "So Sew Organized" was born! I feel that this name reflects my products so much better, since it combines the quilted accessories and the organizational items.

Q. Where does your inspiration for your items come from?

A. I generally get ideas from the items I know I myself would use and love. If I find I need an item that would help me accomplish the task at hand, I'd much rather make it myself than pay someone else to do it! That is how I started making organizational printables in the first place, and I see that holding true as I add other items to my shop as well.

Q. What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?

A. For now, I mainly use cotton fabrics... and I love them! There is something so crisp and fresh about a new bolt of fabric! I also am a little obsessed with the zippers I use for my tablet sleeves.. I just love all the pretty colors!

Q. Is there any item in your shop with a story behind it?

A. This quilted tote is made with Nova Scotia Tartan. I had never heard of it until I moved to Nova Scotia 3 years ago, but it is the official plaid of this province.

Q. Any advice for any shops just starting?

A. Be aware that it takes a lot of work to set up shop... but it is worth it! My biggest tip is always be working on having more products in your shop... the more listings, the more chance you have of being seen.

Q. Anything else you would like to share with the readers?

A. My favorite thing is to create and then place my creations in the hands of people that love them! I hope that you'll stop by my shop and chat with me about what item I can custom make just for YOU! That would make my day!

Time to get to know Nicole, the woman behind the creations of So Sew Organized!

Q. What is the furthest place you have traveled?

A. Argentina and Chile in South America. I got to drive over the Andes Mountains... such an amazing experience!

Q. Do you have pets?

A. We have a dog and a white cat named "Killer." I'm not kidding. She has a reputation.

Q. If you could get back a lost item from your past, what would it be? Why?

A. My aunt gave me a beautiful amethyst ring once... and I'll never know where it went. I'd love to have that back!

Q. What is your favorite food?

A. Arg, I can't pick just one! I love hamburgers and a leafy salad... my family picks on me for ordering salad at restaurants! (But they are so good!)

Q. What do you enjoy doing on your spare time?

Sewing is actually my biggest hobby, but I also play the piano and enjoy blogging and reading.

Q. What would people be most surprised to know about you?

A. I still sleep with my childhood teddy bear.

What you could win:

 

One winner will have the chance to win a "Floral Fusion" medium quilted tote from So Sew Organized, which measures approximately 11 x 11 inches, with some handy inner pockets! This tote features a pretty purple one-way fabric, with a pop of light, light teal on the inside. This tote is perfect for small books, as a purse and even a Bible case. Want to learn more about this fabulous prize GO HERE

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FILL OUT ALL THE MANDATORY (IN BOLD) OPTIONS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET, MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. (ALL INFORMATION AND ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED) ON THE END OF THE GIVEAWAY (AUGUST 8TH,2013) A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND CONTACTED. THE WINNER WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO CLAIM HIS/HER PRIZE, FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A FORFEIT AND ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN.

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