Talila Design Earring Giveaway!

Wednesday means giveaway time! Today I am proud to introduce Talila our wonderful sponsor from Talila Design!

"Smile to the world and the world will smile back. Work like you don't need money, and dance like no one sees you." - Talila

Talila is the creator/owner of Talila Design a shop which specializes in Bridal jewelry, either handmade or vintage pieces.

Read on and learn about Talila and her wonderful talent/passion and possibly win one of her amazing pieces! Believe me you will not want to miss out on entering this giveaway!


Talila has spent all her life creating, she's a creator at heart. She says, "...I changed products that I have purchased. I was slot in shoes and sewing beads and stones. I used to buy shoes and accessorized them..." She proceeds to tell us how she would also purchase bags and add beads and other applications. "I changed the products completely."

Talila learned auto mechanics in high school, and was always looking for something to fix. "I love working with my hands." Talila is a woman of many talents and with much life experience. She was also in the army, where she dreamed of designing bridal jewelry; always waiting for the perfect opportunity to start off with her dream. During her first pregnancy in 2006, she began designing. Talila had recently lost her job and thought it would be possible for her to design and work from home, while also remaining at the side of her baby boy. Once she began desinging jewelry she would go to wedding fairs and sold her jewelry. Talila also sold her items through consignment at different stores.

Talila also has a few other individual shops through, which she sells many items. Although she is not currently working outside of Etsy (which is honestly a full time + job all in it's own), she says, "Most of my activity is online and I also sell through other marketing channels such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and others.

Online is the perfect place to get your items noticed not just by locals, but also by many other localities. Living in Israel, Talila wanted to reach a broader audience and wanted to sell to customers outside of her country. Talila strived to meet other women and help them design jewelry for their big day. When Talila signed up to the Etsy Israel Forum, she met an amazing teacher who taught her the "secrets" of Etsy, from who she also learned her basic course. This led Talila to open up her own shop on Etsy in April of 2010. Her teacher continues to be her business mentor, everything else, well, "I learned through practice and sale," she says.

We all know that great talent also has great inspirations, so what is it that inspires Talila? She is inspired, like many of us from everyday life, fashion trends and various cultures from around the world. Her strength comes from motherhood. "...being a mother of two children; I have a 6 year old son with Autism... dealing with his disability occupies my day. He is a happy child, full of love and everyday I push him a little further. And of course, I have a baby girl, 10 month old, that is keeping me busy and fills me with love and inspirations." She also says, "Being an art designer with the ability to fulfill myself in working and doing what I enjoy, to transform it into an integral part of my daily life and to share it with so many people."


Talila enjoys making jewlelry and items according to the customers' requests. She also loves to make herself a matching piece of jewelry or belt when she buys new clothes. If there is a demand by customers, she usually will proceed to place the item into her shop. Such a piece is this wonderful belt, which orginally was made for six bridesmaids at the request of the Bride. The belts were designed according to the wedding dress. Talila says, "I was so excited to desing for her. It was very fulfilling and exciting to work with her and to take part of her big day."

A little bit of advice from Talila, for those of you just beginning on Etsy: "Get in the shops of colleagues, share resources and promote each other. There are amazing things on Etsy and buying experience is pleasant and comfortable."

Want to follow Talila around online? You can find her here:

ETSY SHOP 

TWITTER 

YouTube Channel 

BLOG 

PINTEREST 

FACEBOOK

The furthest place Talila has travelled is Europe, although, she dreams of traveling coast to coast in the U.S. on a motorcycle. She has two pet fishes, one named Gindi and the other named Gandoo. A few years back, Talila, lost a very valuable piece of jewelry, valuable to her in sentimental value. It was a silver plated pocket watch her father gave her with a personal dedication for my wedding day. She says, "For a long time I was upset, until my husband gave me for my birthday a similar one to my father's clock." And finally, her favorite food is chocolate.

What you could win: 

This pair of earrings c/o Talila from Talila Designs

A value of $30.00!!

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

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONAL! 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 (OCTOBER 11TH,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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Review: Little Monster by C3N2KIDS

As a mother of a soon to be four year old, I have noticed that children:

1. Love stuffed toys
2. Love the most colorful toys
3. The more unique the toy the better

Usually, I go purchase my little one educational toys or toys that inspire imagination. On the occasion, I will purchase whatever toy he has asked for (ex: for his birthday we all chipped in and bought him the Toy Story collection, and I mean the big talking ones lol), as long as it is not violent. I refuse to let my son play with toy guns, knives, etc, why should I endorse or promote violence in a child? (But that is just my opinion)

I am sure mothers will agree that children usually play with their toys for a few days before dropping them and moving onto something else. It is hard to find a toy that a child will truly become attached to (or it might be the age).

As you all know, Ofunneka, owner of C3N2KIDS and I have been working together. She was kind enough to offer a "Mini Felt Animal Book" as a prize in the giveaway we were able to offer our readers, which ended on July 19th.

Just as one of our lucky winners, I also had the chance to receive on of her wonderful creations. I received a "Little Monster"

Meet "Greeny," a funloving little monster with wonderful colors.

Look at the smile Greeny brought to his face!

My review:

From the moment you greet him, Greeny is full of personality! He is very cuddly and immediately you fall in love with the new addition to the family. He's very cheery, with a cute face! The fabric is very soft, the colors are elegant, his face is made of felt and his features are wonderfully hand-sewn. Little Greeny has just enough stuffing to make him sturdy, but not so much so that he is too hard. He is absolutely PERFECTION!


"Review from my 3 year old" (mostly in pictures):

Once Jhaphetth (pronounced Ja-feth, I know it looks far more complicated), was aware that he would be getting a package from a nice lady, with something VERY SPECIAL inside, he would proceed to ask me every single day if he got any mail; everyday I said "Not yet, honey, be patient, your package is coming from very far away." His face would be filled with sadness. Finally, on the day the package arrived, he saw it on our front porch before I did, his eye lit up, they were so big and bright! Immediately he says, "That's for me! That's for me, right Mommy?" When I said yes, he just couldn't contain his excitement and I let him go at it for a while with the package before I helped him open it just enough so he would be able to tear open the packaging.

He pulled out a big green box (which is now Greeny's Home according to him). Finally when he opened the package and saw Greeny it was love at first sight! It was a hit and has been since then! Greeny and his home are now a part of our regular trips. Everywhere he goes, Greeny goes. When it's bedtime Greeny goes to sleep in his home until the next day, sometimes he lets Greeny sleep in bed with him.

What I love most about Greeny our little monster is that he brings so much joy to my son and inspires so much imaginative play, something Jhaphetth was barely doing. Since Greeny came along my son is always playing and pretending and bringing Greeny along for his "adventures."

I'm sure we all know at least one child that is very dear to our heart. Whether you are a mom, dad, uncle, aunt, grandma, grandpa or just happen to know a child you absolutely adore and want to give them a special, unique gift that he/she will cherish then you NEED to go to C3N2KIDS on Etsy and purchase one of the many wonderful creations offered in Ofunneka's shop! With all the vibrant, fun colors and so many options to choose from you will find the perfect toy for that precious child; the best part is you will also find many many wonderful handmade greeting cards to include with your gift or just to stock up on some wonderful unique greeting cards for holidays and/or special occasions.

Here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy of Jhaphetth and Greeny sleeping lol

 GOODNIGHT!! LOL

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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Southern Girl Prints $30 Gift Certificate Giveaway & Review

"I grab inspiration from everywhere actually. I can stare out the window and something as small as a limb will catch my eye triggering certain memories and I go from there." - Krystal Minor

The best part about Etsy has been meeting all kinds of artisans. When browsing Etsy your findings are unlimited; there are thousands upon thousands of beautifully hand crafted items. There really is something for everyone.

I recently had the pleasure of stumbling upon Krystal (who is such a sweetheart! btw); she runs Etsy shop Southern Girl Prints. In her shop you will find an array of beautifully crafted DIGITAL items. In Southern Girl Prints you will find everything from:

• Invitations (Bridal Showers, Weddings, Baby Showers, Birthdays, etc...)
• Thank You Cards
• Matching Sets
• Gift Certificates/Coupons
• Announcements
• Wall Art
• All Sorts of Paper Goods for your Event/Home

Earring Cards
Custom Made for Jenvy Accessories

Bow Display Cards
**too cute**

Krystal allowed me the chance to review 3 of her items, which she custom made for my shop. She was able to create some display cards for my earrings and for my hair bows, it doesn't stop there; Krystal also provided me with Thank You notes to include with all my sales orders. I must admit, when it comes to paper goods I am EXTREMELY picky! I just need the perfect note card, perfect planner, whatever the paper good may be. I must say, Krystal, delivered with her custom made items. I had been searching endlessly for the perfect Thank You cards to include with my sales, all I said to her was I would like to stick to my theme of pastel colors and cursive lettering, and my biggest priority were my business name and of course my shop's website be found on the cards themselves. I'd say within a matter of an hour or two I came back and there were my beautiful display cards and my thank you notes! Best part? Well, I get to print them out as many times as I need them and when I need them!

If you would like your own set of custom made paper goods head on over to Southern Girl Prints by Clicking the Banner Below:

Use coupon code: GRANDOPENING20 for 20% off in Southern Girl Prints!!

Learn about Southern Girl Prints and Krystal Minor

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

A. I found myself in a way, pushed into digital design. A family member called me in April and asked me to make her graduation invitations. I gladly accepted. I posted the finished image on my personal Facebook and Instagram and so did she. We both received so many likes, along with the likes came other offers to create graduation invitations and an inquiry about wedding invitations.

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

A. Outside of Etsy, I am a baker who specializes in gourmet cupcakes. At the moment, maintaining both has been fairly easy. I work on products for Etsy at night and bake during the day.

Q. How did you learn about Etsy?

A. I've known about Etsy for years. I love handcrafted items.

Q. When did you start your shop?

A. May 2013

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

A. Southern Girl Prints is a play on my bakery name (Southern Charm Sweets)

Q. Why did you choose digital art as your craft? What do you like about it? How do you think it will help people?

A. Digital art was kind of forced upon me, as I was asked to do a family member's graduation invitation. She posted the invite to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where it received great feedback along with other requests for invites. During that time, I fell in love with it.

Q. Where do you see yourself 1 year from now? (Your shop, you and your craft)

A. One year from now I see myself dedicated to my work full-time. I see my craft improving everyday and I know it will take me far.

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

A. I grab inspiration from everywhere actually. I can stare out the window and something as small as a limb will catch my eye triggering certain memories and I go from there.

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

A. I'm a sucker for clip art!! I love it!

Q. Any advice for any shops just starting?

A. DON'T GIVE UP!! I have yet to make my first sale, but I have had great feedback from multiple social media sites.

Find Southern Girl Prints Online:

ETSY

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST

Krystal would like to share   a 20% off coupon to Southern Girl Prints, use code:

GRANDOPENING20

Learn a bit about the woman behind it all, Krystal Minor

Q. What is the furthest place you have traveled?

A. The furthest place, has to be Upstate New York. I used to live there as a child.

Q. Do you have any pets?

A. No

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

A. Teddy Ruskins!! I loved how he used to read books.

Q. What is your favorite food?

A. Home style Macaroni and Cheese

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

A. I love to read. I believe reading is fundamental.

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

A. I love movies from the 50's, the black and white ones are the best.

Prize 

What you can win:

Up for grabs is a $30.00 Gift Certificate c/o Southern Girl Prints (Krystal Minor)

You will receive a Gift Certificate in the form of a $30.00 off Coupon Code, which are to be applied towards the items in Southern Girl Prints ONLY.

The Gift Certificate will expire within 1 year from the day the winner is announced.

The giveaway is open Internationally

To enter please make sure to follow all the rafflecopter entry methods completely. All entries will be verified!!

On the day the winner is announced, the winner will be contacted; the winner of the giveaway will then 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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