Karalee Designs
We are approximately mid-way through our 2009 event!! Have you entered yet? Have you told your friends, co-workers and cousins to enter? Only 2 1/2 weeks left, the deadline is May 13th!
Today’s spotlight is on Karalee Designs! Owner and designer, Karalee Serra, offers customers a variety of accessory products that range from kitschy and cute to bold and modern – belt buckles and cuffs, necklaces and pins, hair accessories and pet collars, just to name a few – all with Serra’s distinctive style of married materials resulting in a collection of fantastic, colorful, kaleidoscope-like jewels. Karalee contributed 10 Hair Clips from her brand new collection - The Eden Collection - for 10 very lucky winners to enjoy!
Eden Collection Hair Clips by Karalee Designs
Eden Collection Hair Clip by Karalee Designs
Serra, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art, launched her jewelry design company in 2006 and has also been active in stationery manufacturing businesses for over 3 years. In addition to her design work, Serra has worked as a design instructor and is also an avid photographer. We are pleased to have Karalee Designs as a Sponsor this year. Visit the Karalee Designs online shop to see everything Karalee creates!
Lindsay’s Candles & Stuff
Lindsay’s Candles & Stuff is a small business located in Oshawa, Ontario where owner, Lindsay Green, proudly handcrafts beautiful, highly scented candles and pampering bath and body products. Lindsay has been a sponsor of the Happily Handmade giveaway events numerous times in the past and we are always pleased she continues to be a part of the fun! You will be too if you are one of our lucky 25 winners! Lindsay has donated a little something for every winner to enjoy!
Silky Smooth Sugar Scrub from Lindsay's Candles & Stuff
Kaleidosoap Soap from Linday's Candles & Stuff
But Lindsay also makes candles, hence the name of her 5 year old business. Candles can be hand-poured in a variety of colors, scents, sizes and shapes. Plus, Lindsay offers a service for customers looking for unique party favors! Whether it be a baby shower, wedding favors or birthday party, Lindsay will work with you to create exactly what you envision. And if your favors require personalized labels, Lindsay can do that for you as well! Check out the Lindsay’s Candles & Stuff online shop to see all that they offer.
Back to bloggin’
My apologies for not updating a few days in the past week, my day job has kept me incredibly busy this month. But I’m back today with another sponsor from Australia, to continue last week’s spotlight on our international sponsors: Erica Watts of Jungle Dread! Felt dreadlocks are a great way to have fun with your hair without the permanence or destruction of getting real dreads. They are created from wool so they are soft and natural. The dreads are all made by hand so you can choose any color, length, thickness or style you want.
Rainbow of colorful temporary dreadlocks from Jungle Dread
Everything Jungle Dread creates is hand made from Australian Marino wool. They are always experimenting with new ideas and techniques. And they accept custom orders! For this Happily Handmade Giveaway event, Jungle Dread has donated 6 temporary dreadlock kits and 6 gift certificates to spend in their online shop! Here are some great shots featuring Jungle Dread customers and their temporary dreadlocks!! Visit the Jungle Dread online shop to see more shots in their gallery and view all the options!
Temporary Dreadlock Kit from Jungle Dread
Medium length Temporary Dreadlock Kit by Jungle Dread
From Down Under!
Thought we’d kick off this week talking a bit about our international sponsors! Today we’re going to take you to Australia to visit with sponsor Jen Leheny of RED INSTEAD handmade. Jen is a WAHM (work at home mum) in Australia who likes to make things, mostly with her sewing machine.
Clouds Zip Purse Wristlet by RED INSTEAD handmade
Pink Elephants Zip Purse Wristlet by RED INSTEAD handmade
Jen says, “I also love papercraft, ceramic painting, beading and making art. It gives me a great creative outlet and of course it feels good when people buy something I have made. The RED INSTEAD handmade website is the place that I can put up all of my varied creations - the items on offer could depend on what my latest craze may be, along with some tried and true favourites.”
"Manifesto" Art Print by RED INSTEAD handmade
3 winners will receive a super cute RED INSTEAD handmade Zip Purse Wristlet in their Happily Handmade Gift Box, while 10 more winners will receive the original “Manifesto” art print by Jen Leheny. Visit RED INSTEAD handmade’s online webshop to see many more handmade creations. And don’t forget… you must enter to win! You may enter through one Sponsor’s website, or ALL of the Sponsor’s websites for even more chances. So…. ENTER today!
Red Delicious Seattle
If memory serves me correctly as it sometimes does (sometimes it’s a crapshoot), Emma Roscoe of Red Delicious Seattle has been a sponsor of every single Happily Handmade event since the begining in 2004! For this event, five lucky winners will receive a Red Delicious bag in their gift boxes! Emma handcrafts superior quality bags in many shapes and sizes. Best of all, you can custom design your own Red Delicious bag! Take this Red Delicious Clutch for example…
Red Delicious Seattle Clutch
You can order a Red Delicious Cluth in over 2o unique fabric selections… whatever suits your fancy! Or if a Messenger Bag is more your style, Emma has 3 Messenger bag sizes to choose from and over 20 fabrics to custom create them in!
Red Delicious Seattle Messenger Bag
Emma describes a bit about her passion and vision in her own words…
I really enjoy being a hands-on artist, selecting beautiful lengths of fabric, deciding on eye-catching combinations and making them into distinctive bags and accessories that also have practical purpose.
I’m tremendously fulfilled by the creative process and by producing top quality work which is constantly fresh and exciting. And I love to see how delighted my customers are to own an attractive and well-made piece of art that they can carry every day.
By hand making Red Delicious bags and accessories, and selling them at arts venues which feature exclusively hand made goods, I’m part of a vibrant and growing community of professional artists across the country who are enriching both the cultural landscape and the economy.
Visit Red Delicious Seattle and create your perfect bag today!!
Spun by Polyartgirl Designs
Today’s feature is Crystal Mascarenas of Polyartgirl Designs. Crystal is a multi-media artist in love with fibers, painting, ceramics, and beads. Crystal also works with other artists to create unique collaborative pieces. Additionally, Crystal is involved in the San Luis Valley Folk Arts and Fiber Festival - a celebration of the handmade and traditional arts in Monte Vista, CO.
Four lucky winners will open their Gift Boxes to find gorgeous Handspun Yarn by Polyartgirl Designs!! Here are a couple of examples of Polyartgirl Designs’ work currently available in their etsy shop:
Raspberry Handspun, Hand-dyed, Superwash Yarn by Polyartgirl Designs
Raspberry Lemonade Handspun Hand-dyed Yarn by Polyartgirl Designs
Pretty In Skulls
What is on today’s menu, you ask? How about a little something different. Let me direct your attention to the very talented Jenn Schulze of Pretty In Skulls! Jenn hails from New Jersey, manages her family’s business, is inspired by tattoo designs and skull-related paraphernalia and believes her Pretty In Skulls accessories are perfect for “everyday” chicks who want to add a little skully something to their wardrobe without breaking the bank! I could not agree more!
Ever since Jenn was little she loved doing arts and crafts projects with her mom and tinkering with gadgets and building things in the garage with her dad. There weren’t really any girly skull-related accessories for chicks like Jenn a few years ago, so she began making her own. Then as word got out about the Jenn’s work, she started taking requests - and Pretty In Skulls was born, offically, in 2004! One of Jenn’s specialties is finding vintage and or gently used purses to display her signature paintings!
The Mom Purse by Pretty In Skulls
Twenty lucky winners will receive a gift box with a Pretty In Skulls handmade Brooch in it! Here are two examples to tide you over… but only if you enter can you win. So enter today!!!
Black & White Striped Brooch with a Bat Button by Pretty In Skulls
Hot Pink Brooch with an Anchor Button by Pretty In Skulls
MAUstudio
Today we wanted to bring you something super cute, tons of fun and affordable: MAUstudio! MAUstudio is a repeat Sponsor for our Happily Handmade events and I have to tell you each time I sort and create these gift boxes I always smile when I see MAUstudio’s contributions. Based in Illinois, Manyi Au, the multi-talented artist behind MAUstudio is a Graphic and Web Designer who creates everything from jewelry and cell phone charms to designing logos, business cards and wedding invitations.
Funny Bunny Hello! Notecard + Stickers + Button Set by MAUstudio
MAUstudio has donated a good mix of clever items for this event: Postcards, Notecards, Buttons, Magnets and Sticker Sets all decked out in Manyi Au’s original designs. 15 Sets in all to give away to 15 lucky winners!!
MauMau Postcards + Stickers + Cell Phone Charm Set by MAUstudio
Visit the MAUstudio online store today to see many, many more varieties of Manyi Au’s work as well as other talented artists who she represents in her store: www.MAUstudio.com
The Happily Handmade Giveaway: Promoting Independent Business with Thousands of Dollars in Prizes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Happily Handmade Giveaway: Promoting Independent Business with Thousands of Dollars in Prizes
In today’s tough economic climate, no one can turn down the prospect of winning fantastic free merchandise. Combine that with the desire to support independent business and cherish the quality of something handmade rather than mass produced, and you have the Happily Handmade Giveaway. The Happily Handmade Giveaway brings together a wide variety of indie artists, designers and small business owners who contribute their handmade creations to the contest. Donated items are combined to create twenty-five fabulous prize boxes filled with handmade gifts, valued between $300 and $380 each, which will be given away to randomly drawn contestants.
The Happily Handmade Giveaway is pleased to announce that the 2009 giveaway has begun. Entries will be accepted through May 13th, and the winners of the twenty-five extraordinary gift boxes will be announced on May 18th. Contestants can enter the giveaway by visiting any of the participating sponsors’ websites; each website will feature a separate entry form. Multiple entries are encouraged, allowing entrants to increase their chances of winning by simply visiting more of the Indie Shop Sponsors.
“The event has become a cornerstone of the independent design community,” says Nicole Theis-DeMoss, one of the founders of the giveaway, “This event has marvelous results for everyone involved – the entrants get a chance to win amazing prizes while the sponsors benefit from increased traffic, publicity, brand awareness, and additional sales.”
The success of the Happily Handmade Giveaway is built on its successful, twofold mission. First, to provide small businesses with an affordable promotional opportunity, allowing them to reach new customers and build quality mailing lists. Additionally, the giveaway aims to reward shoppers for their continued support of indie business–for making the conscious decision to purchase from an independent crafter and not a big box retailer.
“I love everything in my gift box,” says Lorinda, one of the lucky winners of the previous event. “I have emailed all my friends and relations and demanded they shop indie. Thanks for the delight that you have brought me! I am now the coolest, indiest chick in my city, and I’m proud to say it’s because of Happily Handmade.”
When asked why they run this giveaway, the founders will give you a smile and point out the track record for both shoppers and designers. “It’s summed up best in an email we got from one of our winners,” reports giveaway organizer and designer Lindsay Landis, “The winner thanked us for hosting the contest, then went on to tell us that she had not been familiar with any of the companies that took part in the contest until she entered. She also told us that she had already purchased additional items from the businesses involved and had created a wish list of other items to buy. Knowing that we are helping these small businesses reach their target market is an amazing feeling. It only gets better when you see how happy everyone is to learn about them!”
While it may be the opportunity to enter the contest that leads consumers to visit a website, traffic to Sponsors’ sites will discover so much more. Indie artisans offer something that big box retailers cannot: quality, one-of-a-kind craftsmanship paired with creative ideas and unique personality. The allure of winning is a powerful tool, driving contestants to each Sponsor’s website, but once there, a new world of goods unfolds before them.
The Happily Handmade Giveaway (http://www.happilyhandmade.com) was founded in 2004 by Nicole Theis-DeMoss, owner of Funky Utopia (http://www.ShopFunkyUtopia.com), an online retail outlet for independent designer goods. In 2005, Lindsay Landis of Purr Design (http://www.PurrDesign.com) partnered with Nicole Theis-DeMoss to take the project to the next level. Today, The Happily Handmade Giveaway awards thousands of dollars worth of prizes to winners around the world. The 2009 Giveaway will officially open for entries beginning April 1st and run through May 13th, with winners announced on May 18th. Sponsors can sign up to participate in the event through March 20th.
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For more information on The Happily Handmade Giveaway visit the website at http://www.happilyhandmade.com or contact the giveaway organizers at info@happilyhandmade.com.
Images for Media Use:
Prize Preview Image (thumbnail above) - Download
Logo on White - Download
Ad/Promo Banners - View
Actual Prize Box Images - View
Deezigner Love
Did you know that today is the first day of the 2009 Happily Handmade Giveaway??? That’s right folks, go enter…. go, go, go!
But not until after you see what one of our loyal Sponsors has donated for your winning pleasure!
Toni of Dee-Zigns Handcrafted Jewelry & Accessories is back again! And so is her gorgeous handcrafted jewelry! Toni has donated quite a few covet-worthy pieces this year. Wanna peak at two? Sure you do…
Candy Jade Necklace by Dee-Zigns Jewelry
Toni designs and handcrafts one of a kind jewelry and accessories that she makes using my own two hands. No production line, no cookie cutter pieces, only classic designs that a person would cherish and enjoy for years to come. Working with colorful gemstones, pearls, precious metals and the other elements used in creating fine handmade jewelry designs is a talent that Toni doesn’t take for granted. And your purchase of Dee-Zigns Handcrafted Jewelry & Accessories comes with a charitable bonus as they donate 10% of their net sales to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
Farrah Earrings by Dee-Zigns Jewlery
Visit the Dee-Zigns Handcrafted Jewelry & Accessories shop online to see more beautiful creations and to enter yourself in the Happily Handmade Giveaway!!
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