Daisy Janie
Jan DiCintio of Daisy Janie is a creative powerhouse worth watching! Jan is the founder and author of the oh-so-popular Scoutie Girl blog and the designer behind Daisy Janie, which offers original fabrics, fabric design, textile design & custom surface design. Daisy Janie fabric designs, I must add, are to die for! Check out the Metro Fabrics from the new Urbana Collection:
- Metro Fabrics, part of the new Urbana Collection of 100% Organic Cotton Sateen Fabrics by Daisy Janie
Jan DiCintio’s design process in her own words:
My original designs represent a mix of favorites: bold colors, abstract layers and dramatic geometrics…all blended and balanced to create fresh & dynamic patterns. Years of experimentation as a painter led to my self-dubbed “fusion” style—combining a little of everything I liked to create a certain energized but harmonious look. My designs work because I thrive on symmetry. Without that, the designs would be too zany…which is fabulous, too, but that’s another story.
Basically, I start with original artwork from my sketchbook – from there it is tweaked, worked, re-worked, worked, re-worked, colored and polished with a fine shammy. Sometimes I hit the design right away; other times, I have to walk away for a week and revisit it with a fresh eye to see if it works.
I love, love, love what I do – and I try to bring that sense of passion and joie de vivre to all my designs!
And we love, love, love that Jan is such an inspiration to the indie community! Daisy Janie is a repeat Sponsor of the Happily Handmade Giveaway and we are pleased to have her back again this year! Eleven lucky winners will receive Tea Towels featuring original Daisy Janie fabrics in their Happily Handmade Gift Boxes!
Tea Towels featuring Daisy Janie original fabric
Bath & Body Luxuries from The Ivory Magnolia
With all of the negative reports spewing from every media outlet these days, it only seems natural that, as individuals, we take time to reflect on our own lives. Well, if I can make one small suggestion to add to your reflection… Remember to take time for yourself. Regardless of the state of the world around us, we must remember to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. One budget friendly way to pamper yourself is to indulge in handmade and natural body products. With average retail pricing hovering around $10.00… feeling good, looking great and saving money can go hand-in-hand at The Ivory Magnolia!
Detoxifying Mineral Bath Salts by The Ivory Magnolia
Dedra “Dee” Harvin tells the story of how The Ivory Magnolia began…
It all began when I saw that many of the body care items (including a favorite sugar scrub from a big company) in my bathroom were loaded with chemicals and unnecessary preservatives, and some were completely void of any natural benefits at all. I thought to myself, surely there’s a way to make this stuff naturally. So off into the kitchen I went. I grabbed some extra virgin olive oil, sugar, and a green tea teabag from my herbal tea collection. My first creation: a sugar scrub! It smelled horrible, but worked great! Not only did my skin look and feel better…but I felt better! I began to research and experiment with other natural oils from a local fresh market. After discovering the benefits of my own nutrient-rich creations, I began to share my creations with others around me, and thus The Ivory Magnolia was born.
The Ivory Magnolia is a first time Sponsor with the Happily Handmade Giveaway this year and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board. Seven lucky winners will get the opportunity to indulge in yummy luxuries such as the Milk & Lavender Bamboo Botanical Body Lotion and Detoxifying Mineral Bath Salts.
- Milk & Lavender Bamboo Botanical Body Lotion by The Ivory Magnolia
Casto Creations
Today’s feature is Casto Creations. Here at the Happily Handmade Giveaway, we have been lucky to have had Casto Creations be a Sponsor to our many events over the years. Casto Creations Jewelry is stunning, elegant and impeccable and we welcome Megan once again to our current event!
Megan of Casto Creations specializes in custom handcrafted jewelry and limited edition pieces created from their home studio in the Pacific Northwest. Megan’s goal is to create stunning jewelry that makes you feel like the Queen of the Universe!
"Tree of Life" fine silver PMC Pendant by Casto Creations
"Cherry Tree" Pendant Necklace by Casto Creations
In addition to creating fine jewelry, Megan devotes her time to animal rescue. You can read about much more in Megan’s interesting blog: CastoCreationsJewelry.blogspot.com And see more of Megan’s jewelry on her website, www.CastoCreations.com and in her Etsy shop, www.CastoCreations.etsy.com
Rose Quartz Heart PMC Earrings by Casto Creations
pequitobun reinvents vintage
Sherry of Cambridge, MA based pequitobun jewelry is reinventing vintage with her captivating jewelry! Combining the ethos of recycling with the sustainability of quality durable materials, wrapped in thoughtful, detailed and always distinctive design, pequitobun hopes to delight the jewelry lover who enjoys expressing her individuality with that only-one-in-the-world, carefully handmade piece of design into which is poured a specific inspiration.
Gretel Earrings by pequitobun jewelry
pequitobun jewelry has donated 8 pairs of their stunning “Gretel” Earrings (similar style shown above) and 1 pair of “Mardi Gras” sterling silver earrings to the 2009 Happily Handmade Giveaway Gift Boxes. In addition to the earrings, pequitobun jewelry has also donated a lovely necklace for another lucky winner to enjoy. The necklace is aptly named, “For Me” and is dressed in Garnets and Topaz gemstones. Visit the pequitobun jewelry website to see the entire collection!!
Season of Sniffles
Yes, that time of year is opon us. The seasonal change that burdens allergy sufferers everywhere. So why not fight through the season with style? Janet McCaffrey of Primrose Design has just the solution…. Vintage Fabric & Button Tissue Cozies!!!
Vintage floral fabric & button Tissue Cozy by Primrose Design
Yes! You have to carry tissues with you this time of year (I know, I do!) so why not be fashionable while dealing with the sniffles. I say heck yes!! These super sweet tissue cozies are handmade with vintage fabrics and vintage buttons. Each cozy also includes a pack of tissues. Simply reload with a new pack of tissues as necessary (or daily, in my case).
Vintage aqua floral fabric & button Tissue Cozy by Primrose Design
Janet is self described as an ex-children’s magazine art director turned freelance graphic designer who also has a home-based business crafting pillows and home accessories from vintage materials. Primrose Design was first launched in 2003 and is based in Pennsylvannia. You can read about Janet’s adventures (and scores) to find new vintage materials, her extensive and impressive needlework skills and her latest handmade creations in her popular blog: Primrose Design Blog As well, see all that Janet has to offer in her online shop: Primrose Design
Vintage Black Striped Fabric & Button Tissue Cozy by Primrose Design
Ten of these fantastic Primrose Design Tissue Cozies have been donated to the Happily Handmade Giveaway Gift Boxes!! Each created in a unique vintage fabric and button design combination. Which one will you win???
We’re Friendly!
And we’re looking for Friends!!
The Happily Handmade Giveaway is now on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Happily-Handmade-Giveaway/53545849314?ref=ts
and on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/happilyhandmade
Check us out. We’d love to be Friends with you 
Something sparkly has arrived!!
Two more uber talented indie business women are participating in this year’s Happily Handmade Giveaway, and we couldn’t be happier to share their handcrafted work with you!!
First is Jennifer Casady, the force behind Jewelry by Jennifer Casady. Jennifer is constantly searching out new techniques to learn so as to grow and improve as an artist and designer. Her inspiration comes from various sources – the beauty of nature created by God, a conversation with a close friend, a certain color or the sound of music in the background, or simply the gemstone beads themselves. Jennifer is based in Herndon, Virginia and her jewelry can be seen and purchased on her website: www.JenniferCasady.com
Jennifer has donated 6 of her “Live Love Laugh” Hand-Stamped Sterling Silver Necklaces to be given away in our Happily Handmade Gift Boxes!
Hand-Stamped Sterling Silver Live Love Laugh Necklace
Live Love Laugh Necklace by Jennifer Casady
- Sterling Silver Buckets Necklace by Freshie & Zero
- Simple Blink Earrings in Sterling Silver by Freshie & Zero
Stay tuned for more handcrafted goodies in the coming days!!!
The Happily Handmade Giveaway: A Valuable Tool for Promoting Indie Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Happily Handmade Giveaway: A Valuable Tool for Promoting Indie Business
In today’s tough economic climate, many small businesses are struggling to find creative ways to reach new customers. One surefire method to lure new clients is to offer them fantastic free merchandise. The Happily Handmade Giveaway builds off this precept, creating a cost effective tool for promoting small and independent businesses. This unique event 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 fabulous prize boxes filled with handmade gifts. Contestants enter the Giveaway by visiting the websites of participating vendors and registering for a chance to win one of prize boxes through a random drawing.
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.
The Happily Handmade Giveaway is pleased to announce that sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 2009 Giveaway. For a small fee and a donation to the gift boxes, Indie Shop Sponsors will be listed on the giveaway website as an official entry location. 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. Each Sponsor will also have the full list of Sponsor links on their entry page, creating an active stream of traffic from one site to another. Businesses participating in the giveaway have consistently reported a large increase in traffic to their site and subscriptions to their mailing list, which the Sponsor has the option of requiring for entry into the contest.
“The Happily Handmade Giveaway resulted in direct sales and a six-fold increase in the size of my mailing list,” says Lilie Wells, indie jewelry designer (http://www.aplanet4creation.com) and giveaway volunteer. “Being a giveaway sponsor is a great way to connect with online shoppers, promoting my business to potential customers I couldn’t have reached otherwise. I’ve done the Happily Handmade Giveaway three times now and I am hooked.”
The true promotional power of the giveaway is evidenced in the behavior of contestants, who often visit a business’ website for the purpose of entering the contest, but end up lingering and often purchasing items. “I have emailed all my friends and relations and demanded they shop indie,” says Lorinda, one of the lucky winners of the 2007 event. “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.”
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 traffic to the Sponsors’ websites, 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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Sneak Peek: Only the begining!
This first batch of goodies has arrived. Want to take a peek at the absolutely amazing handmade items that we will be giving away for the current Happily Handmade Giveaway?
Well… peek, peek away! First up, LA Black Bags by Leslie Ann Black!
Above is the Linen Leaves Shoulder Bag and below is the City Chicks Shoulder Bag.
Below is the Fronds Shoulder Bag in Red.
And lastly, the Pears Shoulder Bag.
Leslie Ann Black is a master at her craft. The Happily Handmade Giveaway has been lucky to have Leslie as a Sponsor a few times now. And this time, 4 of her fab bags will be included in our super duper Gift Boxes!! Do yourself a favor and check out www.LeslieAnnBlack.com You’ll love the fun selection! Bookmark the site…. you’ll want to check back and enter for a chance to win in just a few weeks!!
Welcome to the 2009 Happily Handmade Giveaway!
Yes, we realize it’s been two years since we did the last giveaway, but we hope you haven’t forgotten about us!
We’ve got a new domain, a spiffy new website, and a great team of volunteers ready to make this giveaway bigger and better than ever. And we promise, we won’t disappear for two years ever again!
Even in trying times like these, we are confident that this giveaway will be more popular than ever. I mean, free stuff? No one can resist the prospect of that. And the cost to participate is minimal. Only $20 plus a donation for the gift boxes. It’s a small investment for a huge return – I think past participants will agree, there is no other tool more powerful to grow a mailing list than the Happily Handmade Giveaway.
If you are an indie business and would like to participate in the giveaway, please visit the sponsor information page for details. We’re also selling a few prime advertising spots to help pay for additional expenses. If you’re interested, act fast, because they won’t last long! Visit the advertise page for more information.
So, what do you think? Are you pleased as punch that the giveaway is back? We’re very much looking forward to this event and hope you are as well!
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