happy halloween

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Happy Halloween!

As a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I couldn't wait for October to come and to begin planning out my costume. One of my favorites was when I dressed up as Madonna! haha I was maybe 8 or 9 and one of my mother's friends sewed me this awesome little lace mini skirt and lace tank top! I wore leggings under the skirt and had these little lace fingerless gloves. Yeah, Madonna in the 80's not really a role model for an 8 year old to dress up like her, but I thought it was so awesome. I wore gobs of makeup and dangly earrings. Who doesn't like a slutty 8 year old?! 

I went trick-or-treating well into middle school. I guess being teeny pays off on one holiday! I'm not a big candy fan though. I used to give my dad all the chocolate bars (or anything chocolate for that matter) and my mom always got the reeces pieces. 

Bringing home that bag of treats was always this great joy and excitement  To dump out all the candy and sift through it all. Of course, even then, my type A personality of having to sort things into piles by type of candy was well in swing. 

While I won't be trick-or-treating or dressing up for any fun parties, it's still one of my favorite holidays. It's also the one day of the year that my house actually is the coolest one on the block without even decorating it! 

Hope everyone has a great Halloween!

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Lip Balm Giveaway!

I just need to say that I have some of the BEST blogging buddies anyone can ask for. When I started this blog I never imagined I would have made some of the friendships I have made. Not to go all mushy on you guys. But it's so awesome, the "power of the internets"! People I never would have been able to meet are now good friends..so it's super cool. I love this little community we have formed (I sound like I'm repeating Nicole's sentiments. But I truly feel the same way) and hope it just keeps expanding. So thank you to all that read and stop by, and thank you to all who have left comments and shared snippets of your lives with me as well. 

So, that all being said..on to the goods...

A few weeks ago I sent a package out of my new shop goodies to my buddy, Nicole. Seeing that I sent her EVERY flavor of lip balm, she decided she wanted to share the love and do a giveaway with some of the goodies.

Up for grabs are: Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla and Cherry. 

You can head right on over HERE for your chance to win! I may be also doing another giveaway of my own  very soon and one on another loved blog as well. So keep your eyes peeled!

And don't forget you can head over to The Hive Botanicals at any time to get your fill as well.

Good luck everyone!!

Buy Handmade vol 29

This week we head to sunny Florida to bring you goodies just in time for the Fall and Winter months for us up North!

Name: Diane Serviss

Age: 40

Occupation: handmade knitwear designer

Etsy Shop: http://pixiebell.etsy.com

 

Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Northfield, Vermont into an extended family of dairy farmers, professional chefs and stewards of the land. Handmade has always been close to my heart. I am a self-taught knitter and crocheter and the head designer for our brand, Pixiebell. I am a mother of three teenage daughters, and I am lucky enough to have been married to my best friend and business partner for 20 years ..and counting!

 

When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy? 

From a very young age I knew I wanted to do something artistic with my life, but it always seemed like everyone else had a different plan for me. It seems that when you show aptitude for certain things, then those things are expected of you and other dreams get pushed down deep, instead of explored. It wasn’t until my 30’s that I really started allowing myself to try different crafts. I taught myself to loom knit in 2005, needle knit in 2007 and crochet in 2009. I opened up on Etsy in 2007, when I realized my home was starting to get overrun with knitted items.

 

How did you come up with your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?

I used to chat on a rather large chat network in the late 90's, my original name was stinkerbell. Something occurred to my account and I could no longer use it, so mIRC began signing me in as my backup name, pixiebell. When I eventually found Etsy a decade later, I was still visiting the same network and friends were asking me to make items for them, so, to make it easy to find me, I just used my chatname on Etsy too. It’s just a coincidence that I ended up designing a pixie style hat that ended up being our best seller.

 

Has your Etsy shop become your full time job? 

Yes! Our Etsy shop is the sole income for our 5 person family. It employs both my husband and myself full time and our eldest daughter seasonally.

How would you describe your creative process? 

Most of my patterns derive organically. I begin with a shape in mind and go for it! On rare occasion the design will work out right on the first try, but usually I have to remake the item several times before I am satisfied with the shape, size and fit.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I am really inspired by movies, especially movies filmed during cold weather. Often I will pause a film just to talk about the knitwear or shapes of the hats the characters are wearing. I’ll mull the shapes over in my head, trying to redesign a more updated interpretation. You can quite literally see influences from Dr. Zhivago and Bridget Jones Diary 2 in my work.

 

What is your most cherished handmade item? 

My grandmother had 9 children, she used to knit them sweaters and as they would outgrow the sweaters, she would frog the yarn and create afghans from the pieces. I have one of those wonderful afghans, handed down to me after she passed. It now belongs to my eldest daughter, but I will always remember the naps I took as a child, wrapped in a blanket that felt like a legacy, a warm hug from all of my aunts and uncles.

 

Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?

I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling with my husband and volunteering. My husband and I volunteer as Booster Club members for our local high schools JROTC program. As a veteran, my husband is a mentor to these great kids, we accompany them to parades, rifle shoots, athletic competitions and academic competitions.

 

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be and why? 

This is a question that has stumped me my whole life. My formal education was geared toward medicine, and I suppose I could have continued down that path, but it was never truly what my heart wanted. As a kid, I either wanted to be an artist or an archaeologist ..I still think that might be fun. I am fascinated with how people used to live, the possessions they owned, the tools they used. Imagine whomever unearths my home from rubble someday ..what are they going to think about the dozens of frightening knitting needles in my stash! LOL

(Why YES! That is Ty Pennington wearing one of their hats that will be aired in an upcoming episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)

 

Five years from now you will be… 

I will be traveling the country in an RV with my husband. Since I can knit anywhere ..I might as well go see everything.

 

Describe yourself in five words:

Conscientious, curious, determined, competitive, observant

 

Carrying on with the five theme, if I were to turn on your <insert whatever type of music player you use here>, what five artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?

Kings of Leon – Use Somebody

Julie Doiron – Will You Still Love Me In December

Ours – Sometimes

Schiller (featuring Kim Sanders) – Distance

Tom Waits - Alice

 

Lastly, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about opening their own shop or participating in craft shows? 

Read everything you can about marketing and search engine optimization and how to better present your items to your potential buyers. Invest in attractive displays and professional photography or at least a good camera and learn about editing programs for your photos. Put your best foot forward!

Pixiebell

Life lately..

Over the past few weeks the mister and I have done a lot of soul searching and a lot of talking about where we want our lives to be and what we want out of life. It's an amazing feeling to be completely on the same page as your "life mate".

My vacation came at just the right time. I was/am completely burnt out and stressed out regarding my day job and really want a change toward a simpler life. When I reflect and think about what I wanted from my life, even 5 years ago, it is so vastly different than what I want from it today.

I have always been a perfectionist and extremely competitive with myself, always pushing myself to do more and strive for more. This is especially true when it comes to employment. I always push myself to learn everything about the company, its products and I'm always a step ahead of whats expected out of me. Sort of like the "dress for the position you want, not the position you're in" except I don't necessarily dress differently - but I perform differently. I've always pushed myself to be the top at what I do. But with this need to push myself comes a lot of stress. A lot of stress I don't need.

I'm not working in a field that I went to school for or that I am passionate about. Doing the "Behind the Scenes" feature has made me take a look at my life and realize and CAN work for myself, it's just going to take a lot of hard work to get there...and exposure.

My passion is creating. Baking, crocheting, making soaps, and working with glass (which I need to start doing again!). My other passion is my mini family, my husband and our three four legged furry children. I just want our little house in the woods, spending my days creating with the girls and nights hanging out and enjoying life..

So I'm saying it here, and I'm saying it now. I want and need to change my life. Our goal is to fix up our home enough to be able to sell it and move to the country. I possibly may be making some sacrifices so that we can get to this goal sooner, unless people want to start a charity fund for us. I'm not too proud to accept donations toward our house fixing! Because I have NO clue where and how to come up with 20,000$ to fix a leaking roof. How is a roof 20,000?!? We are stuck here til its fixed (among other projects) So this means lots of cash will be needed. My sacrifice is me. Posting and applying for jobs that I know will come with lots of stress, but also come with a larger paycheck. My goal is two years. In two years to have saved and fixed enough to be able to get to our dream living. I think its reasonable. Again, unless someone out there reading is either looking to buy a Victorian with "character" or wants to donate to our charity...two years. you heard it here...no take backs.

fff vol 38

Favorite finds from the last week: 

1. Etsy find of the week: Ninainvorm

etsy

Look at these adorable, made to order plates!! They are vintage designs with extra touches to make them a little more festive and make them pop! So cute.

2. Blog of the week: The Noisy Plume

http://www.thenoisyplume.com/blog/

I am completely smitten with The Noisy Plume. Her photography..her jewelry..her life...I would love to trade places and would never look back. She has my dream life..the cabin in the woods, working for herself.. someday...

3. Please can I move in?

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As you know I have a thing for stark white rooms and big windows. Everything about this room is perfect.

4. Get in my belly... 

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Holy Mother! I don't think I even need words with this picture. All you need to know is Muffins and Donuts combined into one food. When can I bake these up?!!

5. Tee shirt of the week from Gama-Go

Gama-Go just released a new line of women's tees (and mens). Oh my goodness!!! There are SO many adorable ones. I had a hard time picking my favorite.. but I mean come on!! Look at this shirt!!!!!! It MUST be mine!

This weekend is going to be pretty lonely in these parts. The mister is headed out to Massachusetts for a surprise visit and I'm staying home with the girls. Hopefully I can get a ride out to the farmers market. (we currently are still in the one car situation while he takes forever to get his 54 Chevy on the road) Then the rest of my day will consist of making soap and crocheting, while vegging out watching guilty pleasure Netflix television shows. 

What is everyone else doing? Anything good going on? Early/Weekend Halloween parties??

Market Mondays and Apple Pie

Lots of good stuff this weekend at the market.. fresh dinner rolls, garlic, eggs, potatoes, spaghetti squash, empire apples, cabbage, cauliflower, butter! (yes!!), bacon, summer squash, hamburg, top round and long  pie pumpkins (also known as Nantucket pie). Good eating ahead of us for this week!

Next weekend will be the last official market weekend of the year, then it goes to 2 weekends a month in an indoor market for the winter months. So we'll have to stock up the weekends they are open. 

This weekend was a perfect baking weekend. I made more blueberry muffins and also another apple pie.

Polly loves when the peels fall to the floor. I am trying out a new dough recipe this weekend. I LOVE my gramma's recipe. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to roll out. It always tears. So I tried out a recipe I found in the November issue of Martha Stewart.

The dough rolled out very smooth. It also helps because when you make it (before you chill it) you roll it into an 8" disk - then refrigerate for 45 minutes - 2 days. I made the dough Saturday afternoon and made the pie on Sunday to have with our roast.

I never used to pre-cook my apples, but I am really loving the flavor more when they are pre-cooked. It makes the pie taste more like diner-style pie. Very tasty!!

I usually make a huge, heaping pie but Polly broke my favorite pie dish this past week :

It was on the counter waiting to be washed as we finished the pie off, late the night before. I took my morning shower and heard a huge crash (which is usually when she gets into most of her mischief) Then there is was.. the rooster dish shattered on the floor. My mom had given me the vintage dish and I just loved it so much. The only other dish I have right now is my ginormous handmade dish. It makes a 12" pie. You need lots of apples to get that sucker to be heaping! Especially if you precook the apples. 

So my pie was a "flat" pie. When I told K he joked and said, "You mean a normal pie?!" haha 

If you'd like to try your hand out at the perfect apple pie.. here is the mix of my gramma's recipe with Martha Stewart.

Piecrust (via Martha Stewart November 2012 issue):

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces and divided

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup ice water

1. Lay out three quarters of the cubed butter pieces on parchment and freeze until hard, at least 30 minutes. Take the remaining butter and refrigerate.

2. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add refrigerated butter and pulse to combine, roughly 10 times. Add frozen butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some blueberry sized clumps.

3. Add ice water, immediately pulse until water is just incorporated, about 10 times. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together.

4. Lay out 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Empty 1/2 the dough onto each piece. Bring the edges of wrap together to gather the dough. Press into disks.

5. Roll out the disks, still wrapped in plastic, to 1/2" thick rounds (8"). Refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. (dough can be frozen for up to one month)

Filling via my gramma:

6 cups of apples, peeled, cored and cut (I never measure - I use as much as I want! Usually a 1/2 peck from the farmer's market or apple orchard) I love honeycrisp apples, my favorite, but use any apple you like. Recently I have been using Empire apples. Another sweet apple.)

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar

2 TBS flour

1 TBS lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg (I never add this - not a nutmeg fan)

2 TBS butter

Here is where you have another choice: to precook or to not precook. If you don't want to precook and have more of a crisper apple. Combine all your ingredients over the apples, and you are all set.

If you want to precook: Put your cut apples into a large pot on medium/low heat. Combine all the above ingredients and cook down. I don't cook them for too long. I just allow some of the moisture out of the apples because they are still going to get cooked in your pie. This is more of those things, you just know when it's ready. Let it cool down and then add to your pie crust.

Another choice: My gramma ALWAYS put an "egg wash" on her crust. That was always my job. I can still remember "painting" the pies when I was teeny tiny, standing on a chair in the kitchen. But I know many people use all different washes on their crusts, some sprinkle sugar. This again, is your personal choice. 

Slit 4 slits in the top

Bake @ 450 for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350 and cook for 35 minutes.

and there you have it -  super delicious apple pie! Maybe even some blueberry muffins will miraculously appear on top of your stove as well!

Happy Baking all!

Buy Handmade vol 28

This week we are headed to Lithuania (little side fact my husband's mother is Lithuanian, I believe she is the only one of her siblings that was actually born here in the states - her older siblings were all born abroad anyway, on to the interview!)

(Elana (left) & Leva (right)

Name: Leva 

Age: 32

Occupation: artist

Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/adatine?ref=si_shop

Tell us a little about yourself.

I and my friend Elena are from Lithuania (Eastern Europe). We met 13 years ago whilst studying at Vilnius Academy of Arts.  We were brought together not only by the same studies,  but also our hobbies: growing plants and making crafts. We were sewing, knitting, crocheting and weaving. After some time we realized that we could create more things than our  families or friends needed.

When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy?

Elena was the one who discovered Etsy (in 2009). Without Etsy I would not have discovered my possibilities. It makes me create, move forward. It doesn't allow to stop. Etsy has opened the world for me. My works have reached so many places in the world (thanks to Etsy): Australia, United States, Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea and so on. Believe me, I feel very thankful and happy for that.

How did you come up with your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?

Adatinė means „pincushion“  in Lithuanian, our native language. It is a useful thing and also an inspiring partner for the Muses to come.

Has your Etsy shop become your full time job? If not, would you like it to be?

Sometimes I have to do other things (if I want or not to).

How would you describe your creative process?
I  make everything myself- from the drawings to sewing to taking pictures of the finished product – and  this takes a lot of time. Also, sometimes my work is interrupted by such incidents as injured fingers. As I embroider toys myself, the needle pricks all over my fingers, and I am therefore forced to take  a break or do something else.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

When my head is full of the pictures of various animals (starting with the Lithuanian wolfs, foxes, melancholic rabbits, impudent koalas, gorgeous wales or mermaids with the tattoos of men, mustached trainers of the lions) there is nothing left for me, only to take my sewing machine, scissors, a scrap of linen and to start the work with the sewing needle that always tries to prick. Such is my world. :) My inspiration comes accidentally and rather frequently. My head is full of ideas; some of them are followed by new ones, some stay, some leave and so on.

What is your most cherished handmade item?

 I`m not sure why, but at first I created the toys for adults, though children also like to play with some of them. Mostly,  I like creating animal figures and people, specifically creating figures of men.

I do not the have a favorite character. Possibly the toys I most often create are foxes  and hares. The first fox toy  I made was for my son ten years ago.  I like double character of foxes.  I find them not only very clever and sometimes insidious, but also very intelligent and sensitive animals.  The felted hares drown in their melancholy, one can say everything without pronouncing a word, thought the last hares that i made have totally different characters. They are so greedy. They keep their trophies in their hands (tomatoes, apples or a carrot) and do not wish to share with anyone.  that`s how they are... and I cannot do anything at all about that. They dictate the conditions.

Most of attention get the Bandit foxes. They are just joyful animals and people like them. Also, the grey linen Whales are loved, they are totally different from the foxes. When making them I was thinking about the Earth, it’s pollution and ecology.                                                     

Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?

I like to take photos very much. Also, to spend time with my children and friends. It’s only a pity that there is not so much time left for that.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be and why?

I would write serious articles for the architects and builders. More and more I understand that to do work that I like is very important for me, important for my self-realization.

Five years from now you will be...
:)

Describe yourself in five words:

I am still searching for myself.

ADATINE

fff vol 37

Favorite finds from the last week: 

Etsy find of the week: 

The Hive

A little self promotion can't hurt anyone right? To be perfectly honest I haven't spent much time in the internet this week. I've had a relaxing week of mostly crocheting, making soap and shipping out a couple orders. So I figured in spirit of my shop opening I'd post up one of my favorite soaps.

Please can I move in?

We've been talking and thinking (ie. dreaming) of our perfect house in the country..and well.. this pretty much fits the mold of how I envision said "perfect/dream home"

Get in my belly... 

muffins

I love blueberry muffins. That is probably an understatement. If I wanted to I could probably eat an entire dozen of blueberry muffins and not think twice about it, I love them THAT much. Which is why, I made 2 dozen last weekend and there are currently only three left. Granted I had help eating those delicious muffins ..  I think tomorrow I may need to make more now that I'm thinking about it! Yes..more muffins..

Tee shirt of the week from Maiden Voyage Clothing

I've talked about this Etsy shop in the past. I love their designs. I'd love to add this shirt to my collection. 

I cannot believe this week has already flown by. Most every vacation I take I have plans and projects for each day. I almost feel like I'm still working and never truly just taking a break. While this vacation started out that way. Some of my projects I wanted to complete just couldn't happen because the dumpster people never called me back. So instead of stress out and work during my vacation, I slept in (a teeny bit - was usually still up and doing things by 7-7:30) and then spent my days working on a special secret project while watching way too many episodes of Greys Anatomy on Netflix. I never had watched that show when we had "tv". But I heard all the chatter about it over the years..so I figured why not? Let me say it has been my guilty pleasure all week, watching episode after episode while working on said secret project. 

Argh..I so do not want Monday to come and my life to be back to the normal "grind". For months and months I haven't felt myself. I've felt so miserable and just plain depressed about everything and I think the major component is my day job. I'm really looking hard for a change. But in this economy still haven't found a replacement yet. Wouldn't it be nice if The Hive could have just been an overnight success and been a replacement income for my current one? Ah...dreaming again....

Plans for this coming weekend?? I believe here is supposed to be back to rain and cold..so that will mean baking, crocheting and making soap for me.. not a bad way to spend the last couple days of my vacation if you ask me.

Market Mondays

This week we had an amazing "take" at the Farmer's Market. Empire apples (for an apple pie I'm baking my dad right now, Happy Birthday Dad!), fresh eggs, pull apart rolls, baby potatoes, carrots, Honey Crisp apples, tomatoes, squash, green beans, hamburg (for amazing meatloaf the mister made last night), Lamb chops (never had them - has anyone ever had lamb??) and pork chops. 

We still had a whole chicken from last week and we had spaghetti squash that was dinner on Saturday. The farmer's market is only two more weekends. How did this season go by so fast?! There is an indoor market that is two Saturdays a month during the winter - so we will be going to those starting in November.

The weather the past few days has been so bizarre, rainy and cold in the mornings and then round 11am or so, it clears up and gets up in the low 70's! I'm not complaining..it's just bizarre weather. This week I'm on vacation (yes, again!). Today has been apple pie baking and creating a sales sheet for the mister to take into his work. It lists all my soaps, lip balms and washcloths with a brief description and then a sales order. He works with a girl I went to high school with and she has taken it upon herself to be my marketer at his work! She sent out an email to the entire company telling them about my goodies and hopefully it turns into a few sales for me.

I'm thinking about paying for the "search ads" on Etsy. Has anyone done those and if so, seen any upswing in sales. So far I've only had 158 views and one sale. I know, I know. It's only been 3 days! But you guys know me... I'm just trying to figure out the best way to get my name out there. Next month I'm going to sponsor a few blogs and hopefully that will also generate some traffic. Any other ideas??

Alright, I'm off to work on a special Christmas present I've been working on and relax for a little bit before heading out to dinner with my parents. 

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Monday. 

Buy Handmade vol 27

This week we head back to Canada, this time to Quebec.

Name:Lucie Veilleux

Age: 31
Occupation: Jeweler
Etsy Shop: www.lucieveilleux.etsy.com

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello!  I'm Lucie.  I live in Québec, Canada and i make things, most of them are wearable.  Basically it's all i ever think about. :)  I also love to bake, i enjoy spending time in nature or travelling to new places.  I love botanical elements, i think they are the most amazing things in the world and i love to look at them closely.  I sleep sometimes because it's necessary but i would prefer to skip this part of life, there's too many other fun things to do.

When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy?

I've been creating for as far as i can remember.  As a kid, if i wasn't getting dirty in a mud puddle or climbing a tree with my brother you could find me playing with paint brushes or crayons, making a bricolage with dried leaves or pieces of wood ...or perhaps i was petting a cat..   I always made choices that would lead me somewhere artistically interesting and if it wasn't so, Art would find it's way back to me.  I am grateful for that.  What i do now is just the natural evolution of who i am.  I believe that in a life time, we evolve but we never really change that much.
I joined Etsy in 2008 with another shop named 3dots (www.3dots.etsy.com) which i still run.  There, i sell my wooden jewelries.  I opened this new shop with my silverworks about a year ago.  

How did you come up with your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?

Well, obviously there's no special meaning behind it but this time i wanted to sell my work under my own name, it just felt right to do so.

Has your Etsy shop become your full time job? If not, would you like it to be?

For the last year, I've been making jewelry almost full time.  Even though it's stressful and uncertain, i enjoy this life and i am busy all the time.  

How would you describe your creative process?

It's quite simple, as soon as an idea comes to my mind i figure out how to do it and then i get to work as soon as i can.  Sometimes a whole collection emerge from this first piece, i am just obsessed!  I think that i'm creatively impulsive, i won't stop thinking about a new piece until it's finished and when an idea comes i want to turn it to reality right away.  I am not a complicated person, i just trust my instinct.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I think inspiration is everywhere and most of the time, i don't really understand where an idea come from, it just POPS into my mind.  The desire to create itself stimulates inspiration.  I like to think that ideas are in the air and they find their way to the person that will make them come to life... but that probably makes no sense! :D  I am pretty sure that the experience you gain working with different materials widens your horizons.  The more you experience the more your mind can imagine new things, combine materials, understand how things work, then inspiration is stimulated.  It's also necessary to get out of the studio sometimes, just to have a fresh perspective on what you're doing.  


Do you also sell your work at craft shows? 

I don't have a lot of experience in craft shows, i want to focus more on this in the next months.  This past year was what i like to call "a year of experiments".  Now i have created a few different collections that are connected between them in a way or another, i think it's time to get out of the studio and see how people react to my work.  So far i am pretty happy about people's response on etsy.  I have great enthusiastic customers, it's always fun to hear what they have to say. :)

What is your most cherished handmade item?

It's a caterpillar drawing my brother made for me as a joke on a birthday card envelope.  You must know that my brother isn't an artist, he never draws so it was very sweet to me that he took the time to do that.  I kept it, added colors to it and framed it, it's in my living room. :)

Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?

I love to wander in the countryside or in the forest to pick up nice looking leaves and breathe fresh air.  I love to travel and see new places.  Walking in a new city is always exciting, i can't imagine a life without exploring what the world have to offer.  I am also interested in design and architecture so i love to keep an eye on what's happening in this world.  I always have lots of ideas of home accessories but unfortunately i don't have the time to make them all come to life..  Oh, I also bake LOTS of muffins.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be and why?

Honestly, I have no idea.  I think I could do pretty much anything but I could not be as happy as I am now.

Five years from now you will be…

I hope still as passionate about what i do as i am now with even more projects in mind.  I would wish for my business to be stronger and for life to be a bit less stressful... and travel more!!

Describe yourself in five words:

enthusiastic, lunatic, dedicated, silly, open-minded.

Carrying on with the five theme, if I were to turn on your <iphone>, what five artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?

Well, these days you would only find 2 things, i can't stop listening to the last Metric album or to The Killers.  I will probably do that until i cannot stand their sound anymore! :D

Lastly, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about opening their own shop or participating in craft shows?

Get to work!!  Don't expect any instant success, nothing comes without hard work.  Be committed to your product and never underestimate the importance of quality.  Most of all do what you love!

Lucie Veilleux