Come See...What Art-Is-In {Artisan} Chat and Giveaway!

Welcome to the second installment of Come see...What Art-Is-In {Artisan} Chat and Giveaway! I discovered Diane from Pixiebell Elfinwear when I was lucky enough to win the April Flowers contest on byhand.me. When I opened the box of goodies, I put on that hat and wore it all night! And secretly...just a little bit of me looks forward the upcoming cool days so I can don it again!


So, without further adieu, on with the chat!



Where can we find your work?
You my find my work on etsy, artfire, 1000markets and in some select boutiques around the US.

{cloche hats on display in Bento Honesdale, Pennsylvania}

What inspired the name Pixiebell?
Several years ago I belonged to a chatroom and had wanted to use the name Pixie, but it was already taken. Elfin, Gnome, Faerie...all taken. Tinkerbell and even Stinkerbell were taken, so I tried on last ditch effort with pixiebell and got it. There really is no story behind the name, I just have always liked mythical type creatures. it is just sheer coincidence that I would, years later, come to knit pixie and elfin style hoods.



What type of environment do you create in?
I'd love to tell you about some vast and glorious studio that I create in, but I really do most of my work in my living room, on the couch with my family, watching movies. I even considered naming my hats in the same style that "Friends" episodes are named. "The Beret I Knit While Watching 'Practical Magic' " or "I Did My Best Not To Cry On This Hood While Watching 'The Notebook'." Some day there will be a studio, but I imagine I will still be sitting on the couch, watching movies.



What inspires you?

I grew up in Vermont, knitwear was essential! I remember discovering my mother's collection of scarves and hats on an upper shelf in a closet one year. I borrowed a long dark blue plaid scarf and a hat in the colours of cole slaw that winter. Keep in mind, I was 11 or something and proper colour combinations were an afterthought. It was nice having something different than what all the other kids were wearing. I felt special.


I grew up and we moved away, but I never lost that want for something cozy. I find my inspiration in the fantasy of still being a kid getting ready to go race down a hill on a toboggan. I still hope to look up in a closet and find big woolen hats, just a little oversized.

{photo credit: Cassidy Jean}

I live in Florida now and although we very rarely require warm knitted hats, I believe I have come to fulfill the comfort I seek, in making these hats. Perhaps I even live vicariously thru them. Parts of me are scattered all over the world, seeing the sights, squealing with delight over the first fallen snow of the season, breathing the crisp mountain air again. It's the next best thing to actually being there.




Do you use social networking? How has it worked for you?
I love to Tweet! I have found Twitter to be an amazing way to connect with other artisans and people of similar interests. I love being able to share funny little moments without much effort. I love reading and interacting with my friends and followers and getting instant reactions to new ideas and shop listings. I am http://twitter.com/elfinwear if you would like to follow along.

{photo credit: Cassidy Jean}

What do you look forward to?

I look forward to the hustle of the fall and winter seasons. I love that feeling that productivity brings. I look forward to being the hand behind creations that will turn into gifts at the holidays.


Thanks so much for joining us and sharing your thoughts Diane!


And now, on to the giveaway! As a special treat Diane is offering this adorable fuzzy blue beret! You can enter to win by visiting Diane at her Etsy, Artfire or 1000Markets Pixiebell shop and leave a comment here with a link to your favorite item. Want to enter again? Follow Diane or me on Twitter. One more time? Tell us about your favorite hat or scarf and why it was special to you. Make sure to leave your email or add it to your profile so I can contact you if you win! Giveaway will end on Friday, September 25th at 9:00 pm (EST) and the randomly chosen winner will be announced on the evening of Sunday, September 27.

Good Luck and Thanks for Joining us!

Something Fascinating for Friday

I came across this blog post yesterday - it is worth your time. Chris Higgins from Mental_floss shares his discovery of this fascinating story of a man that took a Polaroid every day for 18 years until the day he died.

Given I am beginning to document more of my everyday encounters (such as Walk with me Wednesday) I found this story very compelling.

Chris Higgins gives us his discovery and the information he found along the way. Read it in his words here.

The photographs span from March 31, 1979 to October 25, 1997 and range from casual gatherings with friends, simple existence and significant personal moments - each one a brief glimpse into this photographer's life.






This video depiction from YouTube is a sampling of the photo archive. I encourage you to visit the actual website Jamie Livingston's Photo of the Day as well and this blog that gives some more background to the project.



I was touched by this project and found it quite inspiring. I would love to hear what you think.

Simple Beauties Giveaway Winner Announced!

I was going to use Random.org, but there's just no ceremony in it. So I went with the old-fashioned way of writing down a name for each entry and had my husband draw from a hat...yes I really used a hat - a sunhat to be precise. :)

And the winner is....Tiffney!



Congratulations and thank you for sharing your wonderful story!


"The simple beauty that I find in my family is that they are always there for me and encourage me to do the things that inspire me..."


Thank you to everyone that entered!

Simple Beauties Giveaway

I've been a bit out of touch the past few days - my husband and I had some family come into town - including our young niece and nephew (4 and 5). They had an absolute blast - we live on the coast and they live in the Midwest. They loved the ocean and we spent hour after hour there looking for shells and feeling the waves crash against us. They were able experience things here they hadn't before and we were able to share that experience and create some family memories.

The magic simplicity of the family vacation.

I started thinking about the vacations my family took when I was a child. Every year we went to the UP to visit my grandparents - which was great! One year we took a camping trip with them to Copper Harbor. This was such a fun trip - I remember thinking it seemed so far away and how cool it was to travel with them - my parents and I had a "three man tent" (which we all know is really for one) and the grandparents were in a camper - which I thought was just the coolest thing! The trip was jam-packed - we toured lighthouses and mines, hunted for fossils and copper (found some too), when to tourist trap souvenir shops and bought postcards and tee shirts. It was a fun trip and definitely created some lasting memories. Thinking about this trip reminded me how exciting it was to find those glimmers of the copper we hunted - the simple beauty.

So now it's time for the giveaway! Leave me a comment with a few lines about your magic family vacation or share the simple beauty you find in your family and enter to win your choice of my new Simple Beauties line of jewelry.

Want to enter more than once?

1. Feel free to share as many stories as you like - You receive one entry for each tale you share.

2. Or for an additional entry, visit my shop and tell me what you like best or what you would like to see more of.

3. Follow me on Twitter.

Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Remember, you can always sign up to find out about giveaways and sales by joining my mailing list.

Giveaway will run until 9:00 pm (est) Saturday, August 8 and the winner randomly chosen and announced the evening of Sunday, August 9.

Have fun reminiscing!

Kudos Collection for the week July 5

Welcome to the Kudos Collection for the week!

Kudos to WHIMSYlove featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to ThePeachTree featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to PetitPoulailler featured on the Etsy front page!
As always, if you have a Kudos you would like to share, feel free to leave a comment with the link.
Thanks for visiting!

Kudos Collection for the week June 21

Welcome to the Kudos Collection for the Week! When we get featured, we want to shout it to the world! Here are a few artists I caught via tweets that deserve another round of Kudos!

Kudos to thevintageholicfrog featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to hilariagalleries featured on the Etsy front page!
Kudos to doodlebirdie featured on the Etsy front page!

If you have a kudos you would like to share, feel free to post it in a comment below. Thanks for joining me!

Kudos Collection for the week June 13

Welcome to the Kudos Collection for the week!

When we are featured, we want to shout it out to the world! Here are a few collected throughout the week, found via tweets.

Kudos to thelittlereddoor featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to moonthroughfog featured on the Etsy front page!
Kudos to RaspberryFairy featured on the Etsy front page!

Thanks for joining me! If you have a Kudos you would like to share, feel free to leave a comment with the link below.

Kudos Collection for the week June 6

Welcome to the Kudos Collection for the week! Here are a few of the artists that were featured this week found via tweets.

Kudos to polishedtwo featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to monkeyandsquirrel featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to AwakenJournaling featured on the Etsy front page!

And finally, my own tweet - I was featured on lillyella's blog! Thanks lillyella!

I hope you enjoyed the Kudos Collection for the week. Do you have a Kudos to share? Feel free to leave a comment with the link.

Enjoy!

Kudos Collection for the week May 30

Welcome to the Kudos Collection for the week! When we get featured, we want to shout it out to the world. As an active tweeter, I catch a few tweets a week sharing the good news. Here are a few from this week...

Kudos to thecraftpantry featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to snappyshop featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to metalology featured on the Etsy front page!

Thanks for joining me in shouting out Kudos to these wonderful artists! If you have a Kudos you would like to share, feel free to leave a comment with the link.

My Dad is so Cool!

We all know our dad is the coolest and here's a chance to share why! Leave me a few lines about why your dad is so cool and enter to win this brass wire wrapped, green aventurine pendant.

Here's mine: My dad is soooo cool...when I was a kid, we would do camp outs in the backyard (or in front of the fireplace if the weather was bad). We would set up the tent and get the sleeping bags, eat junk food, and here's the best part, we would listen to old radio plays all night. My favorite was always The Shadow.

Share your My dad is so Cool story and enter to win this pendant, which would look wonderful either on an simple chain or incorporated in a hemp necklace. Pendant measures 1" from the bottom of the bail and 1/2" across at the widest point (sorry chain is not included).

Have more than one story? You can enter once a day with a different story.

Want to enter again? Either tweet this giveaway or follow my blog and leave a comment with the tweet link or "follow."

One more time? Visit my etsy shop and tell me your favorite piece.

Giveaway will run until 9:00pm on Friday, June 19 and the randomly picked winner will be announced on the evening of Sunday, June 21. Please be sure to leave an email address so I may contact you if you win!

Have fun remembering and thank you for sharing!

Kudos Collection for the week

That's right - it's that time again...the Kudos Collection for the week! It's so great when we get featured, we want to shout it out to the world! I've starting collecting a few tweets each week of these happy moments - so here they are!

Kudos to tamaragarvey featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to oktak featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to lupin featured on the Etsy front page

Thanks for joining me and giving these special artists the Kudos they deserve! Do you have a Kudos tweet you would like to share?

Kudos Collection for the week

It's so nice when we get featured, we want to shout it out to the world. As an active tweeter, I see a number of tweets throughout the week and I thought it would be nice to start collecting them. These wonderful artists deserve some Kudos...so here is the collection found via tweets for the week!

Kudos to rubygirl featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to papersparrow featured on the Etsy front page!

Kudos to locomotive featured on the Etsy front page!

If you would like to be included in the Kudos Collection for the week, email me k.nice.artworks@gmail.com with the details by Friday evening of the week you were featured and I'll be happy to include you!