(cute fb image i snagged from her! Isn't she elegant?)I had the pleasure of visiting with this amazing woman on our marathon road trip. I have fallen in love with her Etsy shop, and i wanted to feature her here on this blog. I've scattered some fun images i took when i went to her house in December.
Read all the way to the end to find out what little treasure she's gifting to one of my blog readers and facebook fans. (If you're reading this on fb you HAVE to come comment on my blog: fifephotography.blogspot.com. Giveaways can't happen on facebook pages!)
So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Ok Katie, tell us a little about yourself.
I am a blissfully married 30-something mother of four boys. I am an optimist . . . I think this shows through in my artwork. We live in a 120-year-old farmhouse-style cottage in southern Michigan. I love reading, gardening, walking, creating, cooking and baking, feathering our nest, all things Jane Austen, and don’t like . . . bananas. Spending time with family and friends is my ultimate favorite. I love whimsical things that have a bit of good humor behind them.
What kinds of creative arts have you done in your life?
Pencil drawing, watercolor, acrylics, pastels (chalk), clay, batik, tie-dye, jewelry-making, sewing, metal casting, [singing, playing piano & penny whistle (not sure if these count)], breathing new life into old dressers, chairs, wardrobes, doors, etc. Home decorating in general. Still on my list of arts to learn: welding, photography, and mixed-media collage.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I am inspired mostly by nature. We have a great arboretum here and as I walk around it, I am convinced there is nothing as rejuvenating, calming and awe-inspiring as nature. I am also inspired by ideas and concepts; of good and evil, sanctuary, romance, whimsy, truth, joy.
I loved visiting your house-- how do you decide what you use to decorate?
I absolutely LOVE anything old or used. I love items that have a story. If I need something for my house, I hit the thrift and antique shops first. If something gets broken, I know I can replace it for a couple bucks. I don’t like matchy-matchy. I want everything to have a collected feel, but to also feel right together. Also, besides a tiny bit of black and a few splashes of red, I’m really drawn to all things white or pastel. My goal for our house is for it to feel comfortable. It is a sanctuary from the world and I want all who enter to feel comfortable, content and uplifted.
How did you come about starting an etsy shop?
I’ve been shopping on Etsy for a few years now. I heard it mentioned once and hopped on the internet to check it out. Fell in love with it from the start! I’ve always loved creating, and love the idea of selling to people from all over. I’d been thinking of opening a shop for a while but wasn’t sure how to balance that with being a full-time mom. This year, when all my kids went to school, everything just fell into place for me to open up a shop.
What's your favorite piece you have ever created? (mine is your promise ring!!)
This question is like asking a mother which of her children she loves best. :) Okay, to a much, MUCH lesser degree. I love everything I create. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I might re-work an item until I feel it is just right. Every item I create comes from a part of me, and I’m glad I can share that with others. Some items are romantic, like my necklace, miss Emily remembers. Some are just really fun and whimsical like my neckace, green grow the rushes, o, and my ring, faerie dreams.
Name one thing you are grateful for, and how that has made your life for the better.
Love. Understanding it, receiving it in its pure form, and giving it freely. The world is always hopeful if there is love. Once I started to really understand it, know how to feel and accept it, and learn how to give it unconditionally, it changed the way I view people and life.
With your 4 boys, how do you balance being a mother and creating?
I haven’t mastered this yet. I have found that being very organized with my time is key. I wake up at 5:45 a.m. every morning to do computer business stuff; etsy, email, facebook, twitter, for 45 mins. before everyone else wakes up. Then, I craft, take photos of my items, and ship out packages while my kids are at school. Some evenings, I finish up working on items while my husband and I chat and catch up on our day. Except for shipping items, Saturdays are family time. And I don’t work at all Sundays.
Guess what, my friends! Katie has agreed to offer one of you a chance to win this:
All i want you to do is click here to check out her Esty shop, and come back here to tell us which item you love most. (You can choose more than one, don't worry). Saturday at 5pm i'll announce a winner. So come leave your comment, and have a chance to win these pretty pearl hair bobbies!
Read all the way to the end to find out what little treasure she's gifting to one of my blog readers and facebook fans. (If you're reading this on fb you HAVE to come comment on my blog: fifephotography.blogspot.com. Giveaways can't happen on facebook pages!)
So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Ok Katie, tell us a little about yourself.
I am a blissfully married 30-something mother of four boys. I am an optimist . . . I think this shows through in my artwork. We live in a 120-year-old farmhouse-style cottage in southern Michigan. I love reading, gardening, walking, creating, cooking and baking, feathering our nest, all things Jane Austen, and don’t like . . . bananas. Spending time with family and friends is my ultimate favorite. I love whimsical things that have a bit of good humor behind them.
What kinds of creative arts have you done in your life?
Pencil drawing, watercolor, acrylics, pastels (chalk), clay, batik, tie-dye, jewelry-making, sewing, metal casting, [singing, playing piano & penny whistle (not sure if these count)], breathing new life into old dressers, chairs, wardrobes, doors, etc. Home decorating in general. Still on my list of arts to learn: welding, photography, and mixed-media collage.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I am inspired mostly by nature. We have a great arboretum here and as I walk around it, I am convinced there is nothing as rejuvenating, calming and awe-inspiring as nature. I am also inspired by ideas and concepts; of good and evil, sanctuary, romance, whimsy, truth, joy.
I loved visiting your house-- how do you decide what you use to decorate?
I absolutely LOVE anything old or used. I love items that have a story. If I need something for my house, I hit the thrift and antique shops first. If something gets broken, I know I can replace it for a couple bucks. I don’t like matchy-matchy. I want everything to have a collected feel, but to also feel right together. Also, besides a tiny bit of black and a few splashes of red, I’m really drawn to all things white or pastel. My goal for our house is for it to feel comfortable. It is a sanctuary from the world and I want all who enter to feel comfortable, content and uplifted.
How did you come about starting an etsy shop?
I’ve been shopping on Etsy for a few years now. I heard it mentioned once and hopped on the internet to check it out. Fell in love with it from the start! I’ve always loved creating, and love the idea of selling to people from all over. I’d been thinking of opening a shop for a while but wasn’t sure how to balance that with being a full-time mom. This year, when all my kids went to school, everything just fell into place for me to open up a shop.
What's your favorite piece you have ever created? (mine is your promise ring!!)
This question is like asking a mother which of her children she loves best. :) Okay, to a much, MUCH lesser degree. I love everything I create. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I might re-work an item until I feel it is just right. Every item I create comes from a part of me, and I’m glad I can share that with others. Some items are romantic, like my necklace, miss Emily remembers. Some are just really fun and whimsical like my neckace, green grow the rushes, o, and my ring, faerie dreams.
Name one thing you are grateful for, and how that has made your life for the better.
Love. Understanding it, receiving it in its pure form, and giving it freely. The world is always hopeful if there is love. Once I started to really understand it, know how to feel and accept it, and learn how to give it unconditionally, it changed the way I view people and life.
With your 4 boys, how do you balance being a mother and creating?
I haven’t mastered this yet. I have found that being very organized with my time is key. I wake up at 5:45 a.m. every morning to do computer business stuff; etsy, email, facebook, twitter, for 45 mins. before everyone else wakes up. Then, I craft, take photos of my items, and ship out packages while my kids are at school. Some evenings, I finish up working on items while my husband and I chat and catch up on our day. Except for shipping items, Saturdays are family time. And I don’t work at all Sundays.
Guess what, my friends! Katie has agreed to offer one of you a chance to win this:
All i want you to do is click here to check out her Esty shop, and come back here to tell us which item you love most. (You can choose more than one, don't worry). Saturday at 5pm i'll announce a winner. So come leave your comment, and have a chance to win these pretty pearl hair bobbies!
4 comments:
I love the birds nests clips the most,all of them,including the ones for shoes.
I love those little birds nests with the pearls in the center shown in this blog,what are those going to be?A necklace,circlet,hair clips?Hair pins made with those would be really neat.
What a wonderful house!
And an amazing seller.:)
Fireflies at dusk...it's beautiful! Though I would the pearl-end bobby pins would be my go-to item of choice!
I absolutely love the Gwenna . fading pink rose hair clip.
It's absolutely gorgeous! It was hard to choose just one!
I actually think that I like the hair bobbies the most. I would have to agree that the promise ring is very nice. Simple, but feminine but it only comes in a size 6. I can't vote on something that I can't have. I think that the natural stuff (bird's nest and stuff) is nice for someone into all that, but I am not.
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