Meet Julie from Chicks in Hats & Enter to Win a Free Pendant

Bobby Pin Chick In A Rainbow Hat – $6

Nice to meet you Julie! Could you summarize for us what you do?
I put hats on our pet chicks with my 9 year old daughter and then photograph them for my shop. We have a ton of fun doing this together!

Tell us about what you sell:
I sell note cards, magnets, calendars, pendants and tote bags.

Baby Chick Pretending to be Mysterious in Black Cape – $2

What is your favorite thing about creating?
Spending time with my daughter, helping her to see that you can do what you love, that there is always a way.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I find my inspiration in the small things around me, from the tiny plants in the woods to the baby chicks in my hands to the moths on my porch on a summer morning.

Photo Brooch of A Chick In A Blue Crown – $14

Do you have any advice for other sellers?
Work hard, keep trying, do your best, every day is new.

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If you aren’t titillated by how freaking adorable the stuff in Julie’s shop is, there has GOT to be something wrong with you. I’m guessing, it’s more likely you’ve just got to get your hands on some of these sweet creations. The good news is, Julie is being super generous and offering you all a change to win one of her squee-worthy photo pendants for FREE. Check out all of the easy ways you can enter to win below:

Enter to win a free photo pendant from Chicks in Hats!

1st Entry:
Subscribe to the Megan’s Beaded Designs newsletter. (Or let me know that you already do, you savvy online shopper, you.)

2nd Entry:
Visit Chicks in Hats on Etsy, and let us know which listing is your absolute favorite in the comments below!

3rd Entry:
Heart Chicks in Hats, and let us know you’ve done so in the comments below.

4rd Entry:
Buy something from Chicks in Hats. Show off your purchases in the comments below.

5th Entry:
Blog about this giveaway, dropping a link to your post here afterwards.

6th Entry:
Tweet about this giveaway. Let us know your twitter ID afterwards.

7th Entry:
Share this giveaway on Facebook.

8th Entry:
Pin this giveaway on Pinterest. Share the link to your pin here afterwards.

No entry is mandatory before you are able to do any of the others, you can pick and choose and add as many additional entries up to the 8 as you want to maximize your chances of winning! Your comments do not all need to be separated for each entry as long as it’s clear how many entries you are adding. (Also, make sure it’s easy for me and Julie to contact you if you win!)

Winner will be random.org chosen and contacted on April 16th. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Treasury Tuesday

‘fresh and fabulous’ by pamelasjewelry

‘Bright Color Gift Ideas for Mothers Day! ‘ by mirandas31

‘Plaid’ by MyveraLinen

Treasury Tuesday

‘Colors of Love’ by suefern643

‘Spring Browns’ by FemalePowerTeam

‘Retro Summer’ by CCARIA

Treasury Tueday

‘Black and Blue’ by dianavehuni

‘En Rouge & Noir’ by ichigotopinattsu

’2 for April’ by kpsszede

‘Wow! Feel The Sunshine!!’ by PatBarnes

Treasury Tuesday

‘Fibers’ by Chifonie

‘Green with envy?’ by nodsu

‘I love pink, it's so girly!’ by vlindertje235

Treasury Tuesday

‘Things to make us happy’ by jenniwhittaker

‘Bridesmaid look’ by AndyVeEirn

‘LOVE IS IN THE AIR!!!’ by juliaheartfelt

Treasury Tuesday

‘Giving Green’ by joschina2012

‘Crimson And Clover’ by Meegan82

‘All Things that Glow and Sparkle’ by j2studios

Treasury Tuesday

‘December Finds’ by JoannaBizu

‘Christmas Bazaar on ETSY – 17′ by Themagicofcolors

‘Red Sprinkles!!!’ by PatBarnes

‘shades of brown’ by semisweetstudios

Meet Anna Schneider from MindTraveller

Can you sum yourself up in 3 sentences? Give it a go!
I’m just a PhD student (that’s the point when everyone answers ‘Yeah right: JUST’) obsessed with all kinds of arts and crafts. I’ve tried it all, from baking over painting with diverse materials, wood carving, leather working, knitting etc. Bookbinding is the perfect craft to combine everything.

Notebook / Journal “Aurora Borealis” – £18.00 GBP

Tell us about what you sell on Etsy:
My little shop revolves around letting your imagination run wild and your thoughts go on a big journey. At the moment I offer handmade, one of a kind blank journals made out of soft leather or high quality wool that I decorate with love for the detail. All of my leather journals are unique, colourful pieces of art. The cover is embossed, engraved and dyed or painted by me; the paper is treated either with coffee or acrylic paint, and then everything is sewn together by hand.

What is your favorite thing about creating/collecting?
Listening to my instincts of what works and what doesn’t. Taking my time to slowly, step by step, put the pieces together and creating something unique with my own hands and all my senses. Seeing the sparkling eyes in my friends’ faces when they mention my latest projects they’ve seen online.

Diary “The Small Woollen Companion” in Azure Blue – £16.00 GBP

Where do you find your inspiration?
In my surroundings. I love everything natural, organic, and so all my materials are natural – leather, wood, glass, feathers, paper, cotton, metal. I also have a passion for intense colours, and for constantly trying out new ideas and techniques.

Do you have any selling tips or tricks for other Etsy sellers?
Communicating as much about your shop as you can – drawing attention to it is essential. But don’t we all know?

Embossed Leather Journal “Nightshade” – £22.00 GBP

Where else can we find you?
Twitter: @mind_travels
Blog: i-mindtraveller.tumblr.com/
www.etsy.com/shop/MindTraveller
www.facebook.com/mindtravellerjournals

Why You Should Buy Handmade this Holiday Season

There are plenty of reasons to buy handmade creations over mass-produced crap. Within the next month or so you’re going to hear all of the mushy-gushy ones, aimed at persuading your conscious.

For starters, when you buy handmade you simultaneously support individual artists and small businesses rather than lining the pockets of cooperate executive who probably don’t need another indoor pool or personal jet. Not to mention that you’re also saying “No!” to inhumane labor practices certain factory-made products utilize. Obviously, this is a pretty big reason for buying handmade in general. Whenever you can, buy a handmade widget over a mass-produced widget. If for no other reason, do so to give yourself the ego boost that going vegetarian hasn’t manage to provide you yet. (I’m not about to give up bacon yet hipsters, keep trying!)

This post isn’t about why you should buy handmade at all, I think those reasons are evident enough for most of you. I’m practically preaching to choir here anyway.

What I’m talking about is the main reason you should buy HANDMADE GIFTS for your friends and family this holiday season.

Of course there are the perks of avoiding tragically crowded retail stores, as much as we all LOVE to hear a trashy-remake of Santa Baby on repeat over the sounds of crying children and bickering spouses. Good times.

Deal with these crowds? No thanks.

No, the MAIN, #1 reason you should buy handmade presents this year is to avoid the repeats.

As migraine-inducing as it is to visit that crowded big box store to buy your presents initially, it’s even worse to have to return at the last minute in order to find something else because you found out Aunt Susan got your nephew the same thing you did.

Handmade products are often entirely unique, personalized, lovable gifts that you won’t find at the local mall or Target. When you buy handmade presents, you don’t have to worry about double-checking with all of the other people that might have gotten the same thing for the same person. You’ll be able to order with confidence, knowing you’ll be giving your loved ones something extra-special and irreplaceable this year.

When you’re sister opens up her package on Christmas morning and exclaims, “Wow! This is beautiful! Where on earth did you find this?”

You can proudly proclaim, “I had an artist from Canada/Texas/Australia/Ohio/Wherever make it for you.”

Oh, yeah. You’ll be the best Christmas-gifter ever. That shyte feels good.