Sponsor Spotlight & Giveaway: Miss Happy Pink

We are so excited to introduce you to our friend and local Louisville artist, Miss Happy Pink!  Miss Happy Pink is seriously one of the sweetest gals we have met in a long time, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share her art with you plus a fabulous giveaway (!!).
 

To learn more about Miss Happy Pink, check out our interview below, plus watch the adorable video that shows Miss Happy Pink working on her screen print collection.  How can you not love Mr. Moustache Cat?  Don’t forget to submit your entry in the giveaway below!
 

Website ~ Shop ~ Facebook

Once upon a time, there was a girl who liked to create cute things. She doodled, sewed, made, created, and covered things in glitter. Then she met a boy and fell in love. He inspired her and encouraged her to share her smiles with the world. MissHappyPink: For People Who Like to Smile.

We asked Miss Happy Pink a few questions, and here is what she told us:

I'm really excited about my new fall prints! They will be available between mid to late October. Also, me and my fiancé, Angryblue, are working on our first collaboration together! It will debut at Ultra-Pop's Halloween-themed group show (Things That Go BUMP in the Night) on October 20th. 

The most challenging aspect of running my own business is time & money; There is never enough of either. There is always so much to do not only professionally, but personally, so finding a balance between them is key. When you run your own business, you never stop working. You're always brainstorming, coming up with new ideas and thinking about ways to change or evolve. The hard part is making it all happen within your budget. You learn to get creative and that's where DIY get's it's name! 

Something silly about me:  I'm terrified of moose. I collect Hello Kitty everything. I feel naked if my toenails aren't painted. I sometimes eat ice cream for dinner because I'm an adult and I can. My art can be purchased online at www.misshappypink.com and locally in Louisville there are a few stores that carry some of my work: Ultra-Pop, WHY Louisville, Hey Tiger and The Hanger.

 

Are you ready for this fabulous giveaway?  One lucky winner will win this set of Handmade & Create screen prints from Miss Happy Pink!  They will look like this and this hanging in the perfect creative spot in your home!  Stinkin’ cute and perfectly inspirational!

PLUS the lucky winner will also receive a one month sponsor spot on D.I.Y. Louisville for the month of November, including all of the perks that comes along with being one of our sponsors!  This is a great way to have your blog or indie business seen by over 13,000 monthly visitors on D.I.Y. Louisville!

Use the rafflecopter below to submit your entries.  You may choose to do any or all of the options to increase your chances on winning.  Open to all!  U.S. and International!  Miss Happy Pink is awesome like that!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*One winner will be chosen at random and will be notified by email on Saturday, October 6, 2012.  Winner will have 48hours to claim their prize.  If prize is not claimed within 48hours, a new winner will be chosen.

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What We Wore

I love these boots, even though they make my foot look gigantic in this photo.  I found them at the thrift for $3 last winter.  I have crazy luck at finding good shoes.  My husband kindly suggested that maybe it would be good Karma for me to leave some of these awesome boot deals for other people.  To which I looked at him like he was crazy and replied in my best did-we-just-meet-yesterday? voice, “I do leave the ones that don’t fit, silly boy.”

(And maybe I should be doing less shoe shopping and more power washing?  Because why is my house so mossy?)

Dress & Belt:  Forever 21

Jeans:  Target

Boots:  Thrifted

Necklace:  Love Squirrels

Kim and I post our outfits here to show off our thrifty and handmade wears. Plus, we like cute clothes. We link up each week with The Pleated Poppy and Whatever Whenever Wednesday and Not Dead Yet Style with a bunch of other bloggers in blogland doing the same crazy stuff we are. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments - we'd love to come check out your blog!

~julee~

 

p.s. – For Lauren & Lauren is hosting a group giveaway full of lots of amazing prizes including the chance to win a sponsor spot on D.I.Y. Louisville for October.  Go HERE to enter.  Yay!

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Make It: Fabric Acorn

I’m having a little love affair with these darling fabric acorns at the moment.  I’ve seen lots of cute decorating ideas with real acorns, which can be found in great abundance in my yard right now.  However, I tried to be cute with them once upon a time, and let me just say…uh, maggots.  And that pretty much assured that this neurotic girl will never again try to cuten up her home with real acorns.  But acorn tops are surely bug free and safe for crafting, right?  Right?

I used fabric scraps and burlap to make these acorns, but I have seen them on pinterest made with felted wool, and I recently purchased some from Papers N Fiber that were made from felted sweaters.  Whatever fabric or textile you have on had, these whip up nice and quick.  Here is a little tutorial of sorts with the steps using fabric:

You need:  acorn top, small fabric circle sized according to how large or small your acorn top is, needle, thread, stuffing, hot glue gun

Sew a running stitch around your circle, stuff with stuffing, pull thread to cinch closed and knot, use hot glue around the entire acorn top, attach.  For the burlap, I didn’t sew the top at all.  I simply filled the circle with stuffing, pinched everything tight, and glued the acorn top in place. 

Simple and cute – my favorite kind of craft.

Are you making any fall crafts?  I’d love to come check out your projects if you leave a link to your blog in the comments.

Happy fall crafting, DIY’ers!

~julee~

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Artist Spotlight: Freaked Out ‘n Small

One look through Colleen’s Freaked Out ‘n Small blog and etsy shop and it’ll be easy to know why we’re so smitten with her and her adorable crafts.  No joke, the candy corn pom pom’s practically make us want to die from cuteness.  But we’re not the only ones who love Colleen’s poms:  a large custom order for her fall colored poms turned out to be the perfect splash of color to to spice up  the outdoor décor at Matthew McConaughey's recent wedding.  Pretty awesome, right?  Read more about Colleen, her work, and her crafty challenges below:

Blog ~ Etsy ~ Facebook

Hello there! I'm Colleen, a born and raised California girl that moved to Kentucky 2 years ago with my Mister and band of misfit animals. Freaked Out 'n Small is my teeny corner of the universe where I write about our adventures here in the country, share my latest food obsessions, and generally embarrass myself by showing off my attempts at craftiness!

I actually found myself with quite a bit of time on my hands a couple of years ago after being laid off from my job in California. I decided to try my hand at crafting and I became incredibly addicted to making pom poms and simply didn't have enough room in my house (or my friend's houses) for all the ones I was making! I had already been accepting custom doll orders through my blog, so I thought I would combine the two under etsy!

What is your favorite thing about running your business/etsy shop? I can't lie. I get the biggest kick out of knowing that I made something someone wants to own!!! Does that count? I mean, making my own hours and whatnot is really, really awesome....but honestly, nothing beats knowing that someone values my work!

What is the most challenging aspect of your work? I'm new to the world of small business owners, so just about every aspect is challenging at the moment! Probably the most challenging aspects though, have been marketing and my own physical limitations. Figuring out how to market my wares is something I am still learning to navigate, and frankly there's only so many poms poms my little hands will make each day before they cramp up and just stop working.

What are you currently working on? The holiday season is coming up - that seems to be the busiest time for me so I've been working on plenty of items to stock in the shop as well as getting even more creative with my pom pom garland. So, along with the Candy Corn Garland there should be some fun new additions to the shop in the next week! I've also been working on a custom doll for a friend that is expecting her first child this coming December!

 

A big thanks to Colleen for sharing about herself and her craft with us!  We love our D.I.Y. Louisville sponsors!  (To find out how you can sponsor us, read HERE.)

~julee~ & --kim

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Hello, Friday

     

Hello, Friday.  I love it when you come around, giving me a moment to reflect on the simple pleasures in my life: helping my bestie plan for a doll of a party, surprise gigantic fall mums from my hubby, the constant hum of my sewing machine, and a sentimental ring brought back to life from a dear friend.  (And let’s not forget about that delicious orange vanilla scone from Cake Flour.)  It’s been a good week, Friday, but I’m ready for the weekend.  How about you?

~julee~

 

Sharing my simple moments over at Life Rearranged and High Five for Friday.

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What We Wore

There was actually a chill in the air today, so I pulled on a pair of boots for the occasion.  I’m not wishing for cooler weather at all, but wearing boots makes my heart do a little dance. 

What fashion trend is making your heart do a little dance this week?

 

Chambray Shirt:  Old Navy (Similar)

Tank:  Target

Dress (worn as skirt):  Thrifted, Target  (Similar)

Wedge Boots:  Thrifted, Old Navy  (Similar)

Bracelet:  Silly Happy Sweet

 

Kim and I post our outfits here to help inspire each other to get out of the yoga pants rut. Plus, we like cute clothes. We link up each week with The Pleated Poppy and Whatever Whenever Wednesday and Not Dead Yet Style with a bunch of other bloggers in blogland doing the same crazy stuff we are. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments - we'd love to come check out your blog!
~julee~

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Polish Swap

When the super adorable Rachel from LaLa Lists organized a polish swap for bloggers, I thought,   I love swaps!  And I love polish! and then I jumped right on board.

My partner was Confessions of a Makeup Hoarder.  I said that I loved green, and she sent me these two rockin’ shades of green packed up in a cute little zippered pouch:  Essie Stylenomics and Maybelline Avante Green.  I’ve been wearing the Stylenomics this week (which is why you should ignore the fact that the tips are chipped in my photo).  The color is almost black, but with a slight hint of green.  Awesome.  Avante Green is a beautiful metallic that reminds me of a lizard.  Doubly awesome.   Marissa pretty much nailed it.

To see the colors I picked out for my partner, go HERE.  I’m linking up for the show and tell over at LaLa Lists, so swing by if you want to see all of the polish swap swag.

Have you ever joined any blogger swaps?  What was your experience?

~julee~

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Hello, Friday

  

As the busyness of fall and school schedules pick up, I’m racing to savor the simple moments this week:  An old purring cat who insists on being beside me every time I’m at the computer lately, artwork that beckons a favorite holiday to come quicker, the laughable wisdom of fortune cookies, and the most hearty vegetable soup I have ever eaten.

Fall is the most conflicting season; the only time of the year when I want time to speed up and slow down simultaneously.  It’s hard to embrace the here and now when there’s so much to look forward to.  How do you balance that?

~julee~

 

I’m linking up my simple moments with Life Rearranged, High Five for Friday

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It’s Paper Dear Subscription Box Review

When the beautiful Zie of Darling Dear offered to send me a sample pack of her It’s Paper Dear subscription box to review for our readers, I promptly accepted.  Who would turn down a box filled with all of this beautiful papery goodness?  I’m not even going to try to pretend that I didn’t squeal like a delighted child when I opened my box.  My package was full with stationary, recipe cards, washi tape, twine, buttons, vintage papers, bookplates, and sweet little journal cards designed by Zie herself.  So fun!

It’s Paper Dear is a monthly subscription box for all of you paper lovers, smashbook and altered journal makers, and good old fashioned letter writers out there.  Each month Zie packs each box full to the brim with a treasure trove of fantastic papers and office supply-type goodness.  Each box is a lovely, papery feast.

I absolutely love the bookplate stickers and the journal cards that Zie designed.  I can’t wait to use them!  The journal cards will be perfect to use in any art journal, but I think I’ll use them to slip sweet little notes into my daughter’s lunch box.

If you would like more information on how you can subscribe to the It’s Paper Dear subscription box, please visit Darling Dear blog or the Darling Dear etsy shop.  I was absolutely thrilled with everything I received in my box, and if you’re a fan of paper and stationary, I know you will be, too!

Zie is currently giving away a $50 prize pack with a ModCloth planner and a surprise paper pack assortment.  So exciting! You can enter HERE.  This giveaway is ending soon, so hurry! 

~julee~

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What We Wore

Of course this is a Renegade inspired outfit.  I couldn’t wait to show off my new handmade goods.

I’m a girl whose heart will always be in Chicago, so when I saw this screenprinted t-shirt from Megan Lee Designs, it was the most perfect fit for me ever.  I love it.  A lot.  I’ll probably be wearing it the next time you see me.

My other favorite purchase from Renegade is this super cool wooden ring from Uncommon Handmade.  So fun.

Shirt:  Megan Lee Designs, HERE

Jeans: Target

Red Baby Doll Flats:  Urban Outfitters

Ring:  Uncommon Handmade

Nail Color:  Essie Bobbing for Baubles

 

Kim and I post our outfits here to help inspire each other to get out of the yoga pants rut. Plus, we like cute clothes. We link up each week with The Pleated Poppy and and Whatever Whenever Wednesday with a bunch of other bloggers in blog land doing the same crazy stuff we are. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments - we'd love to come check out your blog!

~julee~

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Chicago Renegade Craft Fair

This weekend Kim and I and our good friend Liz (aka Craft E Magee) went on a getaway trip to Chicago for Renegade Craft Fair.  And let me tell you, Renegade was awesome.  Amazing.  Overwhelmingly good.  So many talented artists and craftspeople.  All of them excited about their art and thankful for the opportunity to show off, and even more grateful for your business.  So much fun.

Our only complaint about Renegade is that by midday the crowds were so thick that you could hardly get into any of the booths. So even though we walked the entire fair twice, we feel like we missed seeing some things, and we even skipped on buying a few things because we were just too tired to elbow our way through the crowds.  It was no less fun, but maybe a little disappointing.

With all of the busyness and crowds, I didn’t pull out my camera much.  Here are just a few of the snapshots from our weekend:

Kim taking a break from the crowd at Renegade.

 

Blueberry cheesecake Puffs of Doom.  Heaven.

 

The only picture of all three of us.

 

Being tourists at Millennium Park.

 

Kim adding to the graffiti at Gino’s East Pizza.

 

Refreshments.

 

Of course we had to stop at Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes.

 

We had an amazing weekend. 

Have you ever been to any of the Renegade Craft Fairs?  What was your experience?

We’ll be sharing more of our photos on our Facebook page if you’re interested in checking them out.

~julee~

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D.I.Y. Louisville Meet-Up Recap

Our D.I.Y. Louisville Craft Collective group met up for the September meeting this week.  As always, it’s great fun and I am constantly blown away by all of the amazing projects our members are working on.  Here is a little sample of some of things our group brought out this week:

 

The only project I had time to work on was this amazing Cake Flour muffin and my favorite Sunergos Moroccan mint iced tea.  Mmm, mmm.

A box full of vintage buttons was fun to sort through.

Molly used her vintage buttons to work on some fun arm accessories.

Miss Happy Pink worked on her super cute screen printed note cards.

Becky of Buttons by Becky came out for the first time.  She worked on her corded button necklaces.  How cute are these chevron buttons?  They can be worn on the interchangeable necklaces.  Yeah, these came home with me.

Holly has been a Facebook friend for ages, and she finally had a chance to join us this week.  She was working on a crochet project, and will be helping to demonstrate basic crochet how-to next month.

A portion of our group working on their projects, drinking amazing Sunergos beverages, and chatting.  We’re big chatters, our group.

If you’re in the Louisville area and would like to know more about our meet-ups and how you can get involved with our group, check out our events page for upcoming meets or email julee at diylouisville@gmail.com. 

~julee~

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Make It: Arnold Palmer

Just when I think that I’ve embraced the fact that fall is inevitably closing in on us, I find myself at the market scrambling for fare that is quintessentially summer. 

Around the corner I see hot soups, big hearty breakfasts, spiced cider.

But I’m not quite ready to let summer go just yet.

To make the perfect Arnold Palmer (aka Half and Half) pour equal parts fresh brewed tea and fresh squeezed lemonade over ice. 

Sip. Enjoy. Bid adieu to summer.

~julee~

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