Handmade Nashville Mother's Day Auction! Come Join The Fun!

One thing is for sure, the members of Handmade Nashville love one thing and that’s HANDMADE crafts…oh and coffee and for some reason we also love #hashtags (#truestory, #wehearthashtags) …but we also love MOMS!!!  We love our own moms, we love ourselves if we’re moms, we love WAHMs, SAHMs, working moms, g-moms....all kinds of moms!  We have a whole lotta love for crafts AND moms!

We  recently decided to combine some of our loves and we came up with the #HandmadeNashville #MothersDay #auction (see what we did there with the hashtags!)!  During the auction you’ll be able to #shophandmade for your mom, wife or grandma while sipping a cup of your favorite coffee* from the comfort of your own home, workplace...wherever there’s internet! 

 

 

Dads, you can shop “on behalf of” your kids [hint, hint…someone please show this to my husband!!] and each and every item is totally handmade in Nashville!  Most of the vendors will be happy to ship and all items will be delivered no later than Friday May 8.

The auction will be live May 1^st and 2^nd in our Handmade Nashville Auction group.  If you join the group before the beginning of the auction, you’ll be eligible to win credit towards a winning bid – so you could get your mom a gift and not have to pay anything at all…but don’t worry, we won’t tell her! 

Invite your friends to our group so we can give away EVEN MORE prize money!!

 

 

Our crafty group members are hard at work making beautiful items for the auction, but we are able to share a few of our early bird submissions already!  Check out the amazing handmade jewelry, candles and bath products to make your mom feel special and loved.

 

Just click here to request to join the auction group and don't forget to invite 300 of your closest friends!! 

We’ll see you there!

#joinhandmadenashville

 

 

 

*As far as we’re aware, you can’t get coffee via internet yet, so you’ll have to BYOC: Bring Your Own Coffee!

 

Meet Michelle from Created by MI

Hi Nashville!  Today we’d like to introduce you to one of our new admins of our Facebook group, Michelle Irwin.  Her business name is Created by MI...let’s meet her!

 

Michelle is married and she’s full-time mother to her two children, both boys, as well as the family dog.  In addition to family and crafting, she is also a part-time Registered NICU Nurse. She’s originally from Worcester, MA but now lives in Nashville, TN.

Michelle does all kinds of crafts, but her passion is for embroidery. She loves to embroider children's shirts and items on burlap. She’s confesses to not being a great sewer but she’s learning!  Michelle also makes wreaths, seasonal items, and other items with wood and vinyl.

 

Like many of us crafty types, Michelle comes from a crafty family. Her mom paints and sews so she learned from watching her as a little girl. Sometimes her husband and mom help out with prep work.

 

After Michelle’s first son was born she started having other people make him embroidered pieces. In 2012, her boys got her an embroidery machine for Mother's Day. More and more people started asking her to make items for them and within a year it turned into a small business!  Her favorite part of crafting as a business is making custom items for people and her favorite items to make are her embroidery on burlap creations. Children and weddings have been the inspiration for most of her creations.

 

The tools of Michelle’s trade are embroidery and sewing machines.  She loves to work with burlap, t-shirts, felt and fleece... and she loves all colors!

Michelle mostly sells online, but she has recently started going to craft events.  Her goal is to craft for fun and make some money on the side.   She’d eventually love to open her own (online) fabric store.  While she doesn’t offer classes, she’s always willing to help anyone out that has a question.

 

In order to broaden her crafting repertoire, Michelle would love to improve her sewing skills so that she could eventually make pants or sets for babies and children.

 

And lastly, Michelle’s favorite phrase is ‘Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Check out Michelle here:

Shop- www.etsy.com/shop/createdbymi

Facebook-www.facebook.com/etsycreatedbymi
 

Twitter- www.twitter.com/createdbymi
 

Crafty Fun with the Handmade Nashville Crew @ Curvy Yoga in East Nashville!

Guest Post by Becky of Becky Sue’s Bow & Sews

Let me start by saying that I’ve heard lots of bragging on Facebook about the “cool” and “hip” East Nashville area.  I live on the west side…waaaaaaay west…and so far I’ve never had any compelling reason to drive over an hour to find out for myself, but that all changed when I heard that our fearless leader Dea was planning to organize a series of craft fairs in that neighborhood for members of our the Handmade Nashville Facebook group.

 

So, I loaded up my army of little people (AKA “The Munchkins”) in the minivan and set a course for East Nashville, via the downtown library, a misadventure with the GPS involving a detour around parts of downtown previously never before encountered and Riverfront park, for the first monthly Handmade Nashville Craft Fair!

HandCraftedBy2

Hey Nashville!  Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Baldwin of HandCraftedBy2.  Anne has been married for 18 years and has a 10-year old daughter Ella.  She was born in Kansas, but moved around a lot when she was young so she has lived in Oklahoma, Wisconsin and eventually settled in Chattanooga, but she’s been in the Clarksville area since 1990.   The “2” in their business name is best friend Renee Stocks who went to school with Anne’s husband from elementary all the way through high school.

When it comes to the history of HandCraftedBy2, it all started with papercrafting - scrapbook pages and hand-stamped cards.  Anne’s first project was a vacation scrapbook back in 2004.  She got back into it a few years later when she met some other moms from her daughter’s daycare that got together once a month to work on scrapbooks while the kids played.  That led to her introduction to “Stampin' Up!” and card-making.  The little mom group expanded and they did a card exchange for a year or so.  She wasn’t proud of her first attempts, but she got pretty good at it after a while!

Renee was into making jewelry, besides scrapbooking and cards.  When the ladies discovered Pinterest, they quickly expanded into other crafting genres, trying out different ideas to see what would sell.  Their painted wine glasses have been their biggest seller besides a couple of cards that have been a hit.

Although she enjoys creating Pinterest-inspired crafts, Anne still enjoys making cards and scrapbook pages the most.  Unfortunately the ladies are having a hard time finding a market for them so they are always looking for new ideas on how to sell.  HandCraftedBy2’s painted glasses are a big hit though and they are also fun to work on.

 

Anne does all kinds of crafts, but she does NOT sew - she knows a basic crochet stitch and can cross-stitch, but she does not use a sewing machine.  She got one for Christmas from her mom a few years back, but it’s only been out of the box once when her mom came over!  She bought a pattern and some fabric over a year ago to make a nightgown for her daughter– but it’s been so long that she probably wouldn’t have enough fabric to fit her growing daughter anymore!

She tries to stay faithful to her original medium of paper for her crafts as much as possible.  Even when making something not paper related - say reindeer nose candy treats - she’ll use stamps and paper to create a bag topper.  Anne loves bright and bold colors and her favorite is the color blue.

 

Like many craft businesses, the leap from hobby to business came about because of an accumulation of supplies!  Between scrapbooking and card making, both Anne and Renee had tons and TONS of stuff piling up – Anne’s work space went from a closet, to a corner of the bonus room, to now her own room in the house!  Both ladies had more supplies than could ever be used in their own scrapbooks so they decided to start selling scrapbook pages and cards online.  HandCraftedBy2 was born!

HandCraftedBy2 is just getting into the swing of things with craft shows.  In the summer of 2013 they did one craft fair - a local event in Pleasant View, TN called the Barrel Festival.  Everything else started to gain speed in 2014.  They created a website, an Etsy shop and started selling on eBay.  Renee discovered how to put a Paypal link on their website so they can now sell items directly from there.  The ladies went to a few events in the summer and fall of 2014 with mixed results.  So far they have attended craft shows in Dover, Clarksville, Pleasant View, Dickson, Springfield and Hendersonville, TN. 

 

Anne counts crafting as a hobby, a way to use up some of these supplies she’s purchased and recoup some of the money she’s spent.  For Renee, it's more a full-time job.  She stays home with a special-needs child, so she can really use the income. 

Anne’s dream is to run a scrapbooking retreat – she and Renee still go away 3-4 weekends a year with their original group to work on scrapbooks, cards, or whatever other crafty projects they can think of.  They sometimes have a hard time finding a reasonably priced venue with enough space!   She’d love to have a place just for scrapbookers-- maybe with a storefront to sell some supplies they just can't live without!

At this point, HandCraftedBy2 does not offer classes, but occasionally they post a tutorial on their website.  Anne and Renee are constantly trying/learning new things from Pinterest. :)

And lastly, Anne’s favorite phrase?  Cool beans!

 

Find Anne and Renee here:

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandCraftedBy2 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Handcraftedby2

Blog: www.handcraftedby2.com

 

Flirty Giraffe

Today I'd like to introduce Michelle Sullivan, jewelry designer and owner of Flirty Giraffe.  Michelle, married for 26 1/2 years, has 2 children - Tabitha, 25 and Dakota, 21.  She is the very proud grandmother of the adorable Chandler ("...he is my world.") and is expecting #2 in May.  Born and raised in Lafayette, TN, Michelle is now a stay at home Nana who babysits and runs her business from home.

When asked about what she does, Michelle said, "What don't I do?  I love to sew and create.  I make jewelry for adults and kids, but I love any kind of crafting.  I sew, scrapbook, make hairbows and paint.  If I see something I like I can usually make it."

Michelle is self taught in everything she creates.  "I bought a simple kit for a necklace to make my niece, and it was love from the first time I made it.  I have been hooked since!"  She says she just loves working with beads and there is nothing about it she doesn't enjoy.  Of course you can tell she loves her work just by looking at it - everything piece has joy in it.

Michelle says she loves to work with beads and anything jewelry related.  "I am a purple and pink person but I use a lot of black in beading."  I asked what inspires her and sparks her imagination, and she said, "I just make what I like, but I have learned that I don't have to like it to make it.  Sometimes I hate it and it still sells.  Everyone has different tastes."

Her art became a business simply because she, "had a bunch made up 15 years ago and did a show in our hometown, and it blossomed from there."  Michelle says her son and daughter help her create when she's "stuck," and Chandler climbs up in a chair and says, "lets make a necklace Nana!"  A handmade business is always a family business!

Michelle attends craft fairs just about every weekend from April until Christmas, and she also sells online.  Her business is her full-time job, and she says, "I am honored to be able to do it.  I have a very supportive family and friends.  I hope to open a store front in the near future.  Things are in the works now."

 

Michelle likes to, and is open to teaching and has taught classes at Michael's Craft Store.  She says she would also like to learn to make her own clay pendants and lampwork beads.

 

I asked Michelle what her favorite quote is, and she said,

"If I make one person smile today, then I have had a good day."

 You can find Michelle here:

Facebook--- http://www.facebook.com/FlirtyGiraffe

Twitter--- @Flirty Giraffe

LiaZey

This week, I'd like to introduce you to Talia Ellzey, single mom and owner of the very unique LiaZey shop.  Talia, originally from Chicago, has lived in Nashville for almost two years with her "...almost eight year old, intelligent, and gifted son" (who helps out by giving her helpful tips and unique ideas). 

She says she was always been creative and the most daring of her siblings.  "My imagination is fun and wild. To say I'm a free spirit is an under-statement!  I'm drawn to color and unique things.  I even purposefully wear yellow when it rains just so I can bring my own Sunshine wherever I go! I love life and understand everything has a purpose and does the people in it."

I asked Talia what her art was, and she said, "What don't I do?"  Talia says she loves to sew and create.  Though she does many things, her focus is on up-cycling and repurposing glassware for unique home decor.  She said, "I take ordinary glass vases and turn them into permanent statements in everyone's home. My food for thought is, what do you do with the vase once the flowers are gone? The immediate answer I received was, nothing! Really?  EXACTLY!!!  Just put it away until you get new flowers! With my vase designs you get that admiration of vases with or without the flowers. I also twine wine bottles and tables. My simple material is twine.  Twine gives a natural look, but add a cute ribbon and beads and get awesomeness!"  (Can you tell Talia loves her craft?)

Talia says that God was the inspiration for this idea.  "I never imagined something like this.  I've always been creative but never in this way. After a very difficult circumstance in my life in February of 2014,  God led me to begin designing vases with twine. It became a soothing meditation to ease my mind and relax from things I couldn't control. With each design it was like God said, 'Go play and be a kid! I've got your problems!'  So I did!  From one twine vase to a room full of inventory to sell at crafts events!"

When asked what her favorite part of her work is, Talia said that it is the unpredictable ideas that come to her mind.  "I never know the outcome until the product is finished."  She starts simply with just jute twine, basic Elmer's school glue and lots of ribbon and comes up with the most beautiful creations.  Talia says her favorite colors are green and yellow.  "They are both natural and friendly colors."

Talia said she gets inspiration all around her.  "...from fun conversations with friends, a funny commercial, or my inner happiness for that day.  I'm inspired on days when I'm super busy and need to release the stress of the day. On those days I can design 5 vases!"

 

Talia's art became a business after asking herself the simple question, "What do people really do with the vases once the flowers died? I knew I had something good! Go into any Goodwill and you will see shelves of glass vases. People discard them because they serve no purpose. So I received my business license and set out to change ordinary into extraordinary!"

You can find Talia at Nashville craft fairs and events, and she also sells regularly every Saturday at Nashville Farmers Market.  She works full time but dreams of a storefront or a partnership with a floral shop.  She hopes to learn more about creating wooden twine designs to further expand her beautiful line.

 

 

Talia says her favorite quote is, "I'm in a class all by myself!  God made only of me and im awesome! 

 Visit Talia on her Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/LiaZey

MynisaUnique

This week, I'd like to introduce you to Handmade Nashville jewelry maker, Melissa Molgaard of MynisaUnique.  Melissa is a UT grad (Go Vols!), originally from Memphis and raised in Houston.  She's been in Nashville for 6 years now. 

Melissa says she considers herself "kind of as a “Macguyver” of crafting – I can make anything out of anything.  Though jewelry is what I offer in my store, I also love to paint, enjoy making wreaths, headbands, flower arrangements, and the list goes on."  She says she probably inherited her artistic side from her crafty mom and graphic design dad but had several classes in high school.  "Other than that I am self taught."

When asked what drew Melissa to her work, she said, "I constantly was breaking my store bought, mass produced jewelry and eventually got fed up with it and said, I can make my own! So I took the pieces from my broken items and started fixing them, which eventually led me to completely transforming them into something new."

Melissa says she loves any and everything she can get her hands on for materials.  "I adore split rings and pliers though for sure!"  As far as colors?  "I love vibrant colors but also appreciate traditional tones that can be worn with multiple outfits."   She says Pinterest often sparks her creativity, which she of course, ends up placing her own twist on.

Though she doesn't know how her art turned into a business, Melissa says someone one day mentioned Etsy, and she just went for it and has loved it ever since!   With a busy work schedule, Melissa focuses mostly on her Etsy shop, but she does have items in the J & J Flea Market.  She attended several shows last year and said, "...the RAW artist showcase at the Cannery last April was a real treat!"  I think we'll be seeing her at more events in the Nashville area before we know it!

Melissa is surrounded by supportive friends and says she would love to "somehow, someway do this for a living. Whether it be by joining forces with other creative minds or getting my line in a store – it would be a dream come true!"  She has an interest in learning metal working, so her line is growing all the time!

Melissa's favorite quote is, “Live with Passion.”

You can find Melissa at:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/mynisaunique

Blog Tumblr - MynisaUnique

Twitter - @MynisaUnique