Purls and Pearls~ Handmade with Love Giveaway Sponsor

Purls and Pearls is our next sponsor for the Handmade with Love Giveaway Hop starting 2/2!

1.Where are you from and tell us a little about yourself?

Amanda~ My name is Amanda Snellink and I have lived in Sebring, Ohio my entire life. I'm a disabled mother who enjoys nothing more than sitting at home with knitting needles in hand. I started knitting to deal with my disability and it has been a driving force in my life.

Cassie~ My name is Cassie Z. and I live in Circleville, Oh. I'm 25 years old. I'm currently unemployed but that just gives me more free time to craft. ^_^

2. Why did you start your etsy shop?

Amanda~ Well who can’t use a little extra money? And sometimes I knit was more than I can actually use, so why not put it out there for people who can't knit!

Cassie~ I have to agree with Amanda on this one. Though the things that I usually make more of are various jewelries and/or knitting accessories.

3. How did you come up with the name of your shop?

Amanda~ Purl is a knitting stitch term a lot of people are familiar with and with the addition of jewelry and stitch markers the double entendre seemed appropriate.

Cassie~ Well Amanda is the "Purl" and I am the "Pearl". She makes the knits and I make the jewelry.

4. What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

Amanda~ My favorite item is my Custom Oversized Shrug. I have made one for myself and not only is it warm it could be the most comfortable thing I own. I wear it at home and when I go out. It’s very versatile and worth every penny and will fit absolutely perfect.

Cassie~ My favorite thing in our shop would have to be...well everything! Hahaha. Though I do enjoy making the word stitch markers.

5. What message, if any, do you wish to convey with your art/craft?

Amana~ Knitting is cool. It’s the style now and the advantage is that every stitch is knit with love.

Cassie~ I'm agreeing with Amanda on this too. ^_^

6. Why should people buy handmade?

Amanda~ Handmade items can be made to fit your body and personality exactly to show off who you are. Handmade has more character!

Cassie~ Buying handmade not only helps a person show off who they are, but also helps support the artists. And yes, handmade does have more character.

7. Apart from creating for your shop, what else do you do?

Amanda~ I knit baby and children’s hats for a local photographer and spend my days being a mom and a wife. I even spin my own yarn for my knits sometimes. But nothing is more enjoyable than knitting something.
Cassie~ Apart from the shop, I am learning to knit. I'm not that great at it, but I'm slowly figuring it out. I am an avid Doctor Who fan and I like to make random Doctor Who related crafts for the store or personal.^_^ And in between crafting/creating for the shop I also babysit when needed.

Thank you Amanda and Cassie!

(By the way, Cassie is my kids favorite babysitter!)

You can find Purl and Pearl

on Etsy

and

on Facebook!

JandADesigns- Handmade with Love Giveaway Sponsor

J & A Designs is our next sponsor for the...

1. Where are you from and tell us a little bit about yourself?

The two people behind J&A Designs are Jonathan & Anna Nutt. We are a newly married couple from Clinton, MS. We currently live in a freshmen boys’ dorm. Yep, that’s right. Jonathan serves as a Resident Director at Mississippi College, the university we both graduated from.

2.  Why did you start your shop?

We started our business because during our time at school, we were both very involved and had very little free time. When we graduated and got married, we had free time on our hands and wanted to put it to good use. So that's pretty much where our idea came from!

3.  What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

Our favorite item(s) in our shop are probably the window pane picture frames. They are our favorite because there are never 2 exactly alike. We hunt for old, antique windows, give them some TLC, and turn them into a beautiful, unique picture frame!

4. Why should people buy handmade?

People should buy handmade because they know it was not mass produced in a factory. In the case of our handmade items, they are made with attention to detail and our desire to please our customer!

5. Apart from creating for your shop, what else do you do?

J&A Designs is just our side business right now. Jonathan and I both currently work full time. Jonathan works as a Resident Director and is in charge of a dorm of freshman boys at Mississippi College and I work as a receptionist at my dad's law firm in our hometown of Clinton, MS.

Thank you Jonathan and Anna for being a sponsor for the Handmade with Love Giveaway Hop!

I have know Jonathan for many years and Anna the last few. I know that they pay alot of attention to detail and I'm sure you will enjoy anything from their shop.

You can find Jonathan and Anna:
J&ADesigns Shop
on Facebook

on Twitter
(100th twitter follower wins a frame!!)

and on their blog!

DebsMadeWithLove {Handmade with Love Giveaway Sponsor}

Handmade with Love Giveaway Blog Hop

is coming soon!!

2/2- 2/6

I have some exciting prizes lined up for you.

First up...

DebsMadeWithLove



1. Where are your from and tell us a little about yourself?

I am originally from Michigan and moved south when I was in the 1st grade so I have lived most of my life in MS!. I love being a grandmother to two adorable grandsons. We have 2 boxer mixed dogs who are our children now! I am a Christian and teach Sunday school and a group of 3rd and 4th graders on Wednesday nights. I am also on the LBA(Local Board of Adminstration) of our church.

2. Why did you start your etsy shop?

I started my Etsy shop to try to earn some extra money. We live on a fixed income since my husband is on disability. I also am a crafty person and I thought Etsy would be an outlet for my creations!

3.  What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

My favorite item in my shop is the book markers with the crosses on the end. They are perfect bookmarks for your Bible!

 

4. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

The message I want to convey with my crafts is how much I love Jesus. He has always provided for us. My favorite Bible vers is found in Colossians 3:17 - "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." I do thank God everyday for giving me the opportunity to be able to teach others and help them explore their creative talents.

5.  Why should people buy handmade?

I think when you buy handmade you are getting a product that someone has spent time and love into making. Most of the time it is better made too!

6.  Apart from creating for your shop, what else do you do?

Apart from making items for my Etsy shop, I help take care of my 89 year old mother. I do all her shopping (since she does not go out much these days), do her laundry and take her to all of her doctors appointments. I also am at our church alot! We have a meal every Wednesday night and I do all the shopping and some of the cooking. I do have a part time job with a jewelry company based in CA where I service their displays in the 2 local JC Penny stores here in the Jackson area. I get to use my creativeness here also in arranging the jewelry on the towers. And of course there are the two grandsons I love to spend time with!!

Thanks Debbie for the interview and for being a sponsor for the Handmade with Love giveaway!

**Side note: I have know Debbie for several years. Along with being a great friend, she taught my oldest two children at church while we lived in MS. She is very creative and puts lots of love into all that she does. I know that you will be pleased with anything from her shop.

Find DebsMadeWithLove:

Etsy Shop

Facebook Fan Page

**Another note: I have attempted to make the links open in a new window. If they don't work, please let me know. Thanks!

Wednesday with Wesley (and check it out!)

Today is Wednesday with John Wesley.

BUT first, check out the NEW look of my blog!

What do you think?

I think Amber of Zany Dezigns did a fantastic job! I highly recomend her services!

On to something about Mr. Wesley.

Today, let's look at John's mother.

Susannah, as a teen, knew Greek, Latin, and French. She had read the Early Fathers and was wrestling with philosophical ideas while other girls were playing with dolls. She inherited her zeal from her father, Dr. Annesley, who was a well-known Puritan minister.

Next week, I will skip Wed. w/ Wesley. I will be participating in the Handmade with Love Giveaway Hop. I have several prizes to show you over the next few days as I prepare for the hop!!

I love giving things away...and I have a couple great sponsors to help me!

Until next time...

I'm so excited....

...that I just had to share the news!!

I won $20 off blog design from Amber of Zany Dezigns back in December.

Amber has been very patient will me and I think she has done a fantastic job!!!

Please check out her blog and the services she offers.

I can't wait for you to see it!!

Thanks Amber!

Wednesday with Wesley

Welcome to Wednesday with Wesley!

John Wesley's father and paternal grandfather (John) wer Oxford men and preachers.

John's father wrote several books.

His paternal great-grandfather, Bartholomew Wesley, was a Puritan clergyman.

What a spiritual lineage!

Edible Koalas

We have been studying Australia.

So, we made edible koalas.

~

You will need:

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tbsp. cocoa powder

chocolate chips, raisins, etc for eyes, ears, arms, legs, etc.

lettuce or spinach leaves to represent bamboo leaves

~

Directions:

*No pic- prepare a plate with lettuce/spinach leaves (we used spinach) for the koala to sit on.

Mix the pb and powdered sugar together until it forms a ball.

It will seem dry, but keep working it.

Knead it a bit. This is what it should look like. If it's too moist, add a bit more powdered sugar.

 Separate into 2 balls- a larger for the body and a smaller for the head.

You can also pinch off some for the ears if you want.

Roll in cocoa powder to get that "furry" look.

I think it made them look muddy.

But I'm not one to turn down chocolate and pb.

I mean come on. Is there anything better?

*A few process pics missing- batteries were running low- and of course, we're out of batteries.*

Place the larger ball/body on the leaves.

Place the smaller ball/head on top.

Add ears, eyes, nose, mouth, arms, and legs using chocolate chips, raisins, etc.

Here are our results:

Closer up:

My oldest LOVES spinach. 

My 2 middle kids do not.

But your kids may even surprise you!

Here's the proof that they have eaten raw spinach with a smile on their face!!!

May you have a blessed day!

Celebrating Colin

Today my third child, Colin, turns 7! Seven! Where does the time go?

Here are some pictures from the past few years (in no particular order):

After getting his hair cut:

Playing at the park:

Loving on his sister:

Enjoying some icing:

Last year turning 6:

A quick picture before Uncle Chase leaves:

It's Batman!

Yesterday with his Lego cupcakes (always Mr. Cheese):



Happy Birthday to our little monkey!

We love you!!

Twitter Hop Thursday...Hosted by...

Little Yaya's, Simply Stacie, The King's Court IV, Kelly's Lucky You, and Dear Crissy.

Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

1. Add your Twitter to the MckLinky (you only have to add it to one and it will appear on all).

2. Click on the Twitter for the four hostesses and follow each of them on Twitter. We will follow you back.

3. Follow as many people on Twitter as you like, but make sure to leave comments with links so they’ll know where to follow you!

Spread the word and add this MckLinky to your blog! Write your own post or copy and paste this one. Below the MckLinky box, you’ll see “Want to be a part of this Blog Hop? Click here for instructions and code”. Have fun Twitter-Hopping along!

We have selected a Twitterer of the Week from last week’s entries and the lucky winner is DragonFlySweetN! They will be in the #6 spot! We will choose next week’s winner from everyone who participated today.

Please only add your Twitter url. All other entries will be deleted. Thank you!

Happy Hopping!

Wednesdays with Wesley

It's Wednesday again!

Welcome back to Wednesday with Wesley.

Today's tidbit from Wesley is a "Did you know?"

"At seven years old, Wesley almost perished in a fire. After being snatched from the blaze by a neighbor, his mother reminded him that he was 'a brand plucked from the burning' for the purpose of serving God."

Wow, a mother knows!

Have a blessed day,

Why bother...

to make a handmade quilt?

Deanna from Wedding Dress Blue answered it so well in her guest post on Stash Manicure.

She lists the top 10 reasons that she quilts.

I think she hit them right on the mark!



Have a blessed day,

Wednesdays with Wesley,

John Wesley!

I'm starting a new Wednesday theme!!

Each Wednesday, I will post a small bit of wisdom and reflection from John Wesley.

Picture courtesy of Download-Free-Pictures.

So, for the first Wednesday of the year:

BE A "DO GOODER"

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can."

-John Wesley

Have a blessed day,

Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop Blog: January 2011 Giveaway - Isabella

Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop Blog: January 2011 Giveaway - Isabella:
"Happy January! This month we're giving away a 9 piece Pink Isabella Fat Quarter Bundle by Lila Tueller. This seems like the perfect fabric..."