Etsy Shop Collaboration Giveaway!

I'm so thankful that Lindsay from Wedding Rings to Teething Rings has asked me to be apart of this Etsy shop giveaway. It's been underway all weekend, but I wanted to save it for you all today. I've been very blessed recently with making online connections to grow the Marion Claire Stationery brand and I really want to show how thankful I am by giving away a five pack of holiday cards. So for those of you who entered the giveaway on Sarah Hartley's blog and did not win, here's another chance AND you can win a lot of other great prizes as well! So check out Lindsay's post below and learn more about these fellow creators.

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Let's celebrate Black Friday by supporting Etsy Shop owners with a huge giveaway valued at $175!  We truly have such a great group of ladies here that have made this giveaway possible!  Please, grab a cup of coffee, meet these hardworking and creative shop owners, and check out what each adorable shop has to offer!

1. Amanda from Bangles & Bauble is giving away two pairs of handmade earrings! Bangles and Bauble is a jewelry line which creates fashionable handmade pieces.  Using the latest trends as inspiration, Amanda likes to create her pieces to give a unique vibe that will accentuate outfits in a new way.  Amanda uses durable material and purchases the majority of her supplies from Etsy retailers, which adds another element of "handmade" to her pieces! 

2. Lena from Root and Blossom is giving away a handmade fabric bunting! Lena is a teacher turned SAHM who blogs over at Root and Blossom.  Lena makes everything from buntings to headbands to baby mobiles and bibs!  Lena's blog and shop are all about owning where you're at in life's journey and flourishing in it!

3. Jessica from A Little Loka is giving away two sets of coffee stained stationery!  Jessica creates art prints, jewelry, holiday items, and more!  She started her shop when she received overwhelmingly positive responses to her artwork.  Jessica also blogs over at Living La Vida Holoka! She is also offering 20% off now through December 28th with code WRTR20!

4. Chelsea from Marion Claire Stationery is giving away five holiday cards of your choice! This shop is named after Chelsea's grandmothers.  She creates greeting cards with a perfect blend of heart and sass.  Chelsea is inspired by her desire to keep snail mail alive, and she never misses an opportunity to send her friends and family a card.

5. Andrea from On Your Wall Prints is giving away $25 store credit towards her original prints! Andrea makes words come alive on paper and can turn words into decorations.  Andrea sells downloaded artwork that is easy to print.  They are excellent gift ideas or perfect for the days when you want to add some life to your walls!

6&7. Tabitha from Tiny Wishes Creations is giving away a custom birthstone necklace and a hand painted wine glass! Tabitha's shop features hand painted, heat cured glassware and jewelry.  She is happy to work on a custom order with you, too.  Tabitha is also a mom, wife, lover of pink moscato, and amateur photographer.  Tabitha also blogs over at A Hundred Tiny Wishes!

8.  Liz from After Dinner Designs is giving away a beautiful pair of earrings!  She and her husband handcraft one of a kind pieces of jewelry, accessories, and home decor from bits of recycled plates, cups, and saucers.  They love to create custom pieces from your own heirloom china, so contact them to discuss custom orders!  Liz always blogs over at Liz Fresh Plate focusing on faith, food, family, and home!

9.  Ashley from Ashley Lorren Designs is giving away a handmade "live laugh love" metal stamped key chain! Ashley specializes in metal stamped key chains, accessories and jewelry.  All items are made to order, and custom orders are always welcome!

Now for the chance to win all 9 prizes, a $175 value! All entries will be verified. Prizes may vary from images shown. Winner must be US resident for shipping purposes. Winner will be notified within two days of selection by e-mail. Winner must respond to e-mail within two days of receipt or a new winner will be randomly selected. Sponsors of raffle are eligible to participate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Marion Claire Stationery: 2014 Holiday Launch

Today's November Blogathon prompt is to blog about a fall craft. So I thought this would be a good time to post about the Marion Claire Stationery 2014 Holiday Launch. This collection officially launched on Saturday, November 1st, but I didn't want to overwhelm the masses with posting about it on the blog that day as well. Especially since there are so few posts on my blog done on a Saturday, I didn't think it would be natural.

I'm so unbelievably proud of this collection. I really feel like it's the perfect mix of heart and sass, which is always my goal! And I think that each of these fit in perfectly with the Marion Claire Stationery brand and what I sell throughout the year. I have to admit that it was really hard for me to think about Christmas in general while I was just watching the leaves change colors, but such is retail. I hate skipping over Thanksgiving, but I have had two Thanksgiving designs up since October, so I didn't feel too awful about launching these at the beginning of November. I'm really excited about where this company is going and the growth that has come in just a few short (and quick) months.

Also, I will be heading to three craft shows soon, if you're in the area, I welcome you to come check out Marion Claire in person and get some of your holiday shopping done. More specifics will be up soon about those shows, so stay tuned!

Which holiday card is your favorite from this collection?

Chels Wears: Craft Show Vendor Chic

Boots: UrbanOG | Dress and & Ring: ModCloth | Jacket: TJ Maxx
Scarf and Cross Ring: WalMart | Tights: Target

I wore this outfit on Sunday to a small craft show I went to for Marion Claire Stationery. It was actually much smaller than expected, but for it's size, I did pretty well. I'm really about looking for the right places to sell and finding my best audience at this point. I know that my cards attract a younger crowd, but I still do well with older groups too, so I'm really trying out a lot of different shows and venues until I find which ones are my best fit.

This look might be one of my absolute favorites. My favorite boots, the army jacket I've been looking for forever, a new dress from ModCloth, and colored tights...winner right here. There will be a lot of remixing with this dress going on, I absolutely love it. I wasn't going to wear the jacket during the craft show but it was absolutely freezing in the venue, so the next time you see this dress, I'll try to make it a warmer look. Though I'm not promising anything because I'll probably be wearing this dress A LOT.

Chelsea Lately: Fall Edition

I have really been awful at blogging lately and I hate to claim "busy" as an excuse, but that's all I got. I miss this community though, so I'm doing my best to prioritize and squeeze back in here. But, of course, it would help if you all knew what I've been up to since my last post. That's fair! If you're not following along with me on Instagram, get on it. It's my favorite app since becoming a smart phone user and best describes my day to day. Lots of greeting cards, lots of coffee, lots of my cat. Pretty much sums it all up. But here are some more fun things in between.

A lot of custom projects have come across my desk lately and I couldn't be more thrilled. The cards above have to be my most recent favorite though. They were made for a sweet couple and their little guy who is soon to turn one! I love this family and was honored to make these invitations for them for little Joshua's first birthday and baptism party. I like when clients have ideas and plans but also really enjoy when they give me free reign and that's what these guys did. For custom work, I always provide three different design drafts and then they pick a favorite and we make any necessary changes. So the final invitation really was a collaboration and I love how they turned out.

Besides custom work, I've been working a lot on my expanding greeting card line for Marion Claire Stationery. I recently realized eight new designs, four of which were these ones for the fall holidays. I'm almost ready to release my winter line, but want to hold off until November 1st if possible. I know that puts me behind in a typical retail sense but I really hate skipping over the fall holidays. Even though Christmas is really important, I wish we could give them all their proper amount of time.

I also recently started teaching a blogging class up here near Erie. It's really exciting to see blogging through the eyes of a newbie again. I have such a long history with blogging that I sometimes forget how exciting and interesting the whole concept is and it's fun to be able to teach a new skill to people who are all older than me. We've only had two classes so far but I've really enjoyed it so far and am thrilled to have been asked to lead this class!

And honestly besides that, I've been serving a lot of beer to people and renting out movies. I've been working so much lately and while it's good for the money, it really is tiring while trying to get my own business off the ground. There has been some good times with thrift shopping, and going to weddings too this fall so I can't say that it's been all busyness that's kept me away from blogging, but now that I'm teaching it to other people I feel like I should get back in the game!

What have you guys been up to?

DIY: Marion Claire Stationery Card Box Display

Hey everyone! I haven't done anything DIY related recently so I thought that this would be a good time to do so. My greeting card company, Marion Claire Stationery, has recently started doing wholesale and this card box was created because the most recent store that bought some cards needed me to also send them a display as well. This was, of course, fine with me because I very much believe in branding and like to be able to control everything that surrounds my business and how it looks to the public. So I happily created something that ties in with the Marion Claire Stationery brand anywhere else that you might see it.

Keep reading to see the entire DIY...or to just scroll through some pictures.

Writtenforyou Giveaway!

So...I am obnoxiously excited to bring this giveaway to you all today! Writtenforyou is a small business that offers an extensive line of products with handwritten cursive typography on each piece, and is owned by my dear friend Rachel. And (honestly) while I was browsing her etsy page and thinking, "We should pair up for a giveaway," she sent me a Facebook message about doing that very thing. So here you have it! 

Rachel and I used to be camp counselors together so I'm fairly certain we have an unbreakable bond of sorts and I am so happy to be hosting this giveaway with her and showcasing her products for you guys! I love her products and think her handwritten designs are so refreshing and beautiful. Here's a brief interview with her so you can learn more about writtenforyou!

When/why did you start writtenforyou?
Writtenforyou was officially created in November of 2011, but the ideas and passion started a few years ago while I was still in school. Thanks to some great friends, I had some opportunities to work on custom projects, which inspired me to sketch more and seek out other project opportunities. I quickly learned that I love sketching and writing in cursive. Eventually I realized that this wasn't just a hobby but what I really wanted to invest my time into. I have always believed that we need daily reminders of love and friendship through written words and writtenforyou has given me the chance to give these reminders to others.

What kind of ink & paper do you use?
My favorite type of paper is linen card stock and classic crest 110# card stock. I use pigma micron drawing pens, which are my absolute favorite.

Are any pieces you sell not handmade?
The only thing I do not do by hand is the screen printing of my cell phone cases and tote bags. I am a one woman operation and work out of a very small one bedroom, so I don’t have the resources or time to do my own screen printing. I work with a great company that does really quality work.

What are your goals for writtenforyou?
My dream is to open a paper and home goods boutique with the very talented Lisa Moore (https://www.etsy.com/shop/youandmepaperie), as well as go full-time with my shop. I’d love to expand to letterpress, screen printing, and create more designs and products for weddings. But at the end of the day, as long as I’m creating, that’s really all that matters.

Anything else you'd like to add...
I love what I do and am so thankful for what it has grown into. This shop changed my life in such a wonderful way and I am so excited to see where it takes me in the future.

Now here's your chance to get your hands on some writtenforyou products! 

Contest ends Tuesday, January 28th - be sure to enter daily for the greatest chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a sponsored post, I received a free matte, but all opinions, as always, are my own.

Fine print: Winner is not allowed to use winnings towards a custom order or THIS piece, let's not kill Rachel's hand!

Pretty Presents: Small Business Holiday Catalog

1. & 5. Tidal Cool Creations | 2. Vienna Victoria | 3. White Haute Fashions | 4. Cutie Pitutie Bath & Body

So whether you're a very last minute shopper or just ready to look for something for yourself as a treat for getting through the holiday rush, Pretty Living has you covered. With their holiday gift guide, Pretty Presents, you're sure to find something that satisfies your need to shop. And every item included in the guide is from a local small business, which is really a present to this community as well, since your purchases will help those little guys grow and thrive in Pittsburgh, and you can shop easily from home! Win-Win-Win.

Above I've selected just a few of my favorite pieces from the catalog in hopes that you will browse through it for yourself and support these great businesses! The catalog includes items for men and women, so you're sure to find something great for yourself or a friend. 

Wishing you a very happy holiday and happy shopping!

Catalog | Order Form

This is a partnered post, but all opinions are my own.