Home Maid Simple

Tag: feature

Sponsor Spotlight – Saressa Designs

Saressa Designs is an etsy shop full of beautiful handmade jewelery! Ladies, put this shop on your Christmas list! Guys, browse around here, and I’m sure that special lady in your life will not be disappointed with anything you choose here!

Rachel, the shop owner was kind enough to let me review a necklace. Not just any necklace though, a customized necklace to my tastes! Like any girl, I love dressing up, and getting all pretty, especially for my man. So I browsed through some of her items, and let her know a couple pieces that I liked, and the color I liked. I was stunned by how beautiful this necklace was when I received it.

Rachel used some cornflower blue quartz in a briolette shape. She then added a brass heard hand stamped and oxidized with a curvy “a”. I adore personalized jewelery, and had not expected the extra addition. What you can’t see pictured here, is that on either side of the lobster clasp is a fresh water pearl. It really makes finding that clasp easy! Princess C again, was home when I opened it, and she asked if she could wear it. This, I told her, was for mommy. She got her HEXBUGS, I got a necklace! Even better is that Mark says “I approve”. To me jewelery is not worth wearing if my husband doesn’t like it. I mean I dress up for him, so if he doesn’t like it, why would I wear it? No problem with this piece this though. He gives his stamp of approval!

Rachel has been crafting jewelery since she was a child from old pieces her mom would give her and fishing line from her dad. Rachel is a mom to 2 boys and loves spending time with all her family!

You can follow Saressa by hearting her etsy shop, following on facebook, or catching her tweets.

Have you entered the Best Gifts of 2011 Giveaway yet? Lots of prizes, 1 winner!

November 8, 2011
Giveaway Corner is featuring me

Have you all visited Giveaway Corner yet? It’s the place to go for daily Giveaways! Monday through Friday Anne is giving away prizes daily! Today she is featuring Home Maid Simple! I’m offering up an Apron Set I made

(modeled by myself and Princess V)

So make sure you visit Giveaway Corner today for you chance to win these extremely cute Aprons!!

July 14, 2011
Big Moving Event: Off Cut Studio Feature

Today on the Big Moving Event I am featuring Off Cut Studio’s Etsy shop.

In my search for fun and unique shops I came across Off Cut Studio. Cameron is a furniture designer and cabinet maker in Toronto. I personally love his wooden bike fenders and Wooden skate guards. Aren’t those just cool! Too bad I haven’t been able to get the hubster out skating with me ever. Maybe this next winter will be my lucky one.

I sent Cameron a questionnaire, and here are his responses.

BME: What is your name?
OCS: I go by Cam or Cameron… no preference really. I live in Toronto with my girlfriend (touchthedutch on etsy) and one cat (no etsy shop yet). I love city life and couldn’t imagine it without my bike.

BME: How did you get started?
OCS: I got into woodworking about five years ago when I first moved to Toronto. So many people here put their old broken furniture out by the curb. For some reason I couldn’t stop myself from taking it home with me and trying to do something with it. Since then I became a cetified furniture maker and now work full time building furniture, cabinets, and making things for etsy.

BME: Do you have a favorite piece in your shop?
OCS: Not particularly… it’s usually my most recent item.

BME: What motivates you?
OCS: The enjoyment I get from designing things… and it doesn’t hurt that wood is such a lovely median to work with.

BME: What is your decorating style?
OCS: street furniutre…

BME: Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?
OCS: It’s imposible to choose one over the other

BME: What’s your favorite season?
OCS: Winter stinks! I love everything outside of the December through February.

BME: Do you listen to music while you work? What is your favorite genre?
OCS: To one side of my studio my neighbour likes to play bad eighties pop music, on the other side my neighbour likes to listen to bad electronic dance music. I usually just run my machines to dry and drown these offending sounds out.

Take a minute of your time and go visit Cam at his etsy shop: Off Cut Studio! I’m loving this wooden sugar bowl!

April 15, 2011
Big Moving Event: Ostlund Custom Works Etsy Feature

I spend a lot of time on Etsy, dreaming of things I’d like to buy and getting inspiration for my own handmade items. I Love Etsy! Through some blog hops I have found many etsy shops I like, but none caught my eye like Ostlund Custom Works did. I mean, just look at this clock! The styles, the colors, and the size (4 FEET tall!!) I would love to have that hanging on my wall! Think of the conversations that this clock would spark! I got a wonderful opportunity to “chat” (read: email) with the creator of Ostlund Custom Works. With that, here is what he had to say!

HMS: What is your name?

OCW: Ron Ostlund Jr

HMS: Tell us a little about yourself

OCW: Well I am pretty much a regular guy working a full time job in retail and a part time job at a greenhouse. I have a wife and a new baby, our first child! His name is Liam Alexander Ostlund and is quite the little bundle of joy. I work my part time job to try and support my art when my art doesn’t support itself! I am a fitness and nutrition nut and more specifically a mountain biker with plans to go back to racing this summer. I love being creative and building amazing art out of “junk”.

HMS: How did you get started?

OCW: I first started Ostlund Custom Works back in 2005 with big ideas and dreams. Those fell on their face when I didn’t sell anything in years. I did however hold on to the dream somewhere in the back of my mind. It’s one of those things that you bring up every now and then with the far away look…..”someday I am going to build that piece of furniture”…..”someday I will design furniture for the rich and famous.” I know everybody knows what I am talking about, we all have those ideas and dreams.  The biggest thing is to act on them and not give up!

Back in April 2010 my good friend Candy told me about Etsy.com and I was very interested in giving it a try! So I set up a shop and pulled out all my old work from 2005, I dusted it off and listed it. Then I went full bore and started building like crazy, deciding it was time to “do or die” and make this thing called OCW work!



HMS: Do you have a favorite piece?

OCW: My favorite piece is the Photonic Aura Generator lamp because it’s such a beast and received a lot of attention. I could have easily sold it 10 times over and for much more than it went for, but it is a one-of-a-kind piece of art and the owner is very happy with it, which makes me happy. It is a piece that commands attention with its very presence yet has a calming effect because of its soft glow. I actually miss it!

HMS: What motivates you?

OCW: What really motivates me is to actually make what I do work as a success. I want to show myself, as well as others that I can make it happen! I also want to be able to make a living at it to allow my wife to be a stay at home mom. I have big dreams and I am very driven to make this one happen! It’s a ton of work but it seems it is starting to snowball on me! After coming this far in less than a year I feel very fortunate and really ready to take on the world.

HMS: How would you like to see your product used?

OCW: My product is a combination of fine art and function. I build them with the intent that they will be used in everyday life and become one with the owner while still making them look at it in awe. I love art that has function, although I do like paintings and own several. So when you buy a piece of my work I intend it to be used whether it is to light a space, provide ambiance, or to tell time. I personally don’t use my clocks to tell time. I use them as kinetic sculptures and feel that time is secondary to the form and how it makes you feel. ART should move you!

HMS: What is your decorating style?

OCW: Well I don’t really have a definite style in my house, I will just say its modern with no particular style. When I get to building more of my own decor and not selling it then I will say its “My Style”

HMS: Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?

OCW: I really prefer outdoors, I love the elements! Indoors is fine but its a stagnant space as compared to the ever changing energy of “outside”

HMS: What’s your favorite season?

OCW: Summer is my favorite because of cycling. I love hanging out with my riding friends and just riding in general. Like I said above I want to get back to some racing this summer.

HMS: Do you listen to music while you work? What kind?

OCW: This is a good question that no one has asked me yet. I have to listen to music when I create! I want alot of energy flowing when I build. I listen to rock/metal music when I am in the shop. The harder the better and I listen quite loud! The amount of energy I put into my work goes with it to the new owner. The energy of the piece is greater than the sum of the individual pieces in it. It has a new life as something much greater. Music is powerful and I use it to channel my life force into every piece I build.

Thank you so much Ron for being a part of our Big Moving Event! We can’t wait to see all you create!
You can find Ron in many places
Etsy
Facebook
Twitter
Blog

April 5, 2011