Movin' On Up

As some of you who know me on a personal level, I have hum-hawed for years with my writing, dabbling with getting something small published here and there, but I never really did try to take off with it, mostly because I always felt I wasn't good enough to compete with the "big dogs".

However, after being coaxed (a lot) by a friend (You know who you are Miss Goddess), I applied for a really awesome opportunity to write for one of the largest crafting/handmade communities on the net. I didn't REALLY think I'd get it or else I wouldn't have applied. Weeks and weeks went by and being the pessimist I am, I knew I had been right in thinking I wouldn't get it.

Imagine my surprise when I get hired on as the newest writer in the Marketing Department at www.HandmadeNews.org. I have my own column!

I am a "real" writer now...for real. LOL
Wow, the validation really DOES feel awesome.
I should have jumped on something like this years ago.

And to make things even more awesome, KentuckyHandmade.com was kind enough to post on their blog and share the news and make me blush a lot.

My first article, Guerrilla Marketing and You - Part 1: Traditional vs. Non-traditional Marketing went live on the site this past Sunday.

I'll be publishing two articles a week (maybe more if the marketing muses prove cooperative), and I will be having one feature article per month on the site. If you are a handmade artisan or own a small business, there are a literal TON of articles already on there to help you enhance and attract buyers to your business.

Here's a link to my columnist bio page, I have my default Kellibeans pic up until I can get a more "professional" looking one done. From there you will have a link to every article I will write/have written.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!? Blog Giveaway

Yes ladies and gents, I have decided to hold my very first blog giveaway!

So, tell me, who doesn't love free stuff? I know someone who liked winning things so much that once she entered a contest for a year's supply of free denture cream and she had perfect (real) teeth!

So in the spirit of people who love to win things, you can win this lovely handmade box (origami'd by yours truly) and of course, the handmade contents in it.

So, what's in the box?!?

*Ahem*
I know some of you have been waiting to see what was inside the box before you entered. Without further adieu.... Drumroll Please...

It's an Original Kellibeans Fortune Kit!

The Fortune Kit is my newest product, a totally original gift set (some are themed!), and they'll be available in my Etsy shop starting next week! You can't get these anywhere else, folks!

Inside the winning kit, you will find:

Your very own Fairy Beans mini doll,
purveyor of all things awesome and mascot of mojo magnificence.

And a Set of 7 Handmade fabric fortune cookies,
complete with fortunes divined from the genius that belongs to yours truly.

So here is how you enter to win:

1. Go to my Etsy Shop
2. Come back here and comment under this post as to which of my listings you like best and why.

(You MUST enter this way first, unless you are having technical difficulties with Blogger, and if you are, you can contact me via an Etsy convo/private message to enter.)

The contest ends on Saturday, June 20th. Everyone's entries will go into the Magic Goldfish Bowl of Plenty here in the studio, and Mr. Beans will be the one to draw out the winning ticket. I will post the winner here at 12pm (Central Time) Saturday morning, and will also tweet the results to my Twitter followers.

BUT WAIT---THERE'S MORE!

You can earn one extra entry for doing each of these things, each time you complete a task, come back here and drop me a comment to let me know you have completed them.

(Remember to leave a comment first or else I don't know whom to give extra credit to!)

So on to the deets for extra entries. You can:

1. Buy an item from my Etsy shop.
2. Follow my blog. (applies to new followers only)
3. Post about & link this giveaway on your blog.
4. ReTweet a link to this blog post on Twitter, using @kellibeans so I can find you.

Again, good luck to everyone and get to entering!

Bug Bites: Meet Suki and Baby Wasabi!

I have been bitten by the Matroyshka bug ever since running across a blank set of wooden nesting dolls at Hobby Lobby on a supply hunting excursion. On the hour-ish drive home, I started developing the idea of my own series of little stuffed matroyshkas in my head, went home, did a quick little sketch in my idea sketchbook, and waited nearly two months to act on it.

Like most of my creations, my inspiration comes from the simplest thing and continues to evolve. Which came first? The chicken or the egg? In Suki's case, Wasabi came first. I am notorious for saving components of my crochet projects gone awry. I was cleaning out a box of said components when I came across the dismembered thumb of a glove (too many increases too soon, I blame the radio) that had the proportions out of whack. It looked to me like a little baby all wrapped up --- boom.

There went those gears churning out another idea. I started tinkering with a small Robert Kaufman "Chopsticks please!" fabric scrap (because I'm notorious for saving those too) and a piece of felt and shortly after we had a little baby whom looked like a little pea pod...in a sushi-themed fabric. My inner voice kept referring to him as Wasabi, so thus he was named. He looked lonely and needed his mama.

The next day, after working up a few muslin prototypes, being satisfied with the proportions and making out a pattern, I set to work on giving little Wasabi a Mommy. I machine-stitched her body in the same Kaufman fabric, got her stuffed and started the handstitching and embroidering of her details (face, hair) and props (apron). All in all, I was very pleased with the way she turned out. More of Suki's cousins are crawling out of the woodwork and they'll be making appearances soon!