JM Handmade Giveaway

 It's Small Business Saturday and we are celebrating big here at In the Heart of my Home. I'm shining the spotlight on a new sponsor almost every waking hour today and offering you a chance to win with every post. I want you to get to know my kind sponsors and I think you'll be glad for the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in these small shops. The giveaways will remain open until Tuesday at noon and then all the winners will be announced in the original posts.

I love a handmade Christmas. And if you hang out around here, it doesn't take long to discover I love handsewn things the best. So, I'm thrilled to welcome Joann back as a sponsor. Her little shop is taking off and it's a pleasure to be a part of it. Let's get to know her a little better and then I'll tell you all about the giveaway.

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How did your shop come to be?

Sewing has always been a "hobby" of mine passed down by my mother and aunt. I grew up watching them sew for a living. I never had to buy any dresses (including my wedding dress). We were spoiled in that department with my mom. Sewing was always something fun to do. A family friend gave me their old industrial Singer (which was the same machine my mom had). After I had unlimited access to that wonderful machine, I wanted to spend more and more time doing it and I became better and better. I was whipping out adorable baby items for friends, place mats/aprons for weddings and curtains for our home and I couldn't get enough. My husband understood that visits to the fabric store were weekly events. Time went on. We had a baby, and of course a new baby also meant more adorable sewing. People started telling me I should sell my items. At this point I had acquired quite a bit of fabric. I reasoned that I had nothing to lose by trying to sell items made from all these available material/scraps that I had acquired. So I opened my ETSY shop.

 

How do combine your work and your family life?

It's hard. I would love to be sewing and creating all day but I don't think my 2 girls (ages 5 and 1) would enjoy that much. Plus as much as I love sewing, I love my family way more. Being a stay at home mom is my dream job! I take things day by day, and the family is the priority, which means if you were to knock on my door on a random day you might not enter the cleanest house in the neighborhood and my dining room table is always covered in gorgeous fabrics and pattern pieces. This past month I've had a crazy increase of sales and I'm about to sell out of my Christmas holly dress. This has been the first time I bought wholesale bolts of fabric and I can't believe I'm down to only 2 yards of it! However this also means I've had to spend more time than anticipated to fullfill orders. My husband is a teacher and on some days can make it home early for me in order to fulfill my orders. But for the most part I've had a lot of late nights recently. It's a learning process. I know in the past summers have been typically really slow and my husband has the summer's off. So of course I need to utilize that time better next year so I don't have to sacrifice family life. 

What inspires you?
I'm a graphic designer by trade and love everything related to the arts. I love anything vintage or retro. Growing up in a Portuguese family made me love different cultures. I'm always attracted to brightly colored fabrics and anything that looks remotely cultural. When I married my husband and took on his Irish name I embraced having an extra heritage to celebrate. St. Patricks Day has become a big feast for us. When my second daughter was born I made her a baptismal gown with Irish embroidery. I made 2 different prototypes that I listed in my shop and they sold so quickly. Every so often someone will find it online somewhere (via piterest or in my sales history) and e-mail me wanting one. Its the unique items that you really can't find in stores that sell the best. I also love Our Lady of Guadalupe and when I found some "Our Lady of Guadalupe" material, and made my daughter a dress, it was comical the mixed reaction I received. My daughter and I loved her "Mama Mary" dress. I decided to try selling it and it was another best seller! I love when I can incorporate faith into my items and make feast days fun for my family. 

What's the product you are most excited about in your shop right now?

I recently added some kitchen towels and hair accessories. I'm finding it brings more traffic when you have more of a variety of items to sell.

 

Any plans for your shop for the new year that you'd like to share?

I have plans to make my Irish embroidered baptism gown available again and even try out a First Holy Communion version. I'm always on the look out for "Marian" or religious fabrics and thinking about ways to make feast day celebrations even more fun. On a local level I started teaching sewing lessons to a group of homeschoolers. We are on our second year and I have enjoyed passing on my love of sewing. I hoping to grow my sewing school. But basically, we take things day by day! I'm hoping my shop is a fun way to contribute to my family.

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Take a look around Joann's shop and tell us what you love in the combox. You'll be entered to win $25 to spend in the shop. Also, this weekend through CyberMonday, Joann is extending a 10% discount to readers who use the code TURKEY10. Happy Handmade!

The Winner is Lisa Schmidt of The Practicing Catholic, who wrote: I love the bowties!

Lisa, please contact me with your snail mail address at intheheartofmyhome AT gmail.com

St. Luke's Brush Giveaway

It's Small Business Saturday and we are celebrating big here at In the Heart of my Home. I'm shining the spotlight on a new sponsor almost every waking hour today and offering you a chance to win with every post. I want you to get to know my kind sponsors and I think you'll be glad for the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in these small shops. The giveaways will remain open until Tuesday at noon and then all the winners will be announced in the original posts.

Garry and Amy Brix, at St. Luke's Brush, were my very first sponsors. I think having sponsors at all might have been there idea. I'm grateful to them for the steadfast loyalty. I'm also a huge fan of Garry's art. These wooden dolls are by far the "toys" Sarah plays with the most. They are, no doubt, family heirlooms. 

Please let me share a little of Garry's story with you.

How did your shop come to be?

Amy and I started St. Luke's Brush  after a career setback. I have been an artist all my life, studied art in college and worked as a designer but lacked a way to channel my work. But the idea to do St. Luke's Brush provided direction and continues to unfold God's plan for me and bless our family.

Is yours a family business?

It is a family business in many ways as I have a busy daytime job and keeping organized and focused during our busy times requires someone with great organizational skills, the kind only a mother of four children could manifest. Our children help us get ready to host guests for open houses and have gone to help set up in exhibit halls at conferences. This business started for and continues to be for them.

 

How do combine your work and your family life?

The fact that my workspace is in the basement only steps away from my family, makes me feel as though they are with me as I paint. They are in and out all the time provided they observe just two rules: not to startle me and not to bump my chair while I'm working. J

What inspires you?

I am inspired by all kinds of art but with regard to religious art I am particularly inspired by icons and byzantine art and the design and care with which these things have been made. Just this past weekend we had the opportunity to attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, center of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and one of the largest mosaic collections in the western hemisphere. If you visit St. Louis, you should make time to stop and see it.

What's the product you are most excited about in your shop right now?

I think the product I am most excited about in my shop right now would be all of them really in that this year I have been able to help several Catechesis of the Good Shepherd instructors set up their atriums using my work. Being able to lend a hand in religious formation of children gives me great joy and satisfaction.

 

What's your favorite Advent tradition? 

Not having grown up in the Catholic Church, the richness of the liturgical seasons provides some of the same wonder that our children experience as they unfold. Advent gives us so many opportunities to celebrate. Next week Saint Nicholas will fill shoes next to the door with special things.  We will celebrate with a Mexican fiesta to honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Saint Lucy will wake us early in the morning with rolls and hot chocolate.  It is our hope that by marking these traditions in a special way that seeds will fall on the fertile ground of our children’s hearts and instill a lover of the faith that they will carry into adulthood.

Any plans for your shop for the new year that you'd like to share?

Plans that we have for the new year include finding more ways to help make scripture and tradition come to life for anyone doing Catechesis of the Good Shepherd by painting as much love and beauty as I can into my work. I would like to thank all of the people who have supported us in this work and made it possible for me to use my talent to do God's will. I pray that His plan continue to unfold for me and that I have patience to let it continue and wisdom to see it at work in my life.

  Garry writes, "I have chosen to give away St. Francis of Assisi taming the fierce wolf of Gubbio in honor of the name our Holy Father chose to begin his papacy. The story of the wolf of Gubbio teaches us forgiveness, as the wolf promises to never again take the lives of the people and their animals at St. Francis’ intervention. St. Francis says to the people, “Remember, our Savior taught forgiveness. He taught us to love our enemies.” This is the spirit in which I would like to begin my Advent and want to share it with one of your readers. "

Please visit  St. Luke's Brush. These are a favorite stocking stuffers and they're perfect for Easter baskets, too. Browse the shop, come back, leave a comment, and let us know what you loved. You'll be entered to win the St. Francis doll.

The Winner is Kelly of  The Careless Catholic, who wrote: I love St. Luke's Brush and have their Etsy shop in my favorites. It's is hard to pick only one favorite doll, but first on my list is Our Lady of Guadalupe and the children's nativity set. So beautiful! 

Kelly, email me with your snail mail address at intheheartofmyhome AT gmail DOT com

Catholic Embroidery Giveaway

It's Small Business Saturday and we are celebrating big here at In the Heart of my Home. I'm shining the spotlight on a new sponsor almost every waking hour today and offering you a chance to win with every post. I want you to get to know my kind sponsors and I think you'll be glad for the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in these small shops. The giveaways will remain open until Tuesday at noon and then all the winners will be announced in the original posts.

 

I'm so pleased to introduce you to Mary at Catholic Embroidery. Her things are so lovely and her shop has grown into new artistic endeavors since last we heard from her! Let's get to know her a little better. Oh, and I'm especially delighted with her favorite Advent tradition:

How did your shop come to be? 

 

Our shop came to be in 2007, on a leap of faith and a lot of prayer. It started in a little basement corner of our family home, and now takes the shape of a finished office with plenty of boxes containing stock and open orders spilling out all over this lowest level. (My mom is extremely patient with the growing process, which has taken away much of her basement storage!) What started as a family endeavor to explore the sewing and designing talents of the oldest daughters in our family, has turned into a business where each item embroidered and sent from our shop takes the form of little blessings sent to thousands of souls around the world. Having just celebrated 6 years in-business, I can honestly say it is a leap of faith I'm very glad we took! 

 

 

 

What's the product you are most excited about in your shop right now?

 

We are very excited to introduce a new line of products this season, featuring our own exclusive Catholic Embroidery designs in Stationery form! To start this endeavor, we are offering sets of high-quality printed folded cards with three of our most popular designs: Agnus Dei, Ave Maria, and St. Therese's Roses. These "blank inside" notecards offer a world of possibilities for sentiment-sending occasions, where a touch of the Faith through art often goes further than words. A perfect Stocking Stuffer this Christmas!

 

 

 

What's your favorite Advent tradition? 

 

The Advent season is so rich with traditions our family has adopted over the years, it's hard to pick just one! The St. Andrew Novena and Kristkindle traditions are the first that come to mind... but the favorite of all would have to be the feast of St. Lucy. On the evening of St. Lucy's feastday, our family traditionally lights the "candles" waiting in each window, and Christmas lights on the tree and garlands around the house. The nutmeg-scented aroma of fresh St. Lucy buns finally take their form in the twisted, raisin garnished treats as the dinner dishes are put away and the rosary complete. Then, the family gathers together by an open fire and with tea and St. Lucy Buns abounding, we read about the life of this holy virgin and martyr to which we know as the Saint of Light. All in the glowing splendor of candle flames and Christmas lights - so beautifully prefiguring the light of Christ's coming to the world!

 

 

Any plans for your shop for the new year that you'd like to share?

The coming of 2014 will bring many new products and ideas from our family workshop. We are presently researching various forms of art and symbolisms in this history of the Church and are discussing, together with our team of talented design artists, plans for many new additions to our exclusive Design Gallery. These designs will be one-of-a-kind images to represent your favorite saints, (finally obliging your requests for a St. Philomena design!), inspiring Catholic motifs, and symbols of the liturgical seasons. These designs will be taking shape in the way of embroidered clothing such as hoodies, t-shirts, and more! To top it off, we'll be bringing these items to more of your local Catholic bookstores, so you can see them for yourself in-person. As always, "man proposes, God discloses" - so ultimately, we take the new year with His guidance in-mind and with excitement to see where He leads Catholic Embroidery in 2014.

 

[Elizabeth's Note: I'm so excited about this stationery. It's just lovely! But don't forget the embroidery! These aprons make such nice hostess gifts. A great way to kiss the cook who creates your holiday meal:-). ] Browse the offerings at Catholic Embroidery, come back to the combox and tell us what you liked best. You'll be entered to win:

 

Set of 12 Assorted Catholic Embroidery Folded Cards Stationery Pack

 4 Agnus Dei Cards

     4 Ave Maria Cards

     4 St. Therese' Roses Cards

 

Liturgical Time Veils Giveaway

It's Small Business Saturday and we are celebrating big here at In the Heart of my Home. I'm shining the spotlight on a new sponsor almost every waking hour today and offering you a chance to win with every post. I want you to get to know my kind sponsors and I think you'll be glad for the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in these small shops. The giveaways will remain open until Tuesday at noon and then all the winners will be announced in the original posts.

I'm pleased to introduce you to Michelle of Liturgical Times Veil Shop . let's get to know her a little better.

Is yours a family business?

Ours is most definitely a family business. Both my husband and I grew up in families that were engaged in small business.  Cottage industry is in our blood, I suppose, and our daughter is being raised with the same experience. We are a small family (by God's will), and all three of us are actively involved in the daily tasks of running our little shop.

 

What's the product you are most excited about in your shop right now?

We are still very excited about the Eternity Veil.  As the original creators of the infinity style chapel veil, we are still finding many fun and creative new design twists to incorporate into the line.  We find that this veil is the perfect facilitator for women who really want to wear a veil at Mass, but are a little afraid to take the plunge.  Our Eternity Veil can be worn as a scarf when entering the worship space, and then discreetly slipped over the head when the wearer wishes to cover her head, making the process simple and comfortable.

 

What's your favorite Advent tradition? 

My absolute favorite Advent tradition has to be the Advent wreath. It is the highlight of so many childhood Advent memories for me and of so many memories of our own family life. Candlelight holds such mystical spiritual significance and yet fire is such a mundane and earthly thing.  We command it every day with the turn of a dial in our kitchens. Still, a flame atop a wick carries the prayers of generations heavenward.  I find it captivating.

 

Any plans for your shop for the new year that you'd like to share?

A line of vintage hat-style veils is forthcoming.  We are enthralled with the tradition of church hats and plan to incorporate the beauty of the chapel veil with a touch of yesteryear's pillbox hat. We are quite excited to begin creating.  Stay tuned!

 

 

Please visit Liturgical Times Veil Shop  and browse a bit. Come back and tell us which veil catches your fancy and you'll be entered to win the Eternity Veil in your choice of one of three colors: 

 Eternity Veil in Beach Sand

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Eternity Veil in Black

or

Eternity Veil in Vanilla 

 

The winner is Delores who wrote, 

I really like the tichel -- I had never heard of that. I think because I like to wear my hair up and that is a great way to do that, plus have a head covering.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/154582608/brilliantly-colored-tichel-style?ref=shop_home_active

Delores, please contact me at intheheartofmyhome AT gmail DOT com with your snail mail address. 

Sacred Heart Books & Gifts Giveaway

It's Small Business Saturday and we are celebrating big here at In the Heart of my Home. I'm shining the spotlight on a new sponsor almost every waking hour today and offering you a chance to win with every post. I want you to get to know my kind sponsors and I think you'll be glad for the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in these small shops. The giveaways will remain open until Tuesday at noon and then all the winners will be announced in the original posts.

First up is a lady who has been the biggest cheerleader for Real Learning since it was published more than ten years ago. I'm so grateful to Linda Nelson and her family for their support. Linda has a book and gift shop with an extensive selection of carefully chosen wares. I've asked her a few questions so that you can get to know her better and then you'll be thrilled to see the basket of books she's giving away.

How did your shop come to be?  Through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  The idea came to me that we could have a business serving the homeschool community and Catholic families and be able to offer discounts.  We understood what it is like to be a one income family.  

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Is yours a family business?  Yes

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How do combine your work and your family life?  When our business began in 1997 I still was homeschooling our three sons.  They were 17, 15 and 13.  So we started very slow.  Family was and is still first.  After the youngest graduated from homeschooling then we become more active with the business.  Now that our sons are grown we still put family first.  I'm thankful that our business is out of our home because I am able to go and help my parents, other family members and friends when I am needed.

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What inspires you?  My faith.

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What's the product you are most excited about in your shop right now?Clare's Costly Cookie.  Even though the book is for children it blessed me when I read it.  It's a great reminder to us as adults to take ourselves away and BE with God.

 

What's your favorite Advent tradition? Favorite, I'm not sure if one really stands out except that Advent brings our family together through our traditions.  Whether it is the Advent Wreath, Jesse Tree, the various blessings given during Advent or getting our tree they are all memorable. A memory I enjoy is when our sons were home they would put any money they received from altar serving and any tithing money in a jar throughout the year.  When December came they used the money for gifts for needy children.  Our sons did the shopping and then we delivered it.  We have a Rudolph costume.  For years our sons took turns being Rudolph at the nursing home, youth center and at a food kitchen.  The joy found on the faces of the elderly due to the hug from Rudolph was priceless.  But even more priceless were the homeless of all ages wanting to hug Rudolph.  The homeless wouldn't hug one of the workers, but Rudolph they could.  The Advent season brought our family closer together. 

 

Another favorite started when a friend got our family into painting plaster paris Christmas ornaments when our sons were young teens.  When they were young adults they weren't into it much.  My oldest son, Kenny said I need to continue our traditions, so now I borrow my friends children for Ornament Painting Day.  I've been doing it for at least a dozen years or so.  I look forward to it just as much as the children do.  Sometimes I may have 12 children and other times it's over 20.  Painting, food and games makes a wonderful fun day with lots of laughter all around.

I plan to continue many of our traditions with our grandchildren.  Right now I have a 2 year old grandson.

 

Any plans for your shop for the new year that you'd like to share? We know God has more planned for us, but at this time we are just working hard to get new products added.

 

Linda has bundled these wonderful books for the giveaway. Just visit Sacred Heart Books & Gifts and browse around awhile. Come back here and leave a comment with a link to something that caught your eye--a favorite picture book, a book you'd like to read, a devotional, a video, or an educational toy--whatever you'd like to tell us about. One lucky winner will win this basket of goodies:

Claire's Costly Cookie

Our Lady Undoer of Knots Novena Booklet

Time for God

Consoling the Heart of Jesus

Interior Freedom

Brother Francis: The King is Born, DVD

The winner is Katie from She Laughs at the Days to Come who wrote, 

Yay for small and local businesses! I really like the 5 way Motherhood pendant. http://www.sacredheartbooksandgifts.com/index.php?m=4&s=0&mc=27&sc=564&pd=5708GF_24G Thanks for the chance to win!

Katie, please contact me at intheheartofmyhome AT gmail DOT com with your snail mail address.