Here at Gussy has a lot to say we love to look at all things beautiful. Beautiful decorations, beautifully soft home-elements, beautiful stories about family life.
Today marks week #16 of my series on featured Etsy artists. I hope you’ve enjoyed the featured drool-worthy eye-candy shops. Don’t worry, I have many more, so please stay with me :) You can read all back Featured Artist posts by clicking here.
Please join me in welcoming Sasha at The Gilded Bee
What inspires you? Paint chips, the candy isle, the paper isle, vintage buttons, vintage millinery, antique china and wallpaper, beautiful photographs (often seen through other blogs), flowers and plants and bugs, my Grandma North’s photo’s, her mum’s photo’s, my dad’s photo’s, French and British textiles, stuff with stripes, dots and a spectrum of colors. Glitter, tinsel, other people who hand-make things. Lots of stuff.
Where do you call home? Are you from there originally? I am from Harlan, IA. I have lived here all 21 years.
Name something unique to where you live. Me. Hahahaha.
Share an interesting fact about yourself. I’m left-handed.
How did you come up with your shop name? I was messing around in the craft room, and it just came to me. It was long before I ever thought about opening a shop, I just thought “The Gilded Bee” sounded like a great paperie name.
Share a little bit about yourself. My name is Sasha. I’m a paper-addict. I was home-schooled. I’m 21. My mum’s name is Sherri. We run “The Gilded Bee” together. I do the web work and make and photograph stuff. She’s in the shipping+supplies dept. I’m the second of three sisters. We all have “S” names: Shaina, Sasha and Sarah. Yes, this confuses people. Hahahahaha. I have developed a real crush on vintage clothes. I am from a herd of artistic-crafting-camera crazy-entrepreneurs. I’m a second-generation immigrant. I love Victorian and Edwardian architecture. I consider animals as a requirement in life. Really furry Cats especially.
If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be? Creative.
What made you decide to open up shop? A need to feed the ravenous craft fund. Then it started picking up more traffic, and I started adding more items/getting more serious. I will continue to expand on that foundation.
Name your favorite thing about selling handmade. It’s controllable (you can make those cherry dotted light blue medium euro flap envelopes, you know the ideas that come to you at 3 am), you can find and fit those hard-to-find specialty items.
Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time? I’m a rebel. I do Etsy + handmade outlets all the time. Rather obsessively.
Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like. I get up. Slowly. I stagger toward down from upstairs. Open the curtains. Turn Computer and lights. Dig out something to drink…homemade hot chocolate+honey, or tea, or organic coffee…all favorites. Answer e-mails. Pack orders. Make paper goods. Spend a lot of time running with scissors. Make lists.Take as many photographs as I can get time for, cook, clean, frequent cat and dog contact (hugs and compliments). Eat food. Read. Blog. List and upload stuff on the computer. Think about more things to make and cook. Sleep.
Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop. Shops: Caramelos (yum-o), Mary not Martha, Pink Grapefruit Style, Nice Package, Sohomode, I’ve recently discovered this one: fabricfarrago, I haven’t gotten anything yet, but I think that will change as soon as I decide on the details of the studio make-over.
Recent “toys”, A gorgeous black and gold vintage handbag from Robyn Ruth, A shirt-dress with little stars all over from Metrode, A perfect Trench from Nod to Mod, A butter colored shirt-dress from RaraeAves.
List a few of your most favorite pastimes. Buy paper. Make stuff with paper. Cook + bake. Take as many photo’s as my camera card will hold. Walk Edward and Patches (the collie brother and sister). Plot gifts. Wrap gifts.
Read any good books lately? I read a lot. And lose track of how much/the titles. Magazines: M.Stewarts Weddings, Donna Hay (get a bib, the photographs are fabulous), British Country Living, Gourmet and Bon Apetit. I love Childrens books: F.H. Burnett, Dodie Smith’s 101 Dalmatians, C.S. Lewis. I have a long, long list of books to read.
What is your most prized possession? If we’re discussing highly trivial things: A tie between the camera and the computer.
What are three of your favorite foods? Chocolate, stew, fresh home-made breads, esp. whole grain.
What would you like to learn to do? Letterpress. Learn another language.
What are you listening to right now? Liszt, Juan Diego Florez, Placido Domingo, Debussy by Mel Puller, The mash up CD’s.
Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why. The British Isles. Besides the fact that I’m fascinated by those accents and the culture, that is where most of my family’s (bloodline) is from, from the Mayflower on my Mum’s side, to a Grandmother from Trent, to My Dad and his family from Canada.
{darling, right?}
Leave a comment sharing what room{s} you would decorate with the butterflies.
For additional entries
{leave a separate comment for each}:
-Comment that you follow my blog
-Comment that you follow Sasha’s blog
-Comment that you follow me on Twitter
-Tweet about this {leave a comment with your Tweet}
-Blog about this {leave a comment with your post URL}
- The giveaway will close Sunday, March 14 at 10 pm CST, and the winner will be announced the following day
- An email address must be listed on your blog profile or in the comment you leave
We are moving in a few months and we promised my 3 year old she would get a room makeover in the new house – how perfect would these butterflies be in a little girls room?!?!
I follow you on Twitter!
NavyLady6894
I follow your blog!
Tweeted!
NavyLady6894
BEAUTIFUL butterfly giveaway at Gussy! http://maggiewhitley.com/2010/03/featured-artist-gilded-bee.html
I am now following Sasha's blog too!
So cool! Love the bright colors!
I'd love to have these for my craft room!
I follow Gussy's blog & Twitter
Would love these for our guest bedroom!!:)
blog follower!
gussy twitter follower!!
My husband and I are in the process of adopting a little girl from the Ukraine… these would be PERFECT in a new room for her! If she's not a fan of butterflies, I'm thinking they would look awesome in our covered patio/balcony. The colors are amazing!
I also follow your sweet blog, Gussy!
I am also now a follower of Sasha's blog.
ohhhhhh! please pick me! these would look AMAZING floating around in my kids playroom. seriously amazing!
aaaaaaaaaand, i am (of course!) a follower of your bloggity blog.
I LOVE butterflies and have been trying to find a way to incorporate them into MY room (that I share with my husband) – this could be my chance! Pick me :)
And… I follow you :)
oooooh fun. I would use some of them in a painting, some for a butterfly bouquet for my niece, and then some for a mobile [possibly for BabyJ].
long time follower :)
My husband is finally allowing me to decorate his man cave. He will no longer be using it, so I will have an extra space…perhaps a craft room :) Yippee!! I think these would look amazing in there. Shoot, they would look amazing ANYWHERE!
I would love to hang butterflies in my bedroom! Love all the colors!
I follow your blog…religiously!!
Is there Gussy Anonymous group? lol.
I now follow Sasha's blog :)
I would decorate my living room. Bold and in everyones face!
I would split them up and use them in my 2 daughters' rooms.
teresacline2001(at)yahoo(dot)com
I follow your blog!
I'm just about to move into a new apartment, and I have no idea how to decorate my bedroom–it's kind of a small space, and I'll be on a tight budget these would be delightful, colorful, just perfect!
My little sister (in another part of the country) is also in love with butterflies, they're her personal motif, so I would keep half and send half along to her. It would be nice for us to be reminded of each other just by glancing at our walls.
I got a 503 error when I tried to post this message, so I'm really sorry if it doubles up… I'm going to try again…
I follow your blog!
I follow Sasha's blog as well.
I follow you on twitter – I'm @doppeldeer
I tweeted about this giveaway: http://twitter.com/doppeldeer/status/10375671509
Oh goodness… what a great featured artist. I'd decorate my little girl's room… probably. :-)
I subscribe to you…
and her…
My daughter would love these in her room! jlanenh@comcast.net
I follow your blog!
I follow Sasha's blog
Oooo, I think I would make a wreath out of these and hang it on my front door!!!
maryw1981 at yahoo dot com
I follow your blog!!
maryw1981 at yahoo dot com
Oh, my CUTE!!!! I love this stuff! I would use them in my studio and in my living room in our sitting area! I love it!!!
I follow your blog!
I follow you on Twitter!
Ohhh, I think I've died and gone to heaven! I have a ::slight:: butterfly obsession. They were used in my wedding theme, and now they adorn my first daughter's nursery. I have one wall that I didn't know what to do with, and these butterflies would be the PERFECT addition to her room! I love this giveaway!!
I already follow your blog!
I now follow Sasha's blog!
I already follow you on Twitter. (butterfly1979_) See..even my screen name mentions butterflies! :)
I tweeted! Here is my tweet:
butterfly1979_
Gorgeous butterfly giveaway on the @GussySews blog! Squeeeeee! I NEED to win this one! http://bit.ly/d2ec4C
Those are adorable! I'd split them though and half would adorn my craft room and the other half would go to my 3yo niece to decorate her pink room :)
I follow your blog :)
and your twitter! (how do you think I learn about all the awesome giveaways???!!)
Tweet Tweet!
http://twitter.com/imabuckeye/status/10379163224
And I now follow Sasha @ The Gilded Bee! It's so loverly!
I would use them to decorate my nieces' bedroom. My sister is expecting her first boy in July – so she's moving the two girls in together and redoing it. These butterflies would be perfect for the new digs!
I'm a blog follower!
Well, Miss Harper's OF COURSE! Love!
I follow Gussy's blog!
I follow Gussy on twitter!
My home is dominated by boys, so I made a deal with my hubbs to be able to decorate the guest room. The butterflies will definitely add to the girly vibe in there.
I follow your blog.
I also follow you on twitter.
I'm planning on painting my bedroom and putting these butterflies all over the wall … high enough so my cat can't jump up to get them, though! My husband will just have to live with a girlie room!
Thanks!
AuburnNotRed@charter.net
I also am a follower of Sasha's blog.
The butterflies would go perfect in our bedroom! I'd also put some in my sewing area.
follow your blog
follow sasha's blog
twitter follower
I love these!!! I have this dream of doing a little girl nursery all in butterflies and this would be a perfect start!
I follow your blog.
I would use these to decorate my crafting room- they would look great on the light orange walls
I follow Sasha's blog.
follow your blog
follow sasha's blog
My daughter turn 2 on May 1 and we are having a butterfly themed birthday party. She would love these!
I would love to have some if those wonderful butterflies in my bedroom:)
I follow Sasha's blog:)
onix.rain@ymail.com
I follow your blog:)
Brianna would LOVE those butterflies in her room! very cute!
niehausal@yahoo.com
I follow your blog!
niehausal@yahoo.com
I think these butterflies would look fabulous in my brand new office! They are so gorgeous and would bring some of the beautiful outdoors into my office while I work. Love them!
I follow your blog!
What a beautiful giveaway! I would use these to decorate my daughter's room. I have been trying to decide what to do with it and these would be great!
I follow you on twitter! @loriporten
I love them! probably in my bedroom, they would look so cute, thanks!
Following you!
And following Sasha :)
I would decorate my room and probably keep some for a future little girl. I don't think my son would appreciate the butterflies as much as I do. :)
rockstar.mommy at yahoo dot com
I follow your blog.
rockstar.mommy at yahoo dot com
I'm not following Sasha's blog.
rockstar.mommy at yahoo dot com
I follow you on Twitter. (@1rockstarmommy)
My living room. You can never have to much color or fun on the walls in your house. :)
Whoa, those are adorable! I would decorate my room, of course! :)
I follow Sasha's blog!!! May I please be entered?
my craft room for sure !
i follow you!!
I have a nature-theme going on in my own art studio, so these butterflies would be great in there, fluttering around my inspiration board, desk, and shelves. Thanks for the giveaway!
I follow your blog!
I follow Sasha's blog!
I follow you on Twitter! @bethstonestudio
I tweeted about this giveaway! @bethstonestudio
I love the butterflies! I would love to save them for a babies room…we're not there yet but soon I hope! But in the mean time they'd look great in my living room all around the clock we have!
tarabtaylor@gmail.com
I follow your blog!
tarabtaylor@gmail.com
what a lovely giveaway! i would put them above my antique piano. so pretty!
I plan to glue them to paper lanterns and hang them on mass in my daugther's room…magical!
ok tweeted at #beltuttifruiti
following your blog
following sasha's blog….crossing everything I win!
Blogged
http://tuttifruiti.blogspot.com/2010/03/renovation-update.html
YAY!!!! they are fantastic!
my email is candysticklane@gmail.com
I think they would be gorgeous on a straw hat in the summer!
i follow you on twitter
candysticklane
tweet tweet
AWESOME Flutter Bys! Check out @gussysews blog! http://maggiewhitley.com/2010/03/featured-artist-gilded-bee.html
I follow your blog :)
I follow her blog
I'd decorate my bookcases with butterflies.
I've just had a second baby girl. They will share a room. I'd create a mobile above each of their beds covered in butterflies! x artefidelity@gmail.com
I would pretty much decorate any room in the house with butterflies! Love anything nature related and it fits in anywhere in my house.
I follow your blog of course
And follow you on Twitter
@mdmerenghi
And now I follow Sasha's blog too! :) Thanks for the opportunity to win Sasha & Gussy!
I am pregnant with my 4th child. I have three boys, this one is A GIRL! And I would love to decorate her room with girly things! These woulf be perfect.
I follow and love your blog
I tryed to follow you on twitter and will keep trying…
I tweeted
my3littleducks
I am also following Sasha's blog!
I posted a post on my blog
http://my3littleducks.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-very-talented-person.html
Oooh…I'd put them in my office!!!
And, I follow you on twitter!
Oh they are perfect for both my kids rooms. I have quite plain rooms and they would liven things up nicely.
They are gorgeous, I would put them in my daughters room
I follow Sasha`s blog! I love everything in her shop!
I love butterflies! I even have 3 butterflies tattooed on my back :)
I`ll definitely decorate my baby`s room, my bedroom and leave some to decorate my packages from my new etsy shop with them!!!!
i LOVED your blog and I`ll come back for more :)
Gorgeous giveaway!! Some would find themselves fluttering across my apple green bedroom walls,others would hang from the white branch that hangs above our kitchen table.I'm sure my boys would insist on seeing some on their bedroom ceiling : )
I would save the butterflies for when I have a baby girl someday and decorate her room with them! : )
I'd make a mobile for my dear friend who loves butterflies and is about to have her first baby. Wouldn't they make a gorgeous mobile?
I would decorate my little nook above my bed with the butterflies. I studied entomology while at university, so I think beautiful paper butterflies would be a nice touch to my decor.
my daughter's room
susanerios at hotmail.com
These would look beautiful decorating an entire wall on top of a large outdoor mural. I would probably choose to do something like this in a creative studio, since it would be so cheery and inspiring. :)
umbrellaave@yahoo.com
I would use these wonderful butterflies to decorate the new building we will be renting in April for our Sunday fellowship and Bible study times! So excited!
Oh so Gorgeous! I definitely will be following your blog now!
I think I would have to keep them to myself to decorate the office! Or maybe the baby's room or my daughter's room.. Or all of them
Taylor@ameliesroom.com.au
xx
I would definitely have to use these in my daughter's room…love them!
I am a follower of Gussy
beautiful. those are enchanting!! i would cover my bedroom in butterflies—the perfect cure for all this dreary weather. thanks for the lovely giveaway. <3
xoxo, emily v. from new jersey
ohhh i love this shop!! i've actually bought some twine for her in the past for packaging! those butterflies are just lovely!
I love butterflies!! I would use them everywhere I can! Perhaps adding to thumb-tacks for my bulletin boards, to augment gift-wrapping…anywhere possible!!
My studio for inspiration