Featured Handmade Shop: Dahlia Soleil

I would like to introduce you all to Paulette, the designer and owner of the Etsy shop, Dahlia Soleil.  She is an artist who is specializing on machine embroidery.  Paulette lives in New York with her lovely 10 year old daughter, Dahlia Soleil.  In her shop, you can find a mix of crochet and embroidery collection like beanie hats, head band ear warmers, and iron on patch appliques.  Please take a moment to read my interview and visit her Etsy shop or check her out on Facebook.
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And if you happen to be in New York on the 27th of April, stop by at the opening day for the Hester Street Fair.  Paulette will be there to showcase some of her new work.  Come up, say hi, mention her Etsy shop and receive a special discount.

Let's get to know the Entrepreneur:
 

Why the shop name? 
My shop name is the name of my daughter.

How old is your shop?
My etsy shop was started in 2006 so almost 7 years old.

What inspired you to start your own home business? 
I wanted to earn an income and still take care of my daughter at the same time.

What was the toughest challenge you faced so far and how did you get over it?

The toughest challenge so far is juggling my business and being a mom.  I haven't quite figured it out yet really, just going with the flow at this point. 

What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you? 

Have a back up plan financially.  Sometimes the sales are great and sometimes not so great.  You have to plan for the slow times.

Let's get to know the Artist:

What are your inspirations? 

Nature is my inspiration. I grew up on a small island called Barbados with really rich colors everywhere so I pull from those memories when I am crafting my pieces. 

Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in your craft? 

I crochet and machine embroider so each one is different.  I start with embroidery software to create a design.  I like to call it the Photoshop for stitches.  Then I transfer the file from the computer to the embroidery machine.  Sew it on to felt and then iron on adhesive to the back to create an iron on patch applique.

What are your top 3 favorite picks from your shop? 

Crochet Hat in Wheat and brown  

Iron On Patch Sloth Applique

Slouchy Beanie Hat with Sloth Patch Applique

Let's get a bit personal :)

What do you do when you're not busy in your shop?

I really love exploring New York City.  In this pic I'm exploring Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in in Manhattan.

What's inside your bag? 

Dried cranberries, phone charger, bottle of water, a pen, a newspaper to do the crossword puzzles and a tampon. 

What are your favorite shops? 

My favorite Etsy shops are Meg Roberts and The Soap Seduction. My favorite real world shop is forever21. 

What makes you smile? 

When I cut into an avocado and it's good, a ripe mango, my BFF Stacia and the love and support of the people in my life. 

What is your message to your customers and the people who support you?

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a full time artist and the ability to be there for my daughter.  Every sale and compliment confirms to me that my "job" as an artist is the perfect "job" for me.

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BIG THANKS & HUGS:

Dahlia Soleil

Shop Love: All the Pretty Pastels

I'm loving all the pretty pastels from "Go Softly" Boutique at Shoe Dazzle especially the lace Oxfords which comes in pastel blue, pink and beige; the Parisian-inspired crocheted ballet flats with spiked studs across the toes; and the pastel + gold spiked-studded accessories.

via: Shoe Dazzle

Featured Handmade Shop: Plexida & A Giveaway

Goodmorning!  Today is extra wonderful because I am featuring a new handmade shop and hosting the first giveaway on this blog.  When I came across this photo in Pinterest, my heart popped! Upon checking out the shop, I instantly fell in-love with all the pretty bows, and I knew I just had to feature Plexida on my blog.   

I'm so delighted that Vasiliki has agreed to do this interview.  She lives all the way from Greece! I can imagine her knitting and crocheting these goodies and it's nice to think that we were able to have this correspondence.  She even generously offered to give away this adorable bow necklace to one of my readers.  Do you remember this? I featured it in Lovely, Little Things just the other day and now one of you would win it! 

 

I'm so excited! But before the giveaway, let's get to know a little bit more about this handmade shop, Plexida and the lovely lady behind it. 

What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
'Plexida' means braid in my language and 'Plexi' means a knit stitch, so it sounded like a cute idea to name my shop Plexida.

How old is your shop and what inspired you to start it?My shop is only 2 months old, so I'm freshly new to etsy and selling my creations online, but so far it's been a great experience. I've been knitting for many years, since I was a kid actually, and I've always enjoyed creating clothes and accessories for my loved ones. Some time last year the idea of sharing them online started playing in my head and, with the encouragement of my family, I decided to do it. I'm really glad I took that decision, because the feedback I'm getting is very positive and I really enjoy every part of the process.

Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in your craft?

I work at a local yarn store, so I'm surrounded by yarns and colours all day. This gives me constant inspiration, as well as the chance to pick the best and most suitable yarns for my own creations. Once I get home, I make a hot cup of tea and I start knitting my orders. When I finish them, I may start creating new designs for my shop. This step sometimes involves a lot of trials until I have the perfect new design I want to share in my shop. Then, when I have some new pieces finished, my daughters help me style and photograph them.

What do you do when you're not knitting? 

Well, I'm an avid knitter and I'm occupied with needles and yarn the most hours of the day, but when I'm not knitting, I mostly enjoy baking, cooking, taking care of my garden, riding bikes and hiking with my husband.

your top 3 favorite picks from your shop. . .

I really like the colours and texture of this cowl.

I'm fond of all the hair bows, I think they are extra cute.

Also, I'm loving this beanie.

Where else can we find you online?

You can find me on Facebook, where I've just set up a page for my shop and you can also find me on Pinterest where I collect the things that most inspire me.

Now for the giveaway, the winner can have the bow in her favorite color.  How sweet!  How I wish I could win it! I love it in blue-green but I can also imagine having it in mustard!  Oh, and yes, it's open for international readers so everyone is welcome to join.

What about you? What are your favorites?  Let us know and you could be the winner!  And if  you found something that you absolutely love, you can buy it at a 15% discount.  This is an exclusive offer so don't forget to use the coupon code RACHEPLEXIDA15 on your checkout.  The code is valid for any order until the midnight of Monday, February 11th, GMT.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

This giveaway is open to all Beautiful Rache followers. Entries will be accepted until Thursday, February 14th, 12:00 AM HKT  Open for international readers.  Don't forget to check back on Friday for the announcement of the winner.  Or add me on Twitter to keep posted.

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BIG THANKS & HUGS:

Plexida!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Linked up with: Friday Fancies ; That Friday Blog Hop