Dresses Dresses Dresses!

I love dresses, there is something about wearing a dress that just makes me feel wonderful and feminine!

Here are some new designs being sold at www.ikvothamashich70.etsy.com

Take a walk down Gloucester Street....

Today I am featuring a fantastic good old fashioned Paperie! Stephanie, the owner and creative mind behind Gloucester Street Paperie has an eye for design. Her cards, journals, and ornaments remind me of good ole' historic NewEngland. There's a warmth and a familiarity behind the designs that makes them the perfect thing to send to a family member or loved one to show them how special they are.

So without further adieux, here is the interview!

GABRIELLE: Where do you get your inspiration from?

STEPHANIE: My inspiration comes from the beauty of nature. As a girl who likes to travel, I enjoy the many natural sites this earth has to offer, so it's no wonder my products reflect that. I especially love earth tones and floral blossoms.


GABRIELLE: Do you have a job outside of Etsy?

STEPHANIE: I am a full-time college student, so that's basically my "job" at this point in my life. I work part-time at Panera Bread 10 hours a week just to make a little extra money. At this point in my life, I feel like I am on a runway waiting in line knowing at anytime my plane of life will take off soon.


GABRIELLE: How did you come into your profession?

STEPHANIE: Studying law was not what I planned on doing while groing up. I was encouraged to pick a major that was a "typical job": 9 to 5 office job that pays well and will always be in need.


GABRIELLE: Is this what you imagined you would be when you grew up? If not, what did you want to be when you were little?

STEPHANIE: Life is never what you expect it to be. I have a lifetime passion for food! I love cooking! I always wanted to go to pastry school in New York City and become a pastry chef. When the door closed on that dream, I researched occupations on the Internet for something I would be interested in doing. Seeing that I am a very partiotic American and love everything about how the USA came into being, law seemed like the route to go. In high school, I saw myself going far away to college and majoring in Political Science. When looking for colleges, I got so overwhemed by all the different schools. I kinda dropped the ball on the college search and ended up at a local private college doing law. I absolutely love my school! I have to confess I am totally shocked at how much I love it considering how much I was not so enthusiastic about it before hand. It's not like I didn't want to go, but was just kinda like, "eh, whatever!"


GABRIELLE: What's your favorite snack/drink to keep you going during a long day?

STEPHANIE: My long days are spent on campus, so orange Gatorade and Frosted Mini Wheats are my go-to snacks to make it thorugh the day: easy to carry and can be eaten in the classrooms!


GABRIELLE: What is your favorite item in your shop?
STEPHANIE: My favorite item in my shop would have to be the Hydrangea Birthday Card.


GABRIELLE: How did you get the idea for your favorite item?

STEPHANIE: Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers, so I just had to create something with hydrangeas. I'm on this kick now with using pages out of a vintage book in my designs. It adds so much character, and it went really well with the mettallic blossoms and the watercolor details on the finished card.


GABRIELLE: If there was one place you could live and money wasn't an option where would it be?

STEPHANIE: That's an easy one: Williamsburg, Va in a cute colonial box house! Being the patriotic American I am, Colonial Williamsburg is my favorite city, and I would love to move there the instant the opportunity would arise! I love the architecture and all the American history the city represents.


GABRIELLE: If you had a million dollars how would you spend it?

STEPHANIE: If someone were to hand me one million dollars, I would use it to open my dream business: a combined coffee shop, restaurant, and eatery. I'm actually in a business plan writing course right now, and that is my business I am writing my plan on. That money would really make this dream a reality!

GABRIELLE: Do you believe in God? This can be a yes or no, or it can be a more elaborate answer, you can also choose not to answer it, if it is too personal.

STEPHANIE: I not only believe in God, but also I am a born-again Christian. I asked God to forgive my sins back in third grade and have been a growing Christian ever since. God plays a part in my life everyday by bestowing His unfathomable grace and mercy on me. I am ever thankful to Him for it! My life would seriously be in shambles if I did not have my Hope and my Rock.

GABRIELLE: Do you feel like a part of you is visible in all of your work?

STEPHANIE: A part of me is always visible in my work. My work reflects my style and what I value. I tend to have more sophisticated tastes and love anything that has glitter or is shiney! I also try to add beauty into everyday life thorugh my items. I believe we should make the most of everyday we are given, so I always create items that are above and beyond "the norm" or expectations.


GABRIELLE: Do you miss items when they sell?

STEPHANIE: I can say that I don't miss items when they sell because I create them to make someone else's day a little better. So when an item sells, I'm extremely happy that I am fulfilling my purpose!


GABRIELLE: Where is your favorite place to shop on Etsy?

STEPHANIE: Etsy has so many great products it's hard to say. I tend to browse through the accessories, purses and ceramics categories most often. A lot of the times I stumble into some favorite sellers that are featured on the front page or in a Storque Blog article.

Visit Stephanie at www.GloucesterStreet.etsy.com!

I am ready for Spring and Sergers!

Who else is ready for spring? We're getting anywhere from 6-12 inches of snow today here in RI and while I usually love snow and enjoy playing in it, I'm feeling like I need to see the sun and feel the warmth of it. I'm anxious to plant my garden and watch my veggies and herbs grow and not have to put on 20 layers everytime I step outside. Winters are long in New England, a little too long some years. Besides that, I am working on a bunch of new stuff for my etsy store and my new serger is really helping me along. I love sergers they are seriously one of the best inventions ever made for one-woman sewing operations like myself. Also I would just like to say, to all those who complain about threading the thing, READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL FIRST BEFORE YOU TOUCH ANYTHING, and then it's really not that hard. It took me 15 mins to figure it out the first time, stop being lazy ad do some reading! Because sergers are an awesome invention and it would be a pity if you, being a sewer, never tried one or bought one because you thought the threading would be too difficult or time consuming because it's not. All the reviews I read said, "Oh it's so hard to thread it" almost every one of the 190 reviews said something about threading the lower looper. And that first of all made me nervous to get one, because I was thinking what if it does take me an hour to re-thread the thing every time I need a different color and what if I can't re-thread it at all! Then I would've paid all that money for a useless machine that takes an hour to thread. SOOOO to all those thinking about buying a serger, do it! it will change the way you do business, I'm serious, it will cut hours of time off of sewing projects. And again read the entire instruction manual first and then try threading it, it will be a piece of cake if you know the terminology they're using.
Also don't think you have to spend a lot of money to get a good quality serger. Ebay always has auctions for sergers, there are some good old Pfaff's from the 80's still kicking, as well as some babylock's. Of course if you can afford, the new Babylock's, Pfaff's, Juki's, Bernina's etc, go for it because they're the best, but if you have never owned a serger and you want to get a good beginner model I would go with the Brother 1034d model, I have one and I am absolutely completely happy with it. It's a well priced, 4-3-2 thread, 2 needle model that's simple to thread and surprisingly quiet too. It has tons of good reviews. You can buy them on Amazon, Jo-Ann.com, and various other places.
Off to sewing/designing now.....

Here are a few of my favorite things today.

Gray Knitted Top- Ovejanegra.etsy.com

Gauzy White top and embellished white gauzy dress- Aidacoronado.etsy.com

Crystal drop necklace- noemydesigns.etsy.com

Knitted beige and peach dress- Subrosa123.etsy.com

Floral Necklace- Florabond.etsy.com

Pleated Yellow Scarflette- Flutter.etsy.com

Girl Painting (an Ocean Between)- myfolklover.etsy.com

All this and much much more can be found at ETSY!

My prayer for the day.

God bless me so that I can bless other people! Use me however, whenever and wherever you want to and may I never exalt myself, only You. God I am nothing, not even a speck of dust, without you, nor would I have breath if you ceased to give it to me. Here are my hands, work through them, and here is my voice, may it speak your mind and heart. May your will be done in my life.
I want everyone to know how amazing your love is God, may this be accomplished!
AMEN!

ALTERED COUTURE 3 page spot!!!

Some of my work (2 altered, reclaimed pieces) managed to find it's way into the Altered Couture Magazine February 2010 issue!!!! I wrote the Listen up schoool girls article, altered the cardigan, and embellished it as well and also got a gallery spot with my out of dust embellished, reclaimed blouse! SO three pages total, I'm very excited! Somehow God keeps surprising me, opening up new doors, I never know what's going to happen, but He knows and I trust Him :)
The glory all belongs to God :) He gave me the hands to work and the mind to think, so it all goes to Him.
So anyways, that's my preaching for today, here it is!