Giveaway with AmiMia! Win €30 to the AmiMia Etsy Store

I'm so pleased to introduce you to the lovely Amanda today, along with her adorable Etsy store, AmiMia. As you may have guessed from the introduction image, AmiMia is filled with the sweetest crochet creatures, from bunnies to kitties to *squeee* bumble bees! You'll find out a little more about Amanda below, and after the interview, you'll have a chance to enter to win a €30 gift voucher to the AmiMia Etsy Store! You can choose to spend it on something listed in the store, or commission your own project for Amanda to whip up for you once the giveaway is over.

Can you tell us a little about how you got started creating your cute little animals and developed your hobby into a handmade business?

Its hard to find the beginning point. I always enjoyed crocheting and knitting. At some point some of my friends and family members started to ask for toys and it turned out to be a wonderful project. I wouldn't say it is a business yet (although I hope it will grow); it is still my hobby and additional income at the moment is just a bonus.

Nevertheless, without people around me encouraging me to put my little animals up for adoption I probably would still make them just for my friends and wouldn't make big future plans about them.

What inspires you creatively?

People. I love seeing others do creative things and succeeding, it inspires me to go for more than I expect. Also long conversations and discussions; whenever I feel stuck in creative process I meet up with someone for a glass of wine and get my mind open for the craziest ideas.

Most importantly changes; when things are changing, I am changing and my environment is changing. Routine and calmness are my creative enemies; I don't like to be stuck at one point for long.

You are originally from Latvia, do you have any travel tips for the folks out there on places to see?

I come from Latvia but last 5 years I have been living in the Netherlands where I work and study. Latvia is a wonderful country and it will always have my heart. Most of the tourists usually visit Riga, the capital city which is hipster paradise. A lot of nice cafes, live music almost every night and a great Jugendstyle architecture.

But I suggest to go further from the capital city and visit Liepaja (my hometown) with the beach and club Fontaine Palace which has its own special aura. On the way it is obligatory to stop in the Rudales Palace and go along the Baltic sea shore to see the cliffs (well, those are cliffs for Latvian people). The farms and country living is much different and worth paying a visit also. And most importantly, go on top of every church you see to see the city from above. It is a possibility almost everywhere so use it!

Almost everyone in Latvia speaks English and are very friendly and will be happy to show you around.
By the way, at the moment there is a possibility to enter a contest to get a paid weekend in Riga with one of our celebrities, just check out www.celebritycouch.lv

How would you spend your perfect weekend?

At the moment I would really love to be in some music festival with my best friends or simply spend a weekend at the beach in my hometown, sleeping in, having drinks with my friends, swimming in Baltic see, listening to good music and catching the last of the sun this year.

When you're not creating cuddly creatures, how do you spend your time?

Last couple of month have been crazy for me and I don't really have had any free time. We have just moved to a new house (which means a lot of new ideas in any possible sphere of my life) and it takes most of my time. I am also working my student job, building up my portfolio and preparing to start my Master studies in September. Additionally to that I am always in constant explosion of thoughts what else could I do. I guess I could say, I keep busy so I don't have free time; if I do, I sleep.

What do you do to relax?

I crochet. At least for now it is still the thing I am looking forward the most when I am stressed out at work or tired from running around. Its a thing where I count my hooks, listen to music and turn off from everything around; then it is just me and my soon-to-be animal.

If you'd like to see more from AmiMia, you can visit and follow along over at the Etsy Store, Blog, Facebook and Twitter. Before you run off though, pop an entry in for the giveaway so that you have a chance to own one of these sweet friends handmade in the Netherlands!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kitty
xo

Creative Ladies | Thassia from Victoria's Class

If you didn't meet Thassia from Victoria's Class when she was on my sidebar, I'm really pleased to introduce this lovely lady to you today. Thassia is the woman behind Victoria's Class, a hair accessories company based in Holland. She is such a genuine and sweet person :) I've asked her a few questions about running a handmade business and the path she took to get there.

1 // Can you give us a little introduction to your shop, Victoria's Class and yourself?

Hi, I am Thassia, I am a wife of a loving husband and a mother of a beautiful girl. I was born and raised in Brazil and moved to Holland around 7 years ago to stay with the love of my life. Our daughter is 4 years old now and she was the inspiration behind my shop and its name, Victoria’s Class. We both love hair accessories and she has had a great collection since she was a baby. However, as my daughter started to grow, keeping some of the hair accessories in her hair was a great challenge, some of them would just slip off in a matter of 5 minutes. This made me realize the need for some cute but also practical accessories, for they don’t just need to adorn the hair, they also need to keep bangs off, the hair neat and stay in place throughout a whole day at the playground! This gave me the idea to make some functional accessories such as the hairclip with grips and 3 in 1 headbands, which were functional too on the top of being absolutely cute! I try to design my accessories with a fresh touch to bring uniqueness to each piece, this way my customers have that “one-of-a-kind” feeling about their accessories.

2 // How did you get started in the handmade industry?

I suppose since I was a child! My mother is an artisan with over 40 year’s experience and known by her flawless workmanship. She taught me how to hand and machine sew, paint, crochet, knit, cross stitch, beading, patchwork, textile paint, textile application etc etc etc  from a very early age and I am sure that by the age of 12 I mastered these skills just as well as I do today. That is a funny thing that it did not occur to me to use those skills for my own business before, since my mother is very successful in her niche and is never out of work! In fact it was only after I finished my Master Degree in Food Quality Management (yeah, yeah, really not related…) and my husband’s support in convincing me I had some strong entrepreneurial skills, that I started to consider ideas for business.

We brainstormed many times until the accessories idea came up. I wanted to make beautiful but wearable and functional accessories; something modern with fresh designs but that stands the test of time; I wanted to make something that didn’t look plastic or mass produced by machines but something my customers would touch and feel it was well made, and better, that it was specially made for them. Something personal, in fact. And we have had great pleasure doing it so far!

 3 // What is your favourite part about your job?

The flexibility. I love it that owning my own business gives me the flexibility during week days which I doubt I would get if I worked for someone else, for instance having lunch with my daughter or taking her to dance classes. Of course the job needs to be done and the disadvantage is that I work long hours and during weekends too sometimes. But it is all about the balance, and when you love what you do then things are easier.

4 // You are from Holland! What is your favourite thing about where you live?

The signposting on the roads is great... ☺

5 // How do you like to relax?

Travelling!! In fact I think that this is the only way I can actually relax. When you have a business a lot of your time is dedicated to it and it gets difficult to relax even in the weekends. If I am at home and I have free time I will get myself busy with my family, or with  jobs around the house, or getting social with friends, all of which is very nice but sometimes quite wearing. And I just can’t do it any other away, I am a busy person! So to relax I need to pack our bags and be in another environment for some time.

6 // What is the best advice you have ever received?

I guess it was my husband’s advice for me to become an entrepreneur. I completely change the direction of my life with this advice and I am pleased I followed it. If you have an idea for business that you believe in, I would advise anyone to follow it!

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Thassia!

If you'd like to check out the full range, visit the Victoria's Class store. You can also follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Kitty
xo

Creative Ladies - Jessica-T

Jessica-T is a Brisbane-based accessories label that supplies and develops fashion products for some of the biggest names in Australian fashion. The label's retail collections are stocked in over 100 stores around Australia and internationally. I first encountered Jessica-T when I found this gorgeous hourglass necklace. Since then, Jessica-T products have been featured a bunch of times on Kitty & Buck.

The company founder, Jessica studied Fashion Design at QUT (Queensland University of Technology) after high school and graduated with honors. After cutting her teeth working with a major Australian retailer as a fashion buyer and then a product developer, she branched out on her own and formed the Jessica-T label. For a young company, Jessica-T has already gathered an impressive collection of accolades, including Jessica being a Queensland Finalist for the Telstra Young Business Women's Awards!

two drop frame earrings blue 

twist and clip bracelet silver

ethnicity necklace silver

shinto bracelet set

I selected a few of my favourite items currently in stock, you can see the full range over at the Jessica-T website.

Kitty
xo

Creative Ladies | Color Me Missy

Honyuet is the lady behind Color Me Missy, a jewellery store based in Singapore. Color Me Missy jewellery is simple and stylish, perfect for everyday wear. Honyuet designs, makes and photographs each item herself, another amazing one-woman operation in the land of handmade business. Aside from the pretty ready-made range, Color Me Missy offers personalised jewellery as well, which is perfect if you're after something special as a gift, with your own touch.

Some of my favourite pieces from Color Me Missy

To complement Color Me Missy, Honyuet runs a sister store called Glitz and Love, specialising in bridal and bridesmaid accessories. For when you need a little more sparkle! I don't know where this girl finds the time! All items are available for international shipping, so anyone can enjoy some handmade goodness all the way from Singapore.

If you want to find out more, you can like Color Me Missy on Facebook or check out Honyuet's inspirations on Pinterest.

Kitty
xo

Under The Shade Of A Bonsai Tree Giveaway!

Jacquie from Under The Shade of a Bonsai Tree has long been a friend of Kitty & Buck. A creative Australian lady, based in Tasmania, Jacquie creates beautiful jewellery and accessories from Tasmanian wood, Japanese paper and other materials such as polymer clay and acrylic. You can see me wearing a number of her pieces on the blog, including her Origami Crane (and here), the Harajuku Bows range (and here), and her Patchwork Brooch (and here). I have to admit, I was pretty chuffed to be able to take the Harajuku Bows on a visit to Harajuku in Japan!

Under The Shade of a Bonsai Tree has obvious Japanese influences, especially when you consider the use of Japanese Chiyogami paper in pieces like the gorgeous faceted wooden bead necklaces. There are origami inspired pieces, cherry blossoms and koi featured in the designs. But it's not all Japanese, there are aspects of arts and crafts in the patchwork range, bold geometric designs, and always, the influence of nature in both the materials and subject matter. There's something for everyone, while still maintaining a distinct style that tells you that this is a piece by Under The Shade of a Bonsai Tree.

Not only is Jacquie's work unique and beautiful, but it is all handmade in Tasmania and a percentage of profits also goes to Kiva.org, which provides micro-loans for people in poverty stricken countries in order to enable them to open or grow their own businesses. So you get extra feel-good points for supporting an indie business lady as well as others around the world.

Today I'm really excited to be offering one lucky reader the chance to own their own Harajuku Bows! The winner will receive either a Harajuku Bows Brooch OR Harajuku Bows Necklace in the colour of their choice, with a matching pair of Harajuku Bow Earrings as well. All you need to do to enter is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kitty
xo

Interview and DIY over at How.Do

In the interest of creating something special and handmade for your loved one this Valentines Day, How.Do approached me to contribute one of my DIY projects for their app. You can check out their interview with me over on the How.Do blog, where you can also find a link to my DIY project for creating a paper book cover (Japanese style). It's slightly different from the version that you can see here on the blog, because the images are accompanied by a voice telling you what to do. I was really nervous to record my voice. Like everyone I've met, ever, I hate hearing my voice recorded. But I think it came out okay!

Let me know if you have a listen, and if you think hearing a DIY like this is more helpful than just reading words with pictures. I really enjoyed the process and I think it's a great way to share a DIY project - you can sign up for the How.Do app and find many more DIYs, recipes and other tutorials as well (it's free!)

Kitty
xo

*This is not an affiliate post, I just think this app is great fun!

Creative Ladies: Chelsea from Sketchy Notions

Hello! My name is Chelsea and I am the eccentric artist and maker behind Sketchy Notions! 

My favourite thing about my job is being challenged and inspired by my clients and the things they ask me to create. It's a pretty incredible and lucky job to have. Being able to sit and watercolor for hours on end is a nice perk too.

If I wasn't an artist, I would love to explore stunt driving! It's kind of a family tradition.

If you knew me in real life, you would know that I'm a recovering procrastinator and yet very detail oriented. I also tend to hoard art supplies, I know I'll find a use for it all one day...

People are always telling me that I am ...honestly, no one tells me much. I tend to be a homebody, I'd have to leave my art bubble for someone to tell me something! 

If I had to choose one place to live for the rest of my life, it would be Carpinteria, California (with regular visits to Italy!) When I'm not working, I love to cook and bake, I'm trying to be more ambitious with my cooking this year. Chances are I'm plotting or daydreaming my next adventure too.

In 2014, I will be fearless and finally self-publish a book, no excuses this year. I hope that I'll be able to knock off everything on my to-do list this year and I know that I'm going to have to hustle like no other to pull it all off!

If I could give one piece of advice it would be always say yes to traveling! (and for fellow procrastinators, no Netflixs before noon! )

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Chelsea, she's such a great gal! If your interest is piqued, please head on over to her store, Sketchy Notions, and check out more of her beautiful work (plus some gorgeous Valentines Day cards). You can also find some behind the scenes action on her blog. Sketchy Notions is also on Instagram and Twitter. 

Thanks so much for joining us today Chelsea, it's been great having you!

Kitty

xo

Interview with Amy Grace

Hello! My name is Amy and I blog all about everything! My little obsession is makeup so thats what Amy Grace is centred around but you'll get the occasional lifestyle or DIY post. My favourite thing about blogging is being able to share my thoughts and ideas with people that are all around the world. Kinda crazy really!!

If you knew me in real life, you would know that I'm a little bit crazy. I know thats what most people say but seriously sometimes I can be a total nutter!

People are always telling me that I have 'one of those faces' that always look similar to someone you know. I've been called Sarah, Monique, Claire and apparently have a doppelgänger in New Zealand. I find it quite hilarious when people start speaking to you as if you've known them for years or when someone once thanked me for dropping their son home, that was a little bit awkward!!!

When I'm not working, I love to spend time with my family. You only get one set of them {and as annoying as they can be} you should cherish every second that you get with them!

In 2014, I will be making the big move up the Sydney, thats 1,580 kilometres away from everything that I'm used to and feel comfortable with but if you never go out of your comfort zone you'll live a pretty boring life right?!?

I hope that this year I'll laugh more, stress less and smile at people more often. I know that when things go wrong its not the end of the world and everything will always work out eventually!

If I could give one piece of advice it would be to never ever get a credit card, those things are evil! Or if we're going serious always listen to what your parents or the older people in your life tell you. Most of the time they've been through the same things you may be and they might just be able to give you that little bit of advice that your friends won't know to tell you. 

If you'd like to read some of Amy's makeup reviews, lifestyle posts and DIY projects, you should head over to her blog (right now!) and say hi. You can also find her on Instagram and Bloglovin'.

Kitty

xo

   

Red Parka Book Tour! A Compendium of Collective Nouns

I am so excited to share this post with you today! My pal Jennifer Skelly of Red Parka Diaries has just released her first book! You may remember me posting about her fundraising campaign, and I'm pleased to say it was a success and the book launched this past weekend.

I received a copy of the book so that I could interview Jen, and it's just gorgeous! It's called "A Compendium of Collective Nouns" and contains Jennifer's beautiful illustrations of many different animals. Each page has a different group of animals, with the collective noun that is commonly used to describe each group. It's fun, educational, colourful and cute. The book itself is hard bound and really well made. I think my favourite is "A Smack of Jellyfish", though it's tough to choose just one! I spoke to Jennifer about her book, her illustration career and more:

Can you give us a brief introduction to yourself and your book?

I'm a illustrator from Tasmania, Australia, and I've been running my own business, Red Parka Designs, for about 5 years now. I've been drawing collective nouns for a while, starting with one of my favourites - A Parliament Of Owls - and about a year ago, decided it would be really fun to write a book! It's mostly illustrated but I did write a brief history of collective nouns for it which I think is really interesting - for example, did you know the first published collection of collective nouns was written by a nun in 1486!

What is your favourite part of your job?

That I get to do what I love for a living - drawing! I'm an introvert by nature so the solo life of an entrepreneur/artist suits me, although I do really enjoy selling my work at markets and event where I get to talk to people and share my ideas!

You haven't always worked as an illustrator, what prompted you to 'make the escape'?

I'd worked many jobs in my time while art was always a hobby. I really never thought I was good enough to make a living from art, therefore didn't take it that seriously! The big 'escape' for me came when the company I was working for downsized due to the GFC in 2007 - I was unhappy in my job so put my hand up to go first with the intention of trying to make it as a freelance editor/copywriter. While I built my editing business I supplemented my very small income by going to markets and selling my handbound books and one day, decided to put a few greeting cards with my drawings out on the table. To my huge surprise they were a hit! And so I did some more, then ventured into prints, and one day I realised I had accidentally found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! These days I earn a small but sufficient full time living from my art, something I had only dreamed about a few years ago.

What drives you to illustrate?

I do it simply because I enjoy it and the fact that I never want to have to go back to a real job keeps me motivated! As far as inspiration goes, it's almost endless - I love bright colours and obviously I love animals, but I also get inspired by architecture, jewellery design, good films and music...... life in it's entirety is pretty inspiring! 

I'm a lover of collective nouns myself, I find them so interesting! How did you decide which animals to include in your book. And can we expect a sequel?

I made a huge list and then picked out which one took my fancy each day! I did try to make sure the book had lots of variety ie. Australian animals, African animals, birds, sea creatures etc. A few good ones missed out due to this (a dazzle of zebras and a loomery of puffins were probably the hardest to leave out) but I think a volume 2 is on the cards so they'll be in that one for sure!  

Do you know the collective noun for just about every animal now? I'd like to know the collective nouns for a) Squid b) Centipedes c) Unicorns.

Ok, I know it's a blessing of unicorns, which I think is lovely..... I don't know about the others - better do some more research!! 

What's your personal motto?

Never give up on your dreams.  

Where can people get their hands on this amazing compendium?

The book is listed in my Etsy Store.

Thanks so much for stopping by Kitty & Buck on your book tour, Jennifer!

If you'd like a copy of A Compendium of Collective Nouns, head over to the Red Parka Etsy store now! It would make such an awesome gift for a curious animal lover of any age. Excuse me while I go and research the collective noun for centipedes...

Kitty
xo

   

Getting To Know: In Whirl of Inspiration

I'm so pleased to introduce you to Deborah today, the fine lady behind In Whirl of Inspiration. I first 'met' Deborah right back when I started this blog, and we've been online pals ever since.

Here's a few important key facts about Deborah, to give you some background:

1. She is studying biology at university and is one clever-clogs
2. She lives in Greece and shares some of the best nature adventures around
3. She is not afraid of speaking her mind
4. She has awesome hair

In Whirl of Inspiration is one of the least formulaic blogs I have read, and it's really refreshing. There's always something interesting to check out, whether it be a review of the Howl's Moving Castle book, finding wildberries on a mountain hike, summer holidays, DIYs (including one for a moss ball garland!) and recipes. Or how about a Post-Summer Blues Mixtape to soothe your cool-weather woes?

On top of her full-time study and blogging, Deborah also runs a project called "Follow Your Heart". Anyone can join in, all you need to do is submit pictures of hearts that you find in your everyday travels. They're all around, and this website is a great collection of heart images, from all over the world. (There's a Pinterest group too!)

If you're not already following Debbie's blog, you can find her in all the usual places:

blog // bloglovin' // facebook // goodreads // pinterest // follow your heart project

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about her today and I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any questions you have (like which Greek Island should I relax on next summer?) in the comments.

If you'd like to help Deborah celebrate reaching 900 subscribers, she is currently running a giveaway over at In Whirl of Inspiration, where you can win $30 to spend on books at Amazon! I don't know about you, but I can never have too many books in my life. You should definitely enter, right here.

Kitty
xo
*all images in this post come from In Whirl of Inspiration