Giveaway: Ashley from "One in the Hand"

Oh boy oh boy, do I have a goodie for you... that's right a giveaway! Today, I'd like to introduce you to Ashley, from " One In The Hand "... Not only is she the mastermind behind her blog (you ought to check out her "Dance Party Fridays"), but she also has an etsy shop, full of delicious handmade items. Of course, I the lover of all things coffee, was so excited to see that she creates sewn "lovelies" just for my coffee cup... that's right, she sews up some amazing coffee cozies with bright and fun colored fabric.... seriously, this one, is my favorite. And something I find truly wonderful, is that she donates 10% of the profits of each sale to the Emergency Fund: which provides immediate financial assistance to help low income Chicago area individuals and families through a crisis or transition. Here's some more inside scoop on Ashley...

Tell us a little bit about yourself, by using 5 words to describe who you are:
Vibrant
Musical
Outspoken
Silly
Sensitive

What's your favorite color combination?
Red and aqua! Hands down.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live?
Ooh. Someplace with all four seasonsand easy access to good music, good libraries, good outdoor life and cheap flights. I'd want a mix of conservatives and liberals and a lot of different races, ethnicities and income levels. Does this place exist? Where I live in Chicago has all of those things, though I'd make our winters shorter and less harsh!

What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?
Oh Lawd. I can't think of a specific moment that was so much worse than others, but I occasionally totally bite it while walking somewhere, that's always embarrassing.


Okay now some "shop" questions:

Just like the chicken or the egg... which came first, blogging or crafting?

Blogging. No, wait, crafting. I've been blogging (though on a more private platform) since 2003. I've had my Blogger blog for a couple years. I've crafted since I was a kid, though at the time I was just playing around - making tissue-paper flowers for my headbands, friendship bracelets, beaded jewelry. But it wasn't until late 2010 that I began using my Blogger blog to focus on my Etsy shop, and it was around that time that I became acquainted with all the crafty ladies on Twitter.

How did your beautiful creations come about?
I learned to knit in 2008 and began making little things for friends and co-workers, including a cup cozy. They said (as I'm sure we've all heard once or twice), "You should sell those!" Which of course I said was nonsense. One of my oldest friends had a really successful jewelry shop on Etsy, though, and I thought, maybe I could do it! So I started working out how I would want to make my cup cozies. As I visited craft stores for yarn, I became infatuated with fabric, and wished I knew how to sew. So I bought a cheap machine and taught myself, thanks to the manual and YouTube. I've gotten better at sewing and knitting since then but essentially, the items in my shop are the same today as what I started with. I'm really excited to be introducing some new versions of my standard items, and some new items altogether, in the coming months! Plus a sewn cup cozy pattern!

Which of your creations is your absolute favorite?
It's really hard to pick a favorite - one thing I love about these small items is that they allow me to buy small pieces of a lot of different fabrics. I get to satisfy wanting EVERYTHING IN THE STORE. I'll say that I am currently in love like whoa with my Summer Damask cozy.

Any words of advice for those that are wanting to start selling handmade?
Be as prepared as you can be, but at some point you just have to jump in. You will likely change things along the way and that's ok. Use resources like your local craft community, Twitter, blogs, etc. to connect with other handmade sellers. They're great for offering feedback, partnering with and listening to you vent when you just don't know if you can sew on ONE MORE BUTTON . . . or maybe that's just me. ;)

Thanks SO much Ashley for introducing yourself/shop to us. Want to know something uh-mazin'... Ashley has so generously donated $30.00 shop credit (with free shipping) to one of you-my lucky readers!

Here's how to enter the giveaway:

- Follow this blog via GFC (on the right hand side there), and leave a comment saying that you do...

- Follow Ashley's blog, and leave a comment here saying that you do...

- Go and "like" Ashley's facebook page and come back here and leave another comment...

- Visit Ashley's shop, come back here and let me know which coffee cozy is your favorite in another comment...

So, that gives you 4 different ways that you can enter this giveaway! You have until next Monday, August 1, to get your entries in! Good Luck!

Oh, and for those of you that can't wait... Ashley has a coupon code for all of you... it's your lucky day! For 20% off use: TwentyOffLikeWhoa

Also, I guest posted over at Caroline's blog today, go check it out here, for a fun and easy DIY! oh, and you can leave a little love... that won't hurt you!