An Etsy Giveaway with Knuckletoes!
Thursday, October 11, 2012 My friend Katie is a long-time crafter and Knuckletoes Etsy shop owner, and she wants to give you free stuff! Or, to be more specific, she wants to give one of you a free item of your choice from her shop. I'm a personal fan of her kitschy notebooks.
But first, meet the crafter herself. She's pretty keen.
This is going to be that boring question that asks you to tell me about yourself, so tell me about yourself! Why "knuckletoes"? From whence do you hail? Did you know that otters, while cute, become vicious when they hit adolescence?
I am Katie! Although there are many things one could say about me, here are some random facts: I sell shoes, and I can't imagine ever not doing so. I really enjoy cooking, even if I rarely venture out of my shell and try recipes that sound fancy or difficult. At 22 years old, I moved from the Canadian prairies to the West Coast. Knuckle Toes is a handle that has been with me so long (since I was 11) that I don't really remember its original meaning. I sometimes need to explain to people that it actually has nothing to do with my feet.
I think otters, like angsty teenagers, put on a facade. They may be vicious, but did you know that they sleep holding hands? They do it so that they don't drift apart from each other in the water.
Why do you craft? What's up with all the making?
I craft because it's something to do with my hands, and I like to create unique, eye-catching pieces. Recycled materials have always been part of my crafting, because they create a one-of-a-kind item and allow me to sell for reasonable prices. I have always refused to sell an item for what I wouldn't pay myself, and I haven't always had a tonne of money to throw around on cool jewellery or fridge magnets.
If you could, would you do this crafting thing full time? Or would the glue fumes be too much for you?
I sometimes daydream about crafting full time. I often feel like I am a crafting juggernaut, because once I start making a series of items it's almost impossible to stop me. Eating? Sleeping? Who needs these things? I have a brainchild to birth! I think in the end, though, a nice combination of working part time and selling part time (online and at local craft markets) would be the system for me!
Do you like doing craft fairs and festivals? Tell me about the dirty hippies. What's a favourite memory from your craft tent?
I do like doing craft fairs, and festivals! Sometimes it takes some moving around to find your niche, some festivals are geared more towards entertainment and the craft market section seems like an afterthought. Many of the music festivals I have vended at have large arts markets and when people attend, they are prepared to shop. "Dirty hippies" are great, and there are many of them on the West Coast. I find people with a unique sense of style, and an eco-conscious attitude are the perfect customer base for my products. Many people here also have a stronger passion to support local businesses and crafters, so they create a lot of opportunity for independent artists.
Favourite memories from a craft tent? One of them would definitely include being recognized by people who had bought products from me at the same event the previous year. I haven't always had a strong profile or branding, as my product is always changing. It was nice to be recognized, not by logos but by the product itself. Craft fairs in general are just a great way to visit with a various rotation of the many friends and family who came to help support us by bringing us food, drinks, and entertainment.
What's your favourite item in your shop right now?
My favourite item in my shop is a tough one. There are so many things that I want to hoard and keep for myself, but how many Wonder Woman necklaces does a girl need? Currently, I am feeling much love for the Where's Waldo? magnet sets. You get all of the good things; a functional magnet set, a game (I have included Waldo somewhere in each of the sets) and a bunch of silly things to look at. The magnets and the necklaces were all fun for me to make, because there is so much stuff going on in the Where's Waldo? books that I had a hard time picking and choosing which images I wanted to use.
Now it's time for Katie to give one of you an item of your choice from her Knuckletoes Etsy shop!
If you would like ONE chance to get your hands on an item from Katie's shop, do one of the following. If you would like TWO chances to win, do both of the following:
- Leave a comment on this post. You can tell me what item you want or tell us about your day or give me a good mug cake recipe. I need a good mug cake recipe.
- Post the following tweet on Twitter, complete with hashtag:
I want to win a @knuckletoes creation with @schmutzie - http://tinyurl.com/knuckletoes #knuckletoes
I will pick one lucky person at random on Wednesday, October 17th at midnight using random.org, and then I will announce the winner both here and on Twitter.
So, have at it!
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And the winner is... Redneck Mommy!
Reader Comments (32)
Oh! I love the Monopoly charm bracelet. Pretty cool.
As you wish... a cake in a mug recipe.
http://gailvazoxlade.com/blog/archives/3747
Katie - you rock and got the crafty genes of the family! Love you!
Okay, I'm loving the Grower's Cider notebook in that Etsy shop.
And also, have you stopped doing 5-star Fridays? I miss it :(
Kootnygirl, Five Star Fridays are still happening! To keep up with them, you can subscribe to their feed here, or you can subscribe to the all-in-one feed which covers the whole site: http://www.schmutzie.com/subscribe/
I always do what Schmutzie says. She never steers me wrong!
Katie!! I love your face girl and I miss you so much, and you know how much I love those friggin Disney magnets.
Mug cake? What is this madness?!
I very much like the Archie pendant. :-)
I am in love with the Monopoly Jail Card pendant :)
I don't have a good mug cake recipe. I buy the No Pudge Fudge boxed mix at Whole Foods (so it's totally good for you!) You can mix it with yogurt or applesauce and it's ready in minute. Yum!
I don't know what mug cake is, but that pidgie scarf is adorable.
I love the rainbow scarf and I love the to kill a mockingbird notebook, love the shop! Sorry, no recipe for mug cake.
Oh! I tweeted too
https://mobile.twitter.com/WrightWin/status/256932177869156352
My eyeless dog needs one of Katie's pendants for her collar. Stat.
Have you tried a variation of this?
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/coffee-mug-cake/
Where's Waldo bottlecap magnets.
The Saskatoon Berry Sketch Book would make me a very happy girl! Are mug cakes anything like Brownies-In-A-Jar or Cookies-In-A-Jar? My grandmother made cakes in Mason Jars, how about that recipe? Off to ask my aunt now!
As for my day, it's October and perfect and I'm not in Texas anymore!
I love finding new artists on etsy. I am glad to have found your site. I absolutely love, love, love the Dolly Parton notebook. It is awesome.
Um, I kind of want it all. But I seriously covet the Pat Benatar notebook, because it is awesome. Also the "get out of jail" pendant. And pretty much everything else, really.
I love that owl pendant! I want it when I am in a tough meeting and I will threaten to sick my owl on my opponents.
HR will probably be called shortly after but it will be worth it.
I'm not having a great day. I'm sitting in my car hoping that solitude will make it better. So far, no luck.
Beckakaye, you're not alone in having a not great day. I'm going to dye my hair and then sit in the tub and wait for it to be time to eat chocolate ice cream.
I love that rainbow scarf!
Cute, funky shop! It's all great stuff with really reasonable prices.
I'm especially partial to some of the floral pendants :)
This is awesome I love the Joker pendant.
Gotta love those pin up notebooks! Great work Katie!
I would love to get one of the Spider-Man pendants for my 4-year-old daughter. She LOVES Spider-Man :)
I tweeted as well
Love the pin-up memo pads from Old Milwaukee ads and the Black and white wonder woman pendant. Great stuff keep up the good work!
Mug Cake:
Recipe: 3-4 tbsp of icing sugar, 2-3 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 egg, 1 tsp of coconut oil - whisk together in a mug and then zap for 1 minute. Grain free!
I think I need matching Wonder Woman necklaces for myself and the mini me!
Cheers!
Katie, you're so pretty.
Pat Benatar notebook is awesome!
I love the rainbow scarf!
stkc79 at gmail dot com