CandyStick Lane Feature - win a free item

Enter to win one item under $50 of YOUR choice from either of Renee's shops

Renee Eggleston is the owner of not one but two etsy shops, Candy Stick Lane andThe Jump Of! She is a very talented lady and makes me want a little girl to put her adorable creation in. Her photographs of her objects are amazing. She has the most adorable little models to show off her creations. The 3 words she uses to describe her shops are eclectic, simple, and sweet. I think those words hit the nail on the head. Her email is candysticklane@gmail.com if you would like to contact her. She also runs a blog, a facebook page, and a twitter account. She also wanted me to say, "If there are any knitters or crochetters that are on Raverly.com - you can find me under candysticklane."

Renee has been sewing since before she started Kindergarten. Renee started sewing dresses 17 years ago when her daughter was born. Eventually her daughter outgrew handmade items and she still needed an outlet to make her dresses, so Renee went into business for herself. She has been doing craft shows for 15 years now and has been selling her items online for 10 years now.

When asked, "What inspires your creations?" Her response was, "Anything containing sugar - and little girls of course!" I can totally relate to her response. Sugar always gets my creative juices flowing as well.

Renee has 3 children Krystal (age 17), Sterling (age 11) and Roman (age 10). She said that for her daughter she made everything imaginable but not as much for the boys since "... they have a way of messing things up .... hee hee..." She has taught all of her children how to sew. She said they make for things for themselves; usually ninja masks and cuffs are made by the boys.

I asked Renee what her typical workday for her business looked like. She responded,

"Unfortunately my work doesn't start until I get home from my day job at 6 and then get dinner and homework with the kids. I usually answer emails, tweet and facebook on my laptop while I'm cooking dinner and helping the kiddos with homework then once they've had baths and are settled I begin. If I have orders then I fill them- I can usually make 2 - 3 pieces before midnight - but if I don't have any orders then I'll work on new designs and list [them]."

Renee works in a makeshift hobby area, like I do myself. Hey, you don't have to have a huge studio in order to make gorgeous items and Renee proves that. Her dining room serves as her craft space. She has a cutting table in there and 12 shelves worth of fabric. Can I say fabric addiction ;) She also has a cubby holder for little things and of course her sewing machine and serger. I love to see how creative people can be with their sewing and crafting areas. I know having a small space can make you get very creative storing your items.

Renee loves to listen to her ipod full of 80s tunes and the Beatles while getting into the creative mood. She says that "... 80s tunes and the Beatles are the best sewing music - hands down." She says that she is very impulsive when it comes to creating. When she gets an idea she has to play with it on paper and jump up and try it out. When an idea comes she has to work on it right then even if it is first thing in the morning and makes her late for work.

Her favorite item in her shop right now is the "Vintage scenes peppermint dress".

Isn't is adorable?

Her biggest sellers are her rompers and jumpers such as these.

When asked what her most memorable sale was she responded:

"A boutique in NJ ordered 45 dresses and she needed them for summer opening and I actually completed them all in 2 days." This is where my jaw dropped :) I have no clue how she did that. She continued to say, "I felt really accomplished and exhausted but it was a great expereience and it didn't hurt that she LOVED the dresses.

Renee did have some advice for anyone looking to sell their creations. She says, "Just do it!Etsy has made it incredibly easy to give it a go for a near nothing investment. There are no excuses. JUST DO IT!

She wanted to close this interview with the following statement "I'm thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful community of sellers and buyers. I enjoy sewing and networking with all of the wonderful people I've met. ---- I love to chat so anyone can convo me at anytime ----

DEADLINE: April 9, 2010

TO ENTER: Required: Visit either Candy Stick Lane or The Jump Off; Post a comment here and tell me what your favorite item is and why! (*IMPORTANT note: e-mail address must be included if it is not in your profile!)

Optional Bonus Entries (Please do each in a separate comment:

1.) Follow the CuteAsAButtonHandmades4Baby blog and leave an additional comment to let me know! (Current followers, too!)

2.) Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter with a link to CuteAsAButtonHandmades4Baby blog. Leave an additional comment with a link to your tweet! (Just one- no daily tweeting, please).

3.) Blog about this giveaway with a link back here. Leave an additional comment with a link!

4.) Follow Candy Stick Lane on Twitter, here.

5.) Make a purchase fromCandy Stick Lane or The Jump Off. Come back and leave THREE extra comments!

6.) Leave a facebook comment about this giveaway. Leave a comment here with the link.

7.) Become a fan of Candy Stick Lane here. Leave a comment here with your facebook link..

Winner will be chosen using a random number generator at www.random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email stating they are the winner or a new winner will be chosen.