Our December Winner is Announced!

Congratulations to Taylor (TaylorMade) of Oklahoma. She was selected in a random drawing on December 31 and is the winner of the December giveaway from Toni Johnson of VernonAve. Congratulations Taylor! We hope you love the "Fun in Blue" wristlet!

Special thanks to Toni for sponsoring the December giveaway.

And Happy New Year to all our followers and Etsy team members! Hope that 2011 is great for you!

Our December Fun in Blue Giveaway!

We are excited to announce our Teambluegrass giveaway for this month! It's a very stylish wristlet/clutch created by Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave.

Fun In Blue. This wristlet/clutch has graphic whimsical flowers in aqua, grass green, cobalt and cornflower blue and a cotton lining in cornflower blue polka dots, This wristlet has hand embroidered edging in turquoise, and a large fabric covered button for emphasis. Soft but durable and large enough for all your goodies, small wallet, cosmetics, ipod and small enough to throw in a large tote or handbag.

Dimensions:
Width x Height: 9” x 5”
Strap: 6"
Exterior: 100% cotton
Interior: 100% cotton cornflower blue polka dots
Magnetic Snap
Metal grommet

Take Care:
Spot clean with a mild detergent.

Value $32

 
Here are the ways to enter!
1. Visit the Vernon Ave etsy shop and leave a comment here about any of the items in Toni's shop. Or tell us something you would like to see Toni create.

2. Follow the Bluegrass etsy team blog if you are not already a follower. Let us know you are following by commenting below. (one chance to win)

3. Subscribe to the Bluegrass etsy emails from this blog if you are not already a subscriber. Let us know you have subscribed in a comment below. (one chance to win)

4. Post about this contest on your own blog and leave us the link below for your blog. (one chance to win)

5. Tweet about this contest from your twitter account and leave us your twitter name. (one chance to win)

6. Make a purchase from Vernon Ave for 3 chances to win. List the transaction ID in three separate comments below.

This contest will end at midnight on Friday, December 31. Good luck to all!

Feature Friday: Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave

Today we feature the talented Toni Johnson of Vernon Avenue. If you love handbags (and what woman doesn't?) you need to check out her work. Toni was recently featured in the Autumn issue of Haute Handbags!

How did you first hear about etsy?

I found it on the internet about 3 years ago.

Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!

I have been making things and being creative for as long as I can remember. I love art classes as a child and grew into it naturally. My Mom gave me the freedom to be creative and paint murals on the wall, have a purple mohawk and "redesign" my clothes too. So, it has been ingrained into my everyday life. Maybe the purple mohawk was not the best idea but it was an outlet. I love to paint, draw, bake, sew and pretty much anything I can get my hands on.


How did you get started as a designer?

See above! ha! I started in high school making my own purses and changing my clothes to my liking. Then I moved on to design school.

What inspires you to create?

Travelling and seeing new places inspires me. Also, the history of handbags. I like to go back and look at the different cultures and learn about all different types of bags.

How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?

I have been a member about 9 months. I learned about them by reading stories about the street teams on The Storque.


Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

Make what you love and the rest will come. Try not to make things "just" for money.

Anything else you would like to add?

I think etsy is a wonderful thing and it has given so many artists and people a community to thrive on on it's own terms.

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To see more of Toni's colorful and unique handbags, visit her Vernon Ave etsy shop! They make great gifts!

And check out Toni's fun posts at her HandmadeMoonshine blog.

Share Our Success: Vernon Ave in Haute Handbags

A big round of applause goes out to our very own Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave who was featured in the Autumn 2009 issue of Haute Handbags!! The magazine just hit the newstands this week. Be sure to check out a copy and congratulate Toni on her success! Two of her lovely clutch purses are shown in the article.



To see more about it, check out the latest Haute Handbags issue published by Stampington.

To see more of Toni's purses, check out her Vernon Ave etsy shop.

Announcing our June Giveaway!

Congratulations to Renaissance Austin of California! She is our winner of the "I'm Like a Bird" clutch giveaway courtesy of Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave. If you have not seen Toni's original purses, check out her Vernon Ave etsy shop.

Our June giveaway was created by the lovely and talented Jama Watts. Her work has been featured in Fire Mountain catalogs and is just lovely! Take a look at her one of a kind jewelry at the These Precious Things etsy shop.


Ear Buds
These hand crafted earrings feature dangles of small lucite flowers in light pink, hot pink and baby blue with centers in various colors. Threaded on silver-plate headpins, each with a wrapped loop for extra security. Flowers dangle off sterling chain and hand-made sterling earwires. Full length of earrings is 1.75".
These earrings are valued at $20.



How Do I Enter?
In order to enter this drawing, please visit the These Precious Things store, then come back to this blog and post your comment. Tell us what you like about Jama's shop or tell us about your favorite item. If you post this giveaway on your blog, let us know that too, for an additional chance to win.

We'll draw a random winner on June 30.

Good luck to all!

Our May Team Giveaway!

Congratulations to our April contest winner - Maria R from Drop of Sunshine, picked via random number generator! Our April giveaway was a handstitched coffee cozy of your choice created by Sara Andrus the Savvy Stitcher. For more of Sara's creations, check out her etsy shop. Thank you Sara for participating in our giveaway promotion! And congrats to Drop of Sunshine!

We are excited to announce our giveaway for the month of May! This lovely clutch is hand crafted by Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave. I have seen Toni's work in person and she has great attention to quality and details.


I'm Like a Bird
Take me in flight or just to the market. This mini pouch, makeup bag or wallet is so filled with charm. Cotton inside and out with hand embroidered edging, and a handmade adornment with embroidery, ribbon, felted wool, shells, and beading for extra personality. The closure is a magnetic snap.

Dimensions are 8" l x 5" h.

This giveaway is valued at $25.00.


How Do I Enter?
In order to enter this drawing, please visit the Vernon Ave store, then come back to this blog and post your comment. Tell us what you like about Toni's shop or tell us your favorite item. If you post this giveaway on your blog, let us know that too, for an additional chance to win. Good luck to all!