Meet Nicole & Janee; 2 lovely sponsors, plus a Giveaway!

My name is Janee Lookerse.


 I'm an LA based artist who loves to make just about anything. I have my BFA in Art with an emphasis in Dark Room Photography. Recently, I've been focusing more on my blog and craft business making decorative garlands, kids toys and much more. 


Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard is an accumulation of all the thoughts, ideas, inspiration and projects that find their way through the tangled mess in my brain :)

Find Janee

Blog : Shop 

hi, i'm nicole.

let's see.. i'm a new shop owner and blogger at night and sit behind my desk (heels off, slippers on!) during the day, helping children with autism. i love making others laugh (class clown runner up in high school), being a lover of all things handmade, and treating my dog little a newborn child. i'm addicted to diet mountain dews, lower case letters, fleece blankets, and getting my car washed every few days.

 my shop features original, hand rolled blossoms on necklaces, headbands, and other accessories. 

Nicole is giving away this super pretty Gray Pearl Blossom Necklace!
Want to win? Here's how:

• Head on over to The Lovely Poppy & come back and tell me your favorite thing!

Want extra entries?

• Follow Nicole's Blog
• Like The Lovely Poppy on Facebook & tell her I sent ya!
• 
  

GOOD LUCK! Winner will be announced next week! 

Sponsor Spotlight with Ashley of Laynie & Belle

As you know, I love spotlighting my amazing sponsors! And today we get me meet Ashley, the very talented jewelry & hair accessories designer behind Laynie & Belle! 

In 3 words I am: Stylish, creative, and honest :)

I can’t live without: Coffee.

My favorite Blogs are: I am not a 'blogger' Is that bad?! I am huge Pioneer Woman fan! Everyone needs some Ree Drummond in their lives.

This is how I like to Relax: I like to relax late at night, Pinteresting. I will drink an herbal tea or wine, depending on my glorious day!

My favorite Tv Shows/movies: I love all the Housewives.....and would totally opt to be apart of one if it involved my city! Bridesmaids is the best girlfriend movie anytime, anywhere!

My favorite materials to work with are: I love working with silks. They fit perfectly with L&B's vintage inspired style. Silk is incorporated into almost every piece!

My Hometown: I grew up close to Auburn, IN. Your typical small town, with the small town feel <3

My favorite room in my house is: I love my living room! Because: It has tons of built in character that meshes perfectly with my vintage style! I am blessed to have a good friend that is an interior designer, and aided me in all of the findings that complete it. Oh, and it's main color is mustard. ;)

My favorite vacation was in: Mexico! All inclusive, adults only resort with 5 other couples. Bliss!

My guilty pleasure is: Lately...getting shellacked! You know, the new varnish type nail polish that does not chip off or ruin your natural nail! My hands are ugly hair stylist hands, especially in the winter! They look oh so pretty shellacked though. Even my husband noticed, which completely validates the every 2 week splurge!

I feel naked without: Sad to admit, my cell phone.

 I fear: Tornadoes....I make my husband come home from work early, and I will cancel everything in the event of a storm capable of producing tornadoes. My friends have banned me from the weather channel.

This is what makes me smile: My girlies Alayna and Annabelle. They need their own youtube channel, because they are something else.

You may not know this about me: I am a full-time hair stylist/color specialist at a salon. I have the best clientele ever!

My Worst Habit: Organization.

I want to learn to: I would love to learn graphic design!

My advice to other Etsy Sellers: Quality pictures of your product is key. I've learned that over time.

Trade your product with a trusted photographer, or invest in a good camera for yourself :)

My typical day is: Up at 7 to get my girls ready for the day. Drop off my oldest at school, youngest at the sitter. Work at the salon. Pick up girls. Dinner. Homework. Baths. Bedtime for girls. Work on L&B. Bed at midnight or after :/ Saturdays and Sundays are my days off!

 I stay inspired by: I do go to pinterest for inspiration. I might get inspiration from a picture of flowers or a color scheme of some type. A lot of times pieces are needed for a specific purpose (customs), and I just got with it.

3 tools in my studio I can't live without: Hot glue gun, shears, iron

Find Ashley:

        {L&B Shop} {FB fanpage} {Blog}

Be sure to stop over at one of her links and tell Ashley Hi!! 

STAY TUNED for some of my favorite Laynie & Belle Products....there may even be a giveaway! :)
 

Small Business Saturday!

Today is Small Business Saturday!  

I absolutely love supporting other small businesses...not just today, but whenever I can! I feature other handmade shops every week with my Monday Mash Up posts, I purchase my supplies and tools from other small businesses, and this year I bought all my Christmas wrapping and supplies from Etsy shops!

I bought this dress from a cute Vintage Shop, Mirror Vintage, doing my part in supporting small business today! I can't wait to wear it for the Holidays!

I am also joining in on Casey's Followers Fest where everyone is linking up their handmade shops...there will be tons of indie shopping ideas!! 

My shop is full of all kinds of hand stamped goodness! 

My newest item in the shop is becoming my favorite...

The Blessed Mommy Necklace:

Today I am offering 15% off with code MERRY! 

Do you support handmade/small businesses? 
What is your favorite small business purchase?

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

I am having a BLACK FRIDAY Sale!! Take 25% off ANYTHING in the shop with code BLACKFRIDAY now through 11:59 pm EST Friday 11/25/11! 


PLUS, the FIRST 5 people to use the discount code will get a FREE GIFT with their order!

Some of my other handmade friends :) are having big sales too!!! Let's Support Handmade this Holiday Season!

Via Heather of Just Lovely Things 

My friend Heather of Just Lovely Things (one of my FAVORITE shops) has an AMAZING Black Friday Sale Guide on her Blog! Be sure to go check it out for great savings on amazing handmade products!

Happy Shopping!

Sponsor Spotlight & Giveaway with When Shutters Click

Today I am excited to introduce you to my sponsor Natalie, from When Shutters Click!  Sit back and enjoy getting to know more about Natalie:

Natalie is a fun-loving, crafting girl who fell in love with photography at the age of 15. After taking workshops and self-teaching, she opened a successful photography business at the age of 20 and ran it for three years under When Shutters Click Photography.

In July 2011, Natalie decided it was time to shift her focus to health, family and friends and put her portrait photography business behind her. After some thought and a few months off Natalie decided to mix her two loves, photography and crafting, to create beautiful pieces that would feature both new and old photographs. While still being able to focus on the important things, this shop allows her to photograph at a slower pace and continue sharing her work with others.


My Friend wrote me this poem, which is the reason I named my business' When Shutters Click:

batty sweet must capture the past

in colours and shapes so memories last

cue hearts to speak WHEN SHUTTERS CLICK

her love pressed to memories will stick

precious finger traps light in the case

so we don't forget her pretty face

In 3 words I am: creative, honest & wacky.

I can't live without: my iPhone, my camera, food, water..you know, the usual ;)

My favorite Blogs are: It?s so hard to choose because I read so many for different reasons but I definitely am a big fan of your blog. <3

This is how I like to Relax: PJs, couch, blanket/pillow, snacks and a movie!

My favorite Tv Shows/movies: TV - Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, Say Yes to the Dress, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, The IT Crowd, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Two Guys A Girl & a Pizza Place?. Movies ? Princess Bride, The Boondock Saints, Seven, Despicable Me, Office Space, Super Troopers, Scent of a Women..
(There?s more than I can remember right now. I?m sure I?ve missed a couple classics!)

My favorite materials to work with are: Probably paper, glue and glass!

My Hometown: Victoria, BC, Canada

My favorite room in my house is: The bedroom because I have a comfy bed and a TV in there! I can shut the door when I need some "me" time..especially when my apartment and my craft corner are messy. ;)

My favorite vacation was in: I haven?t had a chance to travel much at all in my life which will hopefully change at some point! My favourite trip so far probably has to be a road trip I took in 2007 with some friends to Smithers, BC to pick up another friend and then back home. We hit a lot of small towns, I saw more of British Columbia than I have ever seen before and we just had a lot of fun.

My guilty pleasure is: Pinterest. I have the iPhone app so I can pin from anywhere, it?s a problem guys.

I feel naked without: My bag. I always carry it with me. It has my iPhone, my diabetic kits (so very important to have with me 24/7), a snack and my headphones, etc. I can't leave the house without it, I feel so naked and helpless without the contents.

I fear: Failure. I think most small business owners feel this way in the beginning and throughout the life of the business but you just have to take a deep breathe when you start to worry and carry on. =)

This is what makes me smile: Spending time with the people I love.

You may not know this about me: I?m actually a pretty shy person unless I feel comfortable around a person and my surroundings. It makes it a little hard when I have to go to networking events without having at least one or two people there that I know pretty well.

My Worst Habit: Taking things to heart. I?m pretty self-critical so when someone gives me really harsh criticism, I usually take it to heart even though I know it?s meant to help me grow.

I want to learn to: Garden! I have tried in the past on my balcony but I don?t have a very green thumb =( I would love to grow some of my own vegetables one day when I have a backyard.

My favorite item I bought from another shop is: The coffee spoons I purchased from Jessica for my boyfriend's Christmas gift! I haven?t gotten them but I know they are going to be wonderful and I know my boyfriend is going to LOVE what is stamped on them!

My advice to other Etsy Sellers: When you start to feel discouraged or worried, take a deep breath. Believe in your product and believe in yourself. Everything will be okay, I promise. =)

My typical day is: Pretty busy! Everything from my full-time job, the gym/other rehab for my back injury, appointments/errands, cooking, working on my shop and taking some ?me? time!

I stay inspired by: reading blogs, looking at magazines, surfing pinterest, going to walks with my camera and chatting with my other creative friends.

3 tools in my studio I can't live without: My camera, my ideas, and my scissors.

Find Natalie:

Blog : Shop : Facebook

WIN A $20 SHOP CREDIT TO WHEN SHUTTERS CLICK

Want to win? Here is how you can enter:

Visit When Shutters Click, come back & tell me your favorite item!

Want extra entries?

• Like When Shutters Click on Facebook (tell her I sent you)
• Follow Natalie on Twitter.
• Follow Natalie's Blog (leave a comment & tell her I sent you)
• Vote for my Blog for The Blog Guidebook's 2011 Top Blog

GOOD LUCK! Winner will be announced next week.

Sponsor Spotlight & Giveaway with Little Blue Feather

I am so excited about this month's Sponsor Spotlights! I just love introducing the lovely, talented ladies that hang out over on my sidebar!  

Today we get to meet Michelle of Little Blue Feather! 

In 3 words I am: creative, silly, forgetful

I can’t live without: my husband, leggings and music

My favorite Blogs are: Casey Leigh and A Beautiful Mess

This is how I like to Relax: I love working on art projects. Whether it is carving in clay, painting, sewing or drawing in Photoshop, I always seem to get completely lost in my art work; especially when it's night time and music is playing!

My Hometown:  Miamisburg, Ohio {In southwest Ohio}

My guilty pleasure is:  Specialty espresso drinks and skincare/beauty products!  

I fear: Sharks and snakes.

This is what makes me smile: My two boston terriers, also known as Shark Pups on my blog!

You may not know this about me: I taught myself to sew last year when my husband bought my first sewing machine for my birthday.  Learning to sew inspired Little Blue Feather and has been a favorite hobby of mine over the past year!

My Worst Habit: Rolling tiny little pieces of paper between my thumb and middle finger.  I have been doing this since grade school!  I heard that it's a calming action involving your pressure points in your fingers.  It's very unusual, I know!

I want to learn to: Play an instrument.  The instrument that appeals to me the most is a mandolin!

My advice to other Etsy Sellers:  It takes a lot of time to develop your store and products.  Don't feel frustrated if things do not happen overnight or as quickly as you hoped.  It is easy to compare yourself in the beginning to other shops but remember, they also had to start somewhere!  Sometimes the best thing for a shop or a blog is time.  Time to develop your skills, photography, style, writing and ideas.  When you allow yourself to learn as you go, you can look back and feel really proud at how far you have come! Things I have personally learned are to network often, invest in a good camera or photographer to help you photograph your products, and spend a good amount of time outside your workspace to keep you inspired and from feeling overwhelmed.  

  
I stay inspired by:  Working on art projects, spending time outside and getting together with other creative friends.

Find Michelle:

Blog : Shop : Facebook

Some of what you will find at Little Blue Feather

Michelle is giving one jessicaNdesigns Reader a $30 Credit to her shop!

Want to win? Here is how you can enter:

Visit A Little Blue Feather, come back & tell me your favorite item!

Want extra entries?

• Follow Michelle's Blog (leave a comment telling her I sent you)
• Like A Little Blue Feather on Facebook (tell her I sent you)
• Vote for my Blog for The Blog Guidebook's 2011 Top Blog

GOOD LUCK! Winner will be announced next week.

Voting Update & a Winner!

I announced the other day that I MADE IT TO ROUND 2 of voting for The Blog Guidebook's 2011 Top Blog!  But they had some problems with the voting so they had to START OVER :(  

So I ask that if you enjoy my blog and would like to... will you vote for me? You can do so here. Only the top 5 blogs with the most votes will go on to the finals!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

Also, the winner of the Created by Emma Giveaway is:

Congrats Jamie!! Email me & I will forward your info on to Emma!

Monday Mash Up: Christmas Wrapping

I decided I am NOT buying my Christmas wrapping paper & supplies from Walmart this year, instead I got lots of goodies off of Etsy to decorate gifts this year! And I am so excited about it! 


So far I bought this, this, this, this & these. I plan on using kraft paper to wrap the presents & the tape, doily's, buttons to decorate them. I also plan on using rubber stamps and my colored twine. 

Find today's Mash Up of Wrapping supplies here:

Tags : Tree Tags : Ribbon

Envelopes : Tape : Painted wrapping paper

Bubble tags : Doily's : Ribbon

How do you like decorating presents?

I made it to Round 2!!

I am so excited that you all helped me get to Round 2 of Voting on The Blog Guidebook's Top Blog 2011! 

If you wouldn't mind, I would LOVE for you to vote for me again

 (voting started over for round 2) 

Voting is open until 11/23 & ONLY the Top 5 Blogs with the most votes go to the final round! 

So, if you enjoy my blog, I would LOVE for you to vote!
Thank you so much for all your support!

I'm sure you have noticed...

I am sure you have noticed my NEW LOOK...but I wanted to point it out & have been too busy to do it until now!  The insanely talented Dana of Wonder Forest made my blog look so so pretty & EXACTLY how I wanted it!

I told her I wanted to use my just lovely things Headband (the pink & gray one I am pictured wearing) as inspiration. I wanted pink & gray & I wanted it soft and vintage feeling...and she NAILED it! I also told her I loved washi tape and vintage floral and she gave me the super cute floral tape accents!! I just love it! The colors are spot on, the feeling is what I wanted, I love the tape and the lace...it's perfect!

I LOVE my new blog design! I love coming here, it just feels like me! THANK YOU DANA!

She also gave my Etsy Shop a makeover!

I also HAD to share this AWESOME Christmas Gift List Printable Dana created & is sharing FREE on her blog! I LOVE printables (see Friday Freebie) and I love this Gift list! I always have about 10 scraps of paper with gift ideas on them & when I go shopping I am digging in my bag trying to find them all....so this will be super helpful! THANKS DANA! Go print yours here & tell Dana I sent you!

And you might as well follow Dana's blog while you are there, because it's one of my favorites & she is going to be sharing more gifts soon!! :)

Friday Freebie: Super Cute Holiday Gift Tags!

My Girl Leonora over at Yellow Heart Art made these ADORABLE & FREE Holiday Gift Tags...and we all know how I can't resist a good gift tag! 


Head over to Leonora's Blog to download & print! 


Happy Friday! I am digging my way out from under orders this weekend!

2011 Top Blog: Please vote for me!

As I said the other day, I was Nominated for the blog Guidebook's 2011 Top Blog!!! I am SO excited!  Today is the first day you can vote & it's the elimination round! Here are the instructions from The Blog Guidebook:


 "Only the blogs with the MOST votes will go on to the next round. This poll is the main elimination round...the cream of the crop will rise to the top. Round Two will begin on Saturday, November 19th at 12 a.m."

SO PLEASE Go vote for me!!! Click this link, scroll down until you see "Jessica N Designs" and vote! 

Thank you so much! Such an honor to be nominated!

P.S.. There will be a big prize pack for the winner...and if that is me, you better believe I will share! ;) 

If you vote for me, comment on this post...if I win, I will do a giveaway for those who voted! YAY 

NOW GO VOTE......for me ;)