Friday, May 10, 2013

Pay It Forward Friday - Marketing Mall

It's Friday!  You know what that means, right?  Pay it forward Friday!  I'm so excited to introduce you to Michael of MarketingMall.  He provides high quality pre-made templates for photographers along with custom marketing sets.  I came across his shop when working on the marketing set for my new photography business - Renee Walston Photography.  Not only are his templates layered and customizable, he provides very fast delivery and excellent customer service.  Let's take a minute to learn more about the man behind the shop.



Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello! My name is Michael, and I am the guy behind MarketingMall.  I live in Cologne, located in western Germany.  I always wanted to combine my two passions - photography and graphic design - so I came up with the idea to create affordable templates for photographers.  I also love to work on custom marketing sets.  I adore books and music, but Pinterest is also a great source of inspiration for me.

How long have you been in business?

I opened my Etsy store in March 2012, and it has been a great journey until now.



What is your favorite item in your shop?

Currently, I think it is the Chevron Marketing Set because I love chevron patterns or the Trifold Pricing Guide.  It is a great and easy to inform customers about current packages or offers.



What are some of your favorite materials to use?

I just need Adobe Photoshop to create my templates, but they would be hard to sell without the photos from some brilliant photographers.

Tell us about your workspace.

I don’t have a special work space, office or something like that.  I love to work on my laptop while sitting in a nice cafĂ© or park or just on my couch.  :)



Thank you so much for sharing a little about yourself with us!  Michael has gracious donated an AMAZING prize to one lucky Bumble Bee-Knees fan - a $100 gift certificate to his Etsy shop.  With his amazing prices it will go a LONG way!  In addition, use code "BUMBLE40" to save 40% off any item in his shop.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

No. 2 Willow Lane - Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway at No. 2 Willow Lane!  Don't forget, you can save 20% until 8 PM EST tonight on any item in their shop with code "BUMBLE20."

And the winner of the Matilda bonnet is...


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Please contact me at bumblebeeknees@gmail.com within 24 hours to claim your prize.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Pay It Forward Friday - No. 2 Willow Lane

Happy Friday!  I am SO excited to introduce you to Jen and Susie  - the creators behind No. 2 Willow Lane.  This team of sisters creates the most beautiful fabric bonnets with unique detailing.  You won't be disappointed!  Here's a little more information on this dynamic duo in their own words.




1.  Tell us a little about yourself.

We are Jen and Susie….two sisters living 2100 miles apart but creating goodies together! Jen is a mother to 5 beautiful kiddos, loves yoga, crafts of all kinds and is a gluten-free junkie who loves the gorgeous mountains of Utah.

Jen finds inspiration in the beauty of nature, her family, good friends, gorgeous fabric, and Jesus. Susie is a momma to 3 darling girls who love all things girly! She loves Insanity, Chuck, living sugar-free (most of the time) and the amazing sunshine of South Carolina.



2.  How long have you been in business?

After MUCH encouragement, Susie opened a photography studio (Vintage Willow Photography) in August of 2012 and immediately fell in love with newborns and babies.  Susie began creating her own bonnets a few months ago and suddenly found herself selling her goodies to other photographers.  Two weeks ago (haha! Yes, we JUST arrived) these sisters were chatting on the phone and decided to take a chance and just go for it. No. 2 Willow Lane was created and now you can find all of our goodies there!

3.  What is your favorite item in your shop?

Right now Jen’s favorite bonnet is her ‘Kate’ bonnet while Susie loves her latest bonnet, ‘Audrey.’  They love naming their bonnets, as you can see.  Susie began naming her bonnets after the little babies that she has photographed wearing them while Jen simply loves finding the right name for the perfect bonnet.



4.  What are some of your favorite materials to use?

While we both love creating and work well together, we each have their own unique style.  Jen loves pretty floral prints, gorgeous color, textures, and ruffled layers. Susie enjoys a neutral pallet working with linens, lace, vintage fabrics, and anything that frays.  Although, they both say that their ‘style’ can change daily, and usually find inspiration in any material that they are working with.



5.  Tell us a little about your workspace.

Jen’s workspace is her sewing/catch-all room, however, she finds this latest adventure is now
spilling into her master bedroom and thinks she is in need of some serious organization.  Susie
on the other hand, can’t buy enough containers and bins to separate and organize her fabrics
into their own neat space. However, when she sits down to create, her organized fabrics turn
into piles and piles of ideas waiting to be pieced together!





6.  Anything else you would like us to know?

We are both so excited to have started this new adventure together and hope to have much success.  While we know that the prop market is already exploding with amazing talent, we hope to make our own mark in this wonderful market and create goodies that are new and unique and perhaps even one of a kind!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your gorgeous shop with all of us!  Jen and Susie have graciously donated a Matilda bonnet ($40 value) to be given away to one very lucky Bumble Bee-Knees fan.  Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Giveaway runs until 12:01 AM EST tomorrow.



Also, please enjoy 20% off any item in their shop with code BUMBLE20 from now until Sunday, May 5 at 8 PM EST.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, March 29, 2013

Pay It Forward Friday - Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc.

It's time for another installment of "Pay It Forward Friday!" I'm so excited to share this vendor with you. My "Little Slugger" beanie has quickly become one of my top selling items, and I was so excited when one of my customers (Jenifer Lauren Photography) showed me the image below featuring my hat with one of the commemorative baseballs by Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc.



They provide kits that allow you to imprint baby's footprint on a baseball.  Perfect for newborn photos, but they also look great displayed in baby's nursery.  What an amazing gift for new parents!





Let's get to know Marshall and Erica - the team behind Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc. - a little more.

Tell us a little about yourself.  (Where do you live?  Children/Furry Babies?  What inspires you?  Fun fact about yourself?)

I am from Oceanside, NY. I have a 3 year old boy, Jack Nolan who is our inspiration for this product. When he was born we received a baby book to record his footprints. I couldn’t tell you when the last time I opened that book or even know its location.

My wife, Erica, and I wanted to create a unique and affordable baby keepsake that parents were proud to put on display. We know everyone loves their baby and most of the world enjoys baseball to some degree. We partnered with Rawlings Sporting Goods 3 years ago to custom stitch our baseballs. Our baseballs were first “meant” to be newborn or baby shower gifts. But over the past few years we are always busy around Father’s Day. We offer an option to purchase a customizable name plaque in the colors of the parent’s favorite baseball team. Parents typically put the name and date of birth, but around this time of year we are receiving many requests for the plaques to read “Happy 1st FATHER’S DAY”

A fun fact about our company is we have sent baseballs to the clubhouses of the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets




How long have you been in business?  How long have you been creating your items?

Ball One has been in business since the summer of 2010.

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

I love the Pinch Hitter Package. This is designed for parents who are waiting out the 9 months for the big surprise to find out if they are having a boy or girl. It is priced so parents do not have to purchase both a Pink Perfect Game and Blue Perfect Game.




What are some of your favorite materials to use? 

We only work with Rawlings baseballs. As a father, I would want the best and Rawlings is the manufacturer for Major League Baseball.

Tell us a little about your work space. 

Our work space was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Luckily my inventory was at another location. We are currently renting a local garage to fulfill all of our orders. Throughout the transition process of moving locations, I am proud to say that all baseball packages were still received by our customers between 2-4 days after purchasing. 






Marshall and Erica have graciously offered a giveaway and discount to all Bumble Bee-Knees fans!  Two lucky winners will receive their choice of either a pink, light blue, navy, or royal blue "Perfect Game Package."  Each package is valued at $30, and the winner will be responsible for shipping.  Also, enjoy 20% off in their shop with code "BUMBLE 20."  Not applicable for Navy Ball kits.  Coupon expires Monday, April 1 at 12:01 AM.

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Bell-Rae Crochet Giveaway Winner!



Thank you so much to everyone who showed their support of Bella-Rae Crochet yesterday!

Congratulations to Krista D. for winning!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, March 22, 2013

Pay It Forward Friday - Bella-Rae Crochet


I am so excited to bring back one of my favorite series from last year - "Pay It Forward Friday!"  My shop is about to celebrate it's second birthday next month, and I would not be where I am today without the kindness of other vendor and photographer friends.  This is my way of returning the love I've been shown.

When designing for my shop, I create my own patterns for almost all of my items.  I very rarely come across a pattern that inspires me enough to click the "add to cart" button.  Last year, I met Amy of Bella-Rae Crochet after seeing some of her designs on the Fulton Photography blog and immediately fell in love with her work.  She works extremely hard to create unique patterns that are both user friendly and intricate.  Her instructions are clearly written and all designs are tested on a baby before the pattern is offered for sale.  This  ensures perfect fit.



Let's get to know Amy a bit more in her own words:

My name is Amy, and I'm the girl behind Bella-Rae Crochet. I live in New Brunswick, located on the East Coast of Canada. I am a stay at home mom, and I love my family dearly. I have thee children, my sons are 13 and 11, and I have an 8 yr old little princess. They all have my fair skin and freckles! Recently I have been teaching my daughter how to knit. It's kind of funny considering I'm a crochet designer, but she chose to learn knitting first. We have two sweet Himalayan kittens, Willow is 1, and Griffin is 6 months. 


I have been crocheting for about 12 years, and it's just become such an important part of my life and who I am. My Etsy/Ravelry/FB shops opened in February 2012. It's been a blast of a first year!  My favourite shop items are definitely my mohair designs. I love using mohair and size 10 thread. There is something so delicate about working with fine fibers. My workspace is all over my house! My craft has taken over much of my home haha! My main working area is in my living room. I have a corner set up with my books, yarn totes, and all other necessities. I have a special seat that is permanently reserved as my work seat! I love having my iPod filled with my favourite songs with me while I work. I am a huge fan of music, and as far as I'm concerned, it makes everything better :) As for my inspirations? Mothers and their newborns. My goal is to create something a glowing new mom can treasure forever in her precious baby's photos. Having the opportunity to design a handmade item to be captured in that lifelong memory is what it's all about for me. I can't imagine having a more heartwarming career ♥





Amy has graciously offered a giveaway item for one lucky reader.  If you are a crafter - enter to win five patterns from her shop.  Have no idea what to do with a crochet hook?  You will be eligible for a mohair beanie of Amy's choice.  Perfect for your next newborn photo session!


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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Avonli Cottage - Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway sponsored by Avonli Cottage!

And the winners are:

Lace Bonnet - Tami Thompson!


Toile Headpiece - Shay Delbrugge Sanchez!






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