Waltzing through with Talent: Carley from VanillaPixie

I love Hair Clips and I cannot lie.

So the beauties from Carley from Vanillapixie are really hard to resist. Want to know why? Read on to find out more!





Who are you & what do you sell?

My name is Carley. I am a wife & stay-at-home mum to three (a job I thoroughly enjoy!).
For me, Vanilla Pixie was born out of necessity. I went looking for something specific & couldn’t find what I was after.

I wanted beautiful, stylish, well-made & hard-to-lose hair accessories for my girls. Inside information told me they just weren’t available. So, with nothing to lose, I made them myself.
Now, 16 months down the track, Vanilla Pixie is closing in on 400 Etsy sales, has stock in 3 different children’s boutiques across Sydney & continues to grow!!

What are your inspirations & muses?

I make anything that my daughters (2 years & 5 years) would love to wear. When creating, my 5-year-old will ask “is that for me or another little girl?” Often, I will do 2 or any given design – one for sale, & one for my girls.

Any good craft store can get the creative juices flowing too. I would just love to be let loose in a ribbon warehouse…



Set of Two ' Girly Punk Skulls' on Black Classic


What does your creative space look like?

I have the use of our study as my creative space. It is *reasonably* organized J Lots of ribbons in baskets, clips in various vessels & fabric exploding from the cupboard.

My work table is under a big corner window allowing lots of natural light into the room.
It also gives me a view of the letterbox, perfect for watching for the arrival of new supplies.

Tell us a little about what makes you, you.

I crave the escapism of books (there is always one on the go), shopping, hanging out with friends & family.
My background is in administration – in my pre-children life I was Administration Manager to a top Australian hairdressing salon.
My retail obsession is bags (in any form) & I have a sweet tooth… mmmm, donuts.



Amethyst Purple Army Camouflage Ribbon Bow Non

What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?
Craft – I’m easily pleased… the fact that people like my accessories enough to want to buy them makes me happy.

Personal – my family. The last decade has been amazing – finding the man of my dreams & having 3 kids. Perfect!

Complete these sentences:
• I love… my family
• I cannot live without… books
• I hope… that the value of handmade continues to be realized & appreciated
• When I grow up… I want to own a bookstore/coffee house/craft boutique



Set of Two 'Whimsy Fancy Bands in Pink'

What do you like most about the crafting/art world?
The sense of community. The artists & crafters I have had the pleasure to meet, network with & buy from are incredibly encouraging.

I feel privileged to be part of a team of exceptional women who are not only talented in their various fields, but are also amazingly supportive of each other, no matter the situation.

Where can we get more goodies from you?
Etsy – Vanillapixie on Etsy
madeit – Vanillapixie on Madeit

Selected styles available from Retrospections (Cammeray, NSW).

Blog – Vanillapixie on Blogspot
Facebook – Vanillapixie on Facebook
Twitter – Vanillapixie on Twitter





Want a little something to brighten up your hair? Or something to help you get over that bad hair day?

Consider yourself incredibly lucky as here's the chance to win $30 USD dollars worth of store credit with Vanillapixie. That's quite a number of different sets of hairclips and hair ties! Have a colour for every day of the week even!



Golden Y ellow Gingham Heart Non Slip Hair Clip

How to win

• For one entry: Go to Vanillapixie's shop and let us know what your favourite item is. Don't forget to bring us back the link!
  
• For one entry: Follow Petitevalse's blog.
  
• For one entry: Follow Vanillapixie's blog.
  
• For two entries: Blog about this giveaway.
  

And that's it! You have until: 12th of March, 2010 midnight Melbourne time to get your entries in! So don't wait, quickly quickly now!

Waltzing through with Talent: Carley from VanillaPixie

Waltzing through with Talent: Shenevski from Etsy

I didn't forget! I've just been really behind with my blog posts, now that I've started full time work. Still trying to learn how to juggle the balance, but I'm confident I'll get there soon.

But in the meantime, here's the winner of the last Waltzing through with Talent giveaway:




Congratulations to Abby !

We'll be in touch shortly.



Next Waltzing through with Talent coming up on Friday!

Waltzing through with Talent: Shenevski from Etsy

Giveaway winner for Angelene announced!

It's been a massive week so Waltzing through with Talent will take a break this week.

But don't worry, we do actually have the winner for the Angelene Giveaway all picked and chosen and ready to go!

There were some of you who entered the entries a tad late (after the deadline) so I'm sorry but your entries had to be disqualified. But don't worry coz we have many more other giveaways for you to try your hand at!


And without further ado:




Random.org has spoken. The winner of the much coveted 40 dollars gift voucher from Angelene will go to : Melissa S. !!

Congrats Melissa. I will be in touch with you shortly!

More blog posts to come, stay tune yet!

Giveaway winner for Angelene announced!

Giveaway winner for MooBeeTees design contest unveiled!

I'm a day late with my announcement of the winner from the MooBeeTees giveaway. Thank you so much to everybody who entered! Your ideas were fantastic and Karen from MooBeeTees echoed my thoughts when I wished that I could award each and every one of you with something awesome.

It was hard to pick a winner, but the deed had to be done, and so after much delibration on Karen's part (She got the hard part of the job! ), she finally landed on a winner.

And the winner is:




Congrats Janil!


Janil, I will be in contact with you shortly.

Now. Before you go off and close the window in disappointment, Karen was ever so generous and has decided to award an extra four prizes. A 25 % discount voucher to another lucky four of you!

So Congratulations to :

Rebecca - with your suggestion of a hippy shirt
Shiki - with your suggestion of a cherry blossom tree
Busy05 - with your suggestions of the birds tweeting a name
Candy3181 - with your suggestion of a sheriff badge

All of you incredibly creative cookies have won yourself a 25% discount voucher from MooBeeTees!
I will be in touch with all of you shortly to send you voucher details.

Phew! Wasn't that exciting? If you didn't win this one, don't worry. There's plenty more giveaways to come, and hey look! there's even one giveaway going on right now!

So hop on over to the current star of the fortnight and enter Angelene's giveaway for she does make absolutely gorgeous jewellery, don't you think?

Giveaway winner for MooBeeTees design contest unveiled!

Waltzing through with Talent - Ange from Angelene

Happy New Year everybody! It's Monday once again, and while we still have the previous segment ongoing till the 12th of January 2010, there is no reason why we cannot continue to feature another awesome crafter. With that said, if you haven't entered the previous giveaway, do it! It's so adorable, and so easy really!





I make jewellery, and often I find people tend to group all jewellery makers together. But this is so incredibly wrong. Just like how with clothes we have so many different types, and sizes, and styles... in jewellery, we have the same. Ange is a jewellery maker, and her jewellery's fantastic! Very different from mine, and much classier too. *winks*





Who are you and what do you sell?
My name is Ange, and I sell handcrafted jewellery, and some upstyled ladies tops too! My jewellery is made from sterling silver and some goldfill, with gemstones and Swarovski crystals. I am easily bored, so you will see my store has a wide range of styles, themes and has something to suit just about anyone!

What are your inspirations and muses?
I am inspired by organic shapes - you'll notice alot of circle, swirls and curves in my jewellery - I also love natural gemstones, particularly at the moment lush rich garnets! I'm heavily influenced by what I read and experience - for example, at the moment I'm reading (yet again) Laurell K Hamilton's Merry Gentry faerie princess series - so my latest pieces are decadent, a bit noir, and very very rich.


AAA Rock Crystal Quartz, Green Amethyst and White Topaz Art Earrings - Gaia at Night

How does your creative space look like?
My fiance Josh has built me a work table, so I can sit with him of an evening (or by myself on the weekend in front of a good vampire flick) and work away. I am terrible at putting things away so I have a mish mash of my favourite gems and crystals out - for inspiration and easy access.

Tell us a little about what makes you, you. Your other hobbies, day job (if any!) .. anything that makes you tick!
I am a very boring public servant by day - my work is in social policy - at the moment I am advising on early childhood, multicultural affairs and the arts. It is fairly dry work - lots of brief writing and meetings... but I'm good at it, so that is in itself rewarding. I also read alot - I love Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake vampire hunter series, and the Merry Gentry faerie series too - Anne Rice's vampire chronicles, Mayfair witch series and other novels, anything a bit noir and naughty really! I also read a brilliant book recently called "Someone Knows My Name" a fictional piece about the slave trade of Africa in the 1700s and 1800s... very moving.

I describe myself as a grown up with ADHD - I have a million things on the go at any one time - on top of my fulltime job, I run a home spray tanning business, try to help Josh renovate our house, and make jewellery (plus all the listing and promoting that goes along with it). I find time for friends when I can, and am lucky to know so many gorgeous people to spend time with.


Metal and Sterling earrings - Bronze Butterfly

What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?
I'm proud of the way my technique has improved and how I can visualise a new technique and make it happen (without too many do overs!). My most recent piece (yet to be listed) involved a bit of wire crotcheting, and was a risky experiment, but I pulled it off! I posted a picture of it on my facebook fanpage, and will list it on etsy soon.

Complete these sentences:

* I love... my fiance Josh deeply
* I cannot live without.. a creative outlet!
* I hope..to find more time in my busy schedule for my craft
* When I grow up..hehe not sure i've done that yet - I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!



Handmade sterling silver toe or pinky ring or regular finger ring - Swirly Swirls

What do you like best about the crafting/art world.
The community - my team mates (Down Under Street Team, JETteam and BrisStyle) are all wonderfully supportive!

Where can we get more goodies from you?
Head on over to my etsy to purchase, and join my facebook fanpage for discounts and special offers. I also do the odd twitter only sale, so follow me on twitter too!


And there you have it, straight from the talented lady herself! Hurry hurry, grab her shinies now because you just know she's going to be huge and those prices won't stay low for forever!





Christmas festives leaving you a little bit broke, but you are still salivating for one of these prized jewels? Ange has been most understanding towards the readers of Little Waltz and has very generously given us the opportunity to reward one of you avid readers with a gift voucher that's worth $ 40 .



This could be yours!


Here's how to win:-

For one entry: Be a fan of Angelene on Facebook

For one entry: Be a follower of Petitevalse!

For two entries: tweet this on twitter: Win a 40 dollar gift voucher from Angelene on Etsy here! http://tiny.cc/uCdM3 Remember to leave a comment stating that you have done so!

And that's it! Nice and simple. So let's get going!

This giveaway will end 18th of January and the winner will be announced on the next Waltzing through with Talent segment.






The winner to the MooBeeTees giveaway will be announced with on the 13th of January!


Till then!!



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me an email at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be in the feature!

Waltzing through with Talent - Ange from Angelene

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Image via Mapking on Flickr


So what did you get up to during Christmas?

I do apologize for the quiet and silence around here this festive period. My only excuse was that food, wine and good company makes me feel less like squirreling away into my room to type type type in front of the computer. I have missed blogging however, so I could only stay away for so long!

My christmas was filled with much joy, much food, and much wine. We went places like the Cuckoo Restaurant, Brighton Beach for a picnic, Yarra Valley for a wine tour with a stopover at Yering station for lunch. We also went strawberry picking down at Sunny Ridge and visited friends at their beach houses.

We even braved the Boxing Day sales!

Which led us to feel like this:



Image by Dalla via Flickr



But it's been a joyous affair. One that I enjoyed a lot more due to the constant presence of loving friends. I hope you had an amazing christmas too!


Oh and before I forget: due to the festive season and many people disappearing off from blog-land. I'm going to be extending the deadline for the previous Waltzing through with talent segment by another two weeks.

So please, if you haven't entered the giveaway yet (come on, a design idea can't be that hard right? ;p ) you still have time to do so quickly!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Waltzing through with Talent: Karen from MooBeeTees

Did you have fun with the last giveaway? I know I did. Space Invaders was one of my favourite games when I was little and I still play it now! *blush*

But today is the day we come back from the days of Retro gamings. Today we come back to the present and I have yet another treat for you. This time we have a little something for the kiddies!





Karen is another fellow DUSTer. I know I talk about the DUST team a lot, but how can I help it when they are all so awesome people? Karen is a fellow Melbournite, and I had the wonderful opportunity to meet her while on a hot chocolate date with some of the Melbourne DUSTers, giving me first hand experience on how sweet Karen really is!





Who are you and what do you sell?

If only this question was as simple as it sounds!! I am Karen the owner of MooBeeTees, an Australian online shop that sells little designs for BIG imaginations. My specialty is appliqued t-shirts for children, but I have recently been trying to clothe and accessorise the rest of the child as well! I'm also doing my best to move into their environments (bedrooms and playrooms in particular)- I create lovely handmade bunting which can be personalised.

What are your inspirations and muses?

Now that is easy - my two children! MooBee and Hamster are my greatest inspirations and my biggest critics - nothing goes up for sale unless those two have approved the design first. I also have a desire to dress children as children rather than small adults, so I'm trying to create lovely clothes that parents want to put on their children and that children can wear without too much fuss.



Number Bunting - 1 to 10 in all Colours of the Rainbow


How does your creative space look like?

Hmm. Not sure I should reveal this. Where as most of my life is quite orderly, my sewing room is a Brett Whitely painting!! An explosion of colour, fabric, clothes, designs, patterns, buttons - you name it I have it close at hand (and usually out of it's container!!). I love it.

Tell us a little about what makes you, you.

My other life revolves around professional development. I have been in the learning and development field for the past 20 years and have only recently moved to part time hours enabling me to indulge in a sewing frenzy! My family and friends are a constant source of enjoyment to me and are my most ardent fans and critics - bless them! Moving MooBeeTees to a full time passion is what is really making me tick at the moment and it's certainly keeping me very busy.



The Tree Tee - featuring Little Hoot - Limited Edition


What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?

I think that having the courage to sew again after quite some time away is what I am most proud of. A little tee that I made for MooBee - it will never see the light of day - turned my world upside down. My personal best achievement? MooBee and Hamster :-)

Complete these sentences:

* I love...ice cream (with ice magic on top).
* I cannot live without...my family.
* I hope...to smile at least once every day for the rest of my life :-)
* When I grow up...I still want to be a bit childish!

What do you like best about the crafting/art world?

I think the sense of community amongst crafters/artisans is what has struck me the most. I have been involved in many online and 'real life' communities and interest groups, but I have found the friendliness and helpful attitudes of crafters/artisans to be quite refreshing - particularly through Etsy.

Where can we get more goodies from you?

You can, of course pop in and visit my shop www.moobeetees.etsy.com. My latest designs and blog bits can also be followed on:
- http://twitter.com/moobeetees
- http://moobeetees.blogspot.com/





Want the little one of yours to have a little bit of MooBeeTees in their wardrobe? Well then, here's your chance to grab at one!

Karen has been very generous to offer to Little Waltz's readers a free choice of one of her fabulous Tremendous Tees. Shown below is one of the shirts you can win or you can choose your own!





How to win?

Winners will be judged with the best answers to this question:

What design should be on the next MooBeeTee Tee?

The winner not only gets to walk away with the a free shirt, they will also have their design made and named after them!

So why wait, let's get cracking on those designs now!

There are no limits, so enter however many times you want,
just remember to leave a seperate comment for each design you come up with!

Have fun!

This giveaway will end on the 12th January 2010: 10am Melbourne time. The winner will be announced with the next Waltzing through with Talent feature.



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me anemail at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be inthe feature!




And the winner of the last Waltzing through with Talent is:



Congratulations to Aik!
We'll be in touch shortly!

Waltzing through with Talent: Karen from MooBeeTees

Waltzing through with Talent: Ky and Cloud from Voodoo Rabbit

Wow, it's 30th of the month and we are looking at yet another Waltzing through with Talent segment. Did you enjoy last week's? I promise you I have many more exciting ones lined up for you with fantastic giveaways!





I met today's stars when they joined the Australian Dust Team. Or technically, I got to know Cloud. Ky was very much just a name that floated around but I got to meet both of the ladies in person recently when they came down to Melbourne for a quick visit. And let me assure you that these two Brisbane ladies are just fantastic! Absolutely great personalities, and I'm not even being bias because they are fellow EGL and EGA lovers! So sit back and get to know these two colourful personalities, and as a treat, we got both of them to answer the questions, not just one!





Who are you and what do you sell?

We’re Ky & Cloud & our shop is called Voodoo Rabbit. We specialise in fabric & sewing supplies for the “dark arts & craftist”. We are sisters (in law in avery complicated fashion) but most importantly we are friends / craft buddies.

What are your inspirations and muses?

Ky: My partner Matt, he always encourages me in all of my projects and has been really supportive of Voodoo Rabbit. He has been encouraging me to do my own designs for years and now I am finally doing it. I also find Alexander Henry fabrics very inspiring and one day hope to create fabics as beautiful as these.

Cloud: Ky inspires me to stick with stuff and try new crafts. I bought my first sewing machine because of Ky and it has let me to start up Voodoo Rabbit with her too - I need to buy wholesale to maintain my steadily growing hoard of fabric (it’s like dragon gold to me).

How does your creative space look like?

Cloud: My creative space looks EXACTLY like Ky’s study.

Ky: My creative space would look a lot bigger without Cloud taking up all the room! Actually it’s on the top floor of my house, directly under the roof (so it’s stinking hot in summer & freezing in winter). I’ve got my sewing machine, overlocker & cover stitch machine on one side of the room. On the other, I have my computer, scanner & wacom tablet (for when I’m designing fabrics) and my huge blanket box full of fabrics that Cloud can’t have. Also it is usually a mess and I can never find anything.





Tell us a little about what makes you, you. Your other hobbies, day job (if any!) .. anything that makes you tick!

Ky: I’m a graphic artist, work for a computer games company and I’m also a bit goth. I sew – clothes, appliqué, quilts, etc. I also cross-stitch, sashiko and I recently finished my first trapunto. I’ve started drafting patterns (the latest one from a Gosu Rori magazine I bought in Japan) and I’m really working hard to take my sewing to a higher level. I haven’t had much time for other hobbies lately – I recently finished helping my youngest sister prepare her wedding – all of the stationery, hens’ night t-shirts, a cross-stitch for the cover of the guest book, faux fur shawls, jewellery and the brides’ veil. I’m really proud of the veil.

Cloud: I have no creative skills – just crazy ideas! I make the occasional softie but mainly I start projects and never get around to finishing them. I have a mermaid cross-stitch that I started over 3 years ago… I haven’t done any work on it in over 2 years. I also have a trapunto block I bought & started at the same time as Ky. Hers is finished & mine is lost somewhere down the back of the couch barely started! I do accounts / book-keeping for my day-job, so I do the bookwork & the bossing around for Voodoo Rabbit too. I seem to be a compulsive twitter freak – I managed an average of 90 tweets per day on my first 3 days!

What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?

Ky: Definitely everything for my youngest sister’s wedding. The veil is top of the list, it took hours to do all of the beading on it. I'm planning to write a blog post about it as part of a series on all the crafting done for the wedding on Not Dark Enough. I'm also really proud of getting my first fabric designs printed at Spoonflower (our Gingham Invaded range).

Cloud: I think the space invader patchwork cushions that Ky & I just designed & made. It has been so long since I actually finished something creative. They looked really good. For some reason I can’t hem a skirt but I can patchwork like a demon!





Complete these sentences:

Ky:

* I love...chocolate, I can't eat too much of it these days without feeling sick but I always come back for more.
* I cannot live without... Matt who keeps me sane and focused. Also my sewing machine, I think it needs repairs but I don't know when I will be able to take it in - it is a good thing I don't sew stretch fabric too often.
* I hope... to quit my day job and open up a fabric shop with Cloud. There will be a small cafe in it where you can sit and have a cuppa and a biscuit while you mull over your purchases.
* When I grow up... I will no longer make computer games for a living, I will sew and craft to my hearts content. I will sell awesome fabrics to like minded souls and go on fabric buying trips around the world.

Cloud:

* I love… my partner Sam-Sam, my kitten Pikel (he’s my fuzzy little man) & Japan
* I cannot live without… my i-Phone. You’ll need to prise it out of my cold dead hands before I’d ever give it up. Oh, and my partner Sam-Sam & my kitten Pikel (just in case they’re reading this :p)
* I hope… to open up a ‘real’ fabric shop with Ky. It will have a coffee shop attached and will be next door to a rockin’ tattoo parlour.
* When I grow up… will be when hell freezes over! I love being a big kid – no growing up for me. Unless growing up gets me what Kyle wants too :P

What do you like best about the crafting/art world.

Ky: I like that there are people out there who can make such awesome things all by themselves and not have to rely upon mass produced products. I just wish that it wasn't getting so difficult to source supplies.

Cloud: I love being able to produce something myself. I can’t stand mass-produced waste & consumerism. The planet can’t sustain it and it’s all crap anyway. I’d much rather spend money either making something for myself or my friends, or buying from another crafter. I guess it’s a bit ironic saying that, considering I’m now supplying commercially produced crafting supplies. I like to think that Voodoo Rabbit isn’t supplying ‘mass-produced crap’ or ‘leeching’ off crafters. Ky & I craft ourselves and want to provide the stock that we just can’t get in the stores. We’re also extremely dedicated to producing our own fabric designs – not just supplying the stuff that’s already out there.

Where can we get more goodies from you?

At the moment we’re only listing on etsy but if you email us (sales@voodoorabbit.com.au) because you see something you want on our etsy site, we’ll sell it to you. We’re also planning on starting up a stall at the Southbank Markets and maybe a couple of other places around Brisbane.






Let me just say this: You Brisbanites are very lucky to have them living amongst you, for I'd KILL to have them in my backyard.

But for today we are sharing the love worldwide. The ladies have been very generously and have offered to give one very lucky Little Waltz's reader their very own Patchworked Pixelated Space Invader Cushion Cover worth 45.00 usd and lovingly handmade by the both of them.




I am so incredibly sad that I can't enter my own giveaway. I want this for myself!!


As usual, the following rules apply: (Please read for it may be different from previous week's!)

· One entry for each of our blogs (Not Dark Enough, Voodoo Rabbit & Zombie Hare) that you follow. Please leave a comment saying you have done so!

. One entry for following this blog Little Waltz

· One entry for following Voodoo Rabbit on Twitter @vooodoorabbit & then tweeting about the giveaway

Please tweet the following statement: Fantastic Space Invader Cushion Cover by Voodoo Rabbit to giveaway, come check it out here! http://tiny.cc/CjabM

· One entry for becoming fan on our Facebook Page.

· Two entries for each purchase (from: our etsy store) made during the period of the giveaway.

This giveaway will end 14th December 2009, 10am Melbourne time. The winner will be announced on the following Waltzing through with Talentpost.

So why wait? Get cracking and you could be that lucky winner!



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me an email at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be in the feature!




The winner from the last Waltzing through with talent is:



Pippirose!!

Congrats! Please send me an email with your address and we'll send you your earrings asap!

Waltzing through with Talent: Ky and Cloud from Voodoo Rabbit

Waltzing through with Talent - Kelly from Vitae Clothing and Accessories

Hasn't the fortnight just gone whizzing by? It's time for our next Waltzing through with Talent!





This time I'm featuring a dear friend of mine. We met due to our interests in lolita fashion , and while her being in Adelaide means a lack of hang out time, I still know for a fact how awesome she is, and you are in for a treat as she has the cutest giveaway lined up for you!





Who are you and what do you sell?
I am Kelly, and I run Vitae Clothing and Accessories. I sell Lolita Clothing and Jewelery, Gothic Clothing and Jewelery, and the occasional Cosplay or "normal" clothing too! Recently though, its been mainly Lolita stuff.

What are your inspirations and muses?
I love the Rococo era, its one of my biggest inspirations for designs in my dresses- that and fairytales and Fantasy. My favorite tale, and one I plan to create in Ballgown-form, is the Story of SapSorrow, with her dresses, "The Sun", "The Sky", and "The Stars".





How does your creative space look like?
... It's a little cramped. I don't have a lot of room here so there's two desks with two sewing machines and a computer all jammed in, with so many bits and bobs stacked all over it! There's also two filing cabinets stacked one on top of the other, a glory box and about three suitcases full of fabric. One day, when we are in a slightly larger place, things might be a bit roomier! Haha.

Tell us a little about what makes you, you.
Well, sewing is one of my favorite pastimes, and I do it even when I am meant to be having a day off haha! But I also love to dance, and do so as often as I can. I usually do contemporary or hip-hop. I'm also a total nerd, I love video games and play them fairly often! (sometimes when I should be doing homework!)
I also study Aged Care at TAFE, and hope to study Nursing at University next year.

What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?
The continuing and growing success of my business, Vitae, is my crowning glory :D Attending AVCon as an artist this year and selling out was a great feeling, and things have only been getting better from there. Also attending fashion shows is a highlight for me- Its great for business and so much fun!






Complete these sentences:
I love: Chocolate, Cream, and Sewing. Oh, and my partner Joel- I couldn't DO without him!
I cannot live without: Insulin! I'm a diabetic :)
I hope: A lot of things but most of all I work towards my dreams- there's no point hoping if you aren't trying too!
When I grow up : Haha. I want to Be Sailor Mars! I really did want that as a child you know. A Rock Star Sailor Mars. :D

What do you like best about the crafting/art world.
Making something from nothing. There's something special about taking the raw materials in your hands, and moulding them into the shape your minds eye sees. And when you're finished, sharing the things you've made with everyone out there.

Where can we get more goodies from you?
Well, aside from Etsy, I do direct sales and commissions through Livejournal at my sales journal there- and I hope to soon have my website vitaeclothing.net up and running! (But, I'm terrible at websites, so it has to wait!). And we also have a Facebook Page, so please do join that!




Isn't Kelly adorable? Here's what she has lined up for you!

Kelly makes the most adorable polymer clay cupcakes and such and today she's made us some for earrings!





So how do you win this?

Here's how to win:

For 1 entry: Follow Kelly's Blog either through your feed reader or via the Google Friends Application. Please leave a comment saying you have done so /are already following. This step is compulsory.

For 1 entry: Follow My Blog either through your feed reader or via the Google Friends Application. Please leave a comment saying you have done so /are already following.

For 5 entries: Purchase anything from Kelly's Shop - Aetas Vitae

For additional entries (worth 1 each), you can:

- Blog about this entry. Remember to leave a seperate comment with the linkback.
- Tweet about thhis entry. Remember to leave a seperate comment with your twitter name.
- Add Kelly's shop to your fave list

This giveaway will end 30th November 2009, 10am Melbourne time. The winner will be announced on the following Waltzing through with Talent post.

So why wait? Get cracking and you could be that lucky winner!



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me an email at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be in the feature!






We also have a winner from our previous giveaway from Sanchia from Little Red Wagon Kids!



Congratulations to Nandine from Please, please go to sleep!
Please get in touch with me with your contact details and we'll send you your prize asap!

Waltzing through with Talent - Kelly from Vitae Clothing and Accessories

Waltzing through with Talent - Sanchia from Little Red Wagon Kids

Nope, I've not forgotten that this segment exists! I have had to do some minor reshuffling of the schedule of artisans but here's a complete surprise for those with little toddlers and young children!




With us today we have Sanchia from Little Red Wagon Kids

Sanchia is a lovely fellow DUSTer who resides in Sydney, Australia. She makes the most delightful children wear and swim wear that I really really wish came in my size! Children wear that embraces the imagination and embodies the joy and fun of childhood. Her range tends to be contemporary and playful with her fabric choices ranging from wild to amazingly colourful. Much like the imagination of a child, isn't it?

Sanchia was kind enough to take time out to answer a few questions for us, so do read on to learn more about the woman behind these fantastic pieces of work! I must warn you though, Sanchia has an amazing sense of humour. This may be a long read, but trust me, it's definitely worthwhile!



Teeny Weeny Sea Breeze Blue Little Splasher


Who are you and what do you sell?

My name is Sanchia and at present I'm a Mum to two "free-spirited" little girls. They were called "wild" once by a woman in the shops, but I prefer the term "free-spirited." Needless to say she was put in her place with a witty comment! I'm also a partner to a Dutchman, a domestic engineer, a chef, a cleaner, a nurse, a peace negotiator, an accountant, a receptionist, a taxi driver, a teacher, an entertainer, wanna be disciplinarian and....a sewer. So I've been at home for 4 years now and starting to go a little stir crazy. As much as I think my girls are smart, they don't really offer much in terms of intelligent conversation. So, after much encouragement I've started making and selling bright, playful easy-wearing children's clothing and swimwear on-line.

What inspires you, what acts as your muse?

I find Kids in general are inspiring. I love that they can make anything out of something. I love their imagination and how they view the world. I love clothing ranges such as Oilily, Big by Fiona Scanlan and Oobi. On a creative artistic level I have always loved Vincent Van Gogh, Monet and my Grandmother, who is a very talented painter and my mother who is also an artist and designer (she owns "Red Brolly"- if there are any quilters and stitchers reading this).

What does your creative space look like?

I have to laugh...my "creative space" involves a kitchen table, a sewing machine called "Millie" and my Living room!!!! And any spare cupboard, under bed space, nook and cranny I can find to store things. It can be very chaotic and very frustrating! Especially since I think I am a good candidate for Alzheimer's on most days.



Cranberry Crush little Splash

What makes you tick?

I love Elvis! I grew up watching Bill Collins Sunday afternoon movie sessions and loved Elvis movies. Before kids, I was a Year 6 teacher living in Bondi. I used to be one of those mad people up and running laps of the beach in the sand at 5am! I absolutely loved it. I'm still up at 5 these days, but just a different alarm- my kids are early risers. I love travelling. I've lived in Ireland for awhile, Edinburgh for a lot longer while (twice actually) and we moved to Holland for a what was intended to be a long while, but a pregnancy changed things. I still have itchy feet to this day...it's the longest I've stayed put in one spot. I grew up in the country with 3 brothers, several cats, many dogs (that kept running away), a rabbit, a few quails, budgerigars and my 5 cousins living next door-all boys. My Mum, at the time, was the visual arts teacher at 3 local primary schools, so she always made sure there were creative, crafty, arty things to make and play with in the house. I'm proudly Australian, I love summer, the beach and the Australian lifestyle. When I 'm not doing any of the above, you'll also find me selling potatoes! My Dad is a farmer and sells potatoes at Farmer's Markets, namely Eveleigh in Newtown and the Good Food and Wine at Pyrmont in Sydney and I help him out on weekends.

Tell us about your proudest achievement, your personal best!

Most proud of in my crafting/art life is when I was teaching, my classes art murals and sculptures being on display around the school grounds and being asked to paint a mural with my class for the National Maritime Museum for an exhibition and create an artwork for the local council. I'm also proud, and very nervous, to be selling on Etsy and Madeit. My personal best achievement?? There's a couple, firstly packing up my bags at the age of 22 and backpacking to Ireland to live, travelling through Finland on my own!! Not sure if this was brave or foolish. And, corny I know, but (sorry if I gross anyone out) but giving birth without drugs.



Hearts and starbursts Reversible Pinafore


Complete these sentences:

I love: dark chocolate, mint (preferably both together), mojitos, red wine, Elvis (of course) actually any music, sewing, painting, lemons, spots and stripes and the thinkings behind the power of "positive thinking"....just wish I could adhere to it!

I cannot live without: mint sauce, and if I can't get mint sauce...brown vinegar. I believe it's the perfect condiment to almost everything. Is this where I put my partner, kids and family and friends??? :)

I hope: that my girls never have to worry. Having lived on 1 income for 4 years, it's not fun, and so I hope my girls never have to worry and have the options and sources available to do whatever their dreams are.

When I grow up: I want to travel. Italy is next on the wishful thinking list, with a stop over to Holland to visit the in-laws.

What do you like about the crafty/artsy world?

Everywhere is inspiration. I'm in constant amazement and in awe at how creative people can be.

Where can we get more goodies from you?

At the moment I live at www.littleredwagonkids.etsy.com and if you want it in Ozzie dollars...www.madeit.com.au/littleredwagon.



Now wasn't that just amazing? I love Sanchia. Her answers just blow me away!





We wouldn't let you walk away empty handed, especially after having stayed with us till the end!

Sanchia has been ever so generous and is offering up a Pineapple and Raspberry Sorbet Spotty (children size) to one lucky winner!



Pineapple and Raspberry Sorbet Spotty

How cute is that? Sanchia is able to make it for a range of sizes from 9 months to 3 years old! How's that for awesome?

So how do you win this? It's simple really and here's how:


The question is:
Do you have a story or have heard a story involving a bicycle, billy cart or a little red wagon?
Share it with us and the best story wins!
This step is compulsory

After you have answered the above question, to obtain extra entries you can do the following:

For 1 extra entry: Follow this blog either through your feed reader or via the Google Friends Application. Please leave a comment saying you have done so / am already following.

For 1 extra entry: Go to Little Red Wagon Kids and heart Sanchia's shop!

For 5 entries: Purchase anything from Little Red Wagon Kids

For additional entries (worth 1 each), you can:

- Blog about this entry. Remember to leave a seperate comment with the linkback.
- Tweet about this entry. Remember to leave a seperate comment with your twitter name.

This giveaway will end 16th November 2009, 10am Melbourne time. The winner will be announced on the following Waltzing through with Talent post.

So why wait? Get cracking and you could be that lucky winner!



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me an email at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be in the feature!

Waltzing through with Talent - Sanchia from Little Red Wagon Kids