Focus On... Chella Bella Designs And Greyt Escape Accessories And A Giveaway!

{{giveaway closed}}

I'm an animal lover; I can't turn away any animal in need that crosses my path. That's one of the reasons I am so proud to share this interview and giveaway with you. Michelle, of Chella Bella Designs and Greyt Escape Accessories, is an avid dog lover and a portion of the proceeds from both shops goes straight to Greyhound Rescue! Enjoy the interview and the giveaway!

Tell me some basic info about yourself.

My name is Michelle, I am 35 years old. Married. No kids but I work with rescued Greyhounds and have up to 10 in my house at any given time. (That counts for kids, right?)

{coffee bean bag}

We live on a beautiful little 5 acre old Spanish style ranch in Tucson, Arizona. It needs a lot of love & care but we are very blessed to have been able to buy it. We do our best to maintain the natural environment around us and live “clean.” Gardening, composting, recycling, reusing / repurposing items and shopping local & at Farmers Markets. We even use biodegradable trash bags & poop bags and all natural cleaning supplies! We have learned and continue to learn how to incorporate a more natural lifestyle yet live with modern furnishings & surroundings at the same time. We just replaced all the single pane windows in our home to reduce our energy costs up to 40% and I can’t wait to get solar power installed!

{Riley}

I work from home caring for retired Greyhounds (Greyt Escape) which opened up the doors to great opportunities in using my crafting skills on the side. I have two Etsy shops (Greyt Escape and Chella Bella Designs) both of which we donate a portion of our sales of to Greyhound Rescue.

{Opa}

I love working with the dogs and I have been a "creator" most of my life. In High School, I joined an ROP class in Fashion Merchandising & Design and loved it. Though through my 20's, I found little to no time to develop my craft while working full time the opportunity came around 30 while planning my wedding.

I had my dress designed and made by a now wonderful friend. All of the touches to the wedding were handmade by me. All the way down to centerpieces, save the date cards, invitations, seating cards, table themes with stories & the wraps the girls wore, etc. From that day forward, I knew I had been missing that part of me.

So, Greyt Escape Accessories came about first and it provided A fun way to continue to build my Greyhound business in my community.

After awhile, I started making other things for myself and then for friends, family and now Chella Bella Designs. My drive behind both is to have donations for Greyhound Rescue while still offering affordable merchandise.

Thank goodness I have a supportive husband. A man who once said he didn’t want a houseful of pets now has 2 greyhounds and a bird and loves having all the greyhound “guests.” He tends to shout a “whoa hoo!” whenever I say “hey look! I have a sale!”

{tag collar - cowboy}

What kind of mediums do you use and why?

With Greyt Escape Accessories, I wanted to offer a collar that wasn't too stiff. Why any collars need such heavy, thick webbing is beyond me! In addition to a soft & pliable polypropylene webbing (Still rated at 600-900 lbs strength!) I want them "pretty." So I searched high & low for companies who will sell gorgeous jacquard & grosgrain ribbon to a little business like mine at wholesale prices. Add really strong hardware and voila!

With Chella Bella Designs, the sky's the limit. Though I seem to be using a lot of home decor and upholstery fabrics these days. I love the wide variety of colors, patterns, designs & textures they offer. I drive over an hour one way to shop for these at my favorite fabric shop. Add some cording or other decorative bits and well, I just have fun designing. Recently I picked up a leather hide at an estate sale (for just $6!) and will look at it every day until the perfect idea arises.

{coin purse - teal stamped faux leather}

What made you decide to sell on etsy?

People kept stopping by my booth at the local Farmers & Artisans Market and mentioning Etsy. I don't know how I had never heard of it before but, after several months of hearing about it, I logged on and did the research. Soon, I joined. I was ecstatic to sell my first collar within 2 hours of listing! Of course, I waited quite awhile before the next one and even longer before they became somewhat consistent.

{martingale collar - camelot in teal}

Where do you get your inspiration?

I have always loved Fashion. Had I had the opportunity to go to college, I'd have wanted to go to FIDM in downtown LA. In the heart of the Fashion & Fabric district. I dreamed of runways and fashion shows. But I think a lot of my inspiration now comes from the reality that I don't work for someone else and can take the time to enjoy my creative process. Wandering through fabric stores and matching fabrics or thinking of cool new accessories always helps too. Looking in stores at the hottest colors of the season or just simply choosing my favorites. I never get out of the fabric store under $200!

My Mom was quite the seamstress growing up. Though she stopped sewing years ago, I still have a set of Raggedy Ann & Andy Dolls she made for my birthday when I was in the 4th grade.

My Aunt was also very creative. Though we didn’t spend much time together growing up, I still remember very specific projects she made. Sun dresses out of old sheets, a painted cement floor in the house (My house now has several of these!), spray painting old yard sale finds, etc. As an adult, I spend as much time with her as I can. We are in separate states but she visits a few times a year and we talk on the phone regularly. I’m trying to convince her to open an Etsy shop of her own with her fabulous knitting projects!

{yoga mat bag - fallen leaves}

What is your favorite music to craft by?

I start my morning usually listening to NPR. Yes, I know that’s boring to most. But it gives me a little bit of news I otherwise wouldn’t here being that we have just one TV in the house. Then, I listen to local mixed music stations flipping back & forth to find some fun beats. If I cant, I load the IPOD and pop it on the IPOD station. I never know what will play next so it’s fun. And I do love Michael Buble, Lady Antebellum and so much more!

{yoga mat bag - spinning circles}

When it's cold outside... I light a fire and bundle up. Sometimes I avoid work & curl up with a book but most of the time, I end up in the studio anyway. Though “cold” doesn’t happen much in Southern Arizona.

{martingale collar - bonjour}

When I'm hungry... There better be something quick & healthy to grab & eat! Dinner is the only meal I like to spend time cooking.

{yoga mat bag - awakening}

When I need a boost... I walk the dogs to get the blood flowing.

{yoga mat bag - sage and cinnamon}

I wish I was/were... Not “as” tied down to business. We board dogs 24 hrs a day / 7 days a week / 12 months out of the year. We never close! Though we did sneak in a vacation last year.

{coin purse - mustard stamped faux leather}

If I could give one gift to everyone I know, it would be... peace of mind.

{yoga mat bag - pink fusion}

If I could have coffee with anyone, it would be... My old high school ROP teacher “Mrs. Gordy” who supported and inspired me beyond anyone I have ever met. Her encouragement and pride in me will never be forgotten!

{the perfect market bag/tote - earthly delight}

What's your favorite piece of your own?
Hmmm that changes so often! Right now, the yoga mat bag because it’s fun, my own design and I’ve had soooo much positive feedback! Oh and I love that I’ve found a use for the “scrap-fabric” that would otherwise have been considered waste. Thank goodness I kept it all because there will always be great coin purses made from it now!

{purse - peaceful retreat}

What are your favorite blogs/websites right now?

The Succulent Wife
Facebook

Greyt Escape Website

Chella Bella Designs on Etsy

Greyt Escape on Etsy

Chella Bella on Facebook

Greyt Escape on Facebook

Michelle is a great interviewee! :) And she's generous! She has offered to give away the winner's choice of any coin purse or yoga mat bag from Chella Bella Designs!

- To be eligible for entry, you must be a follower of my blog through google friend connect or through your preferred RSS reader. -
- Make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win. -
- Please leave separate comments for each entry. -

First entry (mandatory):
Head over to Chella Bella Designs and tell me your favorite item!

Extra entries (optional):
- Go to Greyt Escape and tell me your favorite item!
- Become a Facebook fan of Chella Bella Designs.
 - Become a Facebook fan of Greyt Escape.
- Sign up for the Kate and Oli mailing list (in sidebar).
- Add my button to your blog (in sidebar).
- Become a Facebook fan of Kate and Oli.
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Fine print: Giveaway begins when it is posted and ends at 11:59pm pacific standard time June 11, 2010. A winner will be selected by a random number generator on June 12, 2010 and will be emailed promptly. Chella Bella Designs will ship anywhere in the world!