GIVEAWAY AND INTERVIEW WITH KRAFTYMAX JEWELRY DESIGNER! (12/5/11)
Hey Goddesses! -- First let me say: Blogger is messing with our fonts and formatting. Sorry for all of that!Give a warm welcome to KraftyMax! She has some wonderful pieces to show you and she was kind enough to join in add to the giveaway! So this giveaway is a KraftyMax Original and I promise you, you won't be disappointed! *Looking at Shauni* "I really want this one! *sigh* We just want all the pretty things! But, we guess we'll do what we're supposed to and add it to the giveaway loot! AND she even gave us a yummy recipe! That's always a plus!!!!
Without further blubbering from me and Shauni -- Here is the interview with KraftyMax (she's a whole lotta fun! -- ooooh! A Jewelry Goddess! We need one of those!)
Cats or Dogs? ( Hey what about Birds and lizards? ) I am a HORSE woman mostly, but these days I have to settle for Dogs – love cats too, but it was the cat or the hubby (he’s allergic)…this time I choose hubby!
Salty or Sweet (This of course means when you’re “playing” because this isn’t an adult Goddess site for nothin’)? Chocolate? UMMM, I think Salty…. Always makes me want to drink more!!
Vampires or Werewolves (Of course you can choose “other” but you have to elaborate *snickering*)? I think Vampires…. I love my neck being kissed – the bite… just extra!
Fireman or Cowboy? Oh that one is easy, cowboy! I grew up on a horse ranch and used to ride in the rodeo. And yes, I also used to ‘green break’ horse – you can read anything you want into that!!
Hairy or Smooth (Body hair)? For me, SMOOTH, for him – a little goes a long way!
Clean Shaven or Stubble? Clean shaven, but with a mustache, I like a little tickle when I get those neck kisses!
Diet or Regular soda (Or....if you’re like me, Kimberly, you’re stuck on Powerade Zero)? Diet only. Regular tastes like syrup, except an occasional Mountain Dew – but that is mostly to WAKE up!
Fruit or Veggies (Or Chocolate)? For me, FRUIT! I love just about ALL fruit, but my favorite is probably pinapple or oranges.
Coffee or tea (Or Chocolate)? Don’t drink coffee – even though I could use the caffine. I love fruit favored teas – hot or cold!
The song that is most annoying when it sticks in your head -- sorry had to do it. There is this song that NO MATTER what time of the year it is I just get it stuck – Silent Night. I end up humming it or signing it full out throughout the better part of the year!
Apple or Microsoft? MICROSOFT! But love my Iphone!
Drama or Comedy or anything with Gerard Butler -- What Shauni? He’s Hawt! What Kim?*wiping drool* I love Gerard but what about Jason Momoa ooooohhh Or Charlie Hunnan? OOH Shauni! Charlie!!! We Loves Us some Jax! SOA! All the way baby! I guess we should let the guest answer the question though, huh? (tv, movies)? I am more the Antonio Banderas type, but my all time fav, ummm, Sean Connery – yummmy!
Spring or Fall (Fall -- cuz I can beat him to the floor! *snickering*)? For me, SPRING. I love fall too, but it is Spring – great weather, great colors and a new lease in life – weather I want it or not! Ha ha ha!
Sedan or Sports Car (Hey! I live in Texas! Where’s the truck suggestion???)? I am with the TRUCK! I have a Jeep Liberty – the best of both worlds, JEEP for the off road and Liberty to get the kids to the school so I can enjoy the day!
Tattoos or no Tattoos? I don’t have any, but I like them…. I chicken out each time I try!
Favorite splurge food -- Tacos, Pizza, Cheeseburger (Or Chocolate peanut butter swirl FUDGE)???? I would say Crab legs and shrimp! But Pizza is a close second!!
What dish do you make perfect? I LOVE to cook and cook just about everything! I am actually good at it too! But my chili is one of the most requested!
What dish have you messed up completely by burning or over cooking it? Rolls – they are TOOO quick and I usually burn about ½ of what I make!
Can you give us your favorite Christmas cookie recipe? If not the recipe, your favorite cookie, we’ll find the recipe. I love to make Baklava It isn’t actually a cookie, but close.
Baklava
Ingredients:
4 cups nuts (almonds or walnuts)
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ pound clarified unsalted butter, melted
1 pound filo dough, thawed in the refrigerator
For Lemon Syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 lemon zest strips, each about 3 inches long
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Method:
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the nuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
**Lightly brush a 13x9x2 inch banking with some of the melted butter. Remove the filo sheets from their package, lay them flat on a work surface and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Lay a filo sheet in the prepared pan and brush it lightly with butter. Working with 1 sheet at a time, top with half of the remaining filo sheets (10-12 sheets), brushing each sheet with butter after it is placed in the pan. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the stacked filo sheets. Then top with the remaining filo sheets, again brushing each lightly with butter, including the top sheet.
Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes so the butter will set. (This step makes the baklava easier to cut).
Using a sharp knife and cut the baklava all the way through into diamond shapes, forming about 35 pieces in all. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes.
For Syrup:
In a deep sauces pan, combine the water, sugar and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove the lemon zest and discard. Stir in the lemon juice.
When the baklava is done, remove it from the oven. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the hot pastry. Let stand for 30 minutes to cool slightly, then recut the diamonds. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftover pieces covered at room temperature.
Can you please show the readers some of your most favorite work?
This is one of my MOST favorites… I love the way the hair turned out!
This one is just PEFECT for spring!!
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/gallery_item/KraftyMax/81685
What is one of your most favorite pieces that you have done for yourself? If its something personal and you don’t want to show it, can you tell us about it?
This one was made for me!
I know you didn't give us this piece to "pimp" for you but I HAD to show everybody how diverse your talent is. This IS MY (Kimberly) FAVORITE PIECE!
Here is her shop: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/KraftyMax
Here she is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kraftymax
Find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kraftymaxoriginals
Now let's see what gorgeousness she's so generously donated for the giveaway -- ALL FOR YOU WONDERFUL PEEPS!! (To see more photos of all her work, click the links under the photos)
Love & Hugs Goddesses
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Featured Artist - ArtFire Blog October 25, 2011
by KraftyMaxPlease start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.
~ I started crafting and making jewelry over 30 years ago! My mom started me with things like macrame and braiding, but I was making and giving away friendship bracelets even in Kindergarten. After having worked in Corporate America as a top executive I am now a stay at home mom. I always tell people that I may be a stay at home mom, I just never stays at home! For several years I started trying to turn my passion into a business by doing Craft Shows, In-Home Shows, and Parties. Now, selling as Krafty Max Originals is my full time job and I crafts and beading at a several local independent living homes in my area and hold weekly classes in my home!
If there’s one thing that defines you, what is it?
~ My creativity. I love doing ALL crafts and creations, but I do not like to duplicate any of my work! I also do so many different types of beading that it keeps my creativity unique and original.
What role does your family play in your art?
~For me, my family comes first, however, they also know that my beading is what keeps me sane, and happy.
Where do you live and what is it like?
~ I was born and raised in a little tiny town in foothills of Northern California, but after 4 years in the Navy I found myself in Jacksonville, Florida. Once I met my husband – about 18 years ago – I was stuck. He was raised here and his family is all here, so here we stay!
Where did you learn your medium?
~ My mother started teaching me to bead as about age 4, however I didn’t really get into it full time until I was about 20. Until then it was presents and just for fun!
Beads! I love beads. I have often been told that I am ‘all over the scope’ when it comes to what my designs are and the type of beading I do….thank you! I simply love to bead and work with beads. I let the beads talk to me. I usually start with a focal point that seems to almost ‘tell’ me what the design should look like and go from there. Many times this means that I have to take apart a design and start over more than once so that it will turn out the way is looks in my head (this is my therapy).
~ My hope is to, of course, make a profit and grow my creations, however, I really love to support other crafter’s. I would love to grow my studio, right along with ARTFIRE!
How did you come to selling online?
~ I was doing about 40+ shows a year and between never seeing my family and the down turn of the economy it became more of a problem than fun. When I first started selling on-line is was a ‘hit or miss’ type of attitude, now, it is a full time job!
How did you come to find a home on ArtFire?
~ I actually started on Etsy before I had heard about ArtFire. But, it soon became apparent that Etsy was costing me more than I could afford. When ArtFire started up I joined right up. I have been a PRO member since 2009. I find it is much more economical for artists and much easier for buyers to navigate.
What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?
~ Try not to get discouraged. Arts and Crafts are very person. You WILL find the person that likes your items and buys them. The more you can ‘get out there’ in the social media the better. Sponsorships and features will open your studio up to a whole new crowd. Just remember, it is better to do something – Face Book, Twitter, Blog – and do it repeatedly than to just ‘have your name out there with no activity. Choose what you want to do and stick to it!
Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?
~ Anything made by another persons hands is worth more than things made from machines. The vision and creativity that goes into making ANYTHING shows love and passion. The benefit is that WE, as a society, don’t loose our individuality or creativity when we buy ANYTHING hand/home made.
Thank you to ArtFire for featuring me! ~KM
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Most women will tell you that jewelry is up there with their top items to receive as gifts. This is especially true when the jewelry is custom made and unique to the individual’s specifications. When jewelry is custom made, there is something exhilarating about knowing that you will be the only one wearing that piece of jewelry out and about and to any event you might attend.
When I was contacted to review a custom made bracelet from Krafty Max Originals, I was extremely excited because I visited their website and the original pieces of jewelry that they created were simply breathtaking and I knew that my bracelet would turn out just as beautifully. Jewelry that is purchased from the studio of Krafty Max Originals is hand-made from tiny glass beads, crystals and/or gemstones. Specialty beading thread or fine wire is used to create all of their designs.
I was immediately contacted by Krafty Max who interviewed me regarding what some of my favorite themes and colors are in order to get a good idea as to which design and color scheme would match my tastes. This was very impressive to me because I felt that she truly tried to get a sense as to what kind of a person I am and what my preferences are in order to create the perfect bracelet for me. I explained to her that my favorite color is red and that I like any pattern that contains butterflies, stars, or moon shapes.
After a couple of days, I was contacted again and told that the perfect design had been created for my unique tastes. She even read my blog to get more acquainted with me and my likes and dislikes. It is important that I mention that another thing that impressed me was the open communication between the designer and myself. All of my questions and emails were promptly answered and I was kept abreast of the progress of my bracelet’s construction from the beginning of the process until the very moment that it was delivered to me via the United States Postal Service.
The end result was a gorgeous cuff bracelet that contained over 5,000 beads. It took one hour to design it taking into consideration my feedback regarding themes and colors and it required over 14 hours of beadweaving in order to complete. Words cannot even begin to describe how gorgeous my bracelet turned out and how speechless I was when I first took it out of the box. Nothing could have prepared me for how beautiful it was and I loved how Krafty Max combined all of my ideas to create a unique and precious jewelry item just for me. The photos cannot even do this bracelet justice.
Along with my bracelet, I received instructions on how to care for it to ensure that it remains as beautiful in the future as the day I received it. Krafty Max also attached a personal note assuring me that the bracelet could be adjusted if it was too big or too small. This was especially important because it completely takes away any anxiety that one might have about ordering jewelry online and being concerned about the fit not being just right.
You can view all of the Krafty Max Original Collections by visiting their website. Make sure you “like” them on Facebook too so you won’t miss out on special offers or promotions. I’m sure that you will fall in love with every single item just as I did!
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Thank you to Tough Cookie Mommy for this amazing review. I am so very glad you liked my work! ~KM
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Krafty Max Originals
I do most of my shopping on the internet and I love to support those artists that sell their own handmade work. I found a very special artist while blog hopping and I was fascinated by her work.
I first discovered her blog and then traveled over to her studio at artfire and kept up with her jewelry line on twitter. When I saw her tweet about turtles I had to go take a look because I love turtles.
I easily purchased the item I wanted and she was quick to respond and let me know it was on the way. We both live in the same state so I got it the next day.
I could tell by the attention she gave to mailing the item that she took a lot of pride in her work. The bracelet came in a box so I could store it when I wasn’t wearing it.
With the bracelet she enclosed instructions on how to take care of my new turtle bracelet.
Included with my purchase she also enclosed a small card and envelope and a post card of other items she creates.
I truly love my new turtle treasure and it looks great on my arm, don’t you agree?
I will shop at Krafy Max again and I have people on my Christmas list that would treasure her things.
Not only does she have a great design sense but her work is really professional. If any of you have beaded then you know a lot of work goes into it.
(In fact I admire anyone who can thread a beading needle
) She uses quality products to produce her original designs and something that showed me that she was very good at what she did was this:
This is the back of the bracelet. You can’t tell it from the front! I’ve seen a lot of people make beaded jewelry and hide the back with a covering. I’ve always wondered if it was to hide mistakes?
I also like the closures she used for this bracelet.
So keep Krafty Max on your list to buy your gifts from and why not go over and tell her hello on her facebook page.
I bought this bracelet and my review is based on my experience of the work that goes into beading and my own honest opinion of her work.
I first discovered her blog and then traveled over to her studio at artfire and kept up with her jewelry line on twitter. When I saw her tweet about turtles I had to go take a look because I love turtles.
I easily purchased the item I wanted and she was quick to respond and let me know it was on the way. We both live in the same state so I got it the next day.
I could tell by the attention she gave to mailing the item that she took a lot of pride in her work. The bracelet came in a box so I could store it when I wasn’t wearing it.
With the bracelet she enclosed instructions on how to take care of my new turtle bracelet.
Included with my purchase she also enclosed a small card and envelope and a post card of other items she creates.
I truly love my new turtle treasure and it looks great on my arm, don’t you agree?
I will shop at Krafy Max again and I have people on my Christmas list that would treasure her things.
Not only does she have a great design sense but her work is really professional. If any of you have beaded then you know a lot of work goes into it.
(In fact I admire anyone who can thread a beading needle
) She uses quality products to produce her original designs and something that showed me that she was very good at what she did was this:
This is the back of the bracelet. You can’t tell it from the front! I’ve seen a lot of people make beaded jewelry and hide the back with a covering. I’ve always wondered if it was to hide mistakes?
I also like the closures she used for this bracelet.
So keep Krafty Max on your list to buy your gifts from and why not go over and tell her hello on her facebook page.
I bought this bracelet and my review is based on my experience of the work that goes into beading and my own honest opinion of her work.
