Solo Feature: Hodgepodge Arty + Giveaway!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I'm Karen Elizabeth Blackburn.  I live in Chicago with my husband//love, Josh, and our dog, Nora.  During the day, I teach preschoolers and in the evenings, I love making things.  When I was a child, I was always making something...fancy dolls made from toothpicks (see here), friendship bracelets, recreations of food and meals in felt with a magnet stuck to the back for the refrigerator, little drawings of ballerinas, and stories about mice.  I learned how to knit and sew when I was in elementary school and never stopped.  I had a creative and influential mom who was always making things and making things beautiful.

2. What made you decide to start your shop & blog?
I wanted a little place for friends and family to find my makings.  I'm still exploring what goes in it, and it does seem a bit of a hodgepodge sometimes, but that's ok.  I continue to explore and challenge myself to make things that I truly love and explore patterns and fabrics that I'm drawn to.  I also like displaying my photographs.  They don't really sell, but that's ok.  I like that people look at them and can enjoy them.

3. What are your favorite things to blog about? Favorite posts? 
I'm still learning to find my blogging voice (taking a course on it at the moment), but I really enjoy blogging about DIY projects and showing people how to make things.  I think it's the teacher in me...I like organizing the steps to create something!

4. What are your favorite things to make for your shop?
The knits are my favorite...all of them!  The fingerless gloves are a blast to make and it's fun coming up with ways to embellish them...I try to make it something that will make people smile.  I also enjoy designing cowls with different patterns like this one. Influenced by my work teaching preschoolers, I'm working on more dolls and puppets for the shop, too.

5. Favorite pass-time?
Movies...in crowded theaters, in quiet theaters, at home, or in the park.  Old or new, movies are simply the best.  They give me a chance to keep my fingers busy...I'm always knitting or making something while we watch them.

6. What is on your current wish-list? 
Any knitting patterns by Jane Richmond.  I adore her.

I have two, but would love more tutus.  The best ones are found here.  They are lovely to work with and you can literally choose from dozens of colors and design your own.  I wore one for my wedding and think they're just magical.

A sewn print from Tastes Orangey...any one of them.

7. Favorite blog reads?
DIY from A Beautiful Mess
Doll techniques from Wee Wonderfuls
Beautiful images from Little Brown Pen

8. If you had three wishes what would they be?
I think they change everyday.  Some days I don't need them :)

9. What's your favorite part about the holidays?
I love that "the holidays" are literally about 40 days of festivities, with something to look forward to everyday.  It's a tradition that we don't do anything Christmas-y until Thanksgiving.  But once that magical November Thursday hits, it's Christmas until early January in our home.  My husband and I make a list of everything we want to do and tack it to the fridge.  From decorating our entire apartment to making gingerbread houses to spiking our hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, it's all so wonderful and lasts so long.

10. What inspires you the most?
Children's stories and illustrations, the rainbow of yarn colors in a small yarn shop, traveling, and a really good movie.

Find Karen Here:
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HodgepodgeArty
Blog: http://karenblackburn.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HodgepodgeArty
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/HodgepodgeArty

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Giveaway Time! -- Karen is offering MaieDae readers the chance to win a pair of her adorable "hi" fingerless gloves from her shop! Details on how to enter are below. 

Main Entry:
1. Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite item from Karen's shop!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per entry):

1. Take a visit at Hodgepodge Arty's blog and leave a sweet comment!

2. Become a follower of MaieDae via GFC (on the left) or Bloglovin

3. Tweet about it! Just copy & paste this: Win adorable fingerless gloves from @HodgepodgeArty on @MaieDae! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2011/11/solo-feature-hodgepodge-arty-giveaway.html

One winner will be selected at random and announced THIS Saturday!!