Sponsor Love + Giveaway - Hoot Designs

Entries for this giveaway have been closed!

I first met Chrissy on Twitter over a chat AND I’m soo glad that I did! 🙂 She has an adorable shop full of notepads, camera strap covers, wreaths, photography, accessories and more. One look at her shop and you’ll come away smiling because of all the fun colors. And you know what else I love about Chrissy? She shares a passion for photography like me (but she’s so much more pro than me) and has lots of great tips for beginners (like me)! Well, let’s get to it, you know the drill… read on to get to know this doll a little bit better and head on down to enter a giveaway! 🙂

{MEET CHRISSY}

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself?
A little about me, let’s see… I live outside of Atlanta, GA
I grew up in Northern Virginal
I’m an only child, my Husband is an only child too
I have one Daughter, Shea
My first job was on a farm – eeks – I still can’t believe it either
My second job was at Bloomingdale’s – that’s more like it
First car VW bug (the original), Second car VW bug – Super beetle
I met my husband, Chris, in Richmond – we both worked at the mall we only said “hi”
5 years later he recognized me in the parking lot of the apartment community we lived in, in Annapolis, Maryland – coincidence or fate?
6 months later we moved in together, 6 months later we got married – alone in Bermuda
He’s an only child too
I’ve always crafted rubber stamping, making cards, thrown pottery, stained glass, sewing, scrapbooking, you name it. I have supplies out the wazoo for everything
My Husband and I owned a Toy Store for 3 years,
playing Santa was amazing every Holiday season.
I’m a professional gift wrapper – 1000’s and 1000’s of gifts wrapped at my store

2) How I decided to open an Etsy Shop?
I love making things and friends would ask to make it for them, so I decided to sell to others too. I was a big ebayer back in the day but when Etsy came along it was the perfect new home for my handmade things.

3) Along with owning a shop, you also take beautiful photos! What camera equipment do you use?
I am new to photography. I bought my camera in April 2010 as a birthday present to myself. I have read and taken classes to learn everything there is to know. I’m a Canon girl and have an entry level Rebel Xsi. Many say it’s not the camera but the lens and the composition that results in a great photo. I started my www.hootphotography.com blog to share my photos and what I have learned with others posting tips and soon to offer classes. I’m not a big Photoshop fan but love Lightroom as my editing program. A photo tells a story and I don’t like to change what has been captured, but jazz it up with lighting and presets which is the beauty of Lightroom. My favorite lens is my nifty fifty (50mm 1.8) currently it’s the only lens I shoot with, the photos are that good! Everything on my photography blog is shot with this lens unless otherwise noted.

~one of my fave hoot photography photos~

4) Where do you draw inspiration from?
I love fabric and paper and the color stories within. I can see a 12×12 piece of great scrapbook paper or fabric and imagine it refashioned as many different things. Magazines are great too – I have piles to clip for inspiration folders. A store that I love is Anthropology they have artists and designers who create the amazing windows and displays. I asked one day how they come up with their displays and she said, sometimes we have a plan to follow but often we are sent a box of stuff and our team has to make it into something great for the store. Sometime I go there not to buy but just to see what the new windows look like and all the little clever creations on the tables and displays within.

5) What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
I love chocolate ice cream with almonds and coconut. I Love Cold Stone Creamery because you I get it all the time made special for me!

{GIVEAWAY}

Chrissy is giving away $20 credit to her shop, what a hoot!! 😉

To enter:

You must be a Google Friend Connect follower of Sandy a la Mode

1. Visit Hoot Designs shop and leave a comment with your favorite item!

For additional entries, leave a separate comment for each action.
2. Be a Google Friend Connect follower of Hoot Designs blog
3. Follow @sandyalamode and @chrissy217 on Twitter
4. Blog, facebook, or tweet about this giveaway (make sure to include @sandyalamode and @chrissy217 in your tweet) and include the link (one entry each)

Feel free to use this tweet:
#GIVEAWAY ALERT! Win $20 credit to @chrissy217’s Hoot Designs shop full of clutches, notepads, flower pins and more! http://bit.ly/fjRpbS

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only and closes on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 12PM CST. Good luck!