Saturday, March 12, 2011

Second Saturday Giveaway: Win Monkey Fabric Accessories from Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories!

Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade

For our March Second Saturday Giveaway, we are featuring Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories by Christa Irons!


This is Christa in her dedicated craftroom.  I asked her about her workspace:

"My room is 12x12.  I have 2 sturdy tables for sewing, a large cutting table that folds down to about a foot.

If I am working on a project that needs more table space I use the 6ft table I have for craft shows.  I'm really hoping to get a shelving unit to display all my fabric soon but for now I have it in 3 bins and 2 boxes in my closet."

Christa's "2 sturdy tables for sewing" are home to her sewing machine and serger.


I was pleased as punch to Flint Handmade and Flint City Derby Girls stickers on Christa's sewing machine! 

Flint Handmade sponsored a Valentine's Day bout for the FCDG in 2010.  We love supporting other local organizations.


Christa told me that her serger is her favorite craft tool:

"I love my serger. I bought it from Cindy of Attack of the CraftShe sold it to me for a steal. I only paid $100 and it's Janome. The reason I got such a good deal is because she won a Husqvarna from a What the Craft contest."

In addition to her regular sewing machine and serger, Christa has a vintage Viscount sewing machine.


Does this machine look familiar?  It reminds me of our Amy's vintage Kenmore which was featured in our October 2010 Second Saturday Giveaway.

You may have noticed the mannequin head in the picture of Christa's serger. She actually has two.


This one is from when she attended cosmetology school.  She uses it to display her hair flowers.


Christa keeps her "in-process" hair flowers in a priority mail box.

I asked her how she got into crafting:

"When I was in third grade, I would make friendship bracelets, necklaces, chokers, lanyards and do hair wraps.  After high school, I started doing simple t-shit reconstructions.

When I was 24, I got my first sewing machine. I was 27 when got into selling  I wanted some hair flowers and knew I could make them better and cooler then the ones I seen online."


Christa showed off some of her "better and cooler" hair flowers, bags, pouches and wrist warmers with her adorable dog, Pocky.


She has quite an impressive collection of scissors, pliers and other tools to create all of her rockin' accessories.  I asked Christa how she came up with her company name:

"My name is Christa. I rock and make awesome accessories."

Love how she keeps it simple!


I snapped this pic of Christa with her company banner and dressform. I found out that she plans to put her dressform to work soon when I asked her what projects she would like to work on in the future:

"More clothing for myself. I've made myself a bunch of skirts and a few shirts. I need to work on pants and shorts." 


Well, Christa has a thick bunch of colorful zippers (in a melted record bowl, natch) that she can use to make all kinds of clothes for herself!

Finally, I asked Christa a question that's new to Second Saturday Giveaway: What do you listen to/think about/watch while you craft?

"I love to watch reruns of Gilmore Girls or Scrubs. When I listen to music, my taste is all over. I will listen to just about anything. Death metal, rock, new wave, old school rap, country. I like just having something in the background."

Well, we at Flint Handmade just like having Christa as a member of the local craft scene and we are so excited to have some of Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories for our March Second Saturday Giveaway!


Christa had a great story about her giveaway items:

"Heather of Re-Zip It gave me the cute monkey fabric at the last Flint Handmade Craft Supply Swap. I wanted to continue paying it forward by making something with it to give away!

The bag is approximately 10 inches wide and 7 inches tall with a 3 inch gusset and a snap closure.  The pouch is 8 inches wide and 4 inches tall.  The hair bow is 5 inches long and 3 inches tall."

For YOUR chance to win the Monkey Fabric Accessories from Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories (valued at $33), just complete steps A and B:

A) Follow Flint Handmade via the blog, Twitter, Google Reader or whatever newfangled "following application" tickles your fancy. Or, if you don't do the whole following thing, email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will add you to our email list.

B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, March 19, 2011 answering the following 2 questions:

1) How do you follow us?

2) What do you listen to/think about/watch while YOU craft?

Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and posted on the blog within one week after the deadline. The winner will have 30 days to claim the prize.

We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our February Second Saturday Giveaway!

P.S. Christa is giving our blog readers a very special discount to her Etsy shop.  Enter coupon code "imbeautiful" to receive 25% off!

10 comments:

  1. 1) via GFC!
    2) Craft!

    Thanks for the opportunity!

    forsurveysonly at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. A) I follow on Facebook and in email
    B) Sometimes I make my scrapbooks while watching tv; "Real Housewives" is my guilty pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a huge fan of Christa! Not only she makes awesome flowers and bags, but she's also made me the most awesome lens cozies for all my camera lenses!

    1)I follow Flint Handmade on twitter as Pili28.

    2) My only crafting would be taking photos and editing them, and always need to listen to music to do that, and my faves are Bruce Dickinson & Iron Maiden, or some Lady Gaga/Take That when I need a different mood!

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1) I follow your blog.

    2) When I do craft I usually watch tv. Well, I mostly listen to the tv. :)

    P.S. I Love Christa!! Her stuff is great!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like to follow Flint Handmade any way I can, because there are so many talented and committed crafters in this group! I usually find out the newest happenings on Facebook or through the email updates, which is how I find out about new blog postings!

    When crafting television is my medium...I have a small tv next to my sewing machine and serger, and when I knit I am in the living room relaxing and usually watching something on PBS or DIY network. I really need to get myself a new cd player...sometimes I miss the whole story when there is an opera playing...

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1) Blog, Facebook, Twitter, email list, stalking, etc., etc.

    2) I'm a Netflix junkie when I'm working in my studio. I love to watch bad horror movies and hokey sci-fi flicks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. From Mah Hemp via Facebook:

    I LOVE these monkeys, they are super cute! I follow Flint Handmade on facebook and attend all of the craft swaps, and apply for the craft shows every chance I get. While I am making my hemp jewelry and accessories I tend to listen to Bob Marley, he really gets me in the "hemp" mood :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. I follow you on Twitter :) (kalliopekreates)

    2. When I'm crafting I either catch up on tv shows like Bones, Grey's Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries or I put my ipod on random and listen to a wide assortment of music from punk to hardcore to broadway showtunes :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm already on the email list and I follow you on FB!

    I usually forage the streaming netflix and watch TV episodes while I craft. In the last month I've gotten through all of Grey's Anatomy, one season of Buffy and three seasons of Law and Order. Okay, so I don't allllways craft when I'm watching TV. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I follow you on Facebook and email. I also go to all the shows.

    I get in the crafting mood by playing some Beastie Boys "She's Crafty" (This is also my ringtone.) If I'm scrapbooking I am usally in front of the TV watching some sort of cooking compition.

    I love the monkey bag and have bought some of her flowers for my mom. She loves to put a flower in her hair!

    ReplyDelete