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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Olive Spoon Studio. In their words:
"Olive Spoon Studio is owned and operated by Michael and Erin Waite. Our shop features jewelry made from antique flatware that is rediscovered all over New England. We rescue these small pieces of history from dusty bins in the backs of little antique shops, boxes at flea markets, and scrap heaps at gold and silver buyers’. We find great joy in upcycling them into spoon rings, spoon bracelets, and hand stamped silverware."
You can follow along with Olive Spoon Studio on their blog, Facebook and Twitter!
SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?
Erin: My husband and I are both creative people, though in completely different ways. I studied ceramics and taught pottery classes at two art museums for many years, leading up to the birth of our second child. Michael is mechanically minded, and sees the potential in what others may think of as nothing but junk. He is the King of Repurposing, and many times has built machines out of odd bits and pieces. As he says, he loves to start with a pile of nothing and end up with something useful.
We have both always desired that our children would be raised and taught at home. The reality of that is, of course, financially challenging, and we had been looking for a side home business that we could work at together, for a couple of years now. Olive Spoon Studio came about thanks to a combination of my love of antique silverware, and Michael’s love of upcycling.
SouleMama: What do you envision and dream for the future of your business?
Erin: We would love to someday both work from home, where we could share the family responsibilities as well as the many aspects of living a more sustainable life. Currently, in addition to our Etsy shop, we also sell at craft fairs and farmer’s markets. We have many more altered flatware designs that we hope to slowly add to our shop over the next year. Eventually, we hope to grow this business to include other upcycled products.
SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.
Erin: In today’s high tech world, there is a growing desire to reach backwards into the past, both in lifestyle and in spirit. We often hear from our customers how much they love wearing a real piece of history on their finger or wrist. In a throwaway society, to wear and touch something that was made a hundred years ago, is special.
SouleMama: How does the balance of family and work play out for you? How has motherhood/fatherhood changed the work you do?
Erin: We love what we do, but we are constantly striving for more balance in our daily life. Balance really is a struggle, but one that is so important to achieve! Our children are both toddlers, so the majority of my day is spent with them. Nap time and nighttime is when I stamp silverware and run the shop. Michael has a more-than full time job, so he makes the jewelry on weekends and late at night during the week. This is both a tiring and a beautiful season of our lives – full of excitement and potential.
Our dream is to have our own little home, tucked into a few acres with plenty of room to garden, and chickens pecking in the dirt. Land enough for our children to roam and discover through all of their growing-up years – a place where they can know and experience the real world outside, rather than the digital version. Olive Spoon Studio is the first step towards that dream becoming a reality!
For today's giveaway, Olive Spoon Studio is generously offering the following to one winner:
~ a $40 gift certificate to the Olive Spoon Studio shop!
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Thank you to Olive Spoon Studio!
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after.
The winner is...
I was planning to order a keepsake spoon for my baby girl & some jewelry for me...this would help! I looooove these creations!
Posted by: ELFMama
