Etsy Artist Feature & Giveaway! Meet Holly Storm

Meet Holly from Holly Storm Designs on Etsy!  Holly is a working mother of two and hails from Jackson, TN.

Holly makes fantastic accessories like these clutch purses and wrist cuffs (LOVE):

The Swiss Army Clutch - Tiny Dots, $56

Waved Pintuck Cuff Bracelet, $24

Ruffled Cuff Bracelet, $24

The Swiss Army Clutch, Red Hawaiian, $56

These little clutch purses would be fantastic for a night on the town, don't you think?

I do believe this is my personal favorite:

The Swiss Army Clutch - Pop Art, $56

Tell us a little about yourself and your Etsy shop:
 Hello. My name is Holly Storm and I am an addict. I had always wanted to dabble a little, but never imagined that it would take over my life....

I am, professionally, in Graphic Design/Product Development. I went on maternity leave from an awful job and didn't want to go back, so I ventured off to start my own freelance business. Everything was going well until I decided that I wanted to learn to sew.

Slowly, I began to pine for my sewing machine while I was designing new logos; I began to spend every free moment daydreaming about fabrics, and all of my bedside reading became about sewing techniques. I was hooked...and quitting is for losers.

Seriously though, I feel like I should have been doing this forever. I live and dream ideas and feel so driven to create that it is not optional. My online shop is just a tiny part of that, but it's growing. I'm realizing that I can do something I love for a living without compromising either my artistic vision or my integrity. And I dig 50's and mod 60's retro.

Tell us 3 interesting things about you: 
1. I have been told that I have an odd sense of humor. Sometimes to the point of offense (sorry!)
2. I can't work without my iPod, music is key.
3. I am a Science Fiction geek, and like some Fantasy. Favorite authors: William Gibson & Neil Gaiman.

Tell us 3 uninteresting things about you:
1. I am a wife and the mother of 2 children (3 if you count the man-child.)
2. Vintage patterns make me swoon.
3. Being organized makes me happy. And you don't want to see the flip side of that.

What's on your iPod right now?
I like to have a good mix of different artists shuffling and change it up frequently. Right now I am listening to mostly Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Fatboy Slim, Chokebore, Modest Mouse, Violent Femmes, PJ Harvey, Tricky, The Killers, Pixies, Robots In Disguise, and always lots of Tori Amos.

What are your favorite materials?
Cottons of every type. They are easy to work with and come in a large variety of weaves and finishes. Favorite cotton of the moment: Sateen. It's a causal fabric, but still very chic. I love the low-key sheen.
I am also loving a super-soft brushed wool that I just got in for winter. Cozy. And have started collecting vintage Cashmeres and Silks.

What colors are you loving these days?
I am full-on into winter mode, so mostly black or browns, charcoal & winter white with some deep jewel tones thrown in.

Do you have any favorite blogs/websites?
I subscribe to so many blogs, but these are the ones I keep up with most often: Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing, Elegant Musings, Already Pretty, The Blogess, Colette Patterns, Grosgrain, and just started reading Bleubird. These ladies are stylish, knowledgeable, brilliant, wise, and/or funny. Great reads.

I also subscribe to some pretty great newsletters for tips or interesting articles on sewing or fashion. My favorites are the Threads eLetter & BurdaStyle. I also can't wait for the new Colette Patterns Snippets to start.


What are your favorite Etsy shops?
As for Etsy shops...there are waaaay too many to mention! I check up on my own shop daily, then get sucked right in to checking out all of the other great shops. Etsy is a hotbed of talent right now and it is really exciting to be a part of that.

What do you like to do when you're not crafting?
Reading, playing with my kids, watching movies, fixing something on our 100 year old house, learning new techniques, getting a coffee, shopping for new inspirational materials online or in a shop. That is what I try to do when I'm not working. Usually what I have to be doing is checking emails, marketing, social networking, packing and shipping, picking up supplies, etc..

What inspires you?
Mostly the things I make are the things that I would want. Before I learned to sew, I would go shopping and think, "I would love that without those pleats, or in another color." Or I would go looking for something and not find it. Or find it, but it just doesn't work for me.

I am also inspired by materials and their patterns or drape, or by a combination of patterns. Or by a culture, or by nature, or shape. Inspiration is everywhere!

Here's where you can find Holly:
Etsy: www.HollyStormDesigns.com
Artfire: www.HollyStorm.Artfire.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HollyStormDesigns
Twitter: twitter.com/HollyStormEtsy

Holly is graciously giving away one of her wrist cuffs!  This adorable Red Lantern print cuff is up for grabs...

If you'd like to enter, first leave a comment here telling us your favorite item in the Holly Storm Etsy shop.  Here's how you can earn additional entries:

• Follow Holly Storm Designs on Facebook
• Follow Holly Storm Designs on Twitter
• Follow Deeds and Petunia on Twitter
• Heart Deeds and Petunia's shop on Etsy 
• Like Deeds and Petunia on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Deeds and Petunia blog
• Tweet about the giveaway (don't forget to give us the link!)
• Post to your Facebook about the giveaway (don't forget to give us the link!)
• Post to your blog about the giveaway (don't forget to give us the link!)

Post each entry here in a comment so I know when you're following/hearting/liking/tweeting/blogging/posting about this giveaway.  The contest ends Monday, January 24th at 9 AM PST, so get your entries in!