Meet Our May Sponsor
Many thanks to Stephani of Brieabella's Penguin Love for sponsoring our May Little Black Boxes and Gift Bags!
I am very excited to share this interview with all of you! So, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and join us as we get to know the lovely lady behind Brieabella's Penguin Love a bit better!
What is your "Real Life" name?
Stephani
Tell us a bit about yourself.
We live just on the edge of Dallas, Texas. "We" means my husband of 4 years and our Furries. We have 2 dogs who do not know they are dogs: Bruce, who has extreme anxiety but loves to visit our parents and goes in the car with me to run errands, and Bear, who has no problems as long as he is right with me or my husband. Bear was born a show dog and trained himself -- he goes to all the shows, not in a kennel, he has his own chair, and does not bark or get out of the chair without permission. We also have 3 cats: Guinness, a big Siamese who thinks he is a dog; Tinkabella, my oldest rescue; and Brieabella, who was my baby when I started the soap business. She loves to go everywhere with us. She sits on my husband's shoulder or mine, and we thought she would be going to all the shows with us. But after we got Guinness, she became unwilling to leave him. As you can tell, I lvoe my babies, and they are all Rescue animals except Bear, who was one of my brother's puppies. I do a lot in support of Rescues and the fight against animal cruelty. I used to be a full-time teacher, and I taught Drama and Texas History. I do miss my students, but making soap and beauty products is wonderful.
What is your favorite color?
Pink, not baby pink, but bright and shiny. I love fall leaves and really sparkly stuff.
What are your two most and least favorite movies?
Hard to pick -- we watch everything, and I was a Drama major in college. My favorite type is Romance. "Gone with the Wind" and "The Three Musketeers" (the one with Charlie Sheen) would be two of my all time favorites. Least favorite is slap-stick comedy, but my husband loves them so I watch them with him.
What are you reading right now?
Clash of Kings, book 2 in the "Games of Thrones" series. Waiting on new ones from Sherilyn Kenyon, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood. I have about 10 books all over the house and will read most anything, but Historical Romance is my favorite.
What is your favorite handmade item, either purchased for yourself or received as a gift?
Aquilt made by my Grandmother. But I lvoe bath stuff and tarts, oh and body butter!!! And wooden bowls.
What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?
I have always done art and craft things. I was an art major for several years in college. My Mom taught ceramics when I was a kid, and her Mom always taught me sewing and yarn things. My Dad's Mom taught me cooking and gardening. So making things with my Grandmothers and Mom are the best memories. Both of my Grandmothers have moved to heaven, but I have things from both of them to treasure.
Why do you create?
Because I have to...I really do.
What inspires you?
My customers, as well as nature, reading, animals, almost anything...I can smell something and say, "Oh, I need to go make something."
What are your favorite materials?
Right now....soap stuff, oatmeal MP and in CP I love using coconut silk or stuff we would eat that is healthy to see if it can help the skin.
Do you sell only online, or do you also sell in shops and/or at craft shows?
Right now, I do a lot of craft shows on the weekends, and online as much as possible.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Bear and I go with my Mom and her dog to senior homes and hospitals and do therapy visits. I am a part-time Nanny and teach soap classes. My step-daughter and I go to animal shelters and just cuddle and love on the animals. Oh, and I help Hubby with his mold business.
Where can we find you online?
You can contact me at any of the following sites -- I love making custom orders and will ship worldwide:
Facebook ~ Storenvy Shop ~ Penguin Love Store ~ Penguin Love Molds (eBay store)
Here a few examples of Stephani's FABULOUS work...
