Vendor Feature | Lilian.Grace

I’m so excited to bring you a new part of the SCP blog… Vendor Features!!  Each week I will be featuring different vendors from the photography world where you can meet the very talented individuals behind the gorgeous, creative and unique items that have made their ways into the hands of photographers, designers and new mommas all across the world (yes, world!).  It is a great honor that our very first vendor feature is owner and designer of Lilian.Grace, Amanda Buechler.  Not only have Amanda and I become fast friends on the web (and hope to actually meet one day as I feel like I already know her!), but I am so in love with so many of her products… they add the perfect touch to my newborn and child sessions.  So without further ado, meet the amazing Amanda of Lilian.Grace (and enjoy all of the Lilian.Grace products in all of the images!)… and stay tuned at the end for a fabulous product Amanda is giving away to one of our readers!!

Meet Amanda…

What inspired you to start your business?
i have always loved everything crafty and just had this gut feeling that this was where i was supposed to be. well, i lie … i loathe knitting 🙂 couldnt do it if you paid me a million bucks! i remember doing all sorts of crafts with my grandma each summer, mostly painting and sewing. both of my grandmas are skilled seamtresses so i think it was just kind of meant to be, ya know? i also remember i took a sewing class in high school, it was fun and i think my poor mom still has the hideous heart pillow i made her. also, dont ask me to make pillows 😉 apparently i suck at it! anyways, after my oldest was born things just kind of very slowly came into place.

Who or what inspires you now?
oh man, what inspires me?! life. someones outfit on a random tv show, a tree, playing at the park, a box o crayons … its really just complete random moments during the day that i will see something differently than i had seen it before and then something just pops and a giant “ahhhh aha!” forms and tada. sounds crazy, trust me i know 😉

When did you start your business? 
well this one is a little tricky, or maybe not but the lilian.grace now was nothing like what it was in the beginning so i guess this answer depends on who you ask 😛 officially lilian.grace opened may 2011, but we did a massive rebranding in september 2011. it took me a few different trys to finally get it “right”. i started out making tutus maybe 4 years ago when my oldest turned 1 and i wanted something frilly for her to wear … then after i started my photography adventure almost 2 years ago i loved all the buntings and banners around and figured id make my own! thats really where lilian.grace had started. it wasnt until august of last year that a friend and i had put our heads together and “came up” with the fleece sewn bonnet (aka victorian inspired was what i called it). and after much much more trial and error the linen bonnets were made in october of last year. its been an insane journey and to think back on everything that has happened in the last few months its just mind boggling to me. i have some amazing people marketing for me and i just couldnt ask for anything better.

How did you come up with the name?
well thats easy! grace is my oldest daughter, shes 5 and darn it starts kindergarten next month … bleh, where did the last five years go?! and lily (lilian) is my youngest daughter and turns two next week, shes full of spunk (putting it mildly!). i always felt guilty putting lilian first, though she is the youngest but grace.lilian doesnt have the same ring to it 😉 and i like that lilian.grace sounds like lily N grace too 🙂

Three words to describe your style:
vintage inspired elegance 🙂

What would I find on your craft table?
errr dinner 🙂 we live in a cramped space and my craft table is also the dining table. it rocks. i do have a teensy weensy desk area that houses all my fabric and my computer and just about everything else you could imagine needing to run a business. right now its clean, so nothing too fun is on it! well, i lied again … i did just pick up 150 yards of material for teepees! if that aint fun then i dont know what is! its also littered with vintage fabrics and lace and linens and other doodads.

What was the first item you ever sold? Care to share how much you sold it for?
hmmmm, i believe it was a bunting and i think it was for $30 … my first ready to ship sewn bonnet sale was in october (strolling through memory lane here!) and i think they sold for $45, it was new and noone else was doing them!

Self-taught or did you learn elsewhere?
self taught, sewing is in my blood 🙂 though i did take a class in high school, but i wouldnt count that!

Is this a full-time gig or something on the side? 
i would say that it is more than full time! i am constantly ON and in business mode. that is one of my goals for next year … business hours! i cant help it though, i LOVE what i do and i just cant slow down. in fact, i just pile on more!

What else keeps you busy? 
i am also a newborn photographer so that keeps me busy and is also a full time job on its own. but also, and most importantly, my girls keep me busy … always doing something with them, even if its nothing and snuggling on the couch 🙂

Describe your ideal day:
well i tend to be very (very!!) indecisive so this is ever changing … but, an ideal day would be our little family back as disney just walking around and seeing the looks of complete excitement on their faces. thats pretty darn ideal to me 😉 but something a little more practical would be just hanging out on the couch with the girls and watching movies and doing puzzles 🙂

If you could see your items on any one person (or new peanut!), who would it be and why?
a real celebrity baby would be just awesome! it wouldnt define me as “making it” in the biz, but it would just be one very cool cherry on top!

Where can we find your goods:
www.liliangracecreations.com

Thank you to Amanda!! And if that’s not enough, Amanda is giving one lucky reader this gorgeous Emma Tieback!

TO ENTER:

Please leave ONE comment below this blog post stating that you completed step 1  below. That comment will serve as your giveaway entry.

1. Like Stephanie Cotta Photography & Lilian.Grace on Facebook.

 

FOR TWO BONUS ENTRIES… (bonus entries are not required to enter)

1.  Make this your status on your facebook page:  “Head over to @Stephanie Cotta Photography to win a @lilian.grace Emma Tieback!!” (You must use the @ symbol before Stephanie Cotta Photography and Lilian.Grace so that it tags both pages.)  Then come back and leave a comment with your page telling us you did so.

2.  Follow Stephanie Cotta Photography (@SCPstudio) on Twitter and share a link to this blog post.  Then coming back and leave a comment telling us you did so.

There you have it… three chances to win!!  The Lilian.Grace giveaway starts today and ends Sunday, August 19th at midnight.  The winner will be randomly selected (by random.org) and announced here on the blog on August 20th!  The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected!

Good luck!!

{This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.}