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{sponsor feature + giveaway: Barn Owl Primitives}

Updated on giveaway, shop feature

This giveaway is now closed.

Today’s sponsored feature & giveaway is from Kristi of Barn Owl Primitives. Reading through her interview, which is more like having a 1-on-1 conversation with Kristi, gave me goosebumps. The words she uses and the encouragement she shares and her story and wisdom and heart for handmade is exactly what this blog is all about ~ so I’ve highlighted bits & pieces that really spoke to me, things I thought would speak to you, too :]

I’m so proud to be working with Kristi; I hope you’ll take a few minutes to soak in her advice, because it’s so good!!!, and then at the end there’s a super generous giveaway for you to enter. ENJOY + happy Friday!

* * *

My name is Kristi and I’m a mom to Maddie and Connor, wife to Sean and a daughter, sister, aunt and friend to many. I’m a day dreamer with a LONG list of projects yet to be completed. I’m a lover of coffee and all things vintage. And I’m the creator of Barn Owl Primitives.

A few years ago, when money was tight and making handcrafted Christmas gifts seemed like the way to go, I started making hand painted door hanging snowmen for my family and friends. They were well-received and friends of friends started placing orders. That snowballed into Barn Owl Primitives {BOP} and a little shop on Etsy. Since Snowmen eventually melt I needed to add some things to my shop that would last all year. I started with my You are My Sunshine and a Family Rules Typography Word Art Signs. Things were slow at first, but after months of marketing my shop on facebook, building relationships with fellow shop owners and bloggers, I started to see some steady sales. During those first few slow months, I read every article on the Etsy blogs about building a good business. I educated myself on what it means to create a brand and I set out to make BOP something that people would recognize. I focused my energy and efforts on making new and exciting products and looked for big and small ways to set myself apart from my competition.

It’s important not to get too comfortable or too complacent in your business. Challenge yourself to always be moving forward. Set goals and continually revisit them and constantly set new ones.

I have sold signs to some pretty amazing people. My We Can Do Hard Things sign is hanging in the Etsy Corporate Office in New York City and the MTV Office in London. Brené Brown purchased my Playroom Rules sign and I almost fell off the couch when I received the order. But by far the orders that I am most proud of are from people you’ve never heard of — The daughter who purchased a sign for her dad’s 70th birthday with all the sayings he’s been repeating to her for the last 46 years. The mother who allowed me to see and paint the special and private poem that she repeats to her autistic son each night before he goes to bed. The grandmother who ordered my Strength of My Love sign for her granddaughter, who spent almost a year in the NICU before finally coming home. The mother who lost her twelve year old son to an unthinkable accident during a flood. These are just a few of the accomplishments that I am the most proud of and the one’s that make what I do so rewarding and worthwhile.

Starting this business has been such an amazing journey for me. I’ve gained friends, grown my confidence, tapped into a creative side I didn’t know existed, and developed a love of handmade products.

If you are thinking about starting you own shop the best advice I can offer you is this:
* We Can Do Hard Things.
* Owning and growing a successful business is HARD WORK. But, it is that hard work that will set you apart from your competition.
* That hard work that will drive you to produce quality products and to be passionate about what you create.

Remember, you are not alone. There is an entire community of people willing to help you. There are fellow shop owners, bloggers, customers, fellow creatives, and friends that want to see you succeed. Ask for help when you need it and more importantly, accept help when it is offered.

It’s been such an honor to share a little bit about myself with you here today! Hope to see you around the Barn real soon!!

xo ~ kristi

* * *

G I V E A W A Y: Kristi is offer a $100 shop credit to her shop, AMAZING! To enter, please visit Barn Owl Primitives and leave a comment below with your favorite item.

For extra entries, follow BOP on facebook or twitter, follow Gussy Sews on facebook or twitter, or share this giveaway with your community via blog, twitter or facebook.

Remember to leave an extra comment for each {up to 8 extra entries}; I’ll pick a winner in a few days!

G O O D ♥ L U C K

Posted In: giveaway, shop feature

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823 Comments

  1. Can I say all of them? But really, I like the alphabet letterpress design and the wine list. Although I might change my mind if I win. Thanks so much!

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  2. Oh! So many favourites! But the Mom’s Diner sign would be SOOO perfect above our kitchen doorway! What a beautiful shop.

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  3. I absolutely love Barn Owl Primitives wooden signs…they are amazing, I LOVE the worn look they have, they are just wonderful!

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  37. How can you choose from all those great signs? I love all the Family Rules ones. Maybe You are My Sunshine or Mom’s Diner? Too hard to choose just one!! Thanks for introducing us to her shop.

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  57. I adore people who can take words and saying and turn it into something that is visual. I love writing, but I have to admit that whatever font my doc defaults to, is just fine. People like BOP turn it into art.

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  64. Love the “classroom rules” as well as the “playroom rules”! As a ‘just retired’ early childhood educator (soon to begin my own art school for kiddos under 7 yrs. of age) …wel,l these ARE the “rules of life” for me no matter how old one is! Delightful shop and interview! Thanks for the giveaway!!

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  65. Oh her shop is a treat to brows around in! I love the blue Family Rules Sign – Live Simply Typography Word Art Sign. It would be perfect for our little blue house and a great reminder.

    missylovsjesus at yahoo dot com

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  66. I first saw the Wash Your Hands and Say Your Prayers piece on Pintrest and I laughed out loud! Love it! :)

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  75. I adore everything in the shop, but I absolutely love the You complete Me sign, the newest family rules sign, the nursery signs and finally the Keep Calm and Say I Do! :)

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  85. I LOVE the sign “love is all you need, all you need is love”. Your stuff is amazing and I love your story. So inspiring. :)

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  102. Oh, I love her stuff! You are my sunshine is MY favorite but I have several others picked out for gifts!! Thanks for reminding me about this shop as Christmas shopping is nearing….(in case I don’t win, that is)!

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  107. Super fun stuff! Added to my favorite shops on Etsy. My two favorite signs: A True Love Story Never Ends or Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Thanks for the opportunity to enter!

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  108. I am head over heels in love with the Little Darling with Bunting piece. I would love to hang it in the nursery for my babe due in January.

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  111. I visited the shop and I absolutely LOVE the ~You Complete Me Heavily Distressed Sign in Hummingbird Blue Vintage Style~! I want that hanging in my bedroom! It’s the perfect colors too! Love it!
    ~Lisa @ Organized Chaos

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  134. As I am a nurse I have had my eye on the Wash Your Hands and Say your prayers sign for a while now….i even added it to my christmas list! Would love to get that one!

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  137. oh my gravy…soooo many fun and inspiring pieces of art!!! the “have yourself a merry little christmas” piece is really catching my eye at the moment as i am in full “holiday prep” mode. thanks for the chance!

    ~misty

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  158. I would love to get the famous golf courses sign for my husband for Christmas…it would be perfect in his office. LOVE your stuff!

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  159. Hello! Stumbled onto your blog this morning via Facebook. Your blog is an inspiration of cuteness!!
    Unrelated to the giveaway, just wanted to give a shout out from Mankato, MN where I run Jenna Lou Designs. Love seeing other thriving creatives in the MN area!

    Reply

  194. I LoVe BOP’s “You Are My Sunshine Sign with Bunting Typography Word Art”. I have that sung that song to each of my sons since they were born. I can simply sing part of a line of the song, and they finish it – from anywhere in the house. It’s our special song…….. Beautiful artwork. Thank you Gussy for sharing!!

    Reply

  198. I’ve always loved her signs! I like all of them! I have been wanting a family rules sign and I also like the “Come in we’re open!” :) Great giveaway!

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  208. I like the family rules sign – live simply. Sometimes I need to be reminded of those things. All the signs are so cute though. I would have a hard time chosing.

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  209. I have been wanting one of Krisit’s signs for EVER! I love her Beach Rules, the Family Rules and her newer “Little Darlin” signs. Se is awesome!

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  220. I really love the “play room rules” sign! that would be adorable in our new play space for the kids :)

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  229. Kristi love the signs and your story. The orange & “good day sunshine” perfect- also” porch rules” has me wishing for a porch!

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  244. We Can Do Hard Things fits our year…lots of loss and we’re growing through it. But I love them all, truly. They’re wonderful!

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  256. Thank you so much for sharing Kristi’s interview! You’re totally right– it was very inspirational. I love the part about how her favorite sales are from everyday people that have a story to tell and share. So touching! Thanks, again, for sharing. :) Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  269. I LOVE the “A true love story never ends” sign and “You complete me”
    All of them are gorgeous!! She does remarkable work!!!!!!

    Reply

  292. Love the faith, trust and pixie dust sign!!! We’re redoing our daughter’s bedroom, and this would fit in just right!!!!

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  305. Wow! What an amazing giveaway!! I like the Farm Fresh Vintage Style Distressed Sign – The Perfect Little Sign to Help You Feather Your Nest and the A True Love Story Never Ends Heavily Distressed Sign in Black Vintage Style.

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  315. I adore the Family Rules sign — so versatile and so, so true! Thank you for hosting such a generous giveaway!

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  317. I love the “be wholehearted” with the bunting! And I am all about some cupcakes!!! all of her art is fabulous!

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  331. I am new to BOP and I am completely in awe of your signs. You inspire me to keep trying to get my ideas out there and hopefully follow in your footsteps of starting a business of my own that is successful and something that I enjoy! I have been showing everyone I know your site and hopefully sending some new business soon!!

    Reply

  374. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the “You are my Sunshine” sign. My grandma always sang that song to my and my sister and I can still hear her singing it today….it will always be one of my favorites! Thanks for the giveaway…very nice!!!

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  377. Everything is beautiful but I love the be wholehearted bunting or the good day sunshine. I say good morning sunshine to my daughter everyday and this sign made me smile!

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  407. I love so many things: the family rules, the alphabet, the Christmas signs and the You complete me! Amazing colors and quotes! Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  420. I love Barn Owl Primitives- she has a beautiful way with words. I think my favorite is Strength of My Love, but all of them are pretty awesome. Thanks for the generous give-away!

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  421. What an amazing interview! I love the stories she told about the people who have ordered from her. So touching! I also love it’s creative space. It’s simple & beautiful.
    I have wanted one of her Family Rules signs for a LONG time!

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  443. I love the “A True Love Story Never Ends,” but, I also love “Wash your Hands and Say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere,” And someday I will own one of each :)

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  447. I cannot decide on one favorite!!
    I Love the Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas
    or Strength of my Love
    Your distressed signs are GORGEOUS!

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  451. BOP has been marked as a favorite shop of mine on Etsy for quite some time. I don’t know if I can pick a fovorite, I’m really wanting the Strength of My Love for my daughter’s room, and the Family Rules by the Kids for the living room because I think it’s so important to remember they’re just little once, and a little extra of the fun stuff is always good!

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  462. LOVE….LOVE….LOVE THE “We Can Do Hard Things.”. My husband and I own and operate a small business and are at the point where we need to decide whether he quits his full-time job and we concentrate on building the business. This would be the perfect daily reminder that we can do it!

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  464. I am SO excited!!! I would have to say that my number one desired item at the moment from BOP is the “wash your hands, say your prayers” sign! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

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  469. Love the laundry room typography! but I also love the Halloween one too.

    shanna.u at gmail dot com

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  484. I love Strength of My Love and You Are My Sunshine. I sing You Are My Sunshine to my girls everyday but put their names in place of “Sunshine,” they love it.

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  508. Wow! Thank you for introducing me to Barn Owl Primitives…my favorite~ Strength of My Love word art!! My little miracle took a long time in the making, and this sign brought tears to my eyes. I’ll post this on my blog, & like it on facebook. hugs, Sarah

    Reply

  514. I love ALL of the items in the BOP shop, but I think my favorite is the brown and blue Strength of My Love Word Art Sign. So beautiful!

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  533. eek! I love Barn Owl Primitives and have been wanting one of these beauties for a long time!! If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say the “fruit of the spirit” typography! I’d love to have that in our house to remind us to practice living the fruit of the spirit daily!! I *super* hope I win!!!! My birthday is coming up, so what a fun birthday presents that would be!!! :)
    xoxox

    PS: thanks for the email Maggie! I need to write you back! Happy Friday!! xoxox

    Reply

  584. I love love love BOP first of all!!

    My fav item{s} are: family rules live laugh love sign, don’t mess with Texas sign and the faith trust and pixie dust one!!

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  587. I really enjoyed this interview. I’ve been a follower of barn owl primitives for awhile now. Just *love* her signs! My fave would have to be the family rules.

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  596. Wow, what an amazing post, amazing biz, and amazing products!!! I have the chills. Love!

    It is so hard to choose my favorite item from the shop, but the Playroom Rules would be at the top of my list.

    Hope I win! :)

    Cheers,
    Suz

    Reply

  602. I love “keep calm and say I do” My sister is getting married next summer and I know the stress a wedding can bring…she would love this. It’s a great reminder. :)

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  646. There are so many wonderful pieces of art, but I simply adore the Family Rules Sign – Live Simply Typography Word Art Sign. I would love to have that hanging in our dining/living room. :-)

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  650. Just hit the ‘liked’ button. ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ speaks to me most. I would give it to a friend that starts her treatment for cancer next week.

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  652. Hard to pick one favorite sign. Would love to have them all over the house to encourage my kids. One of my favs is “Say your prayers”.

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  670. I LOVE the Strength of My Love signs – such a sweet message. :) I also love the Opportunity Thomas Edison sign too. Everything is just so beautiful! :)

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  679. LOVE them all…but I especially LOVE her stories about the special projects she did that were so personal. {{sweet}}

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  716. I really like the playroom sign or the Little Darling. I would have a hard time choosing which one to get if I won!

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  728. I love her Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Heavily Distressed Typography Word Art Sign in Vintage Style. So cute!! :)

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  748. I love BOP – one day I will actually be able to buy some stuff there… :) For now, I would love to win the Family Rules Sign Version V –

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  753. I pinned Strength of My Love Word Art Sign – months ago as a gift for a friend who is having a miracle baby very very soon! Thanks for the chances!

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  768. I have bought many beautiful signs from BOP! My favorite that she has avaiable now os ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas’.

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  792. ok, it’s so hard to pick, but for my favorite it’s a toss-up between the fruit of the spirit and the “you complete me”. such amazing stuff. what talent!
    thanks much,
    shana

    Reply

  797. I LOVE my “We can do hard things” sign. It sat in my classroom last year and presently sits on my office sill. I’m a reading teacher and literacy coach.

    Reply

  819. The Strength of My Love sign is by far my favorite! I tear up thinking of my two daughters every time I read it!

    Reply
  821. Pingback: {offering up gratitude // it’s been nearly 3 years.}

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