Guest Contributor Deborah Ziegler from Grammy's Heart With Love

This week I am excited to introduce Deborah Ziegler from Grammy's Heart With Love as our Guest Contributor this week.  Deborah and I met in the Crochet Bloggers Group and I quickly became a fan of hers.  Deborah has so graciously offered a tease to an eBook to be released later next year. Leonard will be joined by others in a release of her Noah's Ark Set! The Country Willow is proud to be the only one releasing this pattern for you all to enjoy until it's release.

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So let's get to know Deborah better.



 Tell us a bit about you/family?

    Well, I always say that I am a child of God. I am a daughter & I am a sister. I am a wife. I am a
mom & mom-in-law. I am blessed that some beautiful children say...I am Grammy. That pretty
much sums it up. =) I first met my husband about 24 years ago; several years later we became a
beautiful blended family. I brought 3 sons into it and he gave me 5 daughters!

 How did you decide on the name for your shop/blog?
    Ha-ha, it was actually my oldest son that gave me the nickname of ‘Grammy’. My father and I
share the same birthday. In 2004, my son and his wife took us, my husband, our 2 sons and my
mother out to dinner for a birthday celebration. The front of my birthday card read,
“Grandmothers deserve sweetness and sunshine.” Yep, they were having a baby!! Inside he had
signed it, Happy Birthday Grammy

 How long has your shop/blog been open and why did you start it?
    I am actually in the beginning stages of a pattern shop. I have an Etsy shop but it’s closed for
remodeling! I have had a from Grammy’s Heart, with Love presence for about 7 years now. Our
family sort of used it as a way to stay connected with one another. We would post pictures and
announcements and such. With the rise of ‘smart’ phones that need diminished so I started
posting patterns that I found around the internet or that I had designed. It sort of became a
request station! =)
   One of our sons and daughter-likes (that’s what I call my daughters-in-law) requested a Noah’sArk Set for their oldest daughter. What they sent me was a hodgepodge of weirdness! So, I
started out playing around with shapes. I really wanted something a bit realistic but not too
realistic…if that makes sense. I would work a bit, hubby would give his input and help me write it
down (after all, I had to do another one!) On her second birthday we gave her the ark with a
rainbow handle and 4 or 5 sets of animals. I had family, their friends and our friends coaxing me
to make the patterns available. That was almost 6 years ago. Now, through prayer, we are going
to be opening a shop. I say we because my husband helps me design patterns.

What is your favorite item/s in your shop or on your blog at the moment?
    As of right now, I would say the Fabulous Fedora is a favorite of mine. I had fun designing it and have recently begun an addition for it. SHHH-that’s a secret! =) I do however have some upcoming patterns that are equally enticing.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
    First and foremost; the things of God. I see His beauty throughout all things even the storms that come our way. As a teenager I loved photography and to this day it is a passion of mine to go ‘shooting’. There are times that as I go through my photos I will see a texture or even colors that inspire me to create something.

What other things do you like to do in your spare time?
   My most favorite thing is having all the family gather together. It is the most wonderful chaos a Grammy could ask for!
I love going for walks in the woods either by myself or with the gran’kiddies. I’m always on the lookout for interesting pieces of wood to use in art pieces…
I enjoy photography, sewing and painting. It’s great when I can combine more than one media together.

What would be the one piece of advice would you give to a person setting up their own
shop/blog?
    Don’t rush! By that I mean, don’t look at what others have or are doing and just ‘jump into it’! Develop a strategy and plan what and how you are going to achieve that strategy. I started rushing with this new adventure and it came back to bite me! So, I picked myself up, brushed myself off and told myself to slow down! When you try to keep up with someone that has been around even a couple of years longer than yourself; you’re still behind. Be yourself.

 Where can you be found on Social Media?
    Well, I’m even learning about that now. Geez, I’m feeling like a dinosaur about now!
One of my creations. His name is Rawr.
I have my blog, from Grammy’s Heart, with Love!
 at http://fromgrammysheart.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/fromgrammysheart?ref=hl
I LOVE Pinteresthttp://www.pinterest.com/7grammysheart/
I’m just getting into Google+ and Twitter https://plus.google.com/u/0/111228066730931296202/posts https://twitter.com/ofGrammysHeart
And I really need to find out more about using Ravelry and Craftsy http://www.ravelry.com/people/GrammysHeart http://www.craftsy.com/my/home?_ct=wberqbdql-kiuh-coshqvjio as well as a few other places that have come to my attention.
If you would like to be notified when Noah's Ark becomes available, follow this link http://fromgrammysheart.com/crocheting-with-love/noahs-ark-sign/

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I hope you got to know Deborah better and enjoyed this free pattern that not been released. Thank you Deborah for your generosity! Please visit her site and be sure to tell her I sent you!  Leave comments below!

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