At Quilt Market last May, I met Nathan and Stacy Wiedenmann who were there introducing a new product to the world. And it was no elementary, homespun product either, but a multi-function task light of all things. Now how do you get that made?
The inventor in me can't resist new gadgets. The business owner in me thrills to see someone tackle manufacturing with success. Isaac has two pet lighting inventions he wants to patent and market one day, so meeting small business owners in the lighting trade is extra fun.
Now, I'm going to butcher the Stella Lighting story, but as I understand it, Nathan was at a meeting at Starbucks where he and an associate were discussing a prototype of this lamp when a quilter approached them to find out more about it. After a demonstration, she insisted that she needed the lamp and she needed it now. And that other quilters and crafters needed it too. The punchline is: this godsend matchmaker hooked up a great little lamp with an eager audience and it was true love.
So
what makes this light different? The Stella task lamp is stocked with
21 little LED light bulbs, all rated to last for 50,000+ hours—we'll
call that a lifetime of use. You never have to change the bulbs. With
efficient LED technology, the lamp uses 10% of the electricity of a
comparably bright incandescent light. And the light stays cool, so you
can work right under it very comfortably. It is available as a desk lamp or floor lamp.
It also has five brightness levels, so it can be adjusted to the task at hand. You can choose from three different light temperatures, including a warm light (very similar to incandescent light), a very cool light, and a bright, daylight-balanced light.
For me and my purposes, the daylight-balanced setting is where it's at. Much of my work involves reviewing colors for accuracy. And having a Stella on hand allows me to work later into the day, after the sun has set—perfect for evaluating fabric strike-offs, painting new artwork, or choosing thread colors.
The light is even and bright and the neck of the lamp can be bent in almost any direction. It's streamline shape allows it to peek in quietly over your work or move aside as needed.
Check in with Stella on Twitter and Instagram. Visit StellaLighting.com for a video introduction and more information about the product and the company. Art stores, quilt stores, needlework stores and more are all starting to carry this new light, so watch for the Stella at your local shop.
Stella Lighting is generously donating one white Stella task lamp for today's giveaway. A $220 value.
Comment to enter. One entry per household. U.S. shipping only on this one. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address field on the comment form. Today's giveaway will close at noon PST on Tuesday 8/20/13. Watch for the winner to be announced within a few days at the bottom of the post.
For the backstory on my August HELLO Giveaway project, click here. Please share the word. And check back every day.
Good luck!
xo—Heather
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UPDATE: Congratulations, Melissa from Missouri ("Definitely something I need." Lucky #8)! You win today's HELLO Giveaway. We will email you with next steps. And congratulations to @breelovesfashion8 on Instagram for winning our Day 19 Instagram giveaway. The giveaway is closed, but you can still join the conversation and comment. xo—HB
