Kids Haus

WOOLi HOP Floor Mat

One of my favorite little Etsy shop discoveries is WOOLi - I absolutely fell in love with their soft toy boxes. Out of curiosity, I took a peek into their shop this evening to see if they might be up to something new and found this undeniable fantastic baby floor mat! I think it's the construction and choice of materials that has me giddy - who doesn't love thick wool and organic cotton for baby to sit and play on? (or is it just me?). The cover comes off for easy washing - and you know that will happen more times than you care to imagine.

Springtree Road

This post has been a very long time coming. Finally! I'm setting a little patch of time aside to tell you all about Maya's handspun yarns but it's been worth the wait, trust me! If you've never read Maya's blog, Springtree Road, you're missing out on a little bit of sunshine. Maya and I have been blogger friends for a while now and though we've never met, Maya is one of those people whose warmth radiates through her words - I wish I had that talent! She was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I opened my Etsy shop a year ago and I'm forever grateful for her support. So, several months ago, Maya bought her very own spinning wheel and has been vigorously churning out hand-dyed and handspun yarn which naturally led her to open an Etsy shop, Springtree Road! (fans are cheering!). The colors are radiant and the yarn practically looks edible! I haven't a clue how to knit but I know there are plenty of talented knitters out there and with chilly weather on our heels, I imagine knitting scarves and sweaters are what comes to mind. Congratulations, Maya!

I couldn't go without mentioning one of Maya's first customers, Brandy Jaggers, who bought her yarn and made these delicately gorgeous props for babies to wear in her photographs. I don't think I've seen anything more precious, really...have you? I wish I had gotten photos of my girls like these when they were newborns. If you want to coo, melt and crumble to the simple sight of babies, then you simply must check out Brandy's website...

 

New House Project Aprons

Now that I've been missing in action for so long, you're wondering why I've written three posts in less than 12 hours? Well, this one is for good reason. I've been following New House Project's blog for several months because I love Kristin's simple approach to home, motherhood and the project's that she creates to make a creative and inspiring environment for her daughter, Saya. It's really sweet. A couple of weeks ago, Kristin mentioned that she was going to open an Etsy shop selling handmade aprons for children and I've been waiting...and waiting...for her to announce the opening. Well, they're here! All made from vintage and found scraps of fabric, they're all adorable. She also mentioned that her husband will be selling pottery eventually - can't wait for that!

Rag & Bone Bindery

A few weeks back, I was in our local toy store (Clover) and saw Rag & Bone Bindery's beautiful baby books on display. It's refreshing to see handmade and uniquely designed baby books in contrast to the typical ones that are predominantly found in the marketplace. Sometimes I've wondered if it's too late to start another baby book even though my babies are well beyond those years but then I discovered Rag & Bone's "Twelve Wishes for Baby" books.They come with twelve fill-in-the-blank pages that read “I promise I will always keep…,” “A special place I hope you'll visit someday…,” “My wish for you…,.” among others. It also features photo pages and a “five simple rules” section to write down basic rules for any child as they begin their lifelong journey (perfect!). Rag & Bone bindery is a collective group of artisans out of Rhode Island who make their books all by hand - a true art!

Mother's Day Idea: SpoonerZ

Aren't these hand-stamped, hand-formed spoon pieces from SpoonerZ adorable? (Ahem, I only hint being that Mother's Day is on the horizon). A little personalized treasure for all those dedicated mothers out there...hint, hint...

{GIVEAWAY} Couture Lab

Hello everyone! Kids Haus sponsor, Couture Lab, is having a very cool giveaway for this hand-embroidered teddy bear. The most admirable and awesome part about this teddy bear is that it's hand-crafted by women artisans in deprived, HIV-struck areas of Africa. These craftswomen are part of The "Forward" Group, an artistic community which spans across regions such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Congo. The Forward Group involves more than 60 artisans, who are now able to generate an income and gain confidence in moving ahead with their lives. Each one unique, the bears feature cotton thread embroidery and patchwork appliqué, depicting happy scenes in bright colors. Each one of these teddies is a one-off collectible piece. With that in mind, I think it makes these bears very special and it's very inspiring to hear that Couture Lab is supporting these women.

So, all you need to do is click here and sign up for the Couture Lab newsletter to enter to win. Good luck!!

Paper n Stitch

I got a really nice email from Brittni from Paper n Stitch, a relatively new shop that showcases work from artists and makers. She introduced me to one of their new designers, Stitchface, that has some ridiculously adorable, eco-friendly stuffies. Their disproportionate features make them even more endearing and loveable...

Personlized Appliqued Pillow

Hey there! I hope you all had a great Easter. As spring in Seattle would have it, it rained from the moment we woke up to the time we went to bed. The early morning egg hunt left us all wet and soggy, especially my husband and I as we tried to follow the girls around our sloping front yard, trying to keep up as they searched for their hidden eggs, which is when I unfortunately discovered that my favorite rain boots had a hole in them. This was the first year that both girls' understood the Easter egg hunt concept -- C was a little too young last year, so we had the fortune of experiencing the magic through their eyes. So fun!

I haven't posted anything about my friend Jana in while -- she always tends to have a craft project or two up her sleeve . Remember her chore chart and concentration game? Well, she's done it again with an appliqued pillow case that she made as a birthday gift for her daughter's friend, Avery. I think giving anything with the birthday girl's name on it will add that extra special, birthday touch and I'm sure Avery already covets her personalized pillow case...really, who wouldn't? It's such a simple idea and one that will be remembered and used for years.

Rikrak Bibs

We're no longer using bibs around here, though on occasion, C will ask to wear one when eating yogurt -- Grasshopper has learned! These vintage-inspired, quilted bibs from Rikrak are some of the cutest I've seen. They're like small works of art with their graphically bold designs and rich colors, you could almost display them on your walls.

Karinsdotter

With all of the baubles, jewelry and trinkets we have accumulated over the years, an easily accessible box to store these random little items is completely essential. We've got a little wooden box to stash jewelry right now but we're to the point of needing two separate boxes, one for each girl, to avoid potential complications (if you know what I mean). Karinsdotter is an avid book binding maniac and has a severe obsession of papers, so she binds books and makes these lovely little boxes in her spare time. Bean saw them on my computer this morning and immediately proclaimed her love for them. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

unverblümt & zugenäht

Hello! In case you may have wondered where I've been for the last several days, I was spending it with my husband's lovely family in snowy & beautiful Tahoe -- I even managed to get a day of snowboarding in, which has only happened a mere 3 times since Bean was born seven years ago. There was no internet access, which was ultimately a good thing as it meant that we were back to basics: reading, playing card games, eating (a lot!), playing, talking and just being! As difficult as it was to not fret about emails and my blog, it was a great sabbatical.

So, now that I'm back, I've been meaning to tell you about Unverblümt & Zugenäht for several weeks -- it's actually my cousin's wife's shop (confused?). Bettina lives in Germany and, unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure to meet her but have heard so many things about her hand-embroidered tee shirts via my mom. Our daughters' also share the same name, coincedentally, so I'm beginning to think I really need to make my way over to Germany and meet her. My mom recently sent me a link to Bettina's shop and I was so impressed with her designs and not only because we're "family" but because they're all genuinely adorable! Sadly, I'm not as fluent in German as I should be (with an Austrian mother and all) so I can't quite translate what she has written in her shop but, fortunately, the pictures speak for themselves.

Charlie and Sarah: Superhero Monogram

I've always admired Charlie and Sarah's screen printed tees (particularly their Wellies British Flashard Tee) but I've got to say that there's something about the use of letters for their Superhero Monogram/ Applique Tee that I absolutely love! I have a thing, shall we say, for typography and a beautiful or bold use of letters can really get my juices flowing. Each Superhero tee is screen printed and each letter sewn on. They are custom made to order, all letters from A-Z available, so you'll need to allow two weeks for delivery. These would make a great gift...

Happy New Year!

Hello again! It feels like weeks since I've said "hi". I don't know about you but I'm feeling invigorated about kick-starting the New Year. I was mentally preparing myself to bound out the door Monday morning, excited to get to work, particularly since it seemed like an unusually long December with the addition of snow keeping us trapped inside but what do I see out my window? yes...more S-N-O-W-! I have a feeling it may be one more day of snow angels but that's hardly something to complain about, isn't it?

After two months of writing about holiday preparations, gifts, crafts, etc...I found myself a little puzzled as to what I would write about my first week of 2009. There are a couple of fun things I will show you this week but since I stumbled back upon Little Overcoat's shop, everything seemed so cheerful, whimsical and fun -- it seemed appropriate to share with you on a Monday and because I dearly miss the sunshine...

I'm also going to show you some of our favorite gifts this year...the tried and true and maybe even one that didn't perform as well as we had hoped. On my great gift list for our 6 year old, I loved The Giant Play and Learn Book. It is loaded with such wonderful activities that involved stickers, coloring, drawing, story telling, puzzles...and more. The book is vibrant and so FUN! Bean played with it for over an hour today with frequent interruptions from her 2 year old sister who was trying everything she could to peel the stickers off. It's great for traveling and keeping the brain busy. The pictures below aren't the best representation of the book but you get the idea. There's also a downloadable activity kit here for a little taste.

Handmade Stocking Stuffers

I think there may be just enough time to order things online and receive them by Christmas (depending on the merchant, of course). I'm starting to think about stocking stuffers and wanted to share a few goodies that would be so fun to fill those stockings with care.

Needle Felted Doll Ball by Asher Jasper - Order by Friday, December 12
Deer Pocket Mirror by Sparkle Paw
Mama & Baby Polar Bears by Little Love Blue
Let It Snow Wool Slippers by 4pippi

Custom Stamp

Sarah Neuburger from The Small Object writes a fantastic blog called The Small Object Steno Pad -- I'm always captivated and inspired with her abundance of ideas and creativity. Recently, she wrote a post about a custom self-inking rubber stamp that she had made from a drawing that her nephew drew (image on the left). This gave me the idea to turn one of Ms. Bean's sweet illustrations into a stamp that she'll have forever. This little girl (on the right) is from a book she finished last weekend entitled, "It's True, Really". I just sent it off to the Stamp Connection and was called back within minutes to confirm my order. These are the guidelines for sending in custom art. I should be expecting it in the mail within 24 to 48 hours and they were so nice to deal with! I'll share the end result with you next week and maybe I'll scan in a few pages from her book so you can read the story yourself.

 

A Few of My Favorite Things: Part II

TO PLAY
Left: Bag of Apples
Right: Felt River Rocks

TO WEAR:
Left: Marie Monster Hat
Right: Comfy Boots

TO DECORATE:
Left: Mushrooms Chalkals
Right: Letterpress Alphabet Poster

Mimi Mouse

Nathalie Ducaud was originally a web designer based in London but after having her daughter three years ago she had to find some ways to fit freelance work around childcare. She has always been interested in fashion and graphic illustration and decided to set up her own design and screen printing business called Mimi Mouse...and I'm so glad she did! We could own all of Nathalie's shirts...I think the simplicity is part of their wonderful character. Nathalie also has a blog, though written in French, is very visually entertaining.

Cicada Studio

With over 12 years experience in the studios of the New York‘s men’s garment industry, Michelle from Cicada Studios has created her own line of textiles and has carried some motifs into stationery and wall calendars and is planning on expanding into other items in the near future (can't wait to see what she comes up with!). There's no question she's on the right path as a textile artist -- as you can see by her wonderful prints. I love the mushrooms and foxes particularly. Michelle has even pulled together a well-illustrated and easy-to-follow bib tutorial if you'd like to try your hand at crafting your own bib!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Whenever the holidays are upon us, like clockwork, the song "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" pops into my head and is nearly impossible to shake (I'm not kidding!). So, instead of muffling that catchy tune, I've decided to embrace it and select a handful of my favorite things that I've found on my searches. These "things" will be unique and special and will hopefully help you in your quest for holiday gift giving. Enjoy...

1. Felted Woolen Booties
2. Wooden Rabbit Puzzle
3. Gustave, a pocket fairy tale. Book no.
4. Creature Mask - Little Fox
5. The Wooden Spool Doll Kit

The Mayberry Sparrow

I'm just about to put a couple of orders in for custom bookplate stamps as a birthday present for two of Ms. Bean's friends. Seems to me that 7 year old's start to appreciate personalization and seeing their name on things. A lovely stamp with my very own name and a bird beside it would have definitely been my favorites as a kid -- though every piece of furniture and wall might have been personalized. The Maybeery Sparrow has the sweetest selection of hand-carved stamps -- there are so many I love!

 

{Giveaway!} Little Alouette

I'm excited to start the week off with a Little Alouette Giveway! "The Handle Wooden Maple Waldorf Style Wood Teether" looks intriguingly comfortable for baby gums and the handle is nice to grasp for tiny hands. This small company is a family venture consisting of Master British Craftsman Dad, Writer Mom and two wee ones to finish and test their creations - it is truly a labor of love. They use Ohio maple whenever possible and believe in natural materials that are locally sourced. Certified organic seed oil is used to finish their products. 

How this works: We'll randomly select 1 winner only. All you need to do is leave a comment, no anonymous comments please, from now until midnight PST on Friday, October 31, 2008 (Happy Halloween!). I will announce the winners on Monday morning, November 3, 2008. One entry per person please!

Picnic/Tea Party Blanket

The child who gets this incredibly creative and beautifully stitched Picnic/Tea Party Blanket from LeiLiLaLoo will be one lucky duck! I would be throwing a tea party all year round. She's only made one though, so hurry before someone else snaps it up. It would make a great heirloom to pass down.

Little Brown Pen

How many times have you been running late for a birthday party and didn't have a card? (mmm, I've lost count for myself). How about a classically simple calendar to give as a gift or for yourself to keep track of plans? Need labels? Notecards? Little Brown Pen has designed some unbelievably charming templates for the aforementioned circumstances. The idea is simple in that you purchase the .pdf template and can print the designs yourself, as many times as you want...everything under $4! I think I'll keep this in mind for the next time I'm in a pinch. Little Brown Pen also has a lovely blog worth a peek.

Gypsy and Twink

It's been a very long time since I've taken a peek into what Gypsy and Twink has been working on. I featured her work last year after I was awestruck by the Love Elephant wood sculpture. She's been busy making some fantastic pieces and has a lot of beautiful wood sculptures to peruse...I don't think there's a bad one in the bunch. I would love to take all of these home...

Sarah & Abraham

Inspired by vintage illustrations of children at play and her own experiences with her two young children, Sara of Sarah & Abraham creates incredibly charming, personalized artwork and stationery. The simplicity of the silhouettes along with the beautiful color choices make it hard to choose a favorite. I may be a tad early to mention holiday-related items but you should take a peek at her holiday stationery too...adorable!

Lunch Bags

Sorry I've been hiding from you. There's a lot stirring and hopefully I'll have some fun news to share with you tomorrow. I still haven't determined if I've taken on too much yet but I may be reaching that point. I've got a lot of ideas in my head and a lot of projects in the hopper, so you may find that I miss a post or two. After all, one must prioritize -- especially as a mom. Sarah Jane Studios wrote a great post about choices. It's a must read.

Anyhow, back to my regularly scheduled programming...

It's been a year since the news broke of certain types of children's lunch bags found contaminated with lead. We had one, in fact, and promptly threw it away. Unbelievable! Well, we're in the market for a new lunch bag again and I've been perusing the market for one that will appeal to my picky 6 year old and, at the same time, be cool enough for the next couple of years. There's a fantastic array of lead-free lunch bags here and if you happen to be one that sews, there's a great tutorial on how to make your own oilcloth lunch bag by the charming blog, tumbling blocks.

Rosie Goa

Rosie Goa is a new Etsy shop that perked my interest the minute I laid my eyes on her Kurta tunics. Rosie is Australian-born and is fortunate enough to spend her time between Paris, France and Goa, India. The fabrics are gorgeous and they are hunted out locally, meaning very small runs, sometimes even just one piece. The quality is impeccable and she packages everything in a nice little pouch...

Tooth Fairy Pillows

Ms. Bean is probably the only first grader in her class who hasn't lost a tooth. Though, luckily I found a wiggly one after her bath the other night (whew!). I was determined to find one...just one...to keep her spirits up as all of her friends' flash their toothless grins and tell of their tooth fairy stories. Fast forward a few years and this topic will have changed to bras...so I'm happy to focus on tooth fairy paraphernalia to make this a special phase in our lives. Here are a few tooth fairy pillows I've gathered to conveniently stash that lost tooth while the tooth fairy pays a visit...

1. Buttercupbloom
2. Think Outside the Box
3. Chasing Bluebirds
4. Keller Fine Art

 

Hi Tree!

Who doesn't love a good tree? I've never seen anything quite like Hi Tree!'s creations. From the Itty Bitty Oak Tree to Mr. Giant Sequoia, each pillow is crafted stacking layers of wool felt to add texture. It reminds me of those maps that illustrate the variances of a landscape. I'm really quite taken with all of them...
 

Little Love Blue

Little Love Blue makes beautifully crafted felted wool creatures. One is cuter than the next. Cary makes everything with the utmost quality and strives to make every toy heirloom quality. She does this by using the best materials possible, including wool fabric that she felts herself which makes for much softer and yet more durable material than commercially produced felt. You can see by looking at her pieces that there is so much attention detail...

LeiLiLaLoo

LeiLiLaLoo is spilling over with creativity. She's doing what I aspire to do...making artful things, constantly. I adore the whimsical approach to all of her pieces. LeiLiLaLoo makes everything from paintings, to home decoration, to clothing. She's not afraid to layer, add new textures and use a wide range of mediums. Very inspiring...

Too Small to Count

There's something very endearing about these wooly, fuzzy, alien-like creatures by Too Small to Count. With names like Boris, Clive and Alien Alan, they're perfect for story telling! Can you imagine what fun it would be to use these little creatures to animate a bedtime story? Not suitable for children under 3.

Felicitate Illustration

I'm so in love with Felicitate Illustration! Each one is cuter than the next. The way she puts her little creatures in such an imaginative setting, like the big strawberry snack bar, just tells me how much she must be having drawing and painting each piece. Almost all of her illustrations are originals -- not prints! She's a busy girl. I'll have to consider buying one...

And if that wasn't enough, her Flickr album is loaded with photos of her adorable, handmade stuffed animals and more illustrations. Now we'll just need to wait for her to start selling those irresistable stuffies on Etsy...(please)...

Knit Craft Art

I can't decide what's cuter...the baby or the knit hat? Knit Craft Art is the work of Shira Adriance, an avid knitter and fiber artist (this term is new to me but I like it). Each of Shira's pieces is designed through a series of sketches, rather than a pattern, therefore making each piece one of a kind. Everything in her shop just pops and is so fun. The monster inspiration began with "J'élève mon monstre" by Elise Gravel.

Hikje!

One of the best surprises I've found about having an Etsy store is seeing who "hearts" my shop. That's how I discovered Hikje! -- a label that was created by Janneke Zantinge. Janneke graduated from the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands in 2006 and decided to expand her skills from product design into clothing and "wall softies" for children. Her work is so vibrant and full of energy! All of her pieces are made of felt and machine sewn onto fabric. Even cuter is that Hikje means "little hiccup" in Dutch.