Kids Haus

Amber Alexander

I had admired Amber Alexander's paintings in the past as I would peruse Etsy and loved the way she would dress up stoic animals in bonnets or ruffled collars. As I was checking out Etsy today, I came across Amber's painting of a bear sitting on a loveseat...so charming! Well, now I'm at a loss because I can't seem to figure out which one to purchase with over 180 pieces to choose from. There are about a dozen that have made me smile and I want to bring them all home with me...

Jen Talbot Designs

I began following Jen's blog, Cup of Coco, about 4 years ago and was enamored with her creativity and sewing skills. I remember falling in love with a felt birch tree that she was making for someone because it reminded me of something I would dream of wanting in my room as a child but it was always a distant dream {sigh}. Jen has managed to take those childlike dreams and turn them into a whimsical reality - it's a feast for the eyes and imagination, truly beautiful. Jen has recently launched her new website, Jen Talbot Designs, and has been designing custom rooms for kids amongst other interesting projects. I'm seriously contemplating hiring Jen to make something for our newly remodeled basement. Enjoy looking through her projects here.

An Awesome Book of Thanks

Last night my daughter picked out 'An Awesome Book' as our bedtime story. It's undoubtedly one of our favorite books and as I was enjoying reading the inspirational words and admiring his whimsical illustrations, I wondered if Dallas Clayton would ever come up with another book. Ironically, I just opened my email and found a message from Mr. Clayton introducing his brand new book, 'An Awesome Book of Thanks'. How fantastic!! You can enjoy reading it online or you can purchase a hard copy for yourself or for someone else. Bean just read through it and LOVED it! It's over 80 pages with marvelous illustrations and a meaningful, inspirational message once again...THANKS!

Bastille Cafe & Bar Kids Coloring Page

Almost a year ago, I volunteered to illustrate a kids coloring page/menu for our restaurant to help loosen up my rusty gears, seemed like a good challenge at the time. I finally began sketching it 3 months ago and, today, I finally finished it! Gotta be honest though...I probably could have worked several more weeks on it, tweaking it, adding more and deleting a few things until I could have potentially destroyed it. I decided to stop dilly-dallying and just get it done -- the kids need a coloring page for heavens sake! Enough was enough! I had fun...

Wooden Matching Memory Game

I was thrilled when I bumped into Lemon Tree Studio today and found that she hand-stamped forest imagery onto these wooden chips to make a Memory Game. I bought a bag of the same blank wooden chips over a year ago that I intended to screenprint for a personal project but I never got around to it. Instead, the girls' decorated a batch of them and pretended that they were coins (couldn't buy much with them though). So, to see that someone has actually taken these awesome wooden chips and made a really cute, creative game out of them is pretty inspiring and, seriously, what kid doesn't love a good Memory Game?

 

Garlands and more...

I'm staying in tonight...and I actually plan on staying in for the weekend. Do you ever have those weekends where you don't want to make any plans except for a good dinner, laying in bed after the kids have gone to bed and catch up on favorite TV shows from the week? That's exactly where I'm at. I think I might even go to bed without cleaning the kitchen!

So, I think I had one of the best nights with my girls' tonight. In the past several weeks, I've done a complete revamp of the art room and it feels great! There's plenty of space to spread out and I set up the kids table in a spot that I won't trip over anymore. Spontaneously, I tromped downstairs to do some sketching and C followed. It wasn't long before Bean was right along with us. At first, Bean said, "Mom, didn't you say we could watch a show since it's Friday night?...oh...wait...can I paint something too??" We spent a good hour downstairs with watercolors, pens and paper scattered everywhere. I got a little giddy that I was able to keep their attention for so long. My floor is covered with art and I love it...I think it will be a night worth recreating!

Well, not to get extra wordy tonight, but I found myself perusing The Butter Flying's Etsy shop and love her Poetic Butterfly House and Origami Butterfly Garland...they're perfectly delicate and pretty...sometimes those are just the accents a room needs to give it some charm.

Or how about these beautifully handmade garlands by Pretty Swell? The flowers look flouncy and I love the mix of patterns...so pretty! via Mixed Plate.

Organic Cotton Finger Puppet Forest Friends by June Craft

Every once in a while I'll peek at who "hearts" my Etsy shop. Today, I found June Craft: Forest Friends Finger Puppets and am in love with them! I'm also a huge fan of her illustrations. These little finger puppets are printed using water-based inks and would make an easy on-the-go activity.

Untitled Fox Giveaway

Update: Thanks for everyone who left a comment and for the kind feedback regarding Fox - he's still blushing! We randomly chose the winner of Untitled Fox and it goes to Slim Pikins. I'm still trying to get a hold of her to let her know that she's the lucky winner since I forgot to tell everyone to leave their email address when leaving a comment...my fault!

One small victory accomplished! I finished printing my latest illustration yesterday. He's a dignified fox with a feather in his cap and I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a suitable name. I thought for a minute I could name his "Sir Foxalot" but...sounds a tad scandalous. I also managed to publish a Facebook fan page for Kids Haus his morning. It's still in it's infancy but it'll get there with a little time. I'd love it if you would follow me!

Anyhow, I'll have my dignified fox for sale in my Etsy store in a short while...so check back. In the meantime, I think I'd like to host a giveaway since it's been so long since I've had one. The winner will receive my freshly printed Untitled Fox. This Giveaway has ended.

Amy Hevron: Year of the Tiger Kitty Poster

How's everyone doing with the holidays? I got my mugs from New House Project today and they're even cuter in person - Kristin was sweet enough to throw in an apron which is ridiculously cute as well. I can't wait to show C. Before I head off to bed to fend off the soar throat bug that's overstayed his welcome since morning, I wanted to share Amy Hevron's Year of the Tiger Kitty poster. She's a local artist and acquaintance and it's impossible not to love her work.

Blank Matryoshka Russia Nesting Dolls

I completely love the idea of painting and decorating my own set of Matryoshka Russia nesting dolls and I'm absolutely certain that the girls would love it too (hmmm, should I add it to the Christmas list?). The mini set has an incredibly mini doll buried deep inside and you know she would be the favorite! Traditional size and Mini size...

New House Project: Childrens Mugs

Look what I just bought! Two beautifully handmade children's mugs by New House Project. Oh, if I told you how much cocoa we made around here - you might shudder. I'm what you might consider a hot cocoa snob since I only like using Valrhona cocoa, sweetened with agave nectar and topped with a mound of homemade whipped cream or (not homemade) marshmallows. I think we'll unwrap these beautiful mugs on Christmas Eve so the girls can have hot cocoa in anticipation of Christmas morning.

Oh, and if you are a fan of Charley Harper, you have to read Kristen's post about unearthing this signed "Lucky Ladybug" print from from Goodwill - now there's some fantastic good fortune!

Laurence Jammes Animal Alphabet print

In the last couple of years, there's been a surge of alphabet posters for children. I'm going to have to gather all of them together for a post sometime because it's so fun to see the variations. This new alphabet poster from Laurence Jammes is very cute with the animals interacting with their letters (beaver is my favorite!). Now available on L'affiche Moderne. I will have a fun collection of holiday gift picks on Monday...so we'll see you soon!

Jaq Jaq Bird Chalkmats

Grace from Jaq Jaq Bird kindly sent this awesome Damask Chalkmat over a couple weeks ago. As soon as I tore open the box, it was out of my hands within .05 seconds and in the clutches of my overanxious girls. After digging out a few pieces of our personal supply of broken chalk they scribbled away for about an hour - scribbling, wiping, scribbling, wiping. Then, when dinner came, we flipped it over and took advantage of it's placemat side. We don't typically use placemats at the dinner table but this quickly made me wonder why I don't because it made clean-up so much easier! One thing I would suggest is getting the Chalk Pens or Butter Chalk instead of the old-fashioned chalk since I found it to be a little temperamental on the plastic chalkmat surface. Coming up with a few creative eating games for the chalk side and I think I can keep my girls from jumping out of their chairs every 30 seconds!

 

Nature Crown

I was just thinking what a great October we've had around Seattle. Sunny and rather unusually warm weather have made it extra enjoyable (except for dipping temperatures and rain today). I was looking forward to picking up C from school last week so we could have a fun afternoon together. After reading about this nature crown craft project from BKids, it just seemed like the perfect project to do together since we could wander through the yard and pick pretty leaves and flowers for our crown. This was the final result...we added some jewels for added princess flare...

The Power...

Wow! I don't know what to say other than that I continue to be amazed by the power of blogs and friends! My thoughtful friend, Esther, at Babyccino blog read my post about the "Under Her Wing" whale print that I created in honor of my friend Marge. All of the proceeds will go to Kylie's college fund (scroll down for the full story). So far, I've sold 14 whales out of 50 - so we're inching our way up there! Thank you to all who have shown your support and love in my effort to let Kylie know that we're here to help her along the way. xo Michelle

Native Vermont

I've been contemplating purchasing one of these Native Vermont prints -- the Black Bear Swimming or the Constellations Polar Bear. They have an air of sophistication with a bit of whimsy. My other quandary is where I would find the wall space to hang one of these lovely bears. Aren't they sweet??

Under Her Wing

This is my new print, "Under Her Wing". Let's see, I'm trying to find a way to explain the meaning behind this print without getting too emotional or sappy but it holds a very strong purpose. At the end of August, a dear, dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. I knew Margie in high school but it wasn't until we went to college that we became really close friends. In life, there are a handful of people that bring out the best in us, the ones that make us laugh in the purest form, the ones that support us through everything - you know the type. Simply put, that was Marge. She had a lightness and an ease about her that drew people to her. Sadly, in the last several years, we lost touch but not for any other reason than distance and busy lives. I won't even begin to go into the regret I hold for letting life get in the way of such a friendship. Let me just say that it's made me take a closer look at things.

So now, the tough part, the primary impetus behind "Under Her Wing" is for Kylie, Marge's 8 year old daughter (knocks the wind out of me just thinking about it). She's nearly the same age as my daughter and I can't even begin to comprehend the implications of a young daughter losing her mother...or a parent, for that matter. So, in lieu of flowers, Marge's family requested that friends send money for Kylie's college fund. Education was a big part of Marge's life as she was a Special Education teacher. That's where this print come into play. If I can show my support and love for Marge and her daughter, this was one way I knew how. 100% of the proceeds from "Under Her Wing" will go directly to Kylie's college fund. If you'd like to help me in taking Kylie under our wings, I've printed 50 of the mother and her calf and just put it in my Etsy shop...

Pottock Prints

I'm really, really trying hard to focus on creating another series of prints this month and came up with a whale illustration the other day that I think I like...which is unbelievable, since I'm usually a bit tough on myself. It's missing that element of surprise, but I'm getting close to finishing it. Sometimes, it can be such a long process for something seemingly simple. This evening, while searching various online shops for a present for a friend, I found Pottock Prints via Rose and Radish (one of my favorite indie shops). What caught my eye was this fantastic Little Whales Wallpaper - I love the simple silhouettes! Ah, see? It looks so easy but I wonder how long it actually took him to come up with that fantastic design.

Cookie Mag mention

It's not that Roar Growl is one of my newest prints but it's always very, very flattering to have one of my pieces featured. I was surprised to find that Roar Growl was amongst Cookie Mag's collection of nursery art - there is some fantastic art in the mix. Thank you!

Wilkintie

We're wrapping up a three day weekend around here - the weather was phenomenal (I'm still feeling the Vitamin D coursing through my veins) and Bean had her very first friend sleep over this weekend. It was adorable to be a part of this momentous occasion since I recall the many sleepovers I had as a girl. We made ice cream sundaes, watched a movie and then they slipped into their sleeping bags eager to tell scary stories - which only lasted about 10 minutes before they fell fast asleep. Ah, girls! It was such a fun night.

Anyhow, I wanted to share with you this cool project: Wilkintie evolved from a love of letterpress printing and a desire to collaborate with amazing artists by Carly Hargreaves and Niels Oeltjen, a couple living in Melbourne, Australia. The project is simply: 12 prints over 12 months by 12 artists. Each month they will release a new print by a different artist - it's like getting a surprise in the mail each month...exciting! I'm head over heals with all of the prints - they're just gorgeous. Oh, and if you'd rather not pay for the full subscription, you can still by prints individually while they last, since there is a limited amount of each.

Lotta Bruhn FREE downloadable stickers

Lately, I've been trying to stick to a semi-strict budget (just trying not to be frivolous) and have been on a major path to find creative things to keep my girls' engaged - summer is approaching after all. Lotta Bruhn has some sweet downloadable Space stickers and...the best part...they're free! These are going to be fun and I can already predict that they will be stuck on ceilings, mirrors...everything...thanks Lotta!

And while we're on the subject of Lotta, she's got a rather new addition to her alphabet animals: N is for Næsehorn (Rhinocerous) - isn't he fantastic?

Foxy & Winston

I nearly had a post about our Easter egg coloring venture this evening but, unfortunately, I muddled things up by buying brown eggs instead of white which left most of our sad little eggs looking anything but bright and cheery for Peter Cottontail. It was a good trial run because I was quickly reminded that you can't leave a 2 year old alone with a bowl of colored water and eggs for more than 15 seconds. If you do...well, you probably already figured it out. Of course, we'll be repeating this process tomorrow with white eggs and we'll certainly let you know how it goes.

Now, onto some truly bright and cheerful things. I'm so happy to share Foxy & Winston with you if you've never run across her screen printed works before. Jane Buck, originally from England, where she studied Fashion & Textiles, started Foxy & Winston in 2005. Her illustrations are inspired by nature and the creatures she meets on her travels. She's got a wide selection of cards, limited edition prints and organic tee shirts for kids. I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy clicking through her fun prints in her shop, they just get sweeter and more fun as you go...

Hijkids

Hijkids is a rather new shop on the block that has a carefully selected, beautiful array of classic apparel and room decor elements. Kristine, the founder, had her first child four years ago and always dreamed of having a shop of her own someday. She searched high and low to find quality handcrafted products that resonated with her own sense of style and, from that, Hijkids was born. When I first perused her shop, the dress that my eyes immediately locked onto was the darling green Sugar Cookie Dress (on the left). Then as I spent more time looking around, I discovered the Vintage Lion Artwork which is from Kristine's personal collection. Say no more! I'm even contemplating bringing him home with me. Enjoy perusing Kristine's shop, you can clearly see that it's a personal labor of love...

Thursday On My Mind

Well, I have chosen a random winner for my "My Deer" Gocco print Giveaway using Random.org. Moxie, who is also coincidentally a Seattle girl, wrote "gocco rules! i too, wish everyday were an art day. very lovely". I want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in the Giveaway and for your incredibly wonderful comments -- it's good fuel for the fire!

Since Easter is right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about coloring Easter eggs soon. We're not quite ready for that yet but we're getting there -- somehow April snuck up on me and I have a feeling the long, gray winter may have something to do with it. So, to get the ball rolling with Easter, let's just start with some beautifully designed packaging by one of my favorite illustrators, Lisa DeJohn, for Godiva. I know, it's not something I would normally write about but since it's Lisa, I think it's noteworthy. I would also show you her awesome place mats that she illustrated for Land of Nod but they don't seem to be available on their site at the moment -- I don't want to send you on a wild goose chase so, instead, I'll update you when I find out more.

Then, to top that off, I discovered that since Lisa is Land of Nod's catalog cover artist, they've turned her cover art into prints that you can buy here. They're too cute!!

{GIVEAWAY} My Deer

I spent most of yesterday afternoon printing my new illustration, "My Deer". It's been months since I've fired up my Gocco printer and it was exhilarating to be doing it again. Oh, how I wish I had more days to do my art...someday! So, in celebration I'm having a giveaway! Simply write a comment and I will randomly pick a winner by Thursday, April 2, 2009.

Paper Sparrow

Portland is one of our favorite places to escape to if we find ourselves needing a little break from Seattle. It's a quick 2.5 hour drive and then you're in the land of great restaurants, independent boutiques, galleries, smart city transportation and art! There's art hanging in many shops and cafes and you instantly feel a community vibe -- it's a very fun city. Paper Sparrow is one such artist from Portland who is brimming with whimsical wall art, greeting cards and stationery adorned with darling animal illustrations. I mean, just look at the fox reading the book!

Enormous Champion

I always love to peek at my Etsy shop to see who "hearts" me and found Enormous Champion. It was the "All Good Things" print that caught my eye. I always admire art that looks like one thing from a distance but take a closer look and you'll find the beauty in the detail. Enormous Champion is based out of Brooklyn and they've got a lovely selection of cards and prints in their Etsy store.

Stefaniek

I love art that makes me feel happy! The creative head and hand  behind these incredibly fun and whimsical illustrations is Stefanie Klekamp of Stefaniek. Stefanie studied Fine Art & Design at the Bauhaus University and is an independent illustrator in Berlin, Germany.  Her use of colors and patterns are so lively and inspiring, they just make me smile...

Hand Crochet Alpaca Butterflies

I must admit that I love the look of those framed butterfly collections but I've never been able to get beyond the fact that it was once a beautiful, living creature -- I would probably feel guilty and sad if I actually hung one on my wall. So, what to my surprise do I see? Hand crocheted Alpaca Butterflies by Oeuf! Aren't they just wonderful? Beautifully hand-crocheted butterflies to mimic the real thing so you can display them right next to the Cardboard Safari's Moose Head for that guilt-free wildnerness effect.

Hacienda El Indio

Happy Monday! I've been meaning to redesign my blog's banner for months and finally did it! Bye-bye to the house & clouds and hello to my Roar Growl guys since they seem to represent my illustration style and I just personally love those little fellas. So, without further adieu, let's dive into some cuteness today...

Hacienda El Indio has some of the cutest bibs/napkins that I've ever seen -- not our traditional American-styled bibs. They're extra large and tie around the neck, designed to practically shield the entire front of your child from anything that might fly off the fork (spaghetti sauce comes to mind!). Their illustrations are utterly adorable and have been applied to bags, wall art, jewelry and dolls too.

 

Roar Growl

Whew! I've just finished a second run of my "Roar Growl" Gocco print. I'll admit that I procrastinated re-printing this one because it's rather labor intensive since I hand-mixed my colors and there are three different screens. Anyhow, I'm happy to be done and I've just added it back to my Etsy site. I'm now going to begin focusing on illustrating some new designs and attempt to apply them in different ways, onto different things...we'll see what happens now, won't we?

Petite Picasso

I wish I could have gotten better photographs of this awesome art tube that Donna from Petite Picasso graciously sent Bean for Christmas but the girls were too anxious to break into the paint tubes and markers without further ado. When I first received it, I had assumed that it was an empty art tube to store our larger masterpieces. Upon opening, I was thrilled to find an entire set of markers, colored pencils, paints, brushes, crayons, eraser, sharpener all rolled up inside the nicely compartmentalized plastic case. Needless to say, our art tube is already jammed with past & present works and it's sitting pretty in the corner of the girls' room. She even had the tube customized with Bean's name on the outside which made the whole surprise extra special. I wrote about Donna's business, Petite Picasso, back in December but if you missed it, you'll have to read about her beautifully customized books for your child's art. Thanks again, Donna!

Sweetbeets

Well, if one thing is for sure, you can always stock up on an arsenal of cards, gift tags, wrapping paper and ribbons and feel secure in the fact that you are prepared for any occasion! This has proven itself very true now that I've got 2 kids and plenty of birthday parties to attend. My wrapping closet has even become a favorite destination for Bean when she suddenly feels the urge to wrap one of her creations. For months, I've admired Sweetbeets affordable, eco-friendly letterpress cards and gift tags and even her blog, ModEcoKids. The colors and illustrations are simple, classic and cheerful and would make fantastic artwork to hang in a child's room.

Giveaway Winner!!

I used random.org to shuffle the comments for my "Proud Mama" Gocco print and Lotta Bruhn, the admirably talented illustrator from Sweden, won the print. Congratulations! So, while I'm in the midst of congratulating Lotta, I thought I'd share her free downloadable stickers that I found on her fun blog. After blowing a wad of my holiday savings, it's always nice to have a free perk to lighten the load...aren't they fun? I think they'd make great gift labels too.

Petite Picasso

Donna from Petite Picasso had such exuberance when she wrote to tell me about her business that began out of a pure desire to preserve her children's own artwork. She says that their masterpieces all face an inevitable fate. The lucky ones end up on the refrigerator, only to be later boxed up and filed away, never to be seen again for many years. Donna takes your child's artwork and compiles and prints it into a professionally printed and bound book. The art can be printed chronologically, grouped by themes, colors or the background can coordinate with the colors in the artwork. Each book is a masterpiece of it's own and what an amazing way to keep your child's artwork as a memento or a coffee table book -- something that they would be proud of too. Donna was also so sweet to custom make Ms. Bean an art tube and pencil case (thank you!) and...yes...Bean is a pseudonym for Sabine (the cat is out of the bag).