Kids Haus

{GIVEAWAY}: Proud Mama Gocco Print

I'm happy to announce that I've just finished another print! Polar Bears! I still haven't titled it so I will call simply call it "Polar Bears" until something brilliant comes along. I've appropriately titled it "Proud Mama".  I'm excited about this one because it's a slight departure from my past style. Originally, I was going to draw the polar bears like all of my other prints but it wasn't translating -- it didn't feel like it had any personality to me. I found myself really liking the pencil sketch and the loose lines for the fur -- so I decided to try something new. With that...I'd like to give one away in time for the holidays. It might make a good gift for someone or you may just want to keep it for yourself. Just leave a comment and we'll randomly choose a winner. It ends this Wedneday (so enter quickly)...

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 Wednesday, December 10, 2008 (Happy Halloween!). I will announce the winners on Monday morning, Thursday, December 11, 2008. One entry per person please!

Art Sale!

Did you know that the Monday following Thanksgiving is considered "Cyber Monday" for it's ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season? Why not kick things off with some great art since the undeniably talented artist, Amy Ruppel, is having one of her famous art sales Monday at 10am? If you're determined to buy a piece, you'd better be frosty because they sell out in minutes! Her guest artist, Bishop Lennon, will be joining her. I'm in love with Lennon's whimsical alphabet paintings (below)...wouldn't they make a wonderful set to spell out your child's name?

Also, I've applied FREE shipping to all of my Kids Haus Gocco prints thru December 20. I'm trying to whip up one more print this week and reprint a new batch of "Roar Growl", so keep your eyes peeled. Happy Cyber Monday!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Part III

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. We were fortunate to spend it with family and I didn't have to host this year, which made it very easy and fun -- all I had to do was make cornbread stuffing! Today was one of those days that began like a horse out of the gate and didn't stop until just five minutes ago when the girls' finally petered out...nevermind...I take that back...they're still chatting back and forth.

Well, here is the post that I've been meaning to pull together for a couple days now but the holidays took priority. These are a few things that grabbed my attention as lovely holiday gift ideas...

To Wear (top row): Kinchi Kitten Skirt, Blue Sidekick Cape
To Play (middle row): Milwaukee Express, Sevi Push Bike
To Decorate (bottom row): Two Hoos On a Branch, Enchanted Tree Shelf Stand

 

It's True, Really

I said I would upload pages from Ms. Bean's freshly written book from last week entitled, "It's True, Really". The school that she attends puts a heavy focus on reading books so she's engrossed in reading everyday -- which I love (who wouldn't?). The only homework she has every night is to read one book to us and, in return, we read her one. So, I think the combination of her love to draw and reading has spurred on the creation of her many, many homemade books. I'm going to start photographing and storing them digitally so I will have them forever and they won't get ruined. It's hard for me to pick a favorite page here but it's a close tie between the girl and kitty on the trampoline and the 3 girls' eating. You have to read the sentence for each page to get the full effect *smile*. Oh, and a Mommy Disclaimer: I helped draw the silhouette of the cat upon request but she made their faces.* Anyhow, without further ado...here is "It's True, Really"...

Great Gift: Crayon Rocks

I hope you all had a great weekend. We had fantastic autumn weather and I had the girls on a crafting binge all weekend. We also received our custom stamp and I'll upload pictures as soon as I recharge my camera. I wish you could have seen Bean's face when I gave it to her. She was so enamored with the idea of taking one of her drawings and turning into a stamp and actually asked if we could sell it to our friends, J & H, because I think she sees me selling my artwork and it's something she wants to do too. Very cute. 

Anyhow, can we talk about Crayon Rocks? They could almost be the "perfect" gift. The rainbow of colors first grab your attention but the rounded pebble shape is what makes them truly unique and tempting to pick up and play with. Created by a special needs teacher to aid with proper gripping techniques, crayon rocks are designed to strengthen the tripod grip muscles which makes them perfect for children with motor disabilities, as well as for every day, fun activities. They're eco-friendly, made of soy wax and tinted with natural mineral powders, so like me, you may want to buy a few for stocking stuffers and birthday presents.

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

Shinzi Katoh Printed Tape

There's something that strikes a happy chord whenever I see one of Shinzi Katoh's illustrations. He's one of Japan's most famous artists and his illustrations are printed on so many products that I couldn't even begin to list them. With the holidays on the horizon, these marvelous rolls of tape printed with Shinzi Katoh's illustrations would be a fun surprise to decorate packages with. I typically use plain brown paper (post office style) and embellish with my own art or fluorishes and this tape would be ideal to perk things up.

 

November in black & white

Today is a slight departure from my traditional blogging about kids' design. Since the time change and the drastic weather shift in Seattle, there's been less light, more rain and C's sleeping schedule has gotten way off kilter...thus, I've been feeling a little "off" myself. I know it's a transitional season and though Fall is my favorite time of year, it's the darkness and rain that takes some of the glamour out of it. To keep it fun, I still love to cook the comfort foods like soup and roast chicken and we seem to make a lot of hot cocoa around here this time of year. I love it! I recently saw something about how the people of Iceland regularly gather with friends and have dinner and drinks to get through the cold, winter months. That has stuck with me and I love the concept. Perhaps it's time to start calling some friends. Anyhow, one of my favorite blogs, Springtree Road, has dedicated November as black & white photography month. She's not taking any color pictures and challenges all of you to do the same. I thought it was a fun idea and shot a few myself. Though I'm not much of a photographer, I like to pretend that I am...




The top photo is a silver tea pot I purchased as a memento from the four months that my husband and I lived in London in 2001. The Salvador Dali book is from my childhood. I LOVED this book and frequently perused Dali's paintings...I was mesmorized by the imagery. The bottom photo is Ms. Bean's silver high-tops as she left them yesterday after kicking the off from a long day of school. They're no longer shiny...a sign of how hard they play!

{Giveaway!} Jennifer Dennis Potter

Let's kick off another Monday with a fun giveaway, shall we? Jennifer Dennis Potter has got a whimsical body of work that primarily includes photos of plastic animals posed either in an outdoor setting or atop building blocks...there are so many photos perfectly suited for a child's room if you're looking for art with a personal touch. The winner will get to choose any one of Jennifer's photos as a 5x7 print! Good luck...

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, November 7, 2008. I will announce the winners on Monday morning, November 10, 2008. One entry per person please!

Space Boy

I finished a new print entitled Space Boy the other day. Part of me wants to add more...so I may embellish him once I figure out what he needs but I thought I'd unveil him anyhow. Ms. Bean likes him and I tell you, there's nothing sweeter than having your own child show enthusiasm for something you've done...especially since she's my biggest inspiration.

Lisa DeJohn Growth Charts

I'm not normally one to peruse the big, corporate kid stores but I AM a big fan of independent artists being hired for their talent by big, corporate kids stores! Lisa DeJohn is a Portland-based artist and I own and covet one of her collages. She manages to get some of the best gigs for an artist, including having her design painted on a water tower in New Mexico. Her most recent gig includes being the artist for the Land of Nod catalog. If you haven't seen it, it's utterly adorable! She also illustrated 2 growth charts exclusively for Land of Nod which are fantastic! I will most likely spring for one since I really should start tracking C's growth and I love Lisa's work.

 

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!

 

Decoylab Counting Clocks

The very talented designer/illustrator behind Decoylab, Maiko Kuzunishi (who is known for her printed cuckoo clock), has recently introduced her Bunny Counting Clock and Night Owl Clock. The illustrations are so wonderful and I love that she's melded great art and an everyday necessity into one.

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...

"Flitter"

*Halle, I think my emails haven't been getting to you. Please email me so i can deliver "Flitter" :) *

Got it! The new name for my finch print has been chosen...appropriately titled "Flitter". I'm a simple girl with pretty simple taste and thought it was perfectly suited for these four little finches who are flittering from cage to cage. Thanks to Halle for the suggestion.

Finches

I was up until the wee hours last night Gocco printing my latest illustration. I hope to post it to Etsy sometime today. Originally, I had only drawn one birdcage but felt something was missing, so I drew two more -- there's a nice balance to groups of three. The finches are having a boon flying free! Problem is...I'm having a hard time coming up with a name for this piece. So, if anyone can come up with a great name and I decide to use it, I'll send you a print!

Olli & Lime

I'd like to welcome Olli & Lime to Kids Haus as our first sponsor. I'm truly thrilled to have the opportunity to applaud this husband and wife team in their efforts to make sophisticated and fun children's bedroom furnishings whilst respecting the environment in using recycled materials and recycling what they use. They've designed great prints with vibrant colors fitting for a child's bedroom and beyond. Their blog also shares DIY projects to make your own wall art and a fun storage box using the Carrie wallpaper (could also make great holiday gift boxes).

Emily Green Placemats

Emily Green's placemats are just fantastic! Her whimsical characters laid over vintage fabrics make a nice back-drop for dinner, Play-doh or anything that gets messy -- the foundation for any child. The backside is blank, so your little one can doodle their own placemat or work of art. It's hard to figure out which one I like best...

Fawn & Forest Finds

For those who may not be familiar with the forward-thinking, online kids shop Fawn & Forest, they have a relatively new section called "Forest Finds". It's a fresh selection of independent artists and designers who create relevant, modern wares and crafted items for your children and home. The reason I'm mentioning this is because I am deeply honored to have been chosen by Irene from Bloesem Kids as one of the Fawn & Forest October "Forest Finds" for two of my prints.  Irene was this month's curator and I am quite flattered to be sitting alongside such fabulous designers as Famille Summerbelle, tas-ka, Kidsonroof and Olivelse. Very nice surprise...

 

Amanda Kindregan

Happy Friday! I thought I would share this great artwork with you as I dive into a heap of work. I'll have some fun news to share with you in a week or so.

I'm always hearing comments like, "...it's hard to find good art for boys rooms...". And yes, it's probably true that there is more girl-appropriate artwork out there. I've featured Amanda Kindregan's art a couple times, she's got a fun point-of-view and her newish Matchbox car print is FANtastic! I would even put this in my girls' room!
 

Night Owl Paper Goods

I wrote about Night Owl Paper Goods about a year ago when I was just beginning Kids Haus. Their printed wooden cards were what struck me then and they've since expanded their product line to a wider selection of cards, wooden journals and these fantastic desktop notepads (top left). What a cute and stylish way of keeping a notepad on your desktop, your refrigerator or by the front door for reminders.

KidsHaus Giveaway

{ GIVEAWAY } The last couple of weeks have been transitional for us. Summer is quickly fading into Autumn and we've officially kicked-off the school year. I've also been heavily absorbed into Gocco printing my illustrations and working on a few fun projects, so my head has been preoccupied and I haven't had much left over to write blog posts. So, as a little thank you to all of you who have been a KidsHaus reader, I'm putting together a little KidsHaus Print Giveaway. The winner can choose any one of my six Gocco prints. All you need to do is tell me why you would like a Gocco print and Ms. Bean and I will select the lucky winner. Have fun...

How this works: We'll select 1 winner only . All you need to do is tell us why you would like one of KidsHaus' Gocco prints, from now until midnight PST on Friday, September 12, 2008. I will announce the winners on Monday morning, September 15, 2008. One entry per person please!

Roar Growl

I've been a little busy this week...action-packed...but good. For one, I got to meet the delightful Courtney from the Babyccino blog who was visiting from London. We had coffee (of course she ordered a cappuccino *wink*) and finally met in person after merely knowing each other via blogs and emails. I also finished my sixth print entitled "Roar Growl" last night (pictured below). it will be in my Etsy shop soon...whew...

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...

Wee Gallery Woodlands

A friend led me to Blik's Wee Gallery Woodlands Re-Stik wall decals and I was instantly struck. It may have been the fox with his curly whiskers or the wonderful graphic patterns but, either way, this little forest scene is definitely up my alley and has inspired me to do something with the blank walls in our playroom. They are fully removable and repositionable to help me with my constant urge to change things around.

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)...

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.

Thank You! xo

I want to sincerely thank Irene from my one of my favorite kids blogs, Bloesem Kids, for attempting to surprise me with a post about my new Etsy prints. Sweet, indeed! Thank you.

Also, thank you to Jackie from Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle for such an enthusiastic post about my Etsy prints today. It's always nice to bump into new-to-me bloggers.

Finally, My Etsy Shop

Well, I've hit a couple of big milestones today: This is my 300th post since I began writing this little blog a year ago while searching for a creative outlet and I've also opened an Etsy shop with a few of my new Gocco prints. It's a funny feeling...exciting but a little uncomfortable, yet I think a hint of uneasiness is good for the soul. Somehow, I managed to pull together an Etsy shop yesterday while my daughters' danced around me, chanting "mommy" multiple times, asking me to look at this or help them with that. It makes everything I do that much sweeter! I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to go for it -- you've given me the little push I needed.

Presto Bingo

Chances are you're not a stranger to Presto Bingo. First off, they have the best name in town and secondly, they're churning out utterly amazing illustrations. Joyce Hesselberth and Dave Plunkert are the talent behind Presto Bingo and they've got an entire line of fine art prints for kids' rooms that include animals, robots and, of course, aliens.

Robots

I've recently developed a thing for robots, especially those that have a vintage quality -- it transports me back to the days, as a kid, when I could watch the Jetson's all day long if my parents would have allowed it (and if TiVo existed). Remember their personal robot, Rosie? Check out these fantastic photos from LeSophie. They're strikingly reminiscent of the old Japanese monster movies. The colors are rich and the composition almost makes the robots come alive.

My Gocco Prints

You may have been wondering why I haven't been keeping up with my posts everyday, so I thought I'd let you in on a little sneak peek of what I've been working on in recent months.  A couple of years ago, I found that I really missed illustrating -- it had been almost 11 years since I gave up illustrating for Nordstrom's baby & kids textiles and jumped, head first, into web design for Amazon.com and other corporations. It took me a few months to oil my rusty wheels and get the feel for illustrating again but I'm enjoying the process of finding a comfort zone and using my hands again. After reading about the Print Gocco last year, I immediately purchased one and started printing my illustrations. Here are a few of the prints that I've come up with and I'm trying to get a couple more out by the end of August. I'm considering an Etsy store...so stay tuned...

The Small Object

The Small Object has got a few new clothespin people that are absolutely darling -- and I don't often use that word. There's something about the Cherry Dress that struck a chord. It reminded me of summers as a child when my mom would hang a pair of cherries over my ears pretending they were earrings...which reminds me that I haven't shared this tradition to my daughters' yet!

While on the subject...I was quite honored to read that Sarah Neuberger from The Small Object took my post about Ms. Bean's toothpick & marshmallow sculpture and revised it into a more permanent sculpture. Yes, I'm sorry to report that Ms. Bean's sculpture had slowly...slowly collapsed until I secretly disposed of it. Sarah used highly toxic epoxy (not recommended for children) instead of marshmallows but readers had suggested using blue poster putty that would be a kid-friendly solution and should be more durable than marshmallows. I think we're going to give it a try. By the way, if you've never read The Small Object's Steno Pad -- it's become one of my new favorite reads. Loads of inspiration and amusement.