A New Idol

I envy photographers, especially ones who get to work with kids. If I had the money and lived in the Bay Area I would so have this photographer take our family photos. I can imagine the kinds of photos that Jason would come up with for my pair of troublemakers!!!

January Giveaway!

Every parent knows how hard it is to keep a child entertained in the doctor's office, at church, while taking a long trip in the car. And nothing is worse than toys low on batteries or loud enough to drown out the radio. That is why I am going to give away one reader's choice of a soft dollhouse or farmhouse, made with love by yours truly. The house will be personalized and custom made, a one of a kind toy that will be good for both child and parent!!

Here is what you have to do to win:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite toy as a child and who the farmhouse or dollhouse would be for.
2. Make sure you leave your name.
3. The giveaway is open until Friday (Jan 23) at midnight and the winner will be announced on Sat, Jan 24.

These are some pics of some of the other houses I have made for my girls so you can see what some look like.

It's a Craft Explosion!

So in the last three days I have discovered two fun, simple, and oh so cute crafts that anyone and everyone should do- baby legwarmers and covered button hair bands!!

The legwarmers are easy enough that since I don't yet have a sewing machine I just sewed them by hand and they still look super cute. The tutorial that I found on Flickr does a great job of explaining the process and helped me with the initial directions. Just go buy yourself some cute knee high socks at Target and in about 20 mins (by hand) you should have a great pair of legwarmers for your little one! The tutorial is here.

And next we have a very cute, banish those bad hair days away, craft- Covered button hair bands and bobby pins! First go get the kit from Jo-Ann's- super cheap. Then gather some of your scrap fabric. Follow the directions on the back of the kit and voila! Then either tie a rubber band onto the finished button or add a blank bobby pin. Here is the tutorial for these and other cute ideas for what to do with covered buttons.

Where do I get all my supplies to make all these fun things you ask? Etsy sellers for the most part (unless I am feeling impatient, then I go to Jo-Ann's). Here is a list of some of my suppliers:

Wunderkind - kokeshi dolls to paint

Gemmielou - Tons of Kokeshi dolls and families- SUPER cheapo!
Uberstitch - fabric galore, I love their fat quarter sets

BigFish - buttons galore and other sewing materials
Beads2u - my alligator clips for making cute hair clippies

SupplyRiot - all kinds of fabric, covered button supplies, art supplies
Tobysmom - covered button blanks and kits- VERY cheap prices!!
ReductionNation - blank bobby pins, perfect for covered buttons!
SunandMoonCraftKits - everything you need to make scrabble tile pendants, glass magnets, bottle cap crafts, and tons more. Browse but beware that there is a good chance you will leave with your wallet a little lighter!

I am sure that there are more, but these sellers have been the best! Try them out and make some fun things for your and your little ones!

Sunnynole's Nest

I am loving all the gifts that have arrived and are due to arrive from Etsians. Gabby's Nightmare Snatcher just came (after a bit of worry that it was lost) and AJ's custom package will be arriving shortly. I really appreciate everyone's hard work and love that they put into their crafts and I am going to share my newest crafty friend, who I met by chance on Etsy- Sunnynole's Nest (aka Jessica).

We are doing a trade that is turning into a lovely friendship full of craftiness and generosity. Jessica just completed a cool Owl pillow for AJ's crib and also a fun little flock of birdies for me to match that I will put together in a pretty little mobile. In return I am doing a business package for her including business cards and some fun little extras I am going to throw in because I love working with people who are skilled and sweet. =)

If you are interested in anything custom made and sewn I would highly recommend Jessica's skill. Her store is still under construction but her photo stream on Flickr speaks for itself. Take a look around and I am sure you will be as impressed as I am!

Name My New Line of Products

Ok, so a new day, a new project, and a fresh outlook on life after spilling my tears and putting all the drama on a shelf. I am starting a new product line, not on Etsy since the market is so flooded there, for little girls. I am now selling hair clips and hair clip holders of evey size, shape, and color. And since there is going to be a craft show at Rock City Dance it is a great opportunity to do some great selling. But I need a name for this line since Zen Design Studio just isn't cutesy enough for me. I want to stick with the Buddha, Zen, Panda thing I have going on and need some fresh ideas for a name. Here are some possibilities- Lil Buddha Baby, Buddhaful Baby, Zen & Tao, Zen & Now.

What do you think would be cute?