Little Ida

Small Magazine's new blog

I'm so happy to find out today that Small Magazine is now publishing a blog. How wonderful to have a supplement to their seasonal issues so rich with amazing photos and inspiration. Go take a look at the blog, called smaller here.  

Affordable Artwork with Sweetbeets

I love the idea of taking beautiful greeting cards and framing them as art. So when I saw these clever pieces from Lisa of Sweetbeets, I had to share. Lisa framed the cards in 8 x 10 Ikea Ribba frames. She had the mats made at a local framing shop. I recently learned that you can do this at Joann Fabrics for about $6. So, lots of options!

  
The gift tags pictured above are new from Sweetbeets. The combination of the delicate tag shapes and the boldness of the graphics is fabulous. I think they'd look equally stunning paired with gifts wrapped in natural paper or colorful tissue papers.

You can find the entire Sweetbeets line at Lisa's Etsy shop, and select cards at Craftsbury Kids. You can learn more about Sweetbeets by visiting the modeco Kids blog, also filled with fabulous finds from other cutting edge designers and crafters. Check back here soon for a giveaway including ten Sweetbeets cards!

Heart Handmade Interview

  

I'm so excited to have been interviewed on the awesome Heart Handmade blog! The interview is up today and is part of the "Retail Therapy" section. If you haven't yet been to Heart Handmade, you're in for a real treat. It's chock full of great business advice, inspiring stories from crafters, and amazing handmade finds (like this lamp and mirror).
In blogger Marichelle's own words...
"I will focus solely on handmade goods, and try my hardest to include the heart and story behind the products as much as possible. It's important for me to share stories on Heart Handmade  because that is, after all, what makes handmade so special - the heart and the hand behind it."
Thank you Marichelle!

Bloesem Kids

It was such a treat to wake up today and find that one of my favorite blogs has featured Craftsbury Kids. Bloesem Kids aka B:Kids is a lovely blog that is all about design for kids. Irene Hoofs features "...unique interior design products, furniture and accessories, (and occasionally jewelry) for Kids."

B:Kids is a storehouse of incredible kid finds; Post after post, Irene brings to light hidden gems that I never even knew were out there. Some of my recent favorites include Kinchi, a recycled clothing label based in the Netherlands, Zuuz fabulous charcoal wall stickers, and in Irene's new "Knock knock" section, an interview with Esther Shuivens of Esthex (one of the best toy lines ever). And you can read the Craftsbury Kids post here. Thank you Irene! 

Wholesale at Craftsbury Kids

 

Ok, it's been ages since I've last blogged. I hope I haven't lost any of you. Happy New Year, and thanks for being patient with me, and sticking around. I hope you enjoyed the holidays and were able to spend them in a way that made you happy.

The holiday season took us by storm and we were busy packing orders and fielding calls pretty much round the clock. I expected there'd be some impact on toy sales due to the lead toy recalls, but just didn't realize how big it would be. Now that things are pretty much back to normal, I have some exciting news to share.

After four years in retail, Craftsbury Kids is launching a wholesale division. We're excited to be offering to the trade, a fresh collection of unique independent designs and handmade items, impeccably crafted by people who have a passion for what they do.

If you're a shop owner interested in selling our products you can take a look at our wholesale page. If you're planning to attend the New York international Gift Fair February 1-4 you can see our products in person. Our booth numbers are 35019 + 35020, and we'll be in the Studio division at Pier 92 with "I'm Still Me." And on the West Coast, Lisbet of Danish Bohemia will be showing some of our pieces at the San Francisco Gift Fair January 26-29.

I'll be back soon with a review of a beautiful new children's toy!

Featured on Cool Mom Picks/Alpha Mom!

Liz and Kristen of Cool Mom Picks taped 9 videos for Alpha Mom, where they talk about some of their favorite kid gifts and gear. Below are two of the episodes including some items from Craftsbury Kids. Thanks Cool Mom Picks!

Back to School with Cool Mom Picks

Cool Mom Picks has posted their first Back to School Guide filled with the kinds of fabulously unique goodies they're known for, along with some great discounts. Thank you Cool Moms for featuring our Piggy Fairy Lunch Tote!

Zid Zid in Cookie

 

Here are a couple pics from the Zid Zid article in Cookie Magazine. On the left is Noor, the daughter of Julie Klear and Moulay Essakalli (Zid Zid owners/designers), and on the right the courtyard to the house they operate their business from (they live and work in two adjoining houses).

Some snippets from the article:
"The way our lives were in the States, we'd be seeing our kids at dinner--if we were lucky," says Klear, an Ohio-raised artist who designs Zid Zid's mini poufs, tables, and wall hangings. "In Morocco, everything shuts down at noon, and Zak and Noor are home from school for two hours. So this becomes our family time."

"Having the two houses allows us a connection between home and work life," says Essakalli. "The kids understand, though, that each place has a different function. They can come into the work space anytime if they need to, but they respect it for what it is."
  In both buildings, furnishings are kept simple. The blue-and-white tile floors are layered with patterned wool rugs made by Berber women. Chairs and tables are low, in the Moroccan style."

If I can figure out why my scanner is acting funny I'll post some more pics later.

To read this inspiring story in full and see more pics of Julie and Moulay's beautiful house and family, pick up the September issue of Cookie Magazine!

Cookie Magazine!

The September issue of Cookie Magazine is chock full of toys including a handful from craftsburykids.com. A big thank you to the editors at Cookie!
Shown above: Felt Mailbox Set, Rocket Kit, Dress-Up Doll, and Soft Baby Blocks.

Also in this issue is a fabulous piece on Julie Klear and Moulay Essakalli of Zid Zid, one of the wonderful companies we work with.

Speaking of toys, here's an amusing article about the China toy scare, referencing Craftsbury Kids. Thank you Anne Hart for talking to me about my take on 'green toys.'

I found a new blog...

and would like to share it with you. Elizabeth House Shop Talk Series is truly inspiring, and a must read.

Here is a passage from the Elizabeth House blog that I like-

"...When the shoot is completed, I pack it all up, clean the room, and unload it all back into my store or inventory room. I then get to do what I love the most - download my photos and work on them. On this particular shoot, I downloaded all my photos and began my love of cropping, color adjusting, and choosing. I was so involved in my process that at one point I glanced out the window and saw the sun coming up! I had worked through the entire night and not even realized it nor was I tired. I wanted to just keep going.

And it is that "just keep going" feeling that we should all be so lucky to experience in our lives. Think about it. We all go, go, go. But where are we going? We go to the bank, the store, the dry cleaners. We go to soccer practice, to meetings, to work, and to obligatory family visits. We also go without. We go without sleep. We go without recognition. We go without encouragement. And we also fore go. We fore go our needs. We fore go our wants. We fore go a lot of things because we have learned to go without and to just go on and make do.

But how often do we truly, and I mean truly, just "want to keep going?" When those rare moments of wanting to just keep going happen to us - may I suggest that you do. Sooner or later, you will stop. But don't shortchange your need to just keep going. Don't usurp that need with "shoulds." I should be getting to bed now. I should be doing the bills now. I should be working on that report. I should be cleaning the house now. The only "should be's" that you should be doing is indulging in your need to just keep going..."