I've been very lucky...

The last couple of weeks, I've been a very lucky girl!

I've had such great responses to my toys, expecially little Fibi the Fox, the one I thought would get the least attention.

This has meant that my toys are being featured on exciting blogs, doing my first ever international giveaway starting Monday on Rachelle Anne Miller's blog, http://rachelleannemiller.com/ - will post links then, and so much more still coming!

Being on Boxed online is so exciting as well, and Luulla.com will be opening up their own online shop based in the United Kingdom in about 10 weeks time, and I was invited to be one of their first suppliers and crafters, which is a great honor!

The latest great news came this morning, with my morning coffee, and opening up my e-mail as usual!  Babyology.com has featured Fibi the Fox, a beautiful spread! 

They've just been chosen in Babble's Top 50 Design Blogs worldwide and #1 for Toys & Gear, so I feel extremely humbled that they thought one of my toys was good enough, and even right at the top of the page!

Here's the link to the posting, I just LOVE Babyology!  Based in Australia, it feels close to home, being in the Southern Hemisphere and Australia being such a big part of South African life!

http://babyology.com.au/fashion/its-a-trend-the-dashing-debonair-and-crafty-fox-part-3.html

I just hope my lucky streak continue, and I just want to thank Katrina Whelen, a writer at Babyology for deeming little Fibi good enough to be featured in such a beautiful article! 

 babyology.com.au

Happy days to all!

Mietjie

My toys are available at Boxed online! Thanks Sarah!

Hi all, hope your having a wonderful start to the new week!

Just a quick update, my toys are nog being featured and sold on Boxed online, a beautiful designer based online store, selling worldwide, with their Head Office being in Canada, but the market targeting the Middle Eastern region, Bahrain, Dubai etc.....

http://www.boxedonline.com/boxed-juniors/plushies.html

This online designer based store was opened up by a young lady called Sarah Saleh, her dreams to become a Wedding planner in the global city of Dubai led her on a new path of opening up this wonderful new online venture!

I just love the concept of her website, and the content that the designers provide!  In an article written on Sarah by Bahrain this month:"The main goal of this venture is to support those artists that work from home, and so it would only make sense that they are not charged for using this forum to sell their creations. Through the store, she also helps out NGOs that work toward the sustainability of artisan communities around the world." 

http://www.bahrainthismonth.com/downtime/downtime-youngachiever.php

Go and have a look at her online store, and her blog!  You won't regret it!  And watch this space, in about 10 weeks time I'll hopefully have another big surprise! 

http://www.boxedonline.com/boxed-juniors/plushies.html

 http://boxedonline.blogspot.com/

O yes, Rachelle Anne Miller will be featuring an article about my toys on her blog from the 1st of August until the 8th of August, where I will be doing a giveaway, and everyone is welcome to go and check that out, and try to win the cute prize that will be up for grabs!  Will be posting the links to that on the morning of the 1st!  http://rachelleannemiller.com/

Happy days all!

Mietjie

Should I or shouldn't I?

I've been busy with a new consignment of little things I'm taking to one of my suppliers, and she's been asking for this one item for a long time, so I'm obliging!

The only thing is, should I consider to list this item on Etsy?

She's gonna be expensive, and her postage will be tricky because she's big.

She a GIANT BOO!beloobie Ribbon the Rabbit, standing 29 " tall (75 cm), with her width being 32" (81 cm). 

She's made of the most beautiful pink and cream upholstery fabric, with a button detailed heart on her stomach, organza flower on her ear, and heart detail at the back. 

Her little tush features one of my first fabric buttons, and she has heart detail on the back of one of her ears. 

She gorgeous, even if I say so myself, but you have a look at the pics, and let me know what you think?

Thanks all, and happy days!

Mietjie

Johan Albert's heART

I’ve only met Johan Alberts once, it was fleeting….but even if you haven’t met him, his art speaks volumes and leaves a lasting impression.

As per heART in the Garden’s (Johan Alberts and Melt van der Spuy’s labour of love) website, here’s a little bit of background info on Johan:”Johan Alberts was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa. His love for creating art has led him to study at the Techikon Pretoria. Later he completed an honours degree in Entertainment Technology, at the Tshwane University of Technology, adding research to the field of scenic painting. He is currently busy with his Master’s degree in scenic design.

Johan has worked in the décor industry for many years, creating beautiful works for functions and events. He also taught at the National School of the Arts before settling in as a lecturer in Décor painting at the Tshwane University of Technology.

Johan has had numerous exhibitions in the Pretoria area, exhibiting his work and has had much success. He also produced stage art for well-publicised plays.

 

Johan’s work can be described as very nostalgic within the South African context and that it is always created with beauty in mind. Textures are always experimented with, resulting in interesting combinations. Most feedback on his work is that it holds incredible mood.”

Between him and his partner, Melt van der Spuy, they started heART in the Garden.  In the name they wanted to put emphasis not just on the Art aspect, but that there must be a piece of the artist’s heart in everything they do!  Thus it became heART!

heART in the Garden is a relaxed yet upmarket and trendy feast for the eyes, with stunning local artists exhibiting and selling their wares, from Marisa du Toit, Deirdre Botha (Dids), Babes in the Wood, and so many more to choose from.

You can come with the whole family, bring the kids along, there is something for everybody, and a warm welcome like the embrace of old friends!

It’s very rare in South Africa that people open up their home to so many strangers, but greeting them as if they’ve known them forever, and inviting them back again and again…..and we are all very grateful, it makes us feel like we’re home!

Johan and Melt, we hope all your business ventures succeed in leaps and bounds, and that heART in the Garden becomes a staple in our culture that we would not be able to live without!

Johan, never ever stop painting, your vision is fresh, it’s full of our South African heritage, but only with a new and bright outlook, and it’s exciting, heart thumping and mesmerizing!

When you guys have a chance, go and take a peek at heART in the Garden’s blog and Website!  Amazing to say the least!   http://heartinthegarden.blogspot.com/ 

Happy days to all! 

Mietjie

Green eggs and ham anyone?

Dr Seuss is an inspiration, a writer, poet, cartoonist, animator…..and one of the highest order.

I find inspiration in his words, I can relate to what he’s saying, and I live by one of his most famous sayings.

Just to brighten up everybody’s day, while I’m still ardently working on my main posting for the week, I thought, who better than Dr Seuss to steer us on the right path, open up the horison at the end of that path, and take us home!

You’re kind of a mentor to me, I would have loved to meet you!

Happy days to all, check out my blog posting later on this week, another local South African artist named Johan Alberts and his venture heART in the Garden will be featured!

Mietjie

It’s a very small world, Gingermelon!

The saying:”It’s a small world”, is ringing so true in my ears today, and the reason why I’m saying that is because I’ve met a lady called Shelly via Etsy.  I used one of her business’s cute PDF patterns in a treasury I did about Foxes.  The business is called Gingermelon, and everything she has to offer is adorable!

 Ok, so coming back to the world being small, she thanked me for featuring her item, and she thanked me in in my mother tongue, a language called Afrikaans.  Instead of using the usual “Thank You”, she said “Baie Dankie”, and I was completely floored.  Shelly comes from Canada, New Westminster, British Colombia to be exact.

She then surprised me again by telling me she grew up in South Africa until she was 17 years old, lived close to where I’m living right now!  Her family immigrated to Canada just before she completed her High School Diploma!

She then met a lovely man, married, and had 2 beautiful sons of her own! She’s been working from home for almost 10 years now, managing a small apartment building, whilst being a Hair Stylist as well, running her household, looking after her family, and running Gingermelon as yet another venture.  Phew, I’ve run out of steam just thinking about all the things Shelly accomplishes in a day!

In Shelly’s own words:” A couple of years ago, I decided to try my hand at making felt dolls.  My sewing skills were terrible, but at least with felt, I could hand sew and not worry about machine sewing - so much quicker!  I started designing little doll patterns, and from there started making my first cloth dolls.  These I did with embroidered faces.  I opened my Etsy shop in November of 2009 and listed a handful of my embroidered cloth dolls.  To my surprise, they went like hot cakes!!  Eventually, I started designing and making felt animals, sculpted dolls, mohair bears and paper dolls to my shop and now offer patterns for almost all my creations.”

I then decided to order one of her patterns for myself. I received it within the hour of ordering, as it comes in a super convenient PDF format.  It’s a little Deer, and it is adorable, and as soon as I have time, I’m going to make it, and I’ll post some pictures!

Shelly is wonderful, her customer service is impeccable……..and I think I’ve made a new friend!

To Shelly:  South Africa’s lost a wonderful artist in you!  I hope we meet someday, but in the meantime, have a great and happy life, be successful and most of all; be happy!

Go and have a look at Shelly’s blog and Etsy shop!  Oh, and she’s just opened up another shop on Etsy as well called Sugared Violet, see the link below.  This shop is dedicated to her paper dolls, and she hopes to do some prints in the future!  You will not be disappointed!

http://gingermelondolls.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/people/Gingermelon

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SugaredViolet

Hope all your wishes come true!

 

Happy days to all

Mietjie

I really “Dig the Earth”!

Kevin Connell lives in Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, and shares his life with his wife and 2 beautiful sons!  He created “I Love Handmade” in 2009, a stunning blog featuring artists of all mediums, artistic backgrounds, crafters…not discriminating against any art forms!  He runs this labour of love daily at http://ilovehandmadeblog.blogspot.com/ 

His blog shows off all these diverse artists and their wares, with such generosity, and flare!  The very best of handmade products that he can find!

His day job is as a graphic designer…..and his night time job, or passion we would rather call it, is creating the most beautiful greeting cards and high quality artistic giclee prints for his other venture called “Dig the Earth”.  Museum quality fade resistant ink is used on matt acid-free stock, which is lovingly trimmed by hand and packaged to perfection to ensure that the products you pay for is the product you receive.  His greeting cards are designed with love, and intended with our earth in mind, leaving a very low carbon footprint by being printed on 100% recycled card, and even the envelope being made of 100% recycled material!

His work is vibrant, and inspirational, and boggles my mind, as I am used to only working with tangible mediums.  When an artist can work with their imagination in such a way to produce an end result from being creative and imaginative, and all of that while wielding a computer…..I’m very envious! 

He runs a blog specifically for his own crafts based work under www.digtheearthblog.blogspot.com, and can also be found on Facebook with his page being http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dig-The-Earth/121512197892665.

Go and have a peak at his Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/people/digtheearth# as I’ve done numerous times!  I just love his work, and his work ethic.  There is a saying: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person”:  and that is exactly what Kevin Connell is…….very busy…….and very creative…….and we wish him lots of energy, lots of ‘it’s worth it’ late nights, and heaps of success!

Happy days to all!

Mietjie