Warm Welcome to New NK Members

A warm welcome to all new Members of the NaturalKids team! Please, enjoy this lovely poem written by Josh from Dad'sWoodenToys. No one could have said it better than the NK team bard!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


To every new member, may we speak to you?
We wish to thank you for all that you do.

To sincerely applaud you straight from the heart
Your presence on Etsy is an important part.

Even if you sell things that look much like mine
I want you to know that I think it is fine.

For I understand your presence helps me
The more shops there are, the more shoppers there'll be

If I sell something that no one else does
I won't draw many shoppers and that is because

People who want the thing that I sell
Will be hard to inform on my own very well.

The more shops on Etsy that look something like mine
The more shoppers we draw when we combine.

When you decide what you want is a car,
Do you drive to a lonely dealer that's far?

Or do you drive to a special street that you know
Where there's lots of dealers with a variety to show?

When a restaurant wants to open its doors
Do they look for a spot that no one explores?

Or go to a spot that is right up the street
From several restaurants they know are neat?

Businessmen know what customers like
A large variety is what will spike

Sales for your store whatever you sell
Being near others helps us to do well.

I do not dismay or think I should stop
When I see another similar shop

That is the beauty of Etsy online
Shoppers like choice that here they can find.

To sum it all up we just want to say
We're glad you are here and hope you stay

We already count you as a friend made
Feel free to call on us if you need aid.

--by Joshua of Dad's Wooden Toys

Mini Monday

The journey backwards through the alphabet brings us much delight! All handmade goodies that please Mother Earth and bring smiles to any face! 

Drumroll Please...The NaturalKids Team on Etsy proudly presents:

EntWorks - From the UK, this creative little shop will have any child giddy over her goods!

Dria is a long time lover of dirt, defines herself as a teacher, mother, artisan, wife, scientist, tree hugger, rock collector, friend, and nerd who's seemingly not outgrown her fondness of frogs.

 

Elemental Handcrafts - Stephanie is from Connecticut and has my heart with her needle-felted pregnant and breastfeeding dolls! She is also Mama to three amazing, home-schooled, environmentalist kiddos. She loves working with her hands and finding fun ways to make new things out of old and creating toys and gifts her kids would enjoy- and therefore other families as well.

Driaa - From Isreal comes Dria. Dria has many sweet things in her shop!  She is a doll maker, and mother of three little girls. She sews when she has some spare time. Dria lives in a small village in the hills of the Galilee, and loves to garden and grow vegetables as well. She uses new, vintage and second hand fabrics, but tries not to mix new and used in the same project.

All of this handmade goodness comes to you from the NaturalKids Team! Thanks for checking out these wonderful shops and we will see you next Monday!

Smiles and warm sunny days,

Wendy with BirchLeaf Designs

BirchLeaf Designs on Facebook

Saturday Giveaway: Fairiesnest

This weekend I bring to you an amazing Giveaway by Cynthia from The Fairies Nest. Cynthia has been a long time member of the NaturalKids Team. Her unique dolls with hand painted faces are simply gorgeous. Handmade toys of the finest kind! You can rest assured that no two dolls ever look exactly the same!

Check out this cute set of 3 lavender babies in a flannel bag. In order to be entered in the drawing for it, please leave a comment with your email address where Cynthia can reach you. The winner will be randomly picked from all comments and announced here next week.

How to enter this Giveaway:

You have ONE week to visit Cynthia's shop/online places on the internet and report back here. The more comments - the higher your chance to win this cute set!


Please visit Cynthia's Etsyshop and report back to us what you liked. You can earn additional entries by visiting:

The Fairies Nest
1.Website http://www.thefairiesnest.com/
2.Twitter http://twitter.com/fairiesnest
3.Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheFairiesNest
4.Blog: http://thefairiesnest.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to check out Cynthia's DA gallery (the best place for a comprehensive view of her work) http://fairiesnest.deviantart.com/gallery

This giveaway will close next Saturday (April 23rd). The winner will be chosen randomly and notified by email.


*Please note: Members of the NaturalKids Team and their families are excluded from this promotion. International winners are responsible for any customs fees or taxes.

This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Ani with comment #15!

Nature Table, The Sounds of Spring

On Sunday morning you would think it was Christmas here in our house as the sounds of 4 excited children ring out of our rafters. The night before, the Nature Table will be cleared of all signs of Winter and we will clean and pack our items away. Once the children are asleep the Spring decorations will be brought out and a few new items will be left by the Spring Fairies to add to our table this year.

This year, my mother and niece will be joining us for our celebration. Since this has not happened yet, I will share with you today our Spring Ad from the NaturalKids Team. As with the Nature Table, our ad changes with the seasons. This lovely collection of handmade items can be found in out team members shops. There are so many delightful items in our shops you may need 2 tables.

Rocks and Pond by http://www.etsy.com/shop/MuddyFeet
Mushroom House by http://www.etsy.com/shop/cutelittlething
Bendy Princess by http://www.etsy.com/shop/dannielle
Green Play Silk by http://www.etsy.com/shop/birchleafdesigns
Bunny by http://www.etsy.com/shop/fairiesnest
Pink Felt Doll by http://www.etsy.com/shop/alkelda
Hedgehog by http://www.etsy.com/shop/dayanra
Trees, Wooden Fairy Doll, and Shy Playsilk by http://www.etsy.com/shop/theenchantedcupboard

There are other great items from our team members on the NaturalKids Team website:
http://www.naturalkidsstore.com/cat_tables.html

Please leave a comment and share with us some ways you celebrate spring!

Article by Beccijo, The Enchanted Cupboard

Nature Table, Adding Nature

I like to change our Nature Table each week. It is so important during the long winter days that the children have something to look forward to at the beginning of the week. Sometimes it may be to bring out a few new items to add to the table or it could be a complete change of scenery. This week I did a more natural look to the table with our little bears coming out of their stacker den.

Another thing that we love to do is add bits of nature to our scenes. The boys have been gathering items from our yard to add to the table. Before we moved to the country we use to go to a large park that had nature trails to collect our items. We added to our basket sticks, rocks, pine cones, and pine branches.

The kids love to get on the floor and just play with these or add them to the table. Many times I find them just sorting the natural items into piles, sometimes by item, sometimes by size. Kids just really love to touch and feel thing from nature, it "grounds" their spirit!

Here is our final table this week the kids have added a few of each of the items even using the pine branch as a tree. I hope you have enjoyed our table this week and will share with us a link to your blog showing your winter table or a favorite memory.

Article by Beccijo, The Enchanted Cupboard

Need some new items to add to your winter Nature Table check out these items:

JustHatched

DadsWoodenToys

chimera

Interview with Tickety Bu

This week we take a close up look at Tickety Bu™ with our talk with owner and fabric artist Kristi. 

Tell us a bit about you.
Hi! I'm Kristi. I am a former marketing executive, become stay at home mom, become fiber artist and photography hobbiest. I live in New York with my husband Michael and our three kids, Lorelai, Magnus and Xander. We love living here as it gives us a chance to visit so much history and this area is so beautiful.

 

Tell us about Tickety Bu.
I started Tickety Bu based on my prefold design. Specifically made for my heavy wetting son, they are made in the traditional way, a 2x4x2 layer prefold from highly absorbent bamboo cotton blend. Shortly after I opened, my daughter asked me to make her a blanket. She had never taken to a lovey or a comfort object, so her interest in a blanket was surprising, but exciting. She was my first Cuddle Blanket customer and after her first one, she promptly ordered two more! The Cuddle Blanket quickly became the cornerstone of my line and was the spring board for the entire Bu blanket collection.

Tickety Bu products are always designed with the experience with the product in mind. It's the perfect marriage of high function with extreme comfort.

People have asked me, why Tickety Bu? Tickety Bu, also spelled Tickety Boo and Tiggerty Boo, is a phrase that means, "everything's alright". There is argument whether it originated in England, Scotland or India and may have come from a Hindi expression "tickee babu" which means "all alright". It seemed to fit why I love bamboo and why I started the company and honestly, I like the sound of it. It harkens back to a simpler life, just the way things should be.

Tickety Bu is the natural extension of what my life is about right now. Getting back to basics, embracing the simpler, finer things in life and doing what I enjoy.

 

What do you make and how long have you been creating?
Simply said, I make comfort. Luxurious blankets of all sizes, incredibly soft and absorbent hooded towels, diapers and wipes, all created to comfort you and your little ones.

I've been creating since I can remember. I've always been creating something. Whether it be art, design (I am a design school grad), advertising, or fabrics, I've always been creating. I guess it's in my blood.

What got you started in your craft?
My desire to have something better. I was not happy with the cloth diapers on the market. My son was the heaviest wetter I'd ever seen and nothing held him, but I was in love with prefolds. So, I made my own, the way I wanted them out of the fabrics I wanted to use. It's the same with all my products, they are all born out of need for something better, something softer and something prettier. But really I guess I got started in my craft in college when I dyed fabric for the first time. My work as a dyer is where my heart is, the products I make are my canvas.

What's your favorite thing you have ever made?
It's so hard to pick! And, it changes regularly, although it's always a colorway. I did make a Cuddle Blanket once with my daughter. She picked all the colors herself, she applied the dye, she helped me sew the blanket. It was a labor of love that the both of us thoroughly enjoyed. I am amazed at her enthusiasm for creating things and how she looks at the world. That blanket will always have a special place in my heart.

 

How long have you been on Etsy and how has it been for you so far?
Since middle of last year. Etsy has been a lot of fun so far. I love the community and the support that Etsy provides.

What advice do you have for other Etsy artisans?
The advice I would have for any artisan, Etsy or other, is to do something unique. Carve out your own niche, your own path, your own take on the world and your work. It will help differentiate you from the crowd and create a brand that can stand for something. And of course, do what you love. Because if you do what you love then you'll love what you do.

What do you hope to gain or contribute to the Natural Kids group?
Being new to Etsy it's great to have support from those who have been here longer and know the ins and outs. I'm not new to business though and having an extensive background in marketing and design, I'm sure I can contribute to the strength of the Natrual Kids brand.

What thoughts do you have for parents on the importance of natural toys for creative play?
For me it's not just about natural toys for creative play, it's about surrounding ourselves and our family with anything and everything we can that is natural. Just as natural foods make for a healthier body, natural toys make for a healthier and happier child. Natural toys inspire the most creative play and creative play is the key to expanding our child's minds.

Find Tickety Bu and Kristi at:
ticketybu.com
facebook.com/TicketyBu
ticketybu.blogspot.com

Nature Table, Let's Begin

Landscape Playsilks & Sky Playsilks by The Enchanted Cupboard

Nature Tables are used to celebrate the seasons and the rhythms of the year. As nature goes through its cycle of birth, growth, harvest, and sleep, so do we on our Nature Tables. Using a nature table is a wonderful way to decorate your home and include your children in the seasons. Spring is on our doorsteps and just around the bend but it is still winter on our Nature Table.

Before we leap into Spring, let's look at some fun ways to celebrate these last few moments of winter. Any table will do as your Nature Table, either beside a wall or in a corner of a room. The size of your table will be determined by the amount of room you have to spare. The table you see here I got for $10 at a Junk Shop. I picked it for its size and that it had a nice shelf underneath to hold extra toys. This table is low for the kids and fits nicely on the second floor landing. Nature tables are a great way to keep a little play place for the kids without having toys cluttering up the grown-up places.

Winter Playset by Muddyfeet

Playsilks are great from ground cover or backdrops. Some soft wool also make a nice snow covering. Adding some winter landscape toys will add to the scene. A lovely collection of winter theme toy like woodland animal, felted toys,and bendy dolls add just the right touch. Having a lovely decorated table will make you get excited for the season.

Bendy Dolls by Princess Nimble Thimble, Snowman by Chimera

If you don't have a Natural Table but would like to start this wonderful tradition in your home, then follow along with me every other week. We will be exploring some traditional and modern ways of sharing the seasons with your family.

Here are a few great items for a Winter Nature Table from The NaturalKids Team:

Snowflake - Winter Fairy

Felted Kitty

Wooden Winter Trees

Winter King

Blue Heart Queen Doll

Article by Beccijo, The Enchanted Cupboard

Interview with Little Lily

This week we take a close up look at Little Lilly with our talk with owner and artist Jade. 

Tell us a bit about you.
My name is Jade and I live in Northern BC, Canada. I'm 27 years old and have been married to Daniel for 7.5 years. On January 15th of this year, I gave birth to our fourth beautiful daughter, Danica. Our other three are Addison (5.5), Tegan (4), and Myka (18months). I can honestly say that being a mom is my favorite thing in the whole world. Every day I am in awe that God has blessed me with such an amazing family! I recently had a friend joke that when she reads my Facebook status', she pictures me in a bonnet and apron. I assume it's because they are all about baking, sewing, gardening, and collecting eggs from my chickens. Unfortunately, I don't own a bonnet; although I did just buy a really cool apron from etsy! That's another thing I enjoy...shopping on etsy. There's so many amazing products out there from really talented people!

Tell us about Little Lily.
I started Little Lily in May of 2009. A friend told me one day how hard it was for her to find good quality baby washcloths. I was planning on making some cloth wipes to use on the baby I was expecting at the time anyway, so when she said that, it was like a light bulb went off in my head! I knew I wanted, soft, good quality, thick wipes, and knew from research that bamboo fabric had these qualities. I ordered a yard and went to work. When I sent her some, she tried them and said, "you should start an etsy business with these!"

Our second daughter's name is Tegan Lily, and I have called her Little Lily since the day she was born. So when it came time to name the business, it was a no-brainer :)

A few weeks into selling the wipes, people were asking if I made other things. I experimented with a few products, but found that I didn't have time to make tons of different products, so I have kept my favorite three as regular items; bamboo baby wipes, hooded bamboo baby (and toddler) towels, and swaddling blankets! I also make bamboo baby wraps as special orders.

What do you make and how long have you been creating?
I make organic bamboo baby wipes, hooded towels and swaddling blankets. Occasionally I add a new product as a feature, but for my regular stock, I like to keep it simple :) I started sewing them a year and a half ago, when I was pregnant with our third daughter.

Where do you find inspiration?
My girls :) And I look at fabric online more than is probably a "healthy amount" :)

What got you started in your craft?
I was talking to a friend one day and she mentioned how she was frustrated with her baby washcloths because they wore out so quickly, and were flimsy and rough. I had heard about how soft bamboo was, so I did some research, ordered a yard of it, and the rest is history!

What's your favorite thing you have ever made?
The hooded towels. I actually made a hooded towel "poncho" once, and I use it all the time for my toddler when we go swimming. I've thought about adding them to my regular line...maybe soon!

How long have you been on Etsy and how has it been for you so far?
I've been on etsy for almost a year and a half...about a month after I started making the products! I LOVE etsy and can't say enough good things about it. I enjoy pretty much everything about etsy and having my own business!

What advice do you have for other Etsy artisans?
Think about products and businesses you love; think about their appearance, products, customer service, etc. Now implement your favorite qualities into your business. Treat each customer like royalty, and set up your shop to look professional as if it was a million dollar a year, professional company. On that note, branding should be a huge priority. I bought my panda avatar from istockphoto.com for $20, and it is the best investment I've made into my business. It's on my sew on labels, business cards, and pretty much everything I do on the internet! I'm even going to get a vinyl window decal made for my van using my panda!

What do you hope to gain or contribute to the Natural Kids group?
I love building new relationships, especially with people who share the same interests as me. I am hoping to gain ideas to improve my shop/business, and to encourage others to do the same :)

What thoughts do you have for parents on the importance of natural toys for creative play?
I believe that things such as electronic toys, TVs, and video games are completely changing the way kids develop, and not necessarily in a good way. I think it's very very important for kids to play with simple toys, made of safe, natural materials to develop their creativity. I don't think it's healthy for kids to learn to rely on being stimulated by outside sources all the time. Learning to "center" themselves and be able to come up with their own ideas, etc is crucial.

Find Little Lily and Jade at:
www.facebook.com/littlelilybamboo
www.littlelilybamboo.etsy.com
www.littlelilybamboo.com
www.jadesteckly.blogspot.com

Welcome New Natural Kids Team Members!

The NaturalKids Team has added some wonderful new members and we would like to invite all of our readers in helping us give a great big welcome to them.

Introducing:

http://driaa.etsy.com I make mainly fabric Dolls and Toys, experimenting in different doll making techniques and using natural materials. My repertoire includes Waldorf Dolls, Folk style Rag Dolls, Stufffed animals and Fruit and Vegetables from felted sweaters and Jointed Teddies. I also make Dolls and Toys especially for babies, using soft and natural fabrics that don't leave fluff in baby's mouth when chewed on.

http://TheVioletSparrow.etsy.com I sell upcycled and natural, Waldorf-inspired childrens toys and dolls, children's woolen slippers, hats and accessories, beeswax candles and goat milk soaps.

http://littlelilybamboo.etsy.com Little Lily was inspired by my four daughters, and started as a step towards creating a more natural home. Using organic bamboo to create my towels, washcloths, and swaddlers is a simple way to help make that happen. :)

http://EntWorks.etsy.com EntWorks creates unique little adaptations of nature using ecologically friendly materials including wool, wood, and other natural materials. Everything from charming accessories, toys, and functional warming plushes are included in the shop.

http://sevenacretoys.etsy.com Seven Acre Toys is a husband and wife team making heirloom quality toys for children and babies. From their wood shop in Providence RI they create all natural wooden and organic playthings for the little ones in your life.

http://MissTartine.etsy.com Featuring lovable and huggable waldorf style dolls.

http://MyFathersHandsLLC.etsy.com Our toys are mainly of the wheeled variety. Thoughtfully handcrafted using untreated Southern Yellow Pine ~ a locally harvested renewable wood and toxin free wood-glue.

http://ticketybu.etsy.com "Tickety Bu™ offers bamboo luxuries for home, baby, bath and body. Bu blankets of all sizes, diapers, wipes, hooded towels, pillow cases and other bedding are just some of the scrumptious things you can find here.

http://ObiMama.etsy.com Wearing you baby can be some of the most rewarding time you spend with your little one, and ObiMama is committed to doing it with style. You'll find top notch carriers for infant through toddler featuring high quality materials and workmanship, original appliques and unique embellishments, the widest selection of fabric choices; all backed by the knowledge and experiences of a babywearing educator and mother of two beautiful sling babies.

http://WildChildWoolies.etsy.com Wild Child Woolies offers wool interlock diaper covers for cloth diapered newborns, infants and toddlers. Our line of handmade covers includes longies, shorties and soakers ranging from basic to artisan styles.

http://lepetitreve.etsy.com With attention to detail and whimsy; herein you'll discover some of what one needs for swaddling, wearing, soothing, playing, biting/chewing/goobering on, home & nursery decor. Created as much as possible from reused/recycled and/or organic/non-synthetic materials. Each item is almost as unique and beautiful as the babes and mama's they are created for.

http://greengoat.etsy.com I design clothing for the modern baby and their parents. Many of the goods are made with organic cotton as I strive to always work in as many earth and kid friendly ways as possible. I hand dye the garments using low impact dyes and everything is hand printed by me using eco-friendly and non-toxic water based inks, making it a safe and wonderful addition to anyone’s wardrobe.