#76 Emma Wiesenekker

How much do you love that photo. Too sweet for words? I would actually really love to see a whole series of Emma Wieseneker's illustrations in photos, I think it's a concept that works perfectly with her whimsical style.

I am a big fan of Emma's work & I think it would look wonderful in a nursery or children's bedroom, however one of the especially lovely things about these pieces is that while very cute & certainly captivating for a child's imagination, maturity would bring a new level of appreciation for the intricate detail & talent of the artist. They would transition perfectly from a childhood fascination to an art piece in your child's home, laced ever so delightfully with memories & sentimental value.

 
  
 
  

It was so hard trying to narrow down my selections for this post, I'll admit I did have some help from one very opinionated three year old.
Please visit the Emma Wiesenekker blog in order to truly appreciate these gorgeous illustrations in their intended larger sizes, unfortunately my indecisiveness meant images at a smaller size (to fit more in) & I'm afraid some detail is lost, so head over & have a look!

The birds are truly remarkable in intricacy, though I think my favourites remain the horses & the whale. The use of watercolour is just stunning.

You can also find Emma Wiesenekker Designs on facebook & there is apparently an etsy shop opening quite soon - excitement!
I have my fingers crossed for a picture book in the not so distant future too... can you imagine?!

Cx

#75 Wooden Toys by Wood Mouse

There isn't even the slightest chance that these wooden phones will stop the mischievous monkeys from sneaking off with yours, but they're still cute no?

  

The figures from the Children of Nature series -Spring & Summer are sweet, very much in the Waldorf style, & are released in quite limited quantities.
Hand cut hardwood poplar with wood burnt details, Wood Mouse uses only non-toxic water based paints & each piece is sanded by hand to a perfectly smooth finish before being coated with beeswax & organic jojoba oils.

 
  
  
  

Wood Mouse pieces, especially considering that to break or even damage them would be near impossible, are very affordable. All those pictured with the exception of the block set come in at under $20.

Cx

#74 Pebble Decor

Taking bringing nature indoors to another level, how fun & downright stunning are these pebble inspired furnishings!
Enchanting for children without sacrificing style, these wonderfully mobile pieces would surely be played on & around for hours on end. They are beautiful visually arresting statement pieces that would look just as perfect in a living area as they would in a children's space.


The majority of these pieces (viva terra/unseen/cs post&co/casa nova) are designed by the inspirational Ronel Jordaan, a renowned South African textile designer who has set up a women's workshop in Gauteng - Johannesburg where these 100% merino wool masterpieces are made. At present in this workshop Jordaan has personally trained 40 women between the ages of 18-40 who were previously unemployed & the felt sheeting is sourced from a self-help co-op of women from West Cape
Jordaan also has similar workshop/co-op set ups for her other product lines.
Workshop processes are all eco friendly with waste grey water being recycled into organic food gardens which grow on the roof of the work place,  the produce is for the women to either take home or sell.
Soaps are completely biodegradable & only lead free dyes that meet the European Eco Standards are used.
Interesting fact : "Unlike Australia, South Africa does not practice mule-sing. Wool traditionally undergoes a process called carbonisation - a bath of hydrochloric acid & other chemicals to clean the wool. As well as a residue of chemicals left in the wool, fine hair follicles are also stripped away. Wool that is itchy is because of carbonisation."
On a somewhat unrelated note, you know how there's this thing about some people that just makes you want to smile at them? Perhaps ask them preschool style if they will please be your friend? Have a look at Jordaans designer profile on the unseen website & you'll see what I mean! Bless.
There is also a pebble range for the outdoors available.


   
via viva terra/ africharisma/ cs post & co/ africharisma

   
via africharisma/ africharisma/ viva terra/ casa nova

    
via unseen products/ africharisma/ unseen products/ chiasso

   
via africharisma/ 2form/ 2form/ africharisma

  
via smarin - living stones/ smarin - living stones/ unseen products


The Smarin Livingstones are designed by Nice based designer Stephanie Marin & the 2form rug by designer Ksenia Movafagh.
All of these designs seriously blow me away, I love the pebble strands & would love to see a mobile made following this concept. Livingstones also offer an outdoor range.


This post has also lead me to discover Unseen Products, a fair trade, socially & environmentally concious online store that aims to make unseen or hard to find products from developing countries accessible.
A very admirable concept & some fabulous wares.


Cx

#73 Frog Pod

There are a lot of 'helpful' babies & children products out there that aren't helpful at all.
Frog Pod by Boon is not one of those.
It comes with a wall base that you can either mount by screwing it into your wall (hardware included), stick with semi permanent adhesive strips (that won't damage wall surfaces)  or affix with 6 included suction cups (that really do work).
The Frog base has a built in shelf for bubble bath, shampoo etc & the scoop has drainage holes to alleviate the curse of scum & mildew afflicted bath toys.
The scoop is super easy to attach & detach so little ones can easily scoop up their toys to put away themselves. Believe me, they will want to!
The Frog Pod is BpA, Phthalate & PVC free & while I'm not sure about international sales, if you're buying the frog pod in the U.S then 10% of the cost is donated to a children's charity.

   

Not so long ago Frog Pod gained a sibling, in ladybug form. I love the frog but the bug is pretty cute too!

Master C has the frog & his bestie Miss A has the bug so conveniently I am able to tell you that they are both excellent designs, although if I had to pin one down as being the better one I'd probably have to say the bug.

Purely for the fact that when you're wiping down the base the bug would be easier due to its lack of toes, but that is more an observation than complaint.

 

You'll find the price on these can vary wildly online, which is why I'm not including a link to purchase.
In my opinion you have a much better chance of getting a good deal in store & they are quite widely stocked in baby stores & toy shops, by a good deal I mean under $50. If you can find somewhere to buy them online from the states you could get an even better price than that though as they are a LOT cheaper there!

Cx