#77 Honey Sticks

Honey Sticks = Best. Crayons. In. The. World.

Honestly!
Unlike some other crayons that leave a clumped waxy residue with minimal colour, Honey Sticks draw easily & smoothly with vibrant colours.
They are wonderfully solid & sturdy, it would be a marvel if a child managed to break them & the choking hazard is also addressed. Master C has had his for over two years (he uses them a lot) & the most damage sustained is that one has a tiny chip off it from a visiting child throwing it across the room. Oh & obviously, they are a fair bit shorter!
Made in New Zealand from local beeswax which is a natural bi-product of the honey industry & using non-toxic pigments, they are both safe for children & environmentally gentle.

The best thing of all? The smell. 

Oh my goodness. I love when the crayons are left out & walking into the playroom means you are met with this positively delicious smell. Yummo!

Cx

p.s sorry for the lack of posts lately, computer meltdowns. ugh.

p.p.s It has been brought to my attention that I neglected to include a sale point. Oops! Honey Sticks are available from a number of places including online from ecobabe for $14.95.

#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

#69 Paper Animals

I first saw these paper animals on samantha luck, designed by madeleine rogers they are available from Mibo.
What a brilliant rainy day project!



You receive these animal packs flat printed on 100% recycled card along with full instructions. All you need is a ruler, a pair of scissors & glue.
Each animal takes about 5 - 10 minutes to make & the finished products range in height from 6cm to 15cm.
They are recommended for ages six & up, but I think that realistically it is one of those projects that even though a child younger than that would obviously need a little more help, they would still be captivated by the transformation of these little creatures.
They range in price from only 6 - 8.75 pounds (2.95 postage worldwide).

  
  

These prints would look fabulous in a nursery, children's bedroom or playroom.
They are printed using vegetable based inks onto 100% recycled paper.
A limited edition of 500 each, they are signed by madeleine rogers, numbered & stamped.

 
Now to put in an order for some rain!

Cx

#65 Twig Pencils

I bought these twig pencils from Oxfam Australia (who i am a huge fan of) for my nieces some time ago.
They were so cute, very well made & most importantly the pencils work really well
(You know how some pencils are a bit waxy & you have to press too hard to get any colour?).
'Oxfam Australia has been working with communities for more than 50 years & have learnt that simply giving hand outs is not the answer. Instead, they provide people with the skills & resources to help them create their own solutions to poverty.'wit



They are made in Thailand & usually cost only $8.95 but were recently on sale for $5 so understandably they are now out of stock. Unfortunately because I'd love to get some more!

Similar options are available from else where, like these 10 piece sets from A Toy Garden.
The largest set costs $14.95, the middle $12.95 & the small is $9.95.



Cx

#62 Petit Collage Wood Prints

As it might be apparent, I have somewhat of a soft spot for wooden toys... wood in general really.
I love the warmth & textures of natural products used in home ware's, I also much prefer a neutral palette with textural interest & accent colours as opposed to a lot of brights.
No surprise then that I'm very fond of wood prints.
This sample of prints from Petit Collage are a great example both of wood prints & as little glimpse of how effective a pop of colour against a neutral scheme can be.

 
  
 
 

 

They are printed on to sustainably harvested maple veneer & are available in two sizes - either 8"x10" (matted) for $15, or 11"x14" (matted) for $25. They also available mounted in a hardwood maple wood frame for $45 in the smaller size or $65 in the larger.
The frames use acrylic in the place of glass so as to be safer for a child's room.

Those bears are absolutely adorable but I think my top pick of these is the village, on the basis that it will be more suitable for a longer period of time.

#53 Birthday Cards + Bubblegum

I saw this very cool 'this many' birthday card from W+K Studio via another blog some time ago but now I can't remember where... When I have been introduced to things via other websites & blogs I really do like to credit them so I will keep trying to figure it out, if you know please tell me!

Back to W+K Studios & isn't this card a great idea?  I wish they sold them in packs so I could buy up!

      
designed by sarah hollowood

I really don't like giving gift cards or vouchers but this next card makes it all a bit more fun.
The inside is cutaway to hold a gift card or voucher & the calculator 'screen' is blind embossed so that you can fill the gift amount in.

      
designed by sarah hollowood

This last one is not a card but a colour screenprint poster with a raised latex 'gum' detail, i think this would be an interesting pick for a child's room that they would think was pretty cool too - maaaaybe even into 'teenagerdom'?

 
designed by curtis pachunka

C x

Post #1

Hello hello to my beautiful, fresh and ready to be filled with treasures-most-sublime page!

My plan is to fill this blog with as many of the gorgeous things I 'goo and gaa' over for babies and children as I possibly can, and I hope, that if by chance you should come across this page, you will love all these things as much as I do...

C x