modeco kids

A few months ago via Etsy I connected with Tracey and started reading her blog Paper Dolls for Boys about crafting, thrifting and raising two boys. She’s got a fun writing style - very down-to-earth with a good sense of humor! I’m really excited for her now that she’s opened an Etsy shop of her own to sell her thrift store scores. You’ll find lots of vintage goodies for kids for play or display including these vintage wooden blocks, a Simplex puzzle from the early 1950s, a Lindstrom’s toy sewing machine, and some Strombecker mid-century modern doll house furniture. Congrats Tracey!

Technorati Tags: vintage toys, Etsy, doll house furniture, vintage blocks, vintage toy sewing machine, simplex puzzle

August 12th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, playtime, vintage 1 Comment »

Here are some of the most beautiful, handcrafted mobiles I found on Etsy. I love how this butterfly mobile considers the baby’s perspective, with all the butterflies facing down. This unique fishing line mobile really “caught” my eye! Below is a simply gorgeous and gender neutral pinwheel mobile that can be customized with your choice of color and number of pinwheels.

Handmade Japanese paper is folded to make this peace crane mobile with gemstone beads. This green fish mobile is made from ribbons and I cannot believe it is only $15! The artist’s Etsy shop is brand new, but she’s been making these mobiles for over 25 years. This star mobile is made from 14 hand-folded paper stars that are lightly dusted with glitter for just a touch of sparkle. Different colors are available.

Technorati Tags: handmade, mobiles, baby, nursery, Etsy, children’s spaces

July 27th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor No Comments »

I love the way artist Sofia Arnold overlaps the colors in her 2-color screenprint to make a third color. This 6×8 inch print is available at her Etsy shop for a mere $15 and would be lovely in a child’s room.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, screen printed, screenprint, artwork, illustration

July 25th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, paper goods 1 Comment »

I love the philosophy behind Hazel Wood Children that’s so eloquently expressed by boutique owner Jennifer:

When you consider it, our choices as parents have a tremendous influence on the way our children will eventually see the world. Again and again I asked myself, isn’t it even more important to surround a child with such beauty? Why not nurture these values in every way possible, rather than settle for the plastic and ordinary?

You can read more here. I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer when I was in NYC and she visited my booth at the National Stationery Show. She’s so down-to-earth! I’ve been meaning to post about her online children’s boutique for such a long time, so the other day I finally did some leisurely browsing and wanted to show you my favorites.

Letterpress prints by Old School Stationers
Serendipity 100% organic cotton baby blouse
One-of-a-kind handmade sailboat by Ann Wood
Alphabet cards by Ida Pearle

(images via hazelwoodchildren.com)

Technorati Tags: children’s boutique, kids, baby, independent artists, indie designers, retailer spotlight

July 23rd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, clothes, paper goods, retailer spotlights No Comments »

The intro to Cici Art Factory’s custom portraits says they will help you “capture the memory of your child’s magical preschool years”. This is so true! This original painting reminds me of my two sons and their birthday parties last year when we had a ’space’ theme complete with a cardboard rocketship.

The artist is Liz Clay and she’s also a mompreneur who lives in Canada. I had the opportunity to connect recently with Liz about something unrelated and she mentioned that she uses eco-conscious painting products such as organic/hemp weave canvas, stretcher bars from BC lumber, low VOC primer and quality artist paints from a family-run Canadian company.

Liz’s whimsical artwork for children’s spaces is available at Cici Art Factory and also at her Etsy shop. She offers 12 different themes and each painting is personalized with your child’s hair, eye and skin tones. You’ll even notice in the image above the initials on each astronaut’s suit!

(images via ciciartfactory.com)

Technorati Tags: art, children’s spaces, personalized, custom, portrait, kids

July 22nd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor No Comments »

I just saw this new ABC poster on KidsHaus and had to share it here too as I really like the illustrations and color palette. This animal alphabet print is by Swedish illustrator Lotta Bruhn and you can buy it here. Ships worldwide!

(image via lottabruhn.typepad.com)

Technorati Tags: ABC poster, alphabet poster, animal poster, children’s spaces, artwork

July 7th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor No Comments »

The cheerful and contemporary collage art by Daily Papr is perfect for children’s spaces. Many of the pieces are inspired by vintage Japanese textiles and perhaps that is why the designs appeal to me as I love their bold colors and simplicity. The artist cuts textured paper free-hand to create each collage. All pieces fit in a 5X7 frame or you could use a matte if you want a bigger frame. Daily Papr is a shop that makes you feel happy just browsing around!

Craft Pudding carves these custom rubber stamps by hand. The illustrations are so sweet. The artist will even create a stamp using a photo of your child! This would make a lovely personalized gift for a special child in your life, and you may be surprised that each custom name stamp is only $20.

Babydust is a line of baby clothes that’s designed and sewn by a mom in Vancouver. She mostly works with linen, cotton, wool and silk - swoon!

What is it about dinosaurs that appeal so much to most boys? I’m sure they would love this dinosaur sketchbook! A vintage children’s book has been ‘upcycled’ by Feel Fuzzy to make this unique dinosaur journal. It includes 20 blank sheets as well as some pages from the original book.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, independent artists, handmade journal, dinosaur sketchbook, custom rubber stamps, collage art, wall art, children’s spaces

June 23rd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, paper goods, playtime 2 Comments »

These are the best animal alphabet posters I’ve seen since Binth’s version that’s inspired by mid-century Danish wooden animals. Both have been released recently and have been making the rounds on various design blogs, but you may not have known that they are both available on Etsy!

The three-color screen print on the left is the artwork of Lorena Siminovich and it’s found in her Petit Collage shop. I love her illustration style and the water-based ink colors she’s chosen have a certain retro feel in my opinion. Her limited edition collages are also fantastic. One of my favorites of her current offerings is here.

On the right you’ll see the artwork of Tara Hogan in her Etsy shop that showcases her Ink + Wit brand. Her design is offset printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using soy-based inks in a fresh color palette that’s very much on trend. This print has a different feel than her other artwork. I’ve always admired her illustration style featured in her letterpress pieces such as this fill-in invite and this print.

I love how both prints use a gender neutral palette and perfectly suit a nursery or child’s room.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, alphabet poster, animal poster, modern nursery, children’s spaces

June 15th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, paper goods 3 Comments »

 Today’s post features three Etsy sellers with made-to-order items. How about a set of wooden dolls to represent your family? Michelle of Goose Grease will personalize a set for you using non-toxic paints and varnishes. So adorable! 

Cascade Lemonade offers reusable, insulated and stylish lunch bags that are customized just for you. Choose your fabric and size and add any features such as pockets and double insulation. I like the way all the options are clearly presented in the listing so it’s easy to figure out what to order depending on what you need. I’m making a note of this listing for when my son starts taking lunches to school!

This ceramic birth plaque is handcrafted by Rae Dunn and has been featured in Cookie magazine. You can choose the image and specify which baby’s details you want included on the plaque. In her profile Rae describes her work “strongly influenced by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”.

Technorati Tags: birth plaque, reusable lunch bag, wooden dolls, Etsy favorites, handmade

     

June 2nd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, mealtime, playtime No Comments »

This dress by Rae Gun has such nostalgic, old-fashioned charm with its tiny florals, eyelet trim and pin tuck detailing on the front. It is made to order in sizes from newborn through 3T. Matching bloomers are sold separately. So sweet! Check back May 7th for the next shop update.

I love the simplicity of this pink bunny that is hand embroidered on smooth canvas by Wishing Star Designs. I think it would add a touch of softness to a sleek, modern nursery.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, girl’s dress, embroidery, wall art, nursery decor

May 5th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, clothes No Comments »