It’s not often I see photos of my miniature customers wearing the hats I create. So when Amber of Minty Fresh Design sent me this adorable sequence of her little man, I was just thrilled! Isn’t he sweet?! Thank you, Amber!
Category: Handmade
HANDMADE :: GIVEAWAY :: Win an Owl Headband!
Enter to win an owl headband at Ma Nouvelle Mode! It’s one of my original designs, and I’ve hand embroidered it with vintage cotton thread. Since it’s entirely felt-backed, the owl slides easily along the elastic headband. Comfortably fits both adults and kids!
While you’re there, be sure to check out these other (group!) giveaways too.
P.S. Don’t want to wait to see if you won? The owl headband is available for purchase in my shop ;)
Custom Striped Elephant Hat for Baby :: Or, The Blog Post which Took Months to Publish
I know some of you blogging whiz kids craft your posts weeks in advance and neatly schedule them so *poof!* a shiny new post magically appears every morning.
And then some of you scribble your post ideas on a piece of paper, write a grocery list on the other side of the paper and then accidentally toss the whole thing after shopping. (Right? Please tell me I’m not the only one?) Well, the idea for this particular post was lost on the back of that grocery list. It’s truly, truly, embarrassing.
So long ago that he’s probably outgrown it, I made a custom elephant hat for a sweet friend’s son. My design drew heavily from this painting which is on his bedroom wall.
The little man’s momma sent me the sweetest handwritten thank you card, and some adorable (ahem, handsome) photos of her son modeling the hat.
I’m fairly confident the incredible squeezable-ness of his cheeks makes up for how long it took me to post this. ;-)
HANDMADE :: An Update, and Plush Creatures (Bunnies & Monsters)
Phew! What a week/weekend. Aveline caught a cold (her first! can you believe it?) so it’s been a series of firsts for me as well. I’ve never had my very own snotty nosed kid before. ;-) It’s been…interesting. And can I just tell you how amazing Hyland’s homeopathic cold medicine is? We’ve been giving her 1/2 dose as needed and it’s worked wonders. I highly recommend it.
Amidst this, I’ve been emailing x 1,000×000 working with Shanley and Shannon to launch the Spring/Resort design on the Nakate Project website. We’re so close now! Can’t wait to show you all.
Oh, and I’ve been sewing wee creatures as well. This plush bunny is in the shop now, and the out-of-control scribble monster was a test creature that Aveline’s claimed as her own. The less-scribbly, but still-wonky, plaid version is headed to France. Let’s just say the monsters have a mind of their own. The bunnies are so much more calm and cooperative! ;-)
HANDMADE :: Owl Hat Giveaway WINNER :: Amber of Minty Fresh Design!
Thank you to everyone who entered! You were all so sweet — some of you showed up every single day to leave a comment. You know, since it was my first time hosting a giveaway, I was a bit nervous. It’s kind of like planning a party, and then being worried no one will show up! So thank you all for “showing up” to my giveaway party :-)
And a big, big CONGRATULATIONS to Amber of Minty Fresh Design…you had comment number eleven, so you are the winner!
(P.S. I know it’s slim pickings over at my Etsy shop right now, but I have a handful more hats on my desk just awaiting owl embroidery. Look for them soon, or, contact me if you want to order a custom size! Remember, you can keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter as well.)
HANDMADE :: Owl Hat GIVEAWAY!
Last week, on the Oaxacaborn facebook page, I promised a giveaway when the page reached one hundred fans. Much to my surprise and happiness, YOU made this happen in a mere couple of hours. (Thank you to Natalia of Ma Nouvelle Mode and Nicole of Darn Good Yarn for helping me get there!)
So, here it is — an owl hat giveaway to thank you all for helping me achieve a very successful first six months over at my Etsy shop, which keeps running out of owl hats. :-D So exciting!
Now on to the actual giveaway…
One of you will win the yellow and white striped owl hat pictured above, which is sized approximately six months. It’s crocheted in a chunky textured stitch from a super soft acrylic yarn and features an original woodland owl applique. The owl has been handmade from recycled felt and is securely attached to the hat with whimsical hand stitching.
It’s SUPER EASY to enter. Just comment on this post! No tweeting, pinning, stumbling, chirping or facebooking required. ;-) You can comment once per day for the duration of the contest. Open to all readers, worldwide! (And you don’t even need to have a baby to enter. It would make a great gift!)
And oh yes, the fine print: Infant clothing sizes, by nature, are approximate. This hat has been estimated to be size 6 months based on the measurements of a 16″ un-stretched circumference and 7″ height. Entries/comments will be accepted from Tuesday, 7 February through Tuesday, 14 February at 12am EST. This equates to 14 February at 9pm PST, and 15 February at 5am GMT). Only comments left on this exact post will be counted. One comment per day per entrant. Winner will be chosen via random.org’s random number generator. Once the winner is notified, the winner has 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!
HANDMADE :: The Adami Tulu Project, or, How I’m Sponsoring a Child in Ethiopia with One Etsy Sale Per Month
I first heard about the Adami Tulu Project through friends who volunteer for the organization, and who had recently traveled to Ethiopia to work with Adami Tulu school. I hadn’t checked out the website, though, until this afternoon.
As I was browsing through the pages of children awaiting sponsorship, I read the following:
…Your sponsorship cost is only $19 per month – some 37% less expensive than most programs – and 100% of that money (after PayPal fees) goes into the field, spent on the costs of Adami Tulu School. 0% goes to US administration.
And I thought to myself, “Nineteen dollars. That’s less than what I charge for ONE hat in my Etsy shop. I’d only have to sell ONE hat each month to sponsor an Ethiopian child.”
All afternoon and into the evening, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I kept talking to God about it, and kept thinking about it. (Anytime I think too hard about orphans, and little kids needing love and food and blankets, I have a hard time not crying. But I was with Josiah and Aveline, in the middle of the grocery store, where crying just won’t do.)
I checked my email when I got home, and lo and behold — someone bought a hat while we were out running errands.
And I knew exactly what I needed to do.
So, meet little Yeabsira. He’s 4 years old, an orphan, and lives with his grandmother.
Thank you, dear God, for reminding me today what is really important. Thank you for reminding me that You are the Giver of all good things. For what do you require of me but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before You? (paraphrase of Micah 6:8)
[All images via The Adami Tulu Project]
HANDMADE :: Kawaii Plush Creature – Bear Monster with Open Arms
Well, someone must have put magical elf sprinkles in my coffee after all, because I finished the little plush creature I was making. (Just don’t ask about the 137,421 loose ends on the four-color striped cardigan, ok? Especially don’t ask whether or not the sleeve sections ended up being the right size when I went to piece them all together.)
But back to the creature. I went on a cute and pink overload making this (my first one ever), and you know what? I love it.
The Oaxacaborn Blog 