An Interview with Debi from CubbyholeToys

As many of you know, EtsyBABY team members are extremely talented.  We wanted to take a peek at the person behind the creativity.  All through May, we will be interviewing shop owners, to get a glimpse of the designer behind those adorable baby products!

Meet Debi from CubbyholeToys

What inspired you to begin a shop featuring your own designs?

We have made the personalized stools and puzzles for over 30 years.  My husband had a skiing accident back then and was laid up and just started making toys for our son who was 1 at the time.  The hobby grew into us doing a few local craft shows to traveling a 5 state area to being a full time business.  and I really like Etsy so I thought it would be great to have a shop here in addition  with our own web site

How long have you been practicing your art/craft?

Over 30 years

What training have you had or are you self-taught?

My husband was handy with wood working and I always did some kind of crafts. 

What is your favorite material to craft with?  Wood

What has been the hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business? 

Having to learn all the computer workings to go along with have a Internet business. 

 







Any advice for other Etsy sellers?

The only thing I can say is that it is a great place to shop and a fairly easy shop to operate, I am still learning new things all the time. I am sure there is much more I can do to promote our shop too, so just keep working at it.

What do you enjoy doing in your off time?

Spending time with my kids and grand kids We are very blessed with 3 great kids and 8 beautiful grandchildren  9, 6, 5, 2, twins (12 months) and twins (3 months).  Our stools and puzzles are very kid tested!  I also like to read, knit, and have been doing some rug hooking
 

Describe a typical day in your life...

I spend most of my day at the computer, processing and handling orders.  I always try to answer every email and phone call.  

Where can we find your products online? 

We have a web site Cubbyholetoys where we have many cute and different children's items along with all our of items.

Thank you Debi, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant us an interview!

An Interview with Dayle from BabyRooz by Jo-Be-Mac Studios

As many of you know, EtsyBABY team members are extremely talented.  We wanted to take a peek at the person behind the creativity.  All throughout May we will be interviewing shop owners, to get a glimpse of the designer behind those adorable baby products!

Meet Dayle from BabyRooz by Jo-Be-Mac Studios

What inspired you to begin a shop featuring your own designs?

My husband had just build a woodworking shop for himself.  I bought a book on scroll sawing animal puzzles because I thought that he would be able to do this with our youngest daughter for fun.  First, he pointed out to me that he did not have a scroll saw and neither one of them were interested.  I started looking through the book and decided I wanted to try.  So I did and I loved it.  Soon after I decided to try to make my own design based on the animals that I work with at Zoo New England (I am a zookeeper when I am not at home in my shop).  It came out really nice so I submitted it to a magazine and they published my work!  I couldn't stop after that.

What is your favorite material to craft with?  

Beautiful natural wood.

What training have you had or are you self-taught?

I am self taught.

What has been the hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business? 

Finding the time between a full time job and a full time mom.  I have started painting some of my toys at work during my lunch to increase my productivity.

Any advice for other Etsy sellers?

Have fun.  I love creating new designs and posting them on my shop.

What do you enjoy doing in your off time?

Well, right now my etsy shop is my off time.  But when I do decide to skip the shop (and housecleaning) I enjoy photographing wildlife.
 

Describe a typical day in your life...
I get up at 5:30 and get the kids up at 6.  I set off for my work at Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.  There I take care of our collection of animals including snow leopards, Mexican gray wolves, markhor mountain goat, reindeer and many others.  I also train our Black Bears, Jaguars, Spider monkeys, Otters and Cougars.  I generally get home at 6pm.  Then I make supper, check my etsy shop and work in my little workshop making baby toys until around 9pm.  Then collapse in bed!  It is a lot of work, but it is all so much fun that I never want to stop!

Where can we find your products online? 

Right now I can be found on etsy and facebook.  I am getting ready for my first craft fair and have had a few stores ask about featuring my toys.

Thank you Dayle, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant us an interview!

Under the Tree

The Perfect Gift!

L to R:

Daisycreek

PIY- Paint It Yourself Princess Tee

Connie Lou Fabrics

Fleece Robot Doll Kits

Little Red Riding Hood

Out Little Messes

Crayon Wallet Travel Case

Knistyle

Mariah Cloth Play Block

Regal Cottage

Matryoshka Doll

Hottest Handmade Toys 2009

Our members have created one-of-a-kind handmade toys for your child to enjoy without fear of lead or mishaps. With so many issues on the markets with mass-produced toys EtsyBABY brings home a long gone era when care and meticulous detail went into each and every handmade toy that was made for your child.

Infant Toys

The six Block Set is in a colorful polka dot style and made of 100% Premium Designer fabric. The blocks are stuffed with high-quality non-allergenic Poly-Fil and each face measures 3'x3".

This set is made by Knitstyle and sells for $31.50

The three block set is the perfect toy for the little one in your household. With a rocket theme and two tags, for small fingers to play with, and each face of the block measures 3"x3".

This block set is made by More Cookies Please and sells for $13.00.

The Rack um Stack um Ring Toy is a great gift for your little ones motor skills. The ring toy will teach your child eye-hand coordination and keep them entertained as well. The Stack Um toy measures 14" tall and comes with five rings to stack.

The set is made by Goldtone Designs and sells for $55.00

The Animal Party Ribbon Play Ball will have your child tossing this ball around for hours. Measuring 7" round with 12 pentagon shaped faces and 29 coordinating sensory ribbons.

The ball is made by Mama Made and sells for $24.00

Toddler Toys

A creative mind is a terrible thing to waste!

For the Toddler in your home we have toys that create
an experience in Dramatic Play, Finger Play and Creative Play.

The Deluxe Washcloth Sushi set does double duty. This set allows your child to get clean in the tub with five Gerber baby washcloths, but also included in this set is "Tako", the green octopus finger puppetand his friend, "Kurodai", the red and white stripped snapper finger puppet.

This set is made by Sushi For Baby and sells for $35.00

The Saturday Morning Breakfast Felt play set looks as yummy as the real thing. The complete set comes with two pancakes, topped with butter and maple syrup, two sausages, one egg, sunny-side up and one strawberry.

This set is made by Imogens Garden and sells for $32.00

The Crayon Finger Puppet is as cute as it gets. The Crayon puppet measures 3 1/2" tall and is 1 1/2" wide with an embroidered face. You can buy each Crayon separately or buy them by the bunch and you get to choose your favorite colors.

Each Crayon is made by Mini Monster and sells for $9.00

The Princess and Prince Finger Puppets will have your little one dreaming of becoming the beautiful Princess waiting for her dashing Prince to come along to begin the perfect fairy tale. Hand knitted with acrylic wool and just sized for little fingers.

This set is made by Kazzal Blue and sells for $13.00

Lionel the Lion is sure to bring a wild time to your toddlers life. Lionel is made up of 28, knotted fabric strings and a 4" tail with four strings. His ears "crinkle" and he is about " round with the softest fuzzy polyester face.

Lionel is made by Zady Ball and sells for $23.00

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is 15" of squeezable, colorful goodness. Inspired by the wonderful story written by Eric Carle, this hungry caterpillar has ten loopy legs and two loopy antennae, perfect for little fingers to pull.

The caterpillar is made by Cool Tricks and sells for $22.00

Youngster Toys

The Crayon Roll is perfect for travel to the local restaurant, the babysitter or on a vacation. With ten generous sized pockets to carry crayons or markers. An attached ribbon secures the roll into a closed position and includes a set of ten Crayons.

The set is made by Bellflower Textiles and sells for $12.00

The Ready-to-Go Coloring Tote is great gift for your little artist. The tote carries eight Crayons and a Dover Coloring book, which are both included. Measuring 6"x6" with handles that are perfect for your little one to carry themselves.

The tote is made by Whimbrella and sells for $12.50

The Purple Flower Crown is what every Princess dreams of wearing. Made entirely of the softest felt with an elastic band in the back, this crown measures 7" tall and fits a 20"-22" head circumference.

The Crown is made by Those Great House Women and sells for $20.00

The Bubblegum Pink Princess Tutu is just the right thing to add to your little girls dress-up. She'll twirl around the house in this "pretty in pink" tutu filled with flower petals of soft pink. Trimmed with ribbons, flowers and an elastic waist for optimal comfort.

This tutu is made by TuTu Cute & Moore and sells for $36.00

The Winter Wonderland Holiday Imaginative Playmat is just what the holiday ordered. This 30" round eco-friendly playmat comes with two snow-capped alps, four conifer trees, poinsettias, a log cabin and an icy skating pond. Pull the macrame drawstring closed and this Winter Wonderland is ready to go anywhere.

This playmat is made by LuLus Woobies and sells for $75.00

The Doll Cradle is waiting to rock your little girls baby doll into dream land. This hand painted, eco-friendly cradle would place a smile on any little girls face. Measuring 19" wide, 13" deep and 9" high and is the perfect size to snuggle a doll.

The cradle is made by Bobs and Bits and sells for $55.00.

Happy Handmade Holiday!

The EtsyBABY Blog Giveaway Details

Get ready ... we are about to begin our giveaway on the EtsyBABY Blog! The giveaway will begin on Tuesday, November 18th and we will be "giving away" items donated by members of the EtsyBABY TEAM over the next few weeks.

The way our giveaway will work: We will be featuring various items over the next few weeks and you, our etsybaby blog readers, will be given a chance to enter each giveaway for an opportunity to win a FREE gift. You can enter as many giveaways as you'd like, but you can only enter each one ONCE! All winners will be selected at random and posted on the blog. Once the winner's name is posted, you will have 72 hours to claim your prize.

Giveaways will begin on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning and they will be open for 7 days; closing the following Monday or Wednesday at midnight EST. A winner will be chosen at random within 24 hours.

How can you enter the giveaway?
1. Go to the giveaway you'd like to enter
2. Follow the link and visit the sponsor's shop(s)
3. Go back to the giveaway and leave a comment about something in that shop you like. Please, only leave ONE comment for each giveaway
4. Please leave your first name and last initial with a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you are a winner. If you wish not leave an email address and you are a winner, your name will be posted for 72 hrs to claim your prize. After 72 hrs a second winner will be selected if we do not hear back from you.

Help spread the word by posting about the giveaway on your blog or at twitter!

Please note: All giveaways are NOT open to everyone. Each giveaway will state USA RESIDENTS ONLY or USA/CANADA ONLY if that is the case. Post on all giveaways but there is a limit to winning 1 giveaways/person.

***Also, current EtsyBABY Team Members can post comments but they are ineligible for the contest and their name will not be included in the random drawings.

Here's a list of participating sponsors (in no particular order). The shops listed in *green* are a current giveaway where you can leave a comment for a chance to win!

1.Modestmilk 2.Alphabulous 3.Seraphinarose 4.Knitstyle 5.Goldtonedesigns 6.Babycheeks 7.Beadedsocks8.Kraftyladykreations 9.Scandeez 10.Kitschycookids 11.Tutucuteandmoore 12.Zenbebe 13.Candysticklane 14.Luluswoobies 15. Littlebirdcreations 16.Thepatacakebaby 17.Boogaboobabies 18. Obabygear 19.Radcover 20.DaisyCreek 21.Mommysmonkey 22.Starbugaloo

EtsyBABY Products Baby Gift Baskets Donation

Big Night Out Benefit Auction at Farm Neck Golf Course on Martha's Vineyard, MA to benefit The Vineyard Montessori School. There will be music, great food, drinks, and wonderful silent and live auction items. Part of the silent auction you will find 2 beautiful gift baskets put together with fabulous EtsyBABY products generously donated by some of our very talented EtsyBABY Team Members. The event will take place on Friday, May 16th ... a night not to be missed!
I would like to thank all the shops who donated an item to include in the gift basket. It means a lot to me, my sister (who is a teacher at the school), the parents and the KIDS!!!

Participating shops
Basket 1: Babyannequilts, Girliemomma, Knitstyle, TutuCuteandMoore, TweedleBee, Winklepots
Basket 2: Bepebaby, Jkalea, JustJillBlankets, Knitstyle, Oliverlane, TheCherubsCloset, Zadyball

TweedleBee Creative Quilts and More

The Etsy shop of TweedleBee has a beautiful selection of handmade quilts, toys and "little jems". Toni, shop owner, has been sewing since she was a kid and began quilting 5 years ago. She enjoys quilting and the creations in TweedleBee Shop are originals designed by Toni. Each quilt is made one at a time in her home. Quick! She has a large section of SALE items right now!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade TweedleBee.etsy.com