Wednesday is Create Day

Start of a Vet Playset

Wednesday is now dedicated to be my create day! So I thought we would have a little fun! I have been doing lots of painting for orders and stocking up. All thought it is always great to get to paint it can get a little dull. I decided to take one day a week to put the orders aside a just create. I have a HUGE list of ideas and things I want to make but don't get the time to do them.

Paint in rows for stock and orders

 This decision has renewed my spirit and now I have this lovely day to look forward to right in the middle of my week. I also get a great satisfaction at getting to do giveaways and sharing my creations with others. I decided instead of doing it for someone else blog, I would do it on my facebook page and blog here.

Custom Playbox $114.00 value

 

So here is how we will do it:

Go to my facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/TheEnchantedCupboard

Enter an idea for a playset/playbox and you get (one) entry at winning it.
If we get a few good ideas we will vote to narrow it down to just one, everyone will get to watch me create it on my blog and then the contest will happen her where you can enter more times to win!

LETS HAVE SOME FUN!!!

Educational Toys

 

These painted toys are part of my Educational Toys. These are great for learning pattern making, sorting, counting, and adding to other elements for preschool learning.

 

 Education needs to be hands on for all ages but mostly for under 5 years old when the road map of the brain is being laid out. Early education in a book and on the computer is good but hands on learning makes a connection to what they are learning.

Pattern Making Mushrooms

Rainbow sorting mushrooms and sorting bowls

24 Counting Mushrooms

Stand and Fight

Where did the fight go? When did the people who stood up against the wrongs in this world get so "tired"? I am talking about this law, CPSIA. I am reading and hearing so much about people giving up. It makes me mad; it makes me cry. I think of our ancestors and how hard they fought for us to have the freedoms that we have.  Where would we be if they didn't fight, if they gave up?

I know many are trying to stay "positive" and change...


Phebe Phillips Commencement Address from Taylor Davis on Vimeo.

....but this just made me cry. As I watched her give this speech, I envisioned our Great Women standing behind her in their sashes, standing strong for Women's Suffrage with tears in their eyes. What would they say to us?  Would they be proud? They had the same fears and the same things they would lose ( kids, families, etc), yet they fought not just for their own rights, but mine and yours! Many went to jail to stand  up for their rights; would you? They fought for every generation that followed them, as we must for the next generation. This CPSIA Law is wrong. It will destroy the handmade and small businesses that provide quality items to babies and children.

Let's not throw in the towel and give up until we fight. We have not even begun to fight. The day the call goes out I will be ready... ready to put down my paint brush, pack up the 4 kids, gather the organic snacks and meet you in DC to march and fight...I will even make the signs!

Who is with me?
For more information about this Law:
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

Some Etsy Love

My Table and Chair Set for Wooden Doll or Bendy Doll  made it to Etsy FP this morning!

Would You Die For Beauty?

You may already be and not realizing it! A riddle: What is the largest organ we have? Answer: Your SKIN. Do you know that what you put on your skin is like putting it in your mouth. We are learning so much everyday about all the chemicals in our food, the things we have in our homes, and now our personal care products. Watch this video to learn more!



I'm not saying don't take care of yourself and how you look and smell but look for great products that are safe.

You can buy from Etsy seller who make great products that are safe.

Rosemary Lavender Basil Mint Sage - Shampoo Bar by BeautifulSoaps

Get the Look Makeup Collection by EllaRoseMinerals

 

 Single Use Sugar Scrub, Warm Vanilla by KBShimmer

 

These are not just examples that I pulled off Etsy cause the were pretty, they come from my own shopping cart and are in my bathroom. Using great products like these makes me feel good. There are lots of great finds all over Etsy of safe products that are good for you and the earth! One more thing, not ready to buy how about a how to! Check out this blog for how to make your own lip balm, http://imaginationkidstoys.com/blog/2010/07/beeswax-lipbalm/

No More Bridal Flip Flops

 Snow Drops - silk and linen women room shoes

Now if this is not a ringing endorsement I don't know what is...

I just opened the link and my little girl was right here, she put her little hand to her mouth and said," Oh my gosh, such pretty shoes, can you put them on my feet!"

How do you explain to a 2 year old that you can just take the things you see out of the computer, lol!

Lovely !!! Perfect wedding shoes by La La! Shoes I hate seeing those ugly flip flops the wedding party get for when their feet start to hurt, these would be perfect to slip into after a night of dancing! Heavenly!!!! 

The description itself is heavenly,

The off-white shantung silk texture is perfectly matched with soft off-white pure linen on the inside, and makes a great contrast with the rough texture of the linen soles. Unique flower-like upper straps fasten with velcro, and soft light gray lambskin no-skid patches on the outsoles allow you to walk safely even on very slippery surfaces.

...and how about these for your flower girls! 

 Zen Bordeaux

LaLa Shoes is a member of the NaturalKids Team and also makes darling baby shoes.

Muddy Feet Giveaway on NaturalKids Blog

Come on over to the NaturalKids Team for a great Giveaway from Muddy Feet!

Here are a few items by Kelley of Muddy Feet!

Carrot House Playset

Little Felt Snails

Pumpkin House Playset

To checkout other items from Muddy Feet click here.

The Toy Maker's Table

Find out what I have been working on and what is on the Toy Makers Table this week:

Buzzing Bees and Ladybugs!!!

My kids have a great love for bugs (daddy does not). Bugs are friends and help with our garden and our whole world food growth. Without these amazing creatures we humans would be lost. One of my projects I am working on is making great preschool learning toys. If kids learn that education is fun from a very early age they will carry it through with them in to their adult life. The Bees have stripes and the ladybugs have dots. These great set can be used for counting, sorting and for pattern making!

You can soon find these listed in my shop. Want to learn more about the wonder of bugs come read my blog post on the NaturalKids Blog!

Who Am I? Part 3

  I have also asked one of my favorite doll makers, Cynthia Toy of The Fairies Nest, to do a "Doll of The Month Club" for me but not tell me what I am getting from her selection of Storybook Dolls!!! BUT She is going to give me a hint/riddle each time.
Here is what she wrote:
see the listing here.

Friends with mice, cats, and rabbits; curiouser and curiouser, who can she be?

You can see examples of Fairiesnest storybook dolls in her sold section
http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=5072731

Other Dolls by Fairiesnest-

A Kitty Girl

Upcycled Natural Plush Bunny

Look What the Mailman brought part 2

This mystery character's favorite expression is.
"Just Imagine..." Can you guess who she is?

Anne of Green Gables

I am just loving this doll of the month club with The Fairies Nest. Anne of Green Gables is such a great story and one I really enjoy sharing with my kids. Cyn did such a wonderful job bring her to life with her fiery hair and her sweet freckles! I just love her! My next doll is ready and I hope you are having as much fun as I am trying to guess who they are.

The Reason I Have Approvals Done - Wedding Cake Topper Giveaway

The bride looked at the finish photos and felt that the headband was not right, after some email chatting and new photos we realized the problem.

 The first photos was a white wash-out from the flash, making the headband look like groupings of white pearl flowers.

 What the headband really was, was 3 rows of "diamonds" on a silver headband with one side having a swirl of diamonds and pearls, with a few pearls here and there.

And now the finished Cake Topper...

I hope everyone enjoyed the process and that the bride with have the enchanting day she always dreamed of!
May you live Happily Ever After!!!!

Finish - Wedding Cake Topper Giveaway

Finish Doll for The Wedding Cake Topper Giveaway! This was a hard month, I got very sick for about 3 weeks. It started out as allergies and quickly turned into something more serious. I work when I could but my blog suffered, I didn't get to do all my fun wedding theme blogs but my health, family, and orders had to come first.

Here you see the bride doll getting her fist layer of color. I do several colors to get a more realistic hair look. If I put a just one color out of the bottle it looks more like a helmet, lol! On my pallet you can see the mix to get what the bride calls Auburn with apricot highlights.

You can see the color mixing here.

Here is a close up and above to see the texture and the curls.

The sash was made darker and you can see her nice up-do from this photo of the back.

Finally a side glaze and you can see they are in LOVE! A really happily ever after!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Crazy tripod photo shot! Love this thing!

What The Bride Said...

APPROVED

"They look so great! I would prefer the sash on the left with a bow like the photo. Is it possible to make it slightly darker brown? It's almost like dark chocolate. If not, no big deal. I'm so excited!!! Thanks!"

Next step:
Darken the sash and move onto face and hair.

Step 1, Custom Wedding Cake Toppers

It starts with the skin tones. For me and my customers this is important step. Between the photos that they send and the description on the questionnaire I work to get a perfect fit. Because this is important to me I have my customers approve the toppers at this stage with skin tone and clothing.

Next, I work on the clothing. I first have to paint a few layers of the base coats. Water base paints tend to be a bit transparent. Once I have enough coats on and different colors need different numbers of coats to get a complete covering.

Last,I love working in the little details and painting lace is my favorite. It amazes even me how I can get the paint to work to make it look like lace.

Here are the toppers for our June Giveaway, ready for step 1 approval!

Will the bride approve? Will there be changes made? You will have to wait to see.....

But while we wait here are a few more toppers in the 1 Stage

Ruffle detail and shimmer added

Detailed Lace

Close up on tiny little bows all over the dress!

Meet The Winners of the Wedding Cake Topper Giveaway

Step one:
After a customer pays for their wedding cake toppers they send their photos and information to me through my shop or email.
Here is what the standard for looks like for now but soon we will have an online form with photo upload on my website. Don't you just love progress!!!!

Bride
Dress color: Ivory
Dress Style: http://bit.ly/co6NC3
NOTE: I'm not wearing the lace sleeves with the dress, it will be strapless like the image to the right. The dress will also have a dark chocolate sash instead of the green one pictured.
Hair Color: Auburn with apricot highlights
Hair Style: See attached images
Anything to be worn in Hair: Headband, which is shown in the images. If you need more detail of the top I can take pictures.
Eye Color: Brown
Skin Tone: light
Other: I'm wearing a pearl necklace and pearl studs in my first holes and diamond studs in my second hole. I also wear a diamond nose stud in my right nostril.


Groom
Tux /Suite Color: Black, 3 button suit. http://bit.ly/cNUUNI
Tie/ Bowtie?Color: Regular tie and vest with pocket square, Ivory http://bit.ly/aoWNq7
Hair Color: Dirty blonde
Facial Hair?: very short beard and mustache
Eye Color: blue
Skin Tone: light
Other: diamond stud in left ear

Base Color: same as my dress

 Next my sons help with collecting the unfinished wooden pieces into the customers basket along with organic cotton square, all paper work, and all packaging items.

 Now everything is in one place and kept together from start to finish.

Hopeless Romantic

I am, it's true! It runs deep in my blood! I always find the silver lining, when others are losing it I am calm, and I always look for the fairytales in life. So late at night while I was painting this is what I saw....

Do you see the heart?

I think it means: True Love and Happily Ever After!!!

Here is the sweet cake topper who's fortune was told in a drip of paint!

Lets Start at the Very Beginning

Cassandra Bromfield Bridal Blog had a giveaway of one of my Wedding Cake Toppers. Ending on March 31st, the winning couple would share their experience with my readers about the process of making their custom set.

And the winning comment was:
A. said...Dawn, my wedding officiant, posted all about this contest, and I'm hoping I win! Your stuff is soooo cute and would look great on our cake. We're getting married Oct. 10, 2010 in Wading River, NY.

Our next post we will meet to couple and see stage one.