i might even be a rockstar

Image via Burkeheart Baby on Etsy

My niece (the mini muffin) celebrated her 1st birthday a couple months ago. Yes, that's how behind I am! I had meant to post this then, but better late than never, right? She's growing into such a sweet little girl:) So, I'm giving you all a glimpse of what her present was...and as a nod to her musician daddy, we chose a bit of a rockstar/music theme!























For her quilt I chose fabrics that were a little out of the norm for a little girl, but the mini muffin is a bit of a tomboy herself, so it really suits her.


















And I was able to find a cute pair of shoes by Burkeheart Baby on Etsy made from the same 'mix tape' fabric in the quilt! They make the most adorable and comfy shoes for little feet, and use wonderful fabrics!
















I did stray a bit from my own rockstar theme, making her a sweet pink floral reversible pinafore...as a nod to my own girliness:)






















Happy Belated Birthday Mini Muffin! We love ya!

a pocket full of posies

In addition to all the bibs and blankets I've been sewing, here's an adorable little pinafore top I made from a pattern by Heidi & Finn...and yes it's reversible! For now it looks a lot more like a dress rather than a top, but she'll grow into it. I think the mini papercut seems to like it:)

feature: greenbeanbaby

When I first started Little Papercuts, it was more for fun than a means of income. As time went on, and it became evident that there was genuine interest in my artwork, the stress of everyday family life and the need to be creative and productive, put me into somewhat of a rut. I began to worry that there would be no way to accomplish everything that I wanted to or needed to.























It was late one night, after both kids had gone to sleep, while I was perusing numerous photos on flickr for inspiration, that I stumbled upon a fantastic artist...her name is Ellia Hill. Ellia, otherwise known as Greenbeanbaby, is a cut-paper illustrator who manages to find the time to make wonderful notebooks, magnets, artwork and cards for her Etsy shop, does freelance illustration for children's books and creates adorable images for rubber stamps and iphone apps... and this is just a bit of what she does in addition to being a full-time mom and wife. Her love of paper manifests itself in such wonderful and imaginative ways. See what Ellia had to say when asked about herself. Enjoy!














1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
i'm the short girl who cannot reach the top aisles in the grocery store without having to stand on the lower shelf.... i'm the mom with curly hair that's shoved into two massive pigtails while my 3yr old daughter's hair mimics a similar look... we even share the same nail color- teal, metal gray, green, or yellow depending on mood... i love wearing heels but rarely get to feel 4 inches taller since i rarely get to dress up... i dress like i'm in college- jeans, and a worn fitted shirt and some darn cute flats... i guess you'd say i have an artsy look and am less chic but definitely not sporting the typical mommy look... i have the biggest purse one day and a teeny vintage purse the next... my cell phone is beat up and chewed up but it's pink and shiny... i'm a wife to a talented husband [who's a foot taller] who shares similar passions for superheroes and video games... i'm a talker, fulla ideas and ready to show you a book or an illustration or some site... i'm the person who LOVES being a mom but enjoys her quiet moments late at night, working on art... whether it's i love lucy or dexter, the office or the justice league cartoons, i'll watch something on my laptop while cutting up paper, sketching, or packaging... and when i need a break, i will sit back in my bright pink chair and play some video games on my OWN xbox 360... bet you never knew how much this greenbean loves shooting zombies!!! oh, and i love green [or is that too obvious?]























2. What made you first want to create?
3. How did you get started?
i've always had a passion to create but i cannot pinpoint the exact reason of what FIRST made me want to create... i remember my early drawings of rainbows with clouds and ladies with big eyes and long lashes... i loved having new crayons and disliked having to share them with careless and heavy handed playmates... i've always loved writing and making greeting cards for others, especially if they were upset or sick... i enjoyed making people smile regardless of the situation.... once i was called a big mouth bass because i was incredibly loud... with hurt feelings, i made a card with a fish that had a HUGE mouth saying "i'm sorry i was so loud".... the person smiled at how literal i took their words and sincerely apologized... but i can still remember how i reacted to such a situation- i made a card [and a memorable one, at that]... i've always been a talkative person so when it was time to make a self portrait out of wood, i made a chatterbox... when someone locked their keys in their car, i made a card with paper keys... i thought it was cute, apparently the humor didn't outweigh their frustration [haha]...when my files were erased from our computer, i cried then illustrated... when asked to participate in a paper quilt, i made an illustration of what i was going through at the time- pregnant and eating tums like candy... when i found out my son needed his tonsils and adenoids out, i made an illustration... i guess now that i think about it, art has always been my way of getting my feelings across while trying to lighten up any frustration or fear.... this attitude kept me in school and lead me to the greeting card and children's book industry... [it even lead me to the best husband in the world- who also happens to be an illustrator!]























4. What does your workspace look like?
my workspace is a neat and organized environment as this is the only way i can work.... there are scissors and rulers carefully hung up on the wall near my desk along with a duster so that i can dust daily... through trades and purchases, i've acquired artwork from friends... these pieces hang on wall directly facing my desk... it's the perfect wall of inspiration... my entire studio has sections of papers organized in drawers, shelves, and bags... papers are organized by size, color, pattern or plain, name brand, and the "must use this"... I have a drawer full of scraps that are packed into individual bags according to color and pattern... retro children's and adult books sit on my shelves next to freelance illustration books and paperwork also meticulously organized... even my embellishments are arranged in such a fashion! a few toys, modern and old adorn the shelves away from toddler hands...

















5. What do you offer in your shop?
Currently, my shop is a bit bare but for the past couple of years, i've offered quite a variety of goodies.... my personal favorite are my handmade paper magnets... they are characters cut out of paper and mounted onto wood... they come in all sizes, shapes, and characteristics... sometimes, there are prints available in the shop or original illustrations in need of home... recently, i've created a line of paper embellishments where people can use my artwork in their scrapbooking creations... i'll admit, that is another favorite product of mine.... on occasion, there are illustrated notebooks, photo albums, wall hangings, and cut paper kits... While these are my handmade goodies, i also design rubber stamps for Stamping Bella as well as take on freelance illustration jobs on the side...























6. What’s the one piece of advice you could give about starting your own business?
most people will say that having patience and having support is key to starting up a business.... while this is true [and indeed important], i must say that NOT comparing yourself is vital as well.... it's hard enough to keep a dream afloat with the ups and downs and concerns of having a business.... but when you start comparing yourself with other successful business owners, it plays and eventually wears on your emotions and self esteem... this person is selling hundreds.... why aren't you? this person can create goodies daily, but your shop is still bare... and if you think about, you might remember that this person isn't married... or this person doesn't have kids... while they can spend all day and night creating, you are juggling chores ranging from dishes to mopping, picking up unexpected messes, caring for a child who suddenly got sick [AGAIN]... you have to cook while you email or you get the kids down for bed and are ready to work on creating but the kids need you over and over... you are exhausted and after working all day and night as a mom and a wife, you get to work MORE on you YOUR DREAM while the rest of the family sleeps... you work all hours of the night catching up on emails, creating, advertising, sketching, networking, printing, or packaging... by the time you go to bed, a child seems to wake up in need of water... by the time you fall asleep, the husband is waking up to go to work and in a short time you must get the kids ready for school.... i know this routine all too well and while i have been able to push myself night after night with much needed breaks in between, i cannot afford to look at the next person and compare... i cannot feel bad that i didn't MAKE the valentine cards for my son's class... i cannot worry bout making enough goodies in my shop to update it daily.... it's all about finding the right pace for yourself, for your business, and finding a balance... if you don't compare yourself with other business owners, and you set goals based around your circumstances, you will find yourself less frustrated and feeling more optimistic about the road ahead...


















7. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
as i stated earlier, most of my inspiration is from life itself... sometimes, my son or daughter rambles off and he'll inspire me to get a sketch going... overall, my subject matter can vary but i like to illustrate life in such a way that a person will want to chuckle... after all, life can be rough at times, we all need a moment where we sit back and smile... when it comes to color schemes i love looking at vintage books and vintage greeting cards... i LOVE looking at retro children's books and observing layout, colors, clothing styles, and the whimsical goodness of the past... i also like sifting through vintage better homes and garden books... i have a few for home decorating and they have the best color palettes and the wildest furniture shapes... it helps get the creative juices flowing... watching a television show or a cartoon can also inspire my subject matter as well as sifting through flickr pages but most often, it's life and how you look at it...

8. What 3 words best describe you?
passionate, unpredictable, colorful


















To learn more about Greenbeanbaby, and Ellia, visit her blog at http://greenbeanbaby.typepad.com/ . Thanks for being so inspirational:)

feature: sugar + spice

'Sugar and spice and everything nice,
That's what little girls are made of.'

...Well that's definitely the case if you're talking about Sugar and Spice by Christine Harling.

You might recall a sweet little doll named Lydia that I blogged about over Christmas. To say that my daughter A loves her is an understatement (I have to admit that I adore her too)! Since then we have purchased 2 more for the mini papercut, and a custom one for A that kinda looks like her:)





















You can see how much love was put into each doll, and they all seem to have their own little personalities and charm. We were very lucky to have come across Sugar and Spice while browsing on Etsy one day. Christine Harling is one of my favourite sellers, and a real pleasure to work with! Here's what she had to say when asked a bit about herself and her shop. Enjoy!























1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a stay at home mom with three kids, ages 12, 9 and 22 months. I love to create...it helps me get through the long Minnesota winters. It's a lot cheaper than therapy! :)

2. What made you first want to create?
It's always been a part of my life. Ever since I can remember my mom was making things for around the house and for gifts. She always had us working on little craft projects and she even taught arts & crafts classes for kids during the summer.

3. How did you get started?
I started my first home-based business when my first daughter was about 18 months old. I loved staying home with her, but I was a little bored at the same time. I started making homemade dog biscuits and selling them locally. Long story short, that morphed into making dolls. I've been making and selling dolls since 2002. My style has evolved a lot since I first started.

4. What does your workspace look like?
My workspace consists of our kitchen table and my computer desk, which sits in the living room. I'd love to have a studio of my own, but we don't have the space. Plus, it's kind of nice that I'm around the kids even when I'm working.























5. What do you offer in your shop?
Mostly dolls, but also other things made of fabric. Right now I have fabric pears and yo yo and chenille pillows available as well. I love combining lots of colors and patterns in the things that I make.

6. What’s the one piece of advice you could give about starting your own business?
Be dynamic...be open to change. If something doesn't work one way try doing it another way....just don't give up!

7. What 3 words best describe you?
creative
introverted
optimistic



















Be sure to stop by Christine's shop on Etsy for more sweet dolls and other goodies!

tutu love

As mentioned in a previous post, my daughters were lucky enough to receive tutus from The Girly Place for Christmas, and today we decided to do a little impromptu photo shoot of Alison in hers.

















Alison has been taking ballet for about a year and a half now, and as you can see in some of the photos, she looks every bit the prima ballerina. But I have to admit, I love how the pics of her turned out with her stripey legs and chunky boots :) We had so much fun taking these photos! The tutu is wonderful!

If you haven't had a chance to check out The Girly Place, then what are you waiting for? Mom, wife and crafter, Joanie is the mastermind behind this wonderful shop. Her tutus are excellent quality and boast tons of 'fluff'. They come in different lengths and a variety of colours. She even has one that is a dress, very cute! And while you're there, be sure to take a look at the assortment of hair bows and flowers as well as all of the adorable felt foods. I'm especially fond of the fortune cookies (I think I may have to purchase some for Valentine's Day). Oh, did I forget to mention she also has the sweetest baby shoes too!






















images courtesy of The Girly Place

We are absolutely in love with our tutus, I'm pretty sure you can see how much A loves hers :) AND as an added bonus the lovely Joanie used the pics of A in one of her listings in her shop. You can imagine the squealing that's been going on here ;) !

handmade christmas

My kids received tons of wonderful presents this year. Lots of toys, lots of clothes, lots of gift cards. But the presents that I loved the best were the ones that couldn't be found in a big box brick and mortar store, but special treasures found on Etsy.

My sister went mostly handmade this year and while she did have to cave in and purchase a few items from Toys R Us (boys can be very particular), she was able to get almost all of her Christmas shopping done online from the comfort of her own home. This is just a small sampling of the fabulous items she gifted us with:
















Wonderful sweet pea soap that smells heavenly from Indulgent Creations, a beautiful cedar soap dish from Andrew's Reclaimed, a funky wristlet key chain from Tracy Designs and cocoa mint lip balm from Sparta Soap...all for me!
















For the mini papercut, a couple of adorable pink diaper shirts from Not Your Mom's Vinyl...yes daddy is a Star Wars fan, and Z is a bit of a spitter.























Fluffy and fanciful tutus for both the girls from The Girly Place. As well as a pink and black taggy minky blanket(not pictured) for the little one. My eldest promptly put her tutu on and twirled around the room:)























And last but definitely not least, the sweetest little doll ever, named Lydia, from Sugar and Spice! She's my favourite gift, hands down :) I've already custom ordered one for the mini papercut!

I love every single gift we received, but there's just something about presents that feel like they were made just for us. I know that with the amount of kids we have to buy for (roughly 20 in total, yes you read that right) going completely handmade is not all that practical. Plus not everyone appreciates it. But I'm thinking about doing a mostly handmade Christmas next year, or at the very least attempting to do it. How about you?

nursery accents

This is Jubilee. She is a sweet little lamb made of chenille that I purchased from the wonderful doggiepiggie on etsy.























I received this cute sock monkey as a gift yesterday from the lovely muffintopdesigns. Each one of my kids has a muffintopdesigns sock monkey, and she felt it was only fitting that the mini papercut should own one too. I think we'll name him Socko.

I've been on the look-out for nursery accents lately. Nothing tradition, maybe a little quirky and a bit whimsical. I'm only looking for a few things for organization: diaper caddy, container/canister to hold ointments, nail clippers, thermometer etc., and a night light. Up until now I haven't seen anything that really appeals to me, but today I was lucky enough to find a couple of items that fit the bill. This whimsical table lamp will be used as a nightlight, thanks to a low-wattage light bulb and the sugar canister will house all our odds and ends.

























Yes, I realize that these pieces are not intended for a nursery, but I kinda like the retro, vintage feel of the sugar canister, and the table light is just too cute, don't you think?