Heart Felt

Sponsor Giveaway :: Arcani

Something I bought for Oscar for Christmas last year was an amazing cardboard play house from Arcani.  It arrived at my doorstep flat packed and on Christmas morning the children and I had fun constructing it (which was very straight forward) and then they couldn't wait to get out the art supplies to decorate it.  

Oscar had a good old scribble on it, but Sadie took it more seriously and used beautiful colours.  It was sturdy and strong and fitted at least two of the children inside at a time.  I love the cute little details like the chimney and the letter box.

:: Oscar Christmas morning ::

It would be great as an activity for a birthday party, a rainy day activity or just because.  You also have a choice, if the house isn't for you what about the car!

Introducing to you :: Arcani

We started this business 1 year ago, born from what I see in the eyes of parents for their own children, pure love and adoration.  Every parent believes their child is amazing and born for great things.

The name 'Arcani' means 'Destined for Greatness' and is a brand we are developing especially for children, as every child is born for purpose. The playhouses were created as a great little activity indoor or out, a 3D shape they could play in and color too.

Arcani has kindly offered Heart Felt readers the chance to win their choice of cardboard play house or a cardboard play car.  

All you have to do is leave a comment here stating which one you would like to win.

I will draw one random winner in a weeks time.

Sorry ~ this giveaway is only open to New Zealand residients.

 

CARDBOARD PLAY HOUSE OR PLAY CAR

*Offering an option for boys and girls, your little ones will love these playhouses or play cars.

*Great for birthday parties, daycares or just hours of fun creative play

*Good indoor activity during winter or outdoors when sunny.

*Let their imagination create their own little masterpiece by gluing on material, a sprinkle of glitter, paint, stickers or coloring.

Made from recyclable cardboard 
designed by Arcani in New Zealand

MEASUREMENTS:
Playhouse: 78 X 63 X 88cm

Visit Arcani's Felt shop here

and 'Like' their Facebook page here.

Good luck!

 

 

 

Woodbotherer giveaway winner!

Thank-you to everyone who entered our giveaway.  

Don't forget to take advantage of the Woodbother's discount code at their Felt Shop.  

Enter the code HEARTFELT at the checkout you will get a 10% discount on a single purchase

(Offer expires on the 7th May)

I think I will be purchasing the wooden rabbits, they are just too adorable. 

 

But our random winner for the Woodbotherer's sword and shield set is.....

Congratulations Kathleen, I will email you.

Jx

Sponsor Giveaway :: The Woodbotherer

I'm really excited about introducing this Heart Felt Sponsor ~ from one of my most favourite Felt shops ::

~ The Woodbotherer ~

What a great name!  

Their handcrafted wooden toys are beautiful and the handmade Waldorf  inspired dolls are made with great care and  love.

Introducing Sam and Fil from the Woodbotherer.

 

Woodbotherer is a collaboration between Sam and Fil, showcasing and selling the crafty goodness they like to make. 
Parents to two kiddos, they were inspired to make durable, unique toys for them from natural materials. They are now happy to be able to make them available to you through their Felt shop.

Fil loves to work with wood (hence woodbotherer) and was inspired by his grandfather growing up spending time together in his workshop.

Sam originally trained as a potter but fell in love with doll making after she made one for her daughter and they both loved it so much. 'I love seeing the personality of each doll develop as they are made. They are all unique.'

For more on us, and weekly updates on what we are making visit our blog at 

www.theelvesandthewoodbotherer.blogspot.co.nz

and visit our Felt shop here.

 

Sam and Fil would like to offer one of their very cool handcrafted wooden shield and sword sets to one lucky Heart Felt reader.  

A small sword and shield set just right for a little knight!

Hand made in pine, the shield is made from plywood with a solid wooden handle. The sword is light a sturdy made from solid pine. The wood is left unfinished so that it can be painted and personalized if you wish.

This sword and shield is quite small and designed for 3 - 6 years old.

Dimensions are
Shield
L: 17.5 cms
W: 6cms
H: 2cms

Sword
L: 27cms

To enter: visit the Woodbotherer's Felt shop here ~ come back to Heart Felt and leave a comment telling me what's your favourite Woodbotherer item is.

(giveaway only open to New Zealand residents)

I will randomly draw a winner in a week's time.

But wait there's more....  if you just can't wait and you want to purchase something from the Woodbotherer's shop now, enter the code HEARTFELT at the checkout you will get a 10% discount on a single purchase (Offer expires on the 7th May)

Oscar loves his Woodbotherer sword and shield, really sturdy and safe to play with.  

He's had lots of fun and  loads of exciting adventures.

Good luck and thank-you Sam and Fil. 

 

 

1 more sleep to go ~ and our RubyLou Shop winner

Craft 2.0 tomorrow.....

Great little map of where your favourite sellers will be.

And the last of my tempters.

Wool pixie hats

 

Upcycled cardigans

 

and wool tunics.

 

This one is yet to be finished, but the night is young.....

and I'm loving it already.

 

Thank-you to those who entered Heart Felt's RubyLou Shop giveaway.  

A big thank-you to Delphine, I've noticed she has added lots more stock in the shop including some gorgeous wee skirts.

But our random winner is....

Comment number 13

Congratulations to Tartan Kiwi!

I will email you. Jx

Sponsor Giveaway :: RubyLou Shop

Another amazing Heart Felt sponsored giveaway and I'm very honoured to have Delphine on board from the fantastic

RubyLou Shop

First thing that attracted me to the RubyLou Shop was the wonderful use of colours, patterns and florals ~ beautifully styled clothes for girls, boys and a fantastic range of funky unisex European style pants.  I'm a big fan of the Sarouel pants and feel quite comfortable in fitting Oscar in a pair with a little floral accent on the side.  He can run and jump in these without them falling down and they are great if they're wearing a nappy.

I asked Delphine to tell us a little about herself and how the RubyLou Shop came to be.

"Bonjour, my name is Delphine and I am French. I grew up near Paris and decided to go travelling after finishing my studies in my early 20's. For some crazy reason I ended up here, in NZ, right on the other side of the world of my own country! But I have been living here with my kiwi partner for the last 9 years and love it. I am now a mum of 2 little twin girls that keep me very busy and very happy!
 
I started the RubyLou Shop after having my twins because I couldn't find any comfy clothes that weren't pink for them! I am now totally addicted in making kids clothing and particularly love working with mums that are looking for some funky comfy clothes for their little ones!

 

The RubyLou Shop can be found HERE

and the RubyLou Shop website can be found HERE

For the giveaway Delphine is offering one lucky Heart Felt reader the chance to win any pair of Funky Trackies or Sarouel 'Skinny Legs' Pants that are already available in the RubyLou Felt shop.

Sizes: 6 months ~ 3 years

Sorry, this giveaway is for NZ residents only.

  Image 'Funky Trackies'

 

Image 'Skinny legs Pants'

 

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here on Heart Felt and one random winner will be drawn this time next week.

Thank-you to Delphine and don't forget to visit the RubyLou shop here.

The eels of Anzac Bridge ~ book giveaway

One of our favourite times of the day is snuggling up in front of the fire with a couple of picture books before bed time.  

After Anzac Day Charlie has shown a lot of interest in soldiers, the world wars and especially his great grandfathers who fought in World War II.  

His choice of book this particular evening was "The eels of Anzac Bridge".

Eels of Anzac Bridge

Written by Ali Foster

Illustrated by Viv Walker

Published by Wairarapa Archive and Fraser Books.

 

It's a thoughtful but beautiful tale of a young man who leaves his home and family and travels far across the seas as a soldier in the Great War.  His journey entwines with another great journey of a local eel as it too travels far to it's breeding grounds in the Pacific Ocean ~ both eel and soldier never to return.

While the baby eels made their way back to the river of it's parents a memorial bridge was erected in memory of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war ~ and was named 'Anzac Memorial Bridge'.

The story stirred thoughtful contemplation within both Sadie and Charlie with them both agreeing that (in Charlie's words) "everything has a life cycle".

What made this story even more interesting is that Anzac Bridge is a real bridge located north of Masterton in the small community of Kaiparoro.  So we decided to make a family pilgrimage to visit the place where the story was inspired.

The bridge was opened in 1922 and has a lovely Art Deco style to it.  Names of those honoured are listed and it was exciting for the children to compare the illustrations to the real bridge itself.

Under the bridge is a perfect home for eels.  We didn't think to bring some meat with us, it would of been fun to lure any eels out of their hiding places.

Daddy played a trick on the children by finding a piece of driftwood that looked just like an eel!

GIVEAWAY...

Wairarapa Archive has kindly offered my Heart Felt readers the chance to win their own copy of 'The eels of Anzac Bridge".  

All you need to do is leave a comment and you are in the draw.

Giveaway is open to anyone around the world.

I will randomly select a winner this time next week.

Or you can purchase your own copy at the Wairarapa Archive or online here. 

Good luck! Jx

Gottahave winners

Congratulations to...

Well done ladies, you are going to love your new jewellery.

Nik will email you soon.

Remember to check out Gottahave on Felt too.

 

 

I have a busy Heart Felt Saturday lined up this weekend.

Heart Felt will be outside Minx Shoes 

and then I will be heading up to Masterton for the New Rags Xmas Market.

Should be loads of fun. xx

Sponsor Giveaway :: Gottahave Jewellery

I'm so excited to have the beautiful Nik of Gottahave Jewellery as a Heart Felt sponsor.  I've have been an admirer for a long time and finally got to meet Nik at Craft 2.0.  I'm wearing a pair of her earrings as we speak!

I asked Nik to tell us a little about herself and what inspires her.

Nik of Gottahave Jewllery

I have always loved jewellery and accessories. They're my true passion!

While still at school I started working in the most beautiful jewellery and accessory store that Wellington had to offer in the 90's... and from then on, it was all over for me. My budget in the early days through Varisty didn't stretch to all (or any!) of the pieces I wanted to buy, but a perk of the job was that we got to wear the stores goodies while at work. I suspect I'd have worked for nothing if it had come down to it!

After years of being an admirer of other people's work, it's fabulous to be making for sale my own pieces and seeing people wearing MY creations.

Jewellery is a very personal thing and is such an expression of ourselves. To know that what I'm trying to say with my work evokes something in people that they identify with enough to wear is amazing.

My approach to jewellery is bold, big and strong. I like striking pieces that are very simple, unfussy and clean in their design, but have big impact and are easy and comfortable to wear.

The designs always come out of the materials that I'm working with- they're what inspires the pieces. I never start out with a design in mind think of what materials I could use to create it. It's always material driven- which is quite an exciting way to work as it means that when I see something I like, whether it's sheet metal, card, fabric or leather I can grab it and think about what I'll use it for later. This can be an expensive process as not every material "makes it"- and many fill up the store room, or get given away.

I've been loving working with leather recently and have been using exclusively leather off-cuts. Pieces that would usually be discarded are being turned into something that is used and (hopefully!) loved. It pleases me that something that could be considered un-usable is transferred into something attractive and almost nothing of the leather is wasted.

I'll never stop making jewellery, and I would love to look into the future and see where the designs will go and how different they will be from what I'm doing now- much as I love looking back at photos of the pieces that I made 21 years ago and thinking how I would still wear them if I had them!

Nik is being very generous and offering a pair of brass and leather earrings and a Gottahave striking leather ring to not one lucky Heart Felt reader but two Heart Felt readers!

      

To enter just leave a comment here and for another entry become a fan of Gottahave on Facebook here. (Just leave another comment here to say you have done so) Open to international readers too.

I will draw two random numbers this time next week or if you just can't wait visit Nik's Felt store here.

asQ Design winner!

Wow, what an amazing response to this wonderful giveaway, thank-you for all your entries.  A huge Thank-you to Karyn for a fantastic prize.  If you missed out and still desperately would like to own an asQ Design dress or shirt visit Karyn on Trade Me, Felt or Facebook.  Or even better come and meet her in person at the next New Rags Market.

And the winner of the asQ Design giveaway is.....

Thanks for entering Chantal, Karyn will get in touch with you via Facebook.

Sponsor Giveaway :: asQ Design Children's wear

Another wonderful Heart Felt giveaway from an amazing creator, asQ Design.  

I have been eying up Karyn's work for a very long time on-line.  I could never decide which piece to buy so when I  finally met her at the New Rags Market last weekend I couldn't resist two pieces for Sadie.  

Beautiful orange and grey halter neck from vintage fabric topped off with ric-rac trim and a pretty pocket.

Blue and red fruity pinafore ~ can't resist polka dots at any time with pretty cotton ties.

I asked Karyn to tell us a little about herself and what inspires her.

'Ello 'ello all!  I'm Karyn, the do-it-all'er at asQ design.(pronounced 'askew' - being my maiden name, great excuse too)

So blurb away:  After doing an enjoyable 3 years of fashion design, I had pretty much discovered I was not that interested in becoming a big fashion designer, but really enjoyed the creating side of things.When my sister fell pregnant a few years back I thought I'd try out some wee kiddies clothes for her, and, it turned me completely clucky.  Couple of minutes later and I was having a wee bairn of my own (exaggeration,no offense to my darling husband) Thus beginning a new love for little peoples clothing.. so cute...so so so so cute!!  As I was having a girl, and disliked most things pink and pastel, I figured I'd turn my always growing retro fabric collection into items of deliciousness for the children.

One thing that really turned me away from trying out the fashion designer way of life.. was the endless re-creation of garments, all items needing to be exactly the same.  I wanted everything to be a one-off item. So, by sticking to a couple of patterns, I can fulfill my one-off-design dreams.  

I'm currently up to 279 different pinafores and counting!  I source almost 50% of my fabrics from second hand shops and trade me.  It's like a drug when I find just a couple of metres of darling fabric.  I just need to cut and sew, cut and sew!  I mix these together with new fabrics too, I can't deny there are some great prints out there in the big wide world.

You can find me on

Trade Me

Facebook

Felt

Vintage Kids

For this amazing giveaway asQ Design is offering to one Heart Felt reader a choice of one girls dress or a boys shirt!  

The winner then can choose the size, style and colour from Karyn's fabric stash.

To enter, leave a comment here ~ to get another entry become a fan of asQ on Facebook.

Easy! 

I will draw a random winner this time next Saturday.

Good luck.xx