Kids Wall Decor Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Kids Wall Decor giveaway! I appreciate all your entries and positive comments. For those who did not win, I still have something for you. Stephanie is offering 15% off all her prints at Just Bunch Paintings which will be good for the next two weeks. It even applies to current sales in her store! Here's the 15% off code:

ZAKKA15

expires 4/18/11

Now on to the winner...

Congratulations to Paty who is the winner of the kids wall decor! Please email me with your mailing address and the 3 prints you would like. Thank you.

Mail from Malaysia

Not too long ago I was interviewed for an article about the Japanese art of zakka. The article ended up being published in the Star Weekender and some of my comments made it into the story. For me the idea of being mentioned in a newspaper from another country is pretty cool; call it my 15 minutes of fame. Naturally, I wanted a copy of the paper. There was just one problem, how to get it?

I remembered one of my blog friends, Caca from I Like Paper Cutting lives in Malaysia. When I asked her about the Star Weekender, she new exactly what I was talking about and was kind enough to send me a copy. She even sent me a beautiful Malaysia Batik (pictured above) with the paper. How thoughtful is that! I truly have the best blog friends.

Thank you Caca. You made my week!

Craft: Spring Egg Cups

About a week back I was crafting with egg cartons, you may remember this post. Well, I couldn't just stop at one craft. Who can, right? I wanted to see what else I could make with the egg cartons. That's when I came up with these cute little egg cups. They're easy to make and would be perfect for a kid craft.

Supplies:
Egg carton - picture above
Glue
Paint
Clear Acrylic paint
Decoupage glue - something non-toxic

Cut egg cartons into individual cups. You will need two per egg cup.

Glue together, refer to picture.

Paint anyway you wish. Once dry, cover with a layer of acrylic paint. Paint the inside (where the egg sits) with non-toxic decoupage glue. Let dry. Done.

* I don't recommend eating out of these egg cups. They're just for display.

Giveaway: Kids Wall Decor

Today I've got a fun giveaway for all of you, kid wall decor by Stephanie Brandt of Just Bunch Paintings. Stephanie has offered to give one lucky reader three prints of their choice (personalized paintings excluded). All prints are created from her original mixed media collages. Stephanie's artwork has a fresh and contemporary feel. One of the features that I like about her pieces is that most of the prints are created in sets of three (see pictures above). This gives you the option to cover a larger space while still keeping a polished look.

I got to choose a couple prints to see her work firsthand. I picked out the teacup and teapot print. They came packaged neatly secured between cardboard so they were in perfect condition when they arrived. The prints looked just like the Etsy listing, colors and all (very important if you're coordinating a room by color). The artwork was printed on quality archival photo paper. The prints even got a thumbs up by my 5 year old and we all know that's the true test.


To enter the giveaway, please visit Just Bunch Paintings Etsy Shop and leave a comment telling me your favorite print. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, April 3, 2011. I'll announce the winner Monday, April 4 2011. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. International friends welcome :)

We're Obsessed with My Milk Toof!

My kids and I are big fans of the blog My Milk Toof by Inhae Lee. The site is about the adventures of two curious adorable milk teeth, ickle and Lardee. When I first introduced the site to my kids they had me read every single entry on the blog, they were hooked. From that point forward they've been asking me everyday if there's a new story on the site. So when the book came out this March, I knew I had to buy one.

When the book first arrived my son was so excited that he declared it an ickle and Lardee holiday. That night he read the book to his sister, both curled up under a blanket. That's how I know they love this book because that never happens. They even begged to bring the book to school. They want to show all their friends.

But their obsession didn't stop there. They started making fan art.

Salt dough milk teeth - these are a work in progress.

And they watched this video about a thousand times while they made their fan art.

Video of behind the scenes of making the book.

So Inhae, my kids have one question for you: When are you going to make a plush ickle and Lardee? My kids will be your first customers.