SouleMama Sponsors ~ Natural Kids Store

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Natural Kids Store. In their own words:

"We are a group of artisans from around the world who share a love for handcrafting eco friendly & all-natural toys, clothing, decor and more for kids, and kids at heart.

Visit the Natural Kids blog. We are also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!"

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Marie, Knecht Ruprecht Dolls: I grew up in a family of artists, with lots of self-made and handcrafted goods around myself. Since I am a mother to a little daughter and a little son I started working on dolls and wooden toys for my children like my mother did for me when I was little. Some friends asked if I could create dolls and wooden toys for their children too and so I started to sell my handcrafted treasures for babies and children. I live and work together with my family in the north of Austria's countryside. My first sale on etsy was ordered from Texas which was quite exotic for me living in Austria. I was so thrilled and loved the idea to send my dolls to children all over the world. My dream came true and now there are Knecht Ruprecht Dolls all over the world. I am so pleased and happy to make these dolls and last but not least this kind of work is very compatibly while having little children. It allows me to stay at home with them and work beside them when they play, having my sewing basket at my side.

SouleMama: What inspires you?

 

Beth, Jupiter's Child: To take an idea from conception to design and to end up with a product that you believe in is quite thrilling. To have other people like it as well is just the icing on the cake. My creative partner and I both enjoy the process of seeing our ideas come to life, and we spend a lot of time working on our new products. We try to create quintessential childhood toys, but with a new twist. So the plain cotton jump rope now has vivid colors; the wooden animals are made from sustainably-harvested wood and are finished with non-toxic organic polish. We send our creations all over the world, and it’s very gratifying to know that others are enjoying them.

 

SouleMama: What artists/crafters/teachers have inspired your life?

 

Allison, Outside Everywhere: My husband Daniel and I are the makers of wooden toys for our shop Outside Everywhere. We are both very much inspired by the hand-crafting traditions of our families. Daniel's grandfather was a woodworker and made beautiful wooden furniture and home decor. We love having some of his furniture in our home. I come from a long line of quilters and fabric artists. My great-grandmother made beautiful quilts by hand until she got a sewing machine in the late 60's. I inherited her sewing machine and use it now. It's probably my most favorite possession. My dad is a painter and mural artist, and I am in awe of his eye for color and landscapes. Daniel and I have learned the beauty of making things by hand from our families, and we hope to continue this tradition with our own little family.

 

SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?

 

Beccijo, The Enchanted Cupboard: Because we home school, our children are a direct part of my business, The Enchanted Cupboard. I work while they do their daily learning. The children have been my inspiration for some of my toy lines because they were really into spaceman, mermaids, or pirates. My educational toys were created to help them master different skills.

 

The children also love to join me in the studio to help with daily activities. They enjoy sorting supplies, sanding wooden cutouts, or doing inventory. The children also love to chart on the map where all the orders go and they get excited when we get to learn about a new town or country.

 

Our children know that Santa has special elves (like mommy) who help Santa with special orders when the elves get too busy. On Christmas eve we watch online to see when Santa is delivering to all the places that I got special orders from. This wonderful tradition helps our family find fun and not frustration during the holiday toy rush!

 

SouleMama: What inspires you?

 

Jennifer, MinnieAndTheMonster: I'm a homeschooling mom to three of the most amazing children on the planet. We spend our days learning together, reading the most amazing books (our current favorite is Oliver Twist), creating masterpieces for the fridge, chasing the chickens out of our garden beds, and battling imaginary dragons with wooden swords. Minnie and the Monster is a colorful reflection of our days and dreams (especially when they contain rainbow unicorns).

 

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

 

Emmanuelle, Curly Monkey: "What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever" Mary Jo Putney

 

For today's giveaway, Natural Kids Store is generously offering the following gifts to ONE winner: 

~ Winter/Christmas Giveaway Package, shown above!

 

Shops participating in this giveaway...

Armadillo Dreams, Art of Felting, BirchLeaf Designs, CurlyMonkey, German Dolls, Handmaiden Canada, Jupiter's Child, Knecht Ruprecht Dolls, MamaWestWind, Minnie and the Monster, Mosey Handmade, Outside Everywhere, Pail and Pie, Sylvia Starlight,

 The Enchanted Cupboard, The Magic Onions, and Woolies

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments Closed!  The winner is...

Everyone in my family would really enjoy this package. Thank you for this generous giveaway.
Posted by: Orsi

Thank you, Natural Kids Store!