SouleMama Sponsors ~ urban baby bonnets

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, urban baby bonnets. In Colette's words:

"featuring fresh, contemporary fabrics & a totally innovative design, UB2 sun hats are perfect for the modern baby. their big brim & unique reversible design is ideal for use with all kinds of baby carriers, allows discrete breastfeeding, & the adjustable snap closure means they’ll stay on! hip, matching accessories complete the look. designed & handmade in the USA."

SouleMama: What's the offering that you are most excited about in your shop right now?

Colette: Our biggest news this month is our annual Black Friday sale, which runs Friday, November 29- Monday, December 1. This isn't some hum-drum, boring, ordinary sale, with a handful of items at 10% off. This is a REAL sale. It's deep discounts on TONS of items... and it is definitely worth a look. If you haven't already, like us on Facebook and you'll be able to see the sale preview, so you know what will be on sale (but not what the sale prices are). Most things that are on sale will be 30% off or more. We clear stock once a year in a HUGE sale that is really about saying THANK YOU to our customers. It helps us generate cash flow to buy fabulous new fabrics for next season (wait 'till you see what we have in store!), and it lets you get some amazing, handmade products at a price that cannot be beat ANYWHERE else. Don't believe us? Check it out for yourself... and tell a friend!

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

 

Colette: i'm not sure this counts as "inspirational" but it's been the creative mantra that guides the bulk of my artistic decisions. it's: "make it more of what it is." an art teacher i had in graduate school said that to me as I was complaining that I couldn't force the clay to take the form I wanted it to hold. he encouraged me to stop thinking about controlling the form and to start thinking about it as a dialogue with the medium. I have an idea, but my hands, eyes and the material impact the expression of that idea. I can get frustrated, or I can speak to the medium with my actions and listen and take its advice as the work progresses. this seems to make more sense with handbuilt ceramic sculpture than it does with, say, designing a bonnet or a dress... but it always grounds me when I find myself feeling a little creatively lost. 

 

SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?

 

Colette: my daughter is my inspiration...and she is central to everything i do-- from what i do to the way i do it. lately, we've been drawing and painting together a lot. she loves the animals i draw, and i love the ones SHE draws. we are both always trying to draw more like each other. her sketches have such a raw, funky, sweet style. they're disproportional, but in all the right ways. they're out of perspective, but in a way that accentuates the important features. i am hoping that once i finally do have time to design my own line of fabrics, that some of her ideas and designs will be central to the first collection I release.

SouleMama: Is there a creative pursuit you haven't explored yet, but would like to?

Colette: yes! i want to learn how to do stained glass-- you know, the real kind, where you break the sheets of flat glass and solder them together... there used to be a local class offered, but it was cancelled about a year ago... before i had the time (and the money) to invest in it. since my fine art paintings look so much like stained glass, it seemed like a natural extension of my existing body of work. just thinking about it gets me excited for learning a new process and a new way of expressing the images and passionate combination of colors that press themselves inside my mind. i'd also love to learn how to be proficient in adobe illustrator so I can take my own designs to the next level-- and have them printed as fabrics! i would love to do an exclusive line of fabrics for bonnets that are designed for the hats we make and with our customers in mind. i'm really excited about moving on to that aspect of design for UB2, but at the moment, I am too swamped with running the company to dedicate the time and attention I think fabric design deserves. it's part of my long range plan!  :-)

 

 

For today's giveaway, urban baby bonnets is generously offering the following gifts to ONE winner:  

~ Gift certificate for $36 for the hat of your choice!

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In addition, urban baby bonnets would like to offer SouleMama readers FREE US shipping begins December 3, ends December 31. To receive the offer, enter " soulesearching " at checkout. 

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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 Monday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

Would love to win one of these!
Posted by: Allie Henderson

Thank you, urban baby bonnets!