{shop update} a mobile menu...

Everyone has their own story to tell so I was really excited to create a "mobile menu" - a list of mobile characters, colors, & fabrics to create an individual & unique klt:works mobiles for every creative vision. You can find the custom mobile listing here. 

Speaking of mobiles, there is a giveaway over at bloesem kids - you can win a klt:works Friends of the Forest  mobile!  

If you would like a chance to win this mobile, you can stop by bloesem kids for a visit. They will chose a winner & post it on Wednesday. Good luck!  

Hope you had a great weekend!

{Hutch Demos} A thread drawing for you...

On November 5th, Chris & I both did demos at hutch studio. We spent the day working together in the same space- Chris worked on various whirligigs & I drew with thread by using free-motion on the sewing machine. My parents actually live on the other side of the fence from hutch studio & Sayer was hanging out with them while we were at the studio, but he did come over to watch a bit & was our first visitor. I know he really enjoys watching us work & being in that creative space. Maybe someday all three of us can do demos together. 

It was such a pretty, sunny day & I thoroughly enjoyed working next to Chris & chatting with the occasion visitor. There were two teenagers that hung out watching me for the longest time & I got a real kick out them. My brain usually works fast - plus I had consumed my share of coffee that afternoon & even I couldn't keep up with their constant banter. 

My friend Chantale edited some footage we had of the afternoon & gave me this video for an early Christmas gift (I know, she is the sweetest!). You can sort of get a feel of the space & the way that I create my drawings that I use for my klt:works tees & plushies. I hope you enjoy it! 

  

One of the things that Chris & I try to instill in Sayer is the importance of making things by hand & how special a drawing or piece of art is. He has been drawing like crazy lately & we are encouraging him to give everyone a special drawing for Christmas. With that in mind, I thought I would "walk the walk" & do a special giveaway that comes from my hands & my heart. I'm actually not really sure how it will be received, but I thought I would give it a whirl. It's not meant for any other reason than to say "thank you" for sharing your time & comments with me. So... during this demo at hutch, I did quite a few little owl drawings - they are fairly quick & on small pieces of canvas. I would love to give them away to people who would enjoy them. If you would like one, just leave me a comment (& a way to reach you). If necessary, I will draw names & announce it here on Friday. Thanks again for reading this blog & for reaching out. I truly value the connections & people I meet here!  Hope you are having a great week! Happy Holidays! 

{Giveaway} Rainy Day....

It's raining non-stop & I find I'm thinking of sunny days. Feeling nostalgic, I decided to go though old beach photos. I came across this sweet picture of Sayer on our trip to Boston 2 years ago. He's wearing an owl tee that was printed on these funky Alternative Apparel tees that have the seams on the outside & rolled sleeves & bottom- a perfect summertime tee. I only printed a few & just found 2 in the studio - size 2T. So, it's a rainy day giveaway here. I'm going to give away 1 on the blog & 1 on the KLT FB page. Are you interested? If you are, just leave a comment telling me what your favorite KLT product is & why. I'll draw names tomorrow & post the winner. 

Hope you are having nice weather where you are.... 

{Giveaway} the winners are...

Today was a memorable day. We  went to Seattle to pick up Sayer's first pair of  glasses. As I mentioned last week, he wasn't exactly thrilled to get them- he tried to convince me that he didn't need them. However, I wore him down a bit (read how here) & he was actually pretty excited to go get them. He was feeling quite grown up today & I found on more than one occasion, a lump in my throat. Seeing him with his glasses on made me see glimmers of my self as a child (a cooler, hipper self). On our way home, we went to a big park to play for a bit & sort of tested out what it was like to wear glasses on the playground....& it all came back to me.

While it's true, I was completely distracted today, I didn't forget that I said I would post 3 klt:tee bundle winners on Tuesday. I felt it was appropriate to have Sayer draw names from his hat before he went to bed tonight. Here are the names that he chose  (in order) Make Mine Mid Century, Marie, Ideal Carefully Curated Goods. I do believe that all three of these winners wanted the same bundle first, so I will have to use the 2nd choices a bit. Thanks again for your interest everyone! If you are a winner, make sure I have your mailing address (kristin@kltworks.com). I'll have more tees to give away after Sayer's next growth spurt.... stay tuned.

{Giveaway} KLT from Sayer's Closet...

As you might guess, Sayer's closet is always full of klt:works tees.  When he out grows a klt:tee, it's replaced with another one in a new size. It's a sweet deal actually. He might think that the owl tee will follow him forever - he's worn that image in some form since he was born (it's still his favorite). Sayer is going through another growth spurt & I just recently cleaned out his closet & replaced tees with the next size up - & yesterday, I was going through my "oops" tees (tees with ink or small flaws in fabric) to send to courtneycourtney & gave a few away on the KLT:FB page. Because of the response & for the sake of recycling, I had an idea.  I always give Sayer's klt:stuff away when he outgrows it anyway- so I thought I would do a tee bundle giveaway here on the blog. 

{Bundle One} For the Owl lover ~ All three are 2T but all different in the way that they fit. L/S is American Apparel & fits smallish, Orange is Alternative Apparel - organic & fits generously, Charcoal is Alternative Apparel Eco & is a little smaller than the organic style. Sayer can actually get into the Alternative Apparel 2T but it's snug.

{Bundle Two} Love for Kitty ~ All 3 are 2T & American Apparel. But different styles- middle organic is largest.

{Bundle Three} Love for Dogs ~  Both 2T but are Alternative Apparel - & run true to size. Sayer can still wear these but they are snug (he's wearing the bulldog one in the picture). 

These are all very loved & lived in tees but they have lots of wear & play left in them. If you are interested in having one of these bundles here are the rules.

1. Leave a comment here (or on the KLT:FB page is fine too) & let me know which bundle interests you the most - feel free to write a back up one too. Also, write an activity that you or your family does to stay "green" or help the environment. 

2. You get an extra entry for the bundle of your choice by either following this blog, tweeting about this giveaway or  "liking" KLT on FB.

I will randomly choose a winner for each bundle & post the winners on Tuesday of next week. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

{Fabric Friday} 5 Bundles Creative Competition...

I learned a few things from the fabric stash giveaway I did a few weeks back.  First, there are a lot of creative fabric lovers out there in cyberland. Second, I have a hard time only choosing one winner. And last, I have way too much fabric. I've been doing some spring cleaning & re-organizing in my studio so that I can make a cool fort type space for Sayer to hang out in when I'm working.  It does appear that the time it takes for me to bundle & list fabric on Etsy cuts into my studio time more than I want. While I will still put bundles together to sell, I need a faster method making space. So.... I have another idea. 

I'm going to give away 5 little bundles of 9 small pieces of fabric. But here is where it gets fun. Maybe I'm watching too much Top Chef lately, but I want to have a fabric "quick fire challenge".  Each person that receives a bundle from me is required to make something with the fabric (using some of each piece in the bundle). It can be whatever you would like- sky's the limit. You will submit a photo to me & I will post all five finished products for a friendly competition on April 1st - really, I will (even though it's April Fool's Day). The winner will be chosen by comments on the post - & will get another small stash of fabric & $20.00 gift card for my klt:works Etsy shop.

Does that sound like fun? To enter- just leave a comment telling me what your earliest memory of loving fabric is + your favorite color. I will give an extra entry if you follow this blog or the klt:works FB page. Good luck! Happy Fabric Friday! 

{Fabric Friday} Giveaway Winner Announced!

..

Wow- I'm blown away from the response to this fabric remnant giveaway! I think Sayer is at a loss for words too. I only wish I could send everyone a stash. However, I did have another idea that stemmed from this so stay tuned for some creative Fabric Friday fun around the corner. The winner was chosen at random by my assistant....

The winner is "Make Mine Mid-Century! Yay- can't wait to see what you do with this stash- you will send in a picture, right?  Just make sure I have your address & I will replace the names on paper in the tote currently, with fabric & ship if off to you right away. Congratulations!

Thanks to all of you for participating! I look forward to sharing what is up my sleeve - I think you'll like it.  Hope you have a great weekend. Happy Fabric Friday!

{giveaway} coos & ahhs...

The first thing that caught my attention when I first saw Amanda's cool blog, Coos & Ahhs, was the illustrations that Manuel Kalmanovitz draws for her  blog header & descriptive icons. His style is so original & I knew right away that Amanda's blog was going to be just as unique.    For those of you that are bloggers, you know how much time & dedication it takes to create & maintain a blog. Well, Amanda is celebrating her 1 year anniversary of Coos & Ahhs this month & to help her celebrate- I'm giving away 3 of my thread drawing plushies that are backed in Marimekko fabric. 

Not only is her blog one of my "go to" blogs for interesting kiddo products, but I've  gotten to know Amanda too & am proud to call her a friend. So cruise on over to her blog and check out what she has to share. While you are there, go ahead and enter the giveaway if you would like.  Cheers Amanda- here's to another great year! 

{Fabric Friday} KLT:fabric bundles & giveaway...

Those of you that have been following my Fabric Fridays for the last year, won't be surprised to learn that my fabric stash is taking over my studio right now. Boy do I love fabric & I have piles dating back to the late 1990's. The lightbulb finally went off after numerous inquires from customers about buying my fabric to match their klt:mobiles & plush. Part of my new year resolution was to simply & pare down. So, in the spirit of making more space in my studio, I'm now creating & selling fabric bundles from my  klt:fabric stash in my Etsy Shop.

As I was frantically going through my fabric, cutting & bundling, I came up with a fun idea (I think)- a Fabric Friday Giveaway! I thought I would put together some fabric remnants in this KLT owl tote as my giveaway prize. I figured that those of you that are crafty & creative would need an extra tote. So, I will gradually add fabric to this tote over the next week - and announce a winner next Fabric Friday. Sound fun? 

To enter:

Leave a comment under this post about what you would do with your new tote of fabric.

An extra entry will be given to those that follow this blog- & another extra entry if you follow klt:works on FB & Twitter. 

Happy Fabric Friday! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

{Giveaway} houses & squirrels....

Pheewww, it's finally the weekend and in case you find yourself cruisin' around on the computer, I wanted to let you know about a few giveaways that Chris & I are participating in here in cyberland that end soon. The first one is for your squirrel lovin' kiddo. Over at the la petite magazine blog, I have an organic toddler tee with a thread drawn squirrel, ready to giveaway. These are super soft and the color is gorgeous. Pop on over to la petite to learn how to enter & this tee can be yours (enter by Monday the 21st)! 

This next giveaway is particularly special. You may remember me posting about these beautiful houses that Chris makes for hutch studio. They're so cheerful, unique, & pretty. There is a garland of houses ready to be given away over at kickcan & conkers right now! This one can't be missed so head on over to see how to enter (ends Sunday the 20th).

Good luck! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! 

{giveaway} gazing at the birds...

The new thread drawing mobiles debuted this summer and I am so excited to be giving one away! You can enter to win an "all about birds" mobile over at the Baby Space blog- but be sure to enter before September 30th. 

I love to do giveaways, but quickly realized that I get too involved with the comments and feel badly that I can't give everyone something. So, it's better that I have others do klt:giveaways- that way, I'm not directly involved. Bron, from Baby Space once did such a lovely post about Sayer's room, that I was happy that she would be hosting this mobile giveaway. If you love interior spaces for children, you have to check out her blog. She is always revealing beautiful spaces and things to fill them.  

If you like the idea of gazing at the birds while falling asleep, stop by Baby Space soon.... 

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

{SURPRISE} giveaway winners...

I just want to say that I truly appreciate all of the comments that were left on the 100 giveaway post! I am so touched by those of you that have shared your children's reactions to the products that I make along with those that enjoy reading this blog. I am really more of a "buy the world a coke" sort of gal & would feel better if I offered at least a  token of thanks to all that participated. So, for everyone that left a comment on the giveaway post - using {BLOGSHIP} in the comment section at checkout, gives you free shipping (refund via Pay Pal) on any KLT order until the end of 2010. Ok, so now the drum roll please..... the winners, via the handy "random number generator" at www.random.org, are...

$50 - Chelsei

$25 - Chantale

$15 - Nancy

$10 - Shannon

(If you don't receive an email from me by Sunday afternoon, then that means I don't know how to reach you -so  email me - kristin@kltworks.com)

Thanks again for participating and the lovely words! Hope you are having a great weekend... 

{SURPRISE} 100 posts = $100...

Why is Sayer bursting with happy giggles you ask? Well, he knows what I am about to share with you.  Yesterday was a little momentous here at klt:sketchbook. As I was writing my Fabric Friday post, I glanced over to see that it was post 100! Wow, I think that is cause for a little celebration, don't you? This blog has been a such labor of love for me and I have enjoyed writing and planning every post so far. Your comments have been so wonderful and the friendships that have come through blogging are awesome. So, to say thank you to those that read this blog & those that are FB "likers", I want to offer up a gift card giveaway worth a total of $100 towards klt:goodies (a dollar a post)! Winners will be chosen by using random.org and posted here next Saturday the 28th.
Prizes:
1. $50 klt:gift card
2. $25 klt:gift card
3. $15 klt:gift card
4. $10 klt:gift card
How to enter:
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here (or on the KLT FB page) giving me a little feedback. For 1 entry, let me know your favorite klt:works product & why. For a second entry, tell me your favorite blog post and why. Pretty simple, huh? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Thanks again & good luck!

{collaboration} A fun project...

Isn't it cool how small the world can be sometimes? It continues to amaze me how many wonderful people I meet in cyber space. Last year, I had a shop on  papernstitch around the holidays. When I was poking through the other exhibiting shops, I ran across 2 that I kept going back to, Helen Rawlinson (her fabric is a klt:staple now) and Mee a Bee, founded by Jacqui Miyabayashi. 

I quickly purchased a really cute robot satchel from Jacqui, for Sayer. When I bought the bag, I mentioned that we both had shops together on papernstitch and we exchanged contact info. It wasn't too long before Jacqui bought an owl tee for her son Tyler. What was sort of interesting is that Jacqui and I were both  interviewed by Brittni for home tours on Bloesem Kids and our interviews ended up being posted back to back! I enjoyed learning more about Jacqui and remember that she had left a very sweet comment on my post. From then on, we continuously ran into each other cyberly and quickly developed a wonderfully supportive friendship. I guess I should thank Brittni for introducing us!

I am always open to collaborations and when an opportunity presents itself to work with someone that I enjoy and who makes things that I appreciate, then I jump on it. Both Jacqui and I make things for our shops with our muses (our boys) heavily in our thoughts and a collaboration just seemed like a perfect fit. One of the things unique to Jacqui's bags, is that she uses Japanese fabrics. So we started a series of emails to choose a Japanese linen that works for both of our design aesthetics. The slug was one of Jacqui's favorite plush that I make so that became my part of the collaboration. I think the bag she made with the same fabric is just gorgeous! And now, I think I am hooked on using Japanese linen.

We started this project quite a long time ago but given that we are both trying to figure out the balance between being a mom and time at the sewing machine, it took a little while before we were ready to present our idea to the world. When we chatted about how we wanted to unveil our collaboration, both of us immediately thought a giveaway would be perfect - and Rachelle at Kenziepoo was who we wanted to host it. Rachelle met Jacqui through the home tours on Bloesem Kids as well. I discovered Rachelle's blog through Jacqui, so how cool to have Rachelle a part of our project? Rachelle has been such a huge support to both of us and our businesses in the time that we have known her. She is one of those people that just goes above and beyond when it comes to kindness. Not to mention, her blog is great and her daughter, Kenzie, is an adorable fashionista. I can't wait to see what cool outfit she will be wearing next and what room will be turned into an outfit! Needless to say, I feel pretty darn lucky to be friends with these talented ladies.

So, let me tell you about the giveaway. All you have to do is stop by Kenziepoo and enter here to win a satchel and matching slug! (Please don't enter here.) It's open world wide- Rachelle will announce the winner on Friday the 27th in a post.  Oh, I just love fun things like this. Good luck! One more thing, Jacqui & I both just added this combination to our individual Etsy shops as well here & here. Hope you enjoy our Mee a Bee + klt:works brainstorm!