#2 Local Baby Shower Gift: The Funky Baby Accessories

Shower gifts do not need to drain your wallet. Sometimes the best gifts are the unique baby accessories. These are not items that can be found at the department stores and everyone will want to pass around these handmade goodies.











Legend of goodies featured here:

1 & 7. Trendy Babies' binky bling
2. Cotton Cupcake's monogrammed hats
3. Small Potatoes' bib
4 & 5. Manic Mitten's hair clips
6. Trendy Babies' headband
8. Trendy Babies' charms
9. Mellie Scraps critter hats
10. Mellie Scraps bib
11. Tawny Bee emergency bonnet
12. Manic Mitten's head band
13. Cotton Cupcake's monogrammed bibs
14. Small Potatoes drink leash
15. Trendy Babies' bow tie
16. Lily Pad pocket bib
17-19. Snugglywunkins snap belts, clips, etc
19. Gurumama bonnet
20. Small Potatoes' sun hats


http://www.small-potatoes.ca

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilypadshop

http://www.gurumama.ca

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cottoncupcakeshoppe

http://www.trendybabies.ca

http://www.manicmittens.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/melliescraps

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TawnyBee

http://www.snugglywunkins.com/

My Current Buys From Local Artisans

I had this dress custom made by Michelle at Button Jar. She had one on her blog and I fell in love with it. It is just adorable and she made it long enough so that my daughter can wear it for a couple of years. The shoulders have ties as well. It was beautifully made and the fabrics used are classic and work very well together. My girl calls it her "Princess Dress".

http://thebuttonjargirl.blogspot.com


I got three more pocket bibs from Jaimee at Lilypad. They are perfect for messy kiddos and wash up great! Jaimee has fun fabrics and the prices are between $10-$15 each.

Currently they do not have a lot on their etsy site, one just had a babe and the other is growing one, but they can do custom items quick.

www.lilypadshop.etsy.com

Handmade in Manitoba's 2009 Top 10

I know it is a little late being February and all but after a month of everyone in my family being sick over and over and over I am ready to get back in action and finish this post started oh so long ago.

I really enjoyed 2009. It was a year of exploring my community. I have featured many talented Manitoba businesses, artisans, and crafters. I just wanted to post my top 10 wrap up of 2009 and I am looking forward to featuring many more local talent in 2010. Since I am a Mom of 2 very young kids many of my favorites are child or food centered. If anyone has their own favorites for 2009 I would love to see them in the comments!!

#1. Favorite Grocery: Eat It *I have been shopping here for years now but they continue to impress me with their beautiful produce, amazing staff, and lots of local goods.
http://www.eatit.ca


#2. Favorite Baby Goods: Lilypad *I especially love their pocket bibs, pouch slings, & baby blankets.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilypadshop

#3. Favorite Bath & Body Products: Just The Goods *I love the Gin & Tonic Salt Scrub.
http://www.justthegoods.net




#4. Favorite Bakery: Tall Grass Prairie *Best cheese croissants in town!
http://www.tallgrassbakery.ca


#5. Favorite Baby Slings & Carriers: Sling Sisters *Awesome ladies & I just picked up their newly introduced Pipa Baby Pack to carry my youngest.
http://www.theslingsisters.net

photo borrowed from Pipa Creations etsy site:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32219144&ref=cat1_gallery_3









#6. Favorite Jewelry: Revelations North *I have to meet her and see her stuff in person!!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/revelate

#7. Favorite Artist: Joy Eidse *Beautiful artistic quilts. I especially love this prairie scene. Email her at joyeidse@mts.net or connect with her on Facebook.


#8. Favorite Clothing Store: Brave New World *comfortable and beautifully designed clothes from near and very very far away.
http://www.bravenewworld.ca

#9. Favorite Sweets: High Tea Bakery *delicious cookies. It is my daughter's cookie store. I love their imperial & almond cookies.
http://www.highteabakery.com


#10. Favorite Childrens Goods: Manic Mittens *They have an great selection of hats, clips, and whimsical dress up items. The prices are fabulous too. I am ordering tutus and crocheted crowns for my little girl for her Birthday in April.
http://www.manicmittens.com




I have so many more artisans, businesses, and artists to be featured starting up in March. This month I am primarily featuring local restaurants so when March hits I will be back in artisan action so make sure to contact me if you would like to be featured here. :D

handmadeinmanitoba@gmail.com

Thanks for reading my blog!!

Vineyard Craft Sale a Success!!

I had a nice morning out at the Christmas Craft Sale. It was very busy and so many wonderful things to see. I actually only went with $10 and do not need any more Christmas gifts but I was still looking around for birthday, shower gifts, and other things for our family. I like taking it all in and then going home and thinking about what we need. If I go with $100 I will find things to buy. This craft show had some amazing artisans. A couple I reviewed here like The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe and Oldhat...both have things I NEED to buy for my children very soon. They both have early Spring birthdays so I can start putting things away after Christmas.

One artisan stood out above all in my books. She did not have a card so I am hoping that I have the name right because I wrote notes in a few places and now I have to rely on my terrible memory on which person sold which item. I believe it was Joy Eidse's beautiful quilts. I have sent her a message to be able to feature here soon and I will hopefully be able to share some photos of her amazing craft! She had this amazing quilt of the prairies where the wheat hand stitched just so that it stood out from the quilt and looked as though it could sway in the wind. The skies were had patterns stitched into it similar to Van Gogh's Starry Night. She hand died the fabrics and it looked like so much work.

I am a stickler for hand made kid things and knit wear so I was amazed at what was very happy at the booths. I am sure this sounds like a broken record but there were so many nice things. A few that I took notes on were:

Sweet Words
3trikes
Dick & Jane
My Clementine
Natasha Boone Illustration
Annie's Knit Toddler Booties
Oma Mary & Etsy site
Heike Eidse Rags and Regalia
Bethany Miller's Crocheting
Jill Zurzolo Handmade Bags

Other Artists, Musicians, and Photographers:
Julia Mark & Jewels and Ghouls Etsy site
Chandra Kremski LA.KAI Design
Janelle Loewen
Ali Tataryn Jewelry
Matthew James Zylstra Sawatzky & Hope and Humanity in the Former Transkei Book
Robin Fehr
Kalyn Falk & Jase Falk - Vash Industry Leather Workers

There were many others and I apologize that I didn't get to mention everyone. I was a little under the weather today so I didn't have my 100% to give today. If I missed anyone or if you would like to be featured here feel free to email me a handmadeinmanitoba@gmail.com.

I am pooped so that is all from me today. Goodnight everyone!!!

100% Calorie Free Cupcakes!!!!

Now that I got your attention!! I would like to introduce the most diet friendly cupcake around....The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe. Starting when I was pregnant and ever since I have had uncontrollable sweet cravings. I am guessing that is why moms are so addicted to buying their little babes so sickly sweet newborn clothes. ;) That is the premise behind The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe. Amber's designs are sweet and adorable. She is the mother of 3 little girls so she has had her share of PINK around. That is how she came upon the idea for her cupcake apparel.

While I was at the Lilypad and Friends Craft Show I took in Ambers designs and they are soooo sweet. She can personalize any item so there are BIG BROTHER or BIG SISTER t-shirts with the child's initial or name. My friend Corinna and co-owner of Lily Pad had 2 BIG BROTHER shirts ready for her 2 boys because she was expecting number 3. She just had her little girl last week and I am sure she will be buying cupcakes, butterflies, and the cutest little tweet embroidered birds from The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe. A lot of time goes into making each of these little birdies! For every single one she makes a design, chooses the fabric with great care, and then she embroiders each one. These shirts, onsies, hats, and towels are all made with love.




The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe has had such an overwhelming response to her monogrammed shirts for older kids that she has started mini-monogrammed infant shirts and onsies. They are adorable!! Again I am in awe of how a mother of 3 could have enough time to design and create so much variety. She must drink 100 cups of coffee a day to keep up with all the work she does. I am lucky if the dishes get done. ;)

Keep The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe in your mind for Christmas gift ideas this year. There are so many awesome designs and if you get it in it time she can custom make for any child. If you are looking for stockings or Santa hats Amber custom monograms them so that each child can have an individual look.



I am down to the part where I tell you where to find her. Like Michelle from Revelations, Amber seems to be a crazy computer person who can be found EVERYWHERE. Take a look at her Etsy site, Blog, or Facebook page. She often can be found at Southern Manitoba & Winnipeg craft Fairs and will be next found at the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard Craft & Artisan Show this Saturday. So Check her out there. This will be her last craft fair before Christmas. You can still place an order with her (cottoncupcake@gmail.com) and mention you saw The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe here and she will give you FREE SHIPPING!!!

www.cottoncupcakegallery.blogspot.com

www.cottoncupcakeshoppe.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/CottonCupcake

Lily Pad & Friends Fall Open House

Lily Pad is a pair of stay home moms that sew like mad women. They make beautiful baby bibs, smocks, blankets, slings, and so much more. I have a toddler and an infant and i have no idea how either of them have the time to make so much stuff. They are a little crazy with finding awesome fabrics so everything looks so unique. I went to their open house a couple weeks ago and I wish I had gone with more money. Often when I go to these things I tend to bring a $20 or something because I LOVE handmade items and if I bring $100 I will spend $100. I am sure if I brought $1000 I would find a way to use every last cent. There were so many beautiful items. They had a group of other friends who were selling their goods along with the two of them and I SO wanted another $40-$50 to spend. I of course ordered a couple bibs to go along with the one I bought for $12. My daughter is a very messy eater at 2 1/2 so I had to get one of their pocket bibs. I intend to buy all the new babies in my life gifts handmade by the artisans at Lily Pad, Corinna Silvestri and Jaimee Loewen.

If you want to have a look at their adorable items they have an etsy site:

www.lilypadshop.etsy.com

I totally recommend skipping the gift registry at one of the department stores and buy something unique and help out your community by buying local.