knockknock

...it's Eliza Gran

I'm so glad Eliza was kind enough to give her a little insight in her beautiful house and studio and tells us a bit more on how she started her amazing clothing line for children...Eliza Gran was born and raised in New York city and was a very talented illustrator before she started to design children's clothing...many of you recognize her clothes by the lovely flower patterns...if i would have a little girl she would definitely be walking in one of her dresses...

{studio with table and fabrics}
1.) At your ‘about page’ we can read that you ‘just’ started sewing and designing clothes for your own children… it sound so simple…is that all that it took or did you follow some sewing courses before you made your first samples…?
No, it was not as simple as it sounds.  I started out doing the samples myself, but my sewing was not nearly good enough. I had to find a seamstress, which I had no idea how to do.  I finally found someone through a now-defunct sewing store in my neighborhood.  She was great and not too expensive, but then she disappeared...her phone was disconnected and everything.  There were so many mishaps when I started out. So then I found another seamstress on Craig’s List, and she has done all my samples ever since then.  I could not run my business without her.

{Livingroom}
2.) What were/are the advantages of growing up in a huge city like New York? Do these influences come in handy with your day to day business activities?
I’ve never lived anywhere else except for New York, so it’s hard for me to say.  Maybe I’m biased, but I think growing up in New York is good for you, but I’m not exactly sure why!  Now that my production is based in India, I don’t necessarily need to be in NYC any more, but my husband’s job is here.  I do sometimes think about moving to the country, but I suspect I’ll live in Brooklyn forever.  All my friends and family are here.

{piano and the world map and Ruby}
3.) Your amazing collection is available in many stores, but I’m wondering…how important is having an online shop for you? And are their any tips you can give on how to find retailers?
It’s too soon to tell if the online store is going well from a business standpoint, but I really enjoy selling to customers directly.  I get so many nice emails from people, and some complaining ones, but it really helps me see what people like and don’t like.
To find retailers, you have to do the trade shows. They are pretty awful, but in the beginning that’s the only way to get your line seen.  You also need reps. It’s really hard to find good ones, but when you do, they make your life a lot easier.  My rep in California gets me in a lot of great stores.  Of course she gets a percentage of the sales, but it’s definitely worth it.

{Livingroom}
4.)What kind of house do you live in, what do you really like about it and what do you miss?
We live in a perpetually “up and coming” neighborhood in Brooklyn that happens to have lots of beautiful, large Victorian houses.  There are not as many restaurants, stores, etc. as in other parts of Brooklyn (like Park Slope, where I grew up), but we have a really big, really great house.  Since I work at home, I spend quite a lot of time here.  Often there will be several kids, a babysitter, my seamstress, an assistant, two cats, and a few others...it gets a little crazy but I like it.  I seem to need a certain amount of chaos to keep me going.

{studio with details fabrics}
5.)   Where is your studio or atelier located; was it difficult to find a manufacturer or do you still make many pieces of the collection yourself?
My studio is on the top floor of my house, right next to my kids’ playroom.  We design all the samples there, and then they are shipped to my factory for production.  My factory used to be in Brooklyn, but they closed down, and then I went with one in Manhattan, but they were way too expensive and way too busy with bigger designers to work with me, so now everything is made in India.  It was a pretty difficult decision, but I’m very happy with them and the quality of their work.
{Charlie and bed in childsroom}
6. ) Your children obviously play an important role in finding inspiration for new designs, are they at an age yet  that they give you tips or ideas for ‘what is not and what is hot’ or just practical tips?
Yes my oldest is almost nine so she is very vocal about which items she likes and which she does not.  Basically everything needs to be more sparkly!  I get lots of advice from my three kids, their friends, and their friend’s moms, but I try to stay true to my original aesthetic – my designs are all based on clothes from the early 1970’s.  So if it doesn’t look like something I would have worn as a little girl, I’m not making it.

{Violet sitting and books in closet}
7.) How important are books for you and your family…I know you used to be an illustrator…can you mention some favorites?
The books are taking over the house...new ones come in all the time but the old ones never seem to leave!  My husband works at a magazine and brings home lots of books, and all the grandparents give my kids books all the time, and I am constantly buying books, so there is a ridiculous amount.  I was an illustrator for several years so I have a definite fondness for great illustrated books, like those by Saul Steinberg and William Steig.  And I love books about art, fashion, textile design, and interior design.

{bedroom of one of the children}
8.)Who’s beautiful bedroom is this? And where does the lovely bed come from? {I find it such a good idea to create the chalkboard on the wall}
That is Violet’s room.  She’s almost nine and she’s the biggest reader in the family...she’s happiest in bed with a big pile of books.  We got the bed from The Land of Nod. She desperately wants her room to be painted pink...which sounds fantastic to me, but we’ll wait a while to see if she changes her mind before we start painting!

{the dining table and kitchen}
9.) How do you combine your work with family life? And why did you choose for the beautiful green color on your kitchen wall? (Love the little yellow mini orchids, those are my favorite)
My work and family life are completely intertwined.  I always knew I wanted to have three kids, and I knew I wanted to work for myself, so I had to figure out a way to make it all happen.  It doesn’t always run perfectly smoothly, and in fact sometimes it doesn’t make any sense at all, but I get to see my kids after school and still run my business, so it works for now.
The green was just one of those, you know -- wander into a paint store, see a color you like, and decide to paint the kitchen -- kind of things.

{bye bye}
10.)…and finally what is the magic tip to start and run such a beautiful brand as ‘Eliza Gran’?
I hate to say it, but all the clichés are true. The trick is to stick with it and work really hard, even when things are not looking so good. The amount of work is insane.  A great tip is from my father, who is an architect. He always said the biggest mistake a small business can make is to expand too quickly.  That’s really true – you have to keep focusing on making your product better, instead of trying to get “bigger”.  Hard, but true.

..website..
..shop..

..it's Jantien and Hester from Tas-Ka

...a very talented, creative and trendsetting design duo from the Netherlands...therefore I'm proud to show you some images from their house, studio and new products...Hester and Jantien started Tas-ka in 2004. Both women have a passion for textile design, the prefer using natural materials only and each of Tas-ka’s designs is unique, you won’t find two designs that look a like...enjoy this nice insight in their lives and business views...

{Tas-Ka's new collection}
1. ) Did you meet each other during your studies Textile design at The Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague?
Yes, we were in the same year/class.

{Chairs in the Studio}
2.) And of course we would like to know how you came up with the name Tas-Ka. Was it difficult to find a name and did you take business …in consideration when deciding on the name? And what is going on with the vintage chairs?
We started with making handbags, which is ‘Tas’ in Dutch…so we started looking for the word ‘tas’ in different languages. In Tsjech tas means Tas-ka. We just thought it was a beautiful word and felt it fitted really well with us.
The vintage chairs are intended for a new project we are doing. Currently, we are working really hard on a new webshop, where we will not only be offering our own products, but also beautiful books, magazines, stationary and vintage china and chairs!

{new collection pillows}
3.) Why did you choose ‘house’ as the theme for your amazingly beautiful new 2008 collection?
Often you just think of these things spontaneously and then we translate them onto paper. There was no special reason why we have chosen houses, it was just one of those ideas that we liked and evolved.. After designing the fabric the products naturally followed the design. We have also use many other materials for our products such as the birch wood for the “broodplankjes”, “fietsje” and the bench.
The notebooks and maps that we did were printed by a third party, this was a whole new avenue for us.
Maybe you can tell from our collection that we have a very broad interest. We very much enjoy designing a variety of different products which we feel is an exciting part of our work, and keeps it exciting.

{chipwood nesting closet}
4.) How important are trade-shows for Tas-Ka; would you consider going to an international show in the near future? And do will you feature the chip wood closet at the show as well (love it)?
We have only been once to the Kleine Fabriek and it has been a very good experience. It was nice meeting our customers in person; normally we often only speak to them on the phone or via email. We will probably go to the Kleine Fabriek more often and we are planning to go to Maison et Objet in Paris next year. 
Hester’s brother, Gijsbert Worst, made the cabinet. It’s a nesting cabinet, very handy and easy to transport. The cabinet allows you to create a different style each time and is adjustable to the space were you want to use it.

{desk in studio}
5.) What are the pro’s and con’s of working together. Do you divide your tasks, how do you decide on a particular design?
We both experience working together as very pleasant. It’s funny how often we share the same ideas, without having consulted each other. We also share the same sense for color and form. Sometimes it happens that one of us starts a design and the other finishes it, which makes it a true ‘shared’ design.
When we do have a disagreement, we talk about it and always come to a solution, which in the end often is a better solution then we would have hoped for. The big advantage of working together is always being able to enjoy the good and the bad things together. Sharing the responsibility for Tas-Ka is something we consider a pro. We don’t have a clear vision of what each others particular tasks are…we just do what we have to do…one will take care of the administration, the other will take care of the bills being actually paid, something like this…

{stock in studio}
6.) Where do you keep your stock and are there any tips you can give us about keeping stock, or do you only start production after you have received the actual order? Do you make all the samples yourself?
Oh, yes this is a problem. Our studio is not very big and we feel that it is increasingly difficult to store all our designs and products. And the actual working space is pretty big as well. We are desperately looking for a solution, and most probably we have to move to a larger studio. At the moment most of our products are made by ourselves, but we are looking for an sewing studio to outsource some of it. But handing over the actual production process is something we don’t find easy, we ourselves take so much care and attention for the products and you really hope to find somebody with the same commitment for the designs. But in the end we have to find a good manufacturer, it simple is too much work for the two of us.

{Jantien her hallway closet with books}
7.) Such a clever idea using the hallway closet space for your books? Do you get much inspiration from books, and which ones can you recommend?
My boyfriend, Floris, and I (Jantien) live in a very small house in Delft and living in a small hous forces you to be very creative in finding storage solutions. That’s why I decided to use the hallway closet for placing our books. I dream of a bigger house!
I am certainly inspired by books. A very inspirational book to me is ‘Exactitudes’ by photographer Ari Versluijs and stylist Ellie Uytenbroek. The book shows different images of groups of people, who without knowing wear the same type of clothes as the other group. Very funny and very nicely photographed! I bought it a long time ago, but still enjoy it every time I read it. 
The children books by Annie M.G. Schmidt and illustrator Fiep Westendorp, are very beautiful and timeless. (Eg: Pluk van de Petteflet, Minoes en Otje) I hope that many generations to come will keep on reading these books. I can give you so many more examples of books I truly enjoy..there are just so many. A book on my wish list right now is ‘Lepidoptera Domestica’: a book about a collection of butterflies by Manon Kouswijk.

{Jantien Livingroom}
8.) Who designed the beautiful plaid on your couch and the artwork above and on the dining table?
The plaid is Ikea, I think the colors are very beautiful and my mother gave it to me as a present. The large painting, Magnus Opus was created by Floris Schrama, my boyfriend. He painted it as part of his final exams project for graphic design studies. His final exams revolved entirely around a small organ, called Magnus. There is a movie, some music and a poster about Magnus. This particularly one is a woodprint. And in the 2 small frames on the table you can see two images from a children’s books by Czech author, Kveta Pacovska, she is one of my favorite illustrators, she makes beautiful original drawings. I can highly recommend watching her work, for example right here.

{Hester kitchen}
9.)I see dots everywhere…what is it with you and ‘dots’? Was the green cabinet already hanging in the kitchen? And did you make the lovely little birds on the window yourself?
About eight or nine years ago I fell in love with some beautiful red dotted tableware in an Italian supermarket. Or course I had to buy it and that’s when my collecting started. Since then I love visiting secondhand shops and flea markets in search of fine dotted tableware. The green cabinet was a birth present. I have always kept my "treasures" in it and now it hangs in our kitchen and again I use it to store my precious belongings. Yes, I made the little birds on the window myself out of adhesive plastic. Just by cutting out three simple bird patterns and stick them on the window. It is very simple to make!

{Hester livingroom}
10.)What do you cherish in your house and what is something on your wish list for your living room?
I obviously cherish my dotted tableware, but I am also very attached to my books and some of my furniture. I would perhaps like to have a beautiful floor lamp. But overall I am very pleased with our living room as it is.

{Hester Kitchen and balcony}
11. How important is creativity in your life and from what age on did you become serious in pursuing a career as a designer? …finally…why did you want to show us the image from the plants on your balcony… ?
Thinking about creating something comes natural to me...I love to imagine things...it gives such a nice feeling when being around items you created yurselved. My upbringing certainly has influenced my way of thinking and being creative. My parents were  also very creative and made many things for us, for example our toys, clothing and furniture. I guess it has become something very normal for me.
When my friend and I bought our house five years ago, the house was a mess and very old and we had to refurbish everything…so we did and we did it ourselves…it was good experience and thought us so many new thing which we didn’t think we were capable of. When I walk in our house I feel proud and it really feels like our house!

Oh, and that picture of the balcony…Jantien and I don’t have a garden, but we do cherish our little balcony.

Thanks Jantien and Hester!

..website..
..online shop..
..blog..

...it's Julie from Famille Summerbelle

Introduced to you at B:Kids recently...a brand new company with an original concept...creative and balanced design for kids...Famille Summerbelle... are Julie and Simon and last but not least their daughter Ophelia... I am very happy to have the "Famille" as guests in this week's Open House...and the family house in London is just fabulous... see for yourself!

1. ) When, why and how did you start Famille Summerbelle?
Famille Summerbelle was launched earlier this year at Bubble Kids Trade Show in London followed in February by Kids Modern consumer show in Dulwich. The idea of designing children’s interior accessories grew developed when I was pregnant with Ophelia. It kind of evolved naturally as I was designing products for her bedroom. I have always been making things and designing interiors so it was natural for me to design her environment.

{Julie & Ophelia}
2.) Can you tell us about your background … and the ‘French famille’ connection? And how important is the word ‘Famille’ for you…and does it have anything to do with your idea to create the family tree poster?
I am French and I have been living in London for about 10 years. I am married to Simon who is English and we have a beautiful daughter Ophelia who is 20 months. I spent a very happy and creative childhood at a Steiner School in Paris. I learned how to knit, sew, draw, paint; making things was part of the daily routine and I think that spirit still exists with me today. After a few years in Paris studying Fine Art I came to London and studied Set Design at Saint Martins College.

Before Ophelia was born I was designing and styling sets for theatre, TV and film productions.
My family is very important to me. I come from a big family (we are 5 children). I also grew up in the company of my many cousins. We all live between England, France and New Zealand where Simon’s brother lives with his family. We all meet up once a year during the last week of August for the annual fete in our family village in the South of France. There are now maybe 35 of us around the table for dinner plus all the new generation of cousins running around.

{in left image you can see the family tree and available here}
I designed the family tree as a practical way to show Ophelia photographs of her whole family: grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who all live around the world. She loves pointing and naming each person and it’s a great way for her to remember everybody. It is now the routine before bedtime to look at the tree and remember our loved ones.

{Staircase and Ophelia in her room}
3.) Is Ophelia a big inspiration for you when creating new products? And how did you ‘draw’ the beautiful tree illustration on the wall? 
Ophelia was my inspiration to start Famille Summerbelle and she is my inspiration all the way along the designing process. She is at the age where she starts pointing and naming things. The paper cut collection started as a fun way for her to learn about clothes and the sounds of birds. I customized a chest of drawers with the Dressing Up wallpaper for her bedroom. She loves searching and naming her favorite outfit.
The branch illustration is in the staircase leading to the living room. I had wanted to do something interesting with this high wall for quite a while. One day with my cutting board out (and lots of wallpaper lay around in my studio), I started to cut the shape of a branch out of silver wallpaper. The bird-cage is a cut out from my vintage wallpaper collection.

{the Studio}
4.) Where is the studio located, is it in your house? What are the difficulties for starting up a business and which things were easier than expected?
I work from home so the studio is in a glass mezzanine overlooking our living room. It is important for me to be working from home so I can be flexible with my hours and looking after Ophelia.
Starting up Famille Summerbelle has been pretty straight- forward for us. I thought it would have taken longer to establish but luckily we received some great press attention very quickly. The main difficulty of starting a business seems to be the lack of sleep! The days are very long and nights too shorts especially leading to a show and looking after a 20 month old active toddler.

{Ophelia’s beautiful bedroom}
5.) What does a typical day at work involve for you and how do you combine this with taking care of Ophelia?
At around 7am we can hear a little voice saying “Papa! Maman!”. Somehow we always hope she will go back to sleep but after 12 hours of deep sleep this never happens!
She is so funny in the morning that it gives us energy to slowly wake up.
I usually start working at 9h30 once I have dropped Ophelia at nursery. I then work non-stop until 4pm when I go back to pick her up. That’s my break and reward of the day to see her little head behind the door waiting for me!
We play together until Simon comes back from work just in time to put her to bed.
We really enjoy our dinner time with a glass of red wine and then we often both work on the business for a couple of hours before going to bed.

{the kitchen}
6.) Who is the cook in your house, what is a favorite family meal?
Simon is the talented cook in the house. He loves cooking which is great for me. He does amazing roast lamb with lots of fresh French garlic! We work well as a team as I usually do the desserts. We love getting fresh produce from Farmers Markets like the fabulous Borough Market, which is very close.

{papercuts made by Julie}
7.) How does a design begin…what is the next step…and how do you get to the final product?
That’s a tricky question!
I usually keep a scrapbook with images, colour and fabric samples that I collect from my research.
Often the design evolves from my research. I do rough sketches and a lot of trying things out. It is usually a slow process to get to the final product.
For our current collection long hours have been spent with my cutting board shaping the birds and garments. I also use Photoshop a lot when designing. You know when I am in the designing process mode, as the studio gets pretty busy with papers, fabrics and all sorts of things.

{Famille Summerbelle's amazing wallpapers}
8.)Do you illustrate everything yourself and where do you produce the wallpapers?
I do all the illustrations and designs myself.
The wallpaper consists of lots of hand paper cut garments for the Dressing Up collection with owls, peacocks and pelicans for the Kissing Birds collection.
The wallpapers are all hand screen printed with water based inks and we only use high quality paper from 100% renewable sources. We produce very locally which is a great way for me to control the process from start to finish.

{the livingroom}
9.) When looking at the windows, it seems you live in an old building that has been restored, can you tell us a bit more about the building?
We live in a converted Victorian School in Central London minutes away from the River Thames and the famous Tower Bridge. Our flat is on top of the School so we have amazing views over the City and the Gherkin (Foster’s Swiss Re building). We are very lucky to have a large open plan living room with the exposed brick walls and lots of natural light.   It’s also great for Ophelia to have space to play. She loves running around the living room, pulling out the books from the bookshelf and laying all the cushions on the floor as beds for her ‘Bébés’ dolls.

{the parents bedroom}
10.) At the end of the day when thinking of your new business…what makes you really happy and what would you like to accomplish the next day? 
I feel very lucky to have achieved so much in so little time (we launched the business only a few months ago!). I have a wonderful husband (who is also my work partner) who encourages me and reminds me when it gets too hectic that we are doing it for Ophelia and for the fun of it!
I am so grateful for all the amazing feedback that we get everyday. I am very proud that we made Famille Summerbelle a very personal business. I truly enjoy every bits of it. Being able to run this business and to look after Ophelia really makes me happy!

..website..
..you can order the collection online..
..blog..
..if you have any questions..

...it's Amanda from SouleMama

I'm very happy to have Amanda Soule as our guest this week...I met Amanda through her blog SouleMama....Amanda lives with her husband and three children in Portland, Maine.  She is the author of the inspiring book: The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections and currently she is working on a new book...

1.) Why did you want to write this book and how do you begin writing one…?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing things down. It’s always been the way in which I learn about myself, my past, the future and what’s around me. Blogging became another way for me to do that; and with no pressure or expectation, it became a wonderful writing ‘practice’ for me. Then from the blog came the opportunity to write about something I was deeply passionate about. The Creative Family is about the life I live with my family – the things we do, the things we’ve done in the past, and the things we’d like to do in the future. And it’s about what we gain as a family from those things we do creatively and together.

{The Livingroom}
2. )Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your family and this very cozy livingroom, no tv, am I right?
No, there’s no TV in our living room. We do have one in a bedroom closet that comes out for movies and such. I prefer to keep it out of our main living space. For me, its presence always feels like an easy answer to the ‘what to do’ question, and before you know it, hours have been lost. I don’t really want to lose hours like that, nor do I want to encourage my children to do so. So it works best for us to keep it out of sight.

Our home is fairly small (cozy, I remind myself when I feel crowded!), and we spend a lot of time in this room, so I’m constantly mixing things up and moving things around to reflect how we live and what we need in the moment. In here are all of the important things to us - lots and lots of books, plenty of toys, and baskets of handwork tucked here and there – for both the children and myself. As well as plenty of squishy chairs and pillows and quilts for snuggling up with.

{Adelaide is playing in the livingroom}
3.) What are your children’s favorite toys and why do you prefer wooden toys?
Without a doubt, the favorite toy has been their play kitchen.(made by Elves & Angels, a Maine company) Hours have been spent cooking and playing there. In addition to that, we have several different kinds of wood blocks that see daily use. Our farmhouse is a big favorite too. Art materials and dress up are equally as important as the ‘toys’. (the farmhouse, made by Ostheimer)

There are many reasons why I prefer wooden toys – environmentally and aesthetically, for sure. But I also love the simplicity, and the way in which they leave room for imagination. Toys and tools that leave room for interpretation really can grow with a child and be used differently at different ages. The same blocks my child used at 2 to discover stacking are the same ones he uses now at 7 to create elaborate castles and labyrinths. I value that immensely. It’s the whole ‘less really is more’ thing.

{Playroom}
4.) where is this fabulous playroom located and what decoration ideas or useful tips can you give when decorating a playroom?
This ‘playroom’ is our sun porch, which we use three seasons of the year. We love it out here – the big open windows make it bright and warm. There are built in shelves on either end of the room, which makes a perfect stage (there are lots of performances around here!). In the winter, we bring most of the toys inside and distribute them throughout the house.

Most of our toys are stored in baskets which makes for easy access as well as easy clean up – even the youngest among us can help toss things in a basket. I think it’s important not to have so many toys around that it becomes overwhelming. When it appears that something hasn’t been used in a while, I move it to a new spot, or rotate it out of the play room for a while. Sometimes seeing the same thing with new eyes can really open us up to the different possibilities that it holds, and I find this to be true for little ones as well.

{diningroom and lovely details}
5.)You can clearly see your love for fabrics, can you tell us a little bit more what it is that you like so much about textiles and why you collect them?
As a child in the summers, my grandmother and I went out ‘treasure seeking’ as she called it – at yard sales and antique shops. I was always drawn to the textiles. I think it’s the connection to the past that I love so much, combined with their simple beauty. Made with fewer resources than we have available to us now, and yet they were made to last, and made to be truly used. Beautiful things made for the everyday. I really like that.

Why did you choose this beautiful color blue?
The color is Sweet Rhapsody by Behr, and it’s actually the color of a Tiffany’s box. Not that I have a Tiffany’s box, mind you, but this is what I’m told. So I’m sure there’s some kind of magic to this color blue and there must be some creative inspiration that comes from it, because I see so many studios and craft rooms in this color! It’s a really soothing color, and lovely for photographing against.

{The studio}
6.) Is your studio, or atelier I should say, also the place where you write your books? What will be the next thing you are going to make and is there a specific topic you would like to write a book about as well?
Yes, everything happens in this room – writing and making things. Right now I’m working on some small quilts for a gallery show at Edith & Edna (in Portland, Maine) which opens in April. I’m also working on the photography for my second book.

These two books were written essentially back to back, so I’m looking forward to taking a tiny break, and focusing on a few big family projects that have been waiting for me. And then…we’ll see what happens after that!

{Manuscript}
7.) How long did it take you to write your book and what were the business aspects of it that you did and didn’t like?
I wrote my first manuscript in six months, but the book took nearly two years to make from the initial contact with a publisher to publication date. The second book took me a little longer to write, but it will have a similar two year concept-to-publication timeline.

Before I wrote The Creative Family, I thought of a book as primarily the work of the author. I had little understanding of all the other pieces and people that go into making a book. I’ve fully enjoyed getting to know, watch and be a part of that process – from the concept and editing, to the design and marketing. I’ve been so lucky to work with the other people involved in this book, and I’m also grateful to call upon them for the aspects of the business that I’m less than knowledgeable/comfortable with – negotiating contracts, marketing and such. I find it a little ironic that one of my favorite parts of writing -  such a solitary activity by nature – is the collaboration with others, but it’s true. I’ve been really blessed by a great team to work with.

{crafttable for the kids}
8.) How important are crafts for you and your children, what would you like them to learn from it or is it just play and relaxation?
“Crafts” in a glue stick and glitter kind of way is just a small aspect of what we do. But creative play in general? It’s very important to us. In the moment, the focus is always on the fun and play of it all, but I do think they are learning so much in the process. I think creative play and exploration is one of the most natural ways of learning – by experimenting; questioning what exists and the way things work; and making new ideas, things and experiences. Whether we become ‘artists’ or not isn’t the goal – it’s about taking these lessons and skills into whatever it is that we are passionate about.

{Dressup gear}
9.)’Dressing up’ is such a fun activity you can do with your kids, are there any tips you can give, like a game you can play or where to find cool stuff for dressing up?
The games they plan when they dress up usually take off on their own. Sometimes it’s about a ‘performance’ and sometimes it’s just about the dressing up (again and again). Almost all of our dress up gear comes from thrift shops, or grandparents attics. Again, like most toys, I think the key is being able to see and access what they have available to them – pegs, racks, hooks, baskets are all really helpful for dressup things. There’s quite a bit in The Creative Family about dress up – tips and activities.

{ByeBye and thank you Amanda}
10.)…and finally what is the magic tip to run such a creative household and being a author of such a successful book?
His name is Steve Soule. Seriously, besides being a wonderful Papa, he’s also my partner in all aspects of the creative work I do – he reads everything I write before anyone else sees it, we look at photographs together. He challenges me to see things differently, and gently pushes me out of my comfort zone when I need it. Most importantly, he reminds me not to take any of it too seriously, and he – along with my three little ones – remind me to play every single day. It’s really all about the play – I guess that’s our magic tip.

..website..
..SouleMama..
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..or here..

...it's Sandra from ISAK

The friendly Sandra Isaksson is the founder of ISAK, which she started only recently in 2006. ISAK makes beautiful happy things for us. Her Scandinavian roots clearly shine through in her splendid prints on all the products. I love the cool and crispy pastels and how the simple organic silhouettes are warmly formed. Currently the lovely ISAK products are sold through her web shop, retailers and trade fairs.

1.) How did ISAK start…how did you begin and why?
I always wanted to work more with product design but the real need to do so was when my son was born. I wanted to design things for him because what I found in the shops wasn’t always that great and I thought I’d try to do something better. The first collection was only a couple of products and then it very quickly grew from there. At first, I was only going to run a little web shop with a few ISAK designs on  – but ISAK cough on and there seemed to be a real demand for ISAK products. We had some really good press, we were written about on some of the best design blogs out there ( Yes, you! ;) and we started doing trade shows which proved very effctive.

{Sandra and her son and some details in her house}
2.) Can you tell us a little bit about your personal background and who is the cute little boy in the picture?
The cutie is Theodor Isak, 4 years old...I’m a Swede gone Danish, then British. In a way. Sweden has a huge place in my heart and we do spend a lot of time over there. I studied in Denmark, and met Theo’s brit dad there and 4 1/2 years ago we moved over here to the UK.

{Image from the breakfast table}
3.) What does a typical day at work involve for you and how do you combine this with bringing up your son?
Theo wakes up before anyone else in the house and me and his dad will probably wake up as Theo is trying to dig out some sweets in the kitchen. We’ll get down just in time to catch him and put a bowl of cereal in front of him instead. Then either me or his dad takes Theo to preschool/nursery and I then work until he comes home at around 3 in the afternoon. We spend the afternoon together and I work a couple of hours in the evening after Theo’s gone to bed. Working from home makes me flexible, I can fit my work around Theo and my family.

{Pia Wallén slippers and a small part of Sandra's book collection}
4.) You have sent images from a number of books and the beautiful slippers by Pia Wallén…of course we all would like to know what do these items mean to you…?
The Pia Wallén slippers were the perfect Christmas present from me to almost everyone in my family this year… I got a pair and Theo’s got a pair and they are just so qute. I love them. As a swede you take your shoes off in the hallway – so in winter you need comfy good looking slippers...These books are just one of many book piles in my studio. I love books, to read them, write them, collect them, stroke them and smell them! ;)

{picnic setting with ISAK's plates}
5.) On your website I found this image of a picnic setting… is a family picnic an ISAK tradition…? And is it in your own garden?
Yes, having left Sweden and now having a child of my own – I am often taken back to the nostalgia my own childhood and I want to recreate that for Theo. We had lots of picnics – and we do now as a family too. Just pack up a bag and leave for the woods early in the morning to have breakfast. Have long walks on the beach in freezing winter and then bbq some sausages to warm you up. It’s about spending time together, being outdoors – and eating! All very essential parts for us!...I can’t remember which picture you are referring to so I can’t say if it’s our garden or not… Probably not, we moved 6 months ago…

{Sandra's studio in her home}
6.) Is your studio at home? What are essential items in your studio, and is there anything on your wish list?
Yes, I work from home. My wish is that the soon to be converted attic will be finished… This will be the biggest room in the house, full of light and atmosphere – and I need it to be ready, yesterday!

{more books and the 'numbers' posters}
7.) What is the secret behind these posters?
There’s no secret! I made them for Theo, we needed them to practive numbers and letters. Something fun and stylish that could also hang on the wall and be decorative. And if we could enjoy them and find them very useful – so could others I thought and put them into production. They have been very popular! I have updated the Bird counting poster, this was the poster from the last collection that sold out. They are litho printed on Swedish paper.

{Theodore's bedroom}
8.) Does your son recognize your products and does he understand what you are doing? What is his favorite item you have designed?
The duvet cover comes from Danish Katvig – and Theo actually thinks I have designed it – but I haven’t. He does understand though because he’s often around me playing as I’m working on something. I try all kid’s stuff out on him first. He’ll pull a plate out of a pile and say; - “This one is no good mummy. It’s got a mark, we can’t sell it”. One of our plates was on TV one time in Sweden and Theo happened to see it. I wasn’t there but grandma told us he had gotten extatic. “Mummy’s plate, mummy’s plate”! But then very worried as to how to get the plate out of the TV again. Very sweet!...Theo’s favorite item must be the penguin blanket, he snuggles under it every morning and evening.

{Isak's new penquin blankets}
9.)The blankets are simply gorgeous, where are they produced and what kind of tips can you give regarding manufacturing? How did you find your manufacturer(s)?
The blankets are produced in Norway. The great thing with Scandinavia is the design tradition and the craftsmanship. Trade shows are great for finding manufacturers – and the internet. That’s how I started, with the internet. I had absolutely no manufacturing contacts at all to start with.
10.)…and finally what is the magic tip to start a successful business like ISAK?
Oh goodness, I don’t know… Passionately believing in what you do and  working hard. Never giving up. Have fun! {Thank you Sandra!}

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...it's Esther from Esthex

I am very excited to start this new feature on B:Kids by introducing you to Esthex, or actually its founder, designer and mom...Esther Schuivens. When I invited Esther to "knock, knock, who's there" she immediately responded enthusiastically and I think this must characterize her. Since 2003 Esther Schuivens has been creating a family of super cute dolls, soft toys, decoration, bed linen and more…together with her husband and twin-daughters Esther recently moved to Belgium, just across the border of Maastricht in the south tip of the Netherlands. Her husband has been working on renovating their dream house and Esther now has her own little cottage studio, a great place to design many more  beautiful family members for the Esthex-collection. Thank you Esther for letting us have a look in your new house and for giving us tips and ideas on how to start or run a business like yours.

{little cottage studio inside and outside}
1. ) At your ‘about’ page we can read that you graduated from the school of Arts in Maastricht in 2000.What were the most important things your learned and how does your study help running Esthex?
There are two things that I learned and still keep in mind. One is presentation, it is really important not to just sell a product but to complete the story you want to tell by having a nice hangtag, website, packaging etc. I work on this together with a company called “pure caramel”, they also design the stands on shows etc.and it’s great to work with them! The other thing I learned is a bit difficult to explain but it comes down to staying focused on each new design you make and not lean back once you discovered for example the great thing about working with felt, it doesn’t mean it works for your next design as well!

{an ordinary day at the kitchentable}
2.) You say that Esthex was born one Sunday afternoon while you got very inspired looking through your own childhood drawings…but how did you actually start in practice I mean, what were the first steps and what were the major challenges?
It’s honestly true that the first esthex dolls came alive in my imagination while looking at my old drawings in the attic of my parents house. But it does go back a little further. In my last year of art school I participated in a contest of Hema, a large Dutch department store, the challenge was to design a soft toy. I didn’t win anything but it was SO much fun to do! I could use all my imagination to bring a creature alive (it wasn’t a doll, more a beast with long arms which you could use as a bag aswell).
After graduating I had several exhibitions in textile galleries with my graduation art work but I also took part of a design fair in Maastricht which gave young designers the opportunity to sell a product. I sold my homemade soft toy creatures and it went really well. But even more important was that I learned how much fun it is to sell your design and the idea of people using it. So after this experience, three days later, I had the idea to look up my old drawings of when I was four years old!

{the kitchen}
3.) When did you come up with the idea to produce the products at a social workplace? And how easy or difficult is it to produce in a social workplace?
After looking up the drawings I made the very first three dolls which I sold to a shop nearby. They were quite excited about it which gave me the courage to contact other shops. One of these shops was the Kidsfactory, a large kids store in The Netherlands, and they placed an order of 300 dolls! I had no patterns..am not the best sewer at all AND it had to be done in a month! I managed to do it but then decided it might be a good idea to contact the social workplace I had just heard of. For three years it was truly great to work with them, we always thought about solutions together and almost everything was possible! Unfortunately I had to end this working relationship a few months ago and it was one of the hardest things I had to do sofar. For me a good working relationship and fun in your work comes first, then comes the business side. But it seemed, listening to feedback from the distributors and shops, I couldn’t neglect this side of the work and producing in The Netherlands is very expensive. While discovering this I was contacted by a Thai workplace in Bangkok who saw the dolls on a fair in Amsterdam. I feel really lucky because again I met very nice people, the workplace produces under good working conditions for their employees, the quality is very nice and designwise there are much more options.

{feeding the ducks}
4.) What does a typical day at work involve for you and how do you combine this with bringing up your twin-girls?
For the first year the girls stayed at home and would visit grandma and grandpa one day a week, but since they are two now they go to a daycare and are at home on Tuesdays and Fridays. On these days I only check and answer my emails so we have time to feed the ducks! On other days it really depends.

{drawing for new designs + livingroom with dolls cradles}
Twice a year, for two months my head is full of new designs and ideas. It is hard to think about other things that need to be done at that time because all my energy goes to the design part!

{girls bedroom}
5.) What are you most proud of professionally?
By doing what I love most I can pay the bills and live in our dreamhouse!

{upstairs + garden in the winter}

{livingroom}
6.) Where do you find inspiration nowadays and how do you translate them to actual products?
Inspiration comes from little things that I am surrounded by. We recently moved to a restored house in Belgium and have a cat for the first time. Subconsciously I started designing a mouse! And I am also at an age that all friends start having kids and you get a lot of inspiration from all the babies as well.  And of course from Hannah and Moos, I am working on a play doll with a coat and a baby, to play with the clothes and close things with Velcro, a ribbon or buttons. They will be three in December so it needs to be in production by that time  which normally takes 6 months from beginning to end.

{big Pippi Långstrump-fans and the first homemade blankets}
7.) Are there any particular designers you are inspired by?
I love Dick Bruna, Fiep Westendorp and Max Velthuijs, they have all created their own world and stories which are fun for children and goes to their imagination.

{the new studio}
8.) What do you really like about your work and which parts would you rather skip?
I love the designing part, working by myself in my studio but still being in touch with a lot of people.
I would like to skip the negotiating parts and contracts but I am lucky not to have to deal with these things too much! And thank God I have a husband who does the bookkeeping, I am terrible with paperwork!

{buidling the daycare centre in Ecuador in 2004}
9.) Is there a certain project that you dream of or something you still would like to accomplish?
4 years ago Joost, my husband, and I build a daycare centre in Ecuador, Joost was asked to do this while cycling through the country and we set up a plan to raise money. If I ever have money enough it would be great to do more of these projects, I would still be designing and Joost would spend the incoming money on new projects! Another dream is to have a very wide range of products, for babies but also for older children and maybe a little animation movie? One needs to dream!

{girls bedroom and my grandmas cupboard + esthex puppets made by grandma and grandpa}
10.) Is there a long term plan or do you work day by day?
I started with no plan at all, it probably kills all your ideas if you plan everything ahead and then start.
But with my designs, the dolls, I did develop during the years a plan which is to create a little esthex world and have my own story to tell, in design and words.

{Moos and Hannah}
11.) and finally for all the people out there what would be the best advice to start a business like Esthex?
Just start and make sure your designs are unique. Don’t forget the business parts but put fun and a good working relationship first. Having production organized is very important. And have a lot of persistence!

To Irene: a big thank you for having me as a special guest at Bloesem, it was a lot of fun to answer all your questions!

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