Summer Giveaway (no regrets pillow set + dragon wings t-shirt + handmade biz book)

Hello.

Kittns worked a lot lately so they are finally taking three or four some days off relaxing on the beach. It would be the coolest thing in the world right now if you could come and join them, as they miss having friends around. If you can't join them now, kittns want you to be happy anyway, take some time off for yourself and enjoy soulful things.

That is why they decided to give away presents this summer:

• a unique pillow set that's entirely hand crafted (+ hand painted using hypoallergenic textile paint, no solvents). The original drawing + text will remind you of your superhero powers and will be a friend for sweet napping or just hugging.
  

• I am not afraid of dragons T-shirt, Medium size, with a hand painted drawing and a lovely set of tulle wings to help you let go of fear and feel like flying.
  

• A brilliant book kittns bought here and read in a heartbeat. It was really really useful, that's why we would love to share the wisdom and pass it on (it would be nice if you did the same after you read it and took notes, in the hope that the handmade marketplace would grow & shine).

You can give your love too and enter the giveaway by following Kittn (see the Follow button at the bottom of this page) + leaving a comment about what you like or would like to see kittns do or write about + your contact.

We will use a random number generator to draw three lucky pals. The first one will firstly choose the prize and so on.

Shipping is international & completely free for you. Results on July 15th.

Meowy wowy hugs to you!

Summer mood

I've been planning to go to the beach for over a week now, a week that's been so hot, too hot to stay outside in the sun (and I've finally finished some drawing + t-shirt + planning world domination® work). So today was the big day... I packed my backpack since last night with all the beach gear I needed like sunscreen, towel, notebook, book and camera + an excellent summer/easy mood... And guess what. It wasn't sunny! It was still hot, but a bit dreary as the sun seemed to be playing hide and seek with the clouds.
I thought that if I wasn't going to get a sun tan, I would act like a beach bum girl anyway so I began by breathing in that unique smell of salty seaside + sun lotion scent. I didn't want to travel far so I chose São Pedro beach which is rather small inside a charming bay.



There were a lot of families with kids and I was thinking it would be loads of fun to play on the beach with my kid, after all, the best seaside holidays of my life so far were together with my mom. Oh, sweet memories... I've texted her to say I was dreaming of a future holiday somewhere on the beach. The sun had been starting to show more and more, but I had to go get lunch so I left thinking the day was worth it even if the weather hadn't been too shiny.
Waking up on a summer morning, opening the window and letting the cool breeze in, having a quick breakfast + kisses, music (always music), seeing couples sharing earphones on the beach, colored umbrellas, sand running from under my feet on the shore, children building sand castles, remembering past escapades while seeking for the undefined horizon line, as simple as these things appear to be, I'm thankful I've seen and lived them all today.

One more free card

Right click. Save. Send (to the cutie you like). Start a conversation. The end. The beginning!

More goodies

This time from Mayi Carles, a very talented + beautiful woman, a super passionate artist + eco-friendly designer + creative biz coach. As she confesses, she is mostly known for her T-Rex-size dreams + messy ideas + TV gig + severe cupcake addiction + funny Panamanian accent. I would add, just by some quick readings on her site, that we also like her for the empowering tips & tricks she writes or talks about in her videos, very helpful advice, support and ideas, and last but not least for being generous with sweet printables like these:


Read the article and download the .pdf file here

More on cute & necessary recipe cards and file download here

Daily Action Planners, here.

With titles like tips to make your website super effective, or help your market interpret your brand and what you should include in your creative business journal I'm sure you'll have a great time reading and discovering Mayi and her motivating, inspirational world.

Have a summer dreamy weekend everyone, see you on Monday with new freebies!

What if I fail?

He was fired by editors because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas". After that, he started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy. However, Walt Disney didn't give up...



Failure, we all know how it feels like, we all tasted it - be it of smaller or bigger proportions and implications. It could have been an attempt to mold clay earrings that looked like saved from a fire in the end. It could have been that exam that you studied hard and you didn't pass by a nose, or that special night you prepared for your date that never answered your calls again. Even if we get fired or divorced, it's in our nature to mistake or to be wrong, and believe it or not without errors and fails there wouldn't be any evolution or progress.
It's normal to feel bad when you lose or fail. Don't talk yourself out of it, you would be lying. Cry if you need to, but don't let it go on for long, you have to move on to the next step on the path called the rest of your life.
Most people know her as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. She faced a hard road to get to that position, enduring an abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because Oprah Winfrey "was unfit for TV."



The right way to be wrong (no pun intended) is to first recognize it. You'd better assume your error (it's hard to, I know, but it's much better than living in denial and subsequently in guilt), analyze and learn from it. Change what needs to be changed and then try another time.
As life is not an algorithm (darn!), trial and error is the only other option, but it is just like searching for the solution through a labyrinth: you might not find it at your first move.
All I'm saying is look at things in a different way. Change your perspective on these matters and you will discover not only it will be easier to get by, but to achieve great things in the end:

• failure and success are just concepts and conventions, in reality there is only life experience;
• there are no standards for success as there's not a rank for failure;
• share your experience;
  
• there is no "shame";
• let go of fear!

He didn't speak until he was four and didn't read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think "he was slow and anti-social". He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that Albert Einstein caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.

Super deal Saturday

Are you ready for summer's most dazzling days at the beach and glittering evenings? Well, if you feel you're missing a touch to create your perfect outfits and you need just the sparks to go all foxy, then this is the chance: two of my talented friends are hosting the best promos this summer!

Anca, the lovely artist at Bo3mia offers a 30% discount on any order for a whole month from June 15 until July 15. You can find either romantic or playful items in her shop and if Romanian is not one of the languages you know, I'm sure she will kindly give you all the information you need.

Her favorite material is polymeric clay which she accessorizes perfectly with beads, lace, copper, gold and hand painted silk ribbon. The price range is very attractive, between 3 & 15 Eur... Wait, wait, what did you say, you want them all?
For further information contact bo3mia@gmail.com


If you step in Daria's world you will easily realize everything she touches turns to beauty from outfits she wears to one of a kind jewelry + the colors are amazing: honeysuckle buds, peach flowers, chocolate and butter stand out from her palette.
Indeed like a kitten, she likes to play making cute animal necklaces, felt foxes, button pins and many more as you can see in her shop.

With every purchase that you make between June 15 and September 1, Kittenhood offers you a chance to win a 50$/150 RON gift card in the shop! Each product that you buy will be assigned a number, which will automatically participate in the competition - so more purchases, more chances.
Details and friendship requests at dar.142173@yahoo.com

Love and war.

When I thought of a Soldier of love t-shirt for the first time, I was listening to the music of Sade. I find myself in her work - the music, the ideas, the vision - at the fine line between the 'only human' harsh reality and our surreal universe of deep emotions, beliefs and dreams.
I am going to dwell on the subject of this duality as I've been facing disturbing contrasts lately, mainly the contrast of being a soldier of love and being just a soldier.
I've been around people who grew up and live without sympathy, people who turned into aggressors, people who wake each morning with a heavy grunt. Only the objects they own are a proof of their existence. People like dust, chocking with their own screaming and guilt. Touching just with guilty blows, holding a knife behind their back shaking with fear in the dark.
I'm not feeling to accuse them, but also not to excuse them. I'm just taking a look at myself finding out I'm struggling too, but I choose to do it differently.
I'm also concerned with tomorrow, but I will wake up with a big smile and thanks for what I have. I've been through hard times too, but I go on with courage. I like to hug. I need money too to live, but I believe in the power of love. I'm also scared, but I take small steps lighting a candle in the dark.
Forgive my rough words, I needed to share these innermost thoughts and feelings in the hope that you too pin a flower on your coat when you go to war.

PS. I used hypoallergenic textile acrylics when painting the t-shirts and I stitched the swallows on the shoulders. The kittn labels are not ready though, so I used the old ones but I guess it's OK, right?

Freebies!

In this post I am glad to present you some e-cards that I've been drawing... not only they are very cute but they're absolutely free!
You can safely save them in your computer (good old fashioned right click, save image as) and send them to your loved ones: so far you have three friendship/love cards and a thank you note, but there will be more to come, I promise.
Meanwhile, you can leave your feedback about the freebies or even if you have ideas of your own that you want to illustrate.
Come on, let's bring a smile to someone today! :-)

Paper planes...

... most of us made them when we were kids and I guess they were built in situations we didn't like so much and wanted to escape: mainly during class or homework. Their purpose was to take us on their wings so we could fly away to a more interesting or just a better place.
Then we grew up and found ourselves in stranger and more complicated situations than an undesired homework or a boring school class. Whether it's an unhealthy relationship or a terrible job we somehow get stuck for long trying to figure out what to do in order to feel better. We over calculate and arrange the facts and solutions when in fact we seem to have lost the simple answer that we once knew: make a paper plane and get away!
The paper planes may now represent a new job or our self confidence and the wings can be strong with the courage to start new beginnings. Life is too short to hang around in dreary situations so make paper planes, not war. :-)

PS. Paper planes go to all of us and especially to Myshi (but I can't say more, because the t-shirts haven't arrived yet and I don't want to spoil the surprise)

A handmade ABC & more

Yesterday, on Children's Day I received this wonderful book that I ordered on The book depository (by the way I strongly recommend it - delivery was in time, shipping was free plus I got a lovely bookmark as a gift).
I could only ready a few pages until today, but even since the first lines (not mentioning the overall attractive design) it captivated me. If you are into crafts, a handmade artist, a freelance illustrator and a talented person whose hands are restless until you knit or decoupage something, then you will feel like it's you that wrote this book, or at least a very good friend with a bit more experience.
Kari Chapin talks about motivation and inspiration both with their ups and downs, about marketing strategies in a way that the term doesn't seem scary anymore, about tactics, success and goals all in a very personal way that touches your soul just like everything in the handmade business should be.
I'm very happy with my acquisition and I can't wait to read more, but for now here is a set of questions and matters that Kari suggests we keep in mind when we start our business. I say we should ask ourselves these questions more along the way, considering that changes are made all the time and life itself is very dynamic. Our answers will build a strong foundation for business and will help know ourselves more:

• Why do I want to sell my crafts?
• What are my monetary goals?
• What does my idea of success look like? How will I know when I've achieved it?
• Do I have enough time to devote to selling my work?
• Do I have the tools I need at hand to begin selling what I make?
• Do I have a support system in place for taking on this venture?
• What are my biggest fears?
• What excites me the most about starting a business?