Nora Bella: Handmade Gifts for Babies and Kids

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Meg took this wonderful picture of Cole:

Getting down to business!

New Pinafores by Lily Sky Designs

2008-01-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

Oh, beautiful.....these pinafores are handcrafted by Rebecca of Lily Sky Designs, in gold "Lotus" fabric by Amy Butler.

On the personal front...our little boy is due in just two and a half weeks! I've suspended my Etsy shop temporarily, until I can figure out just how to manage having a baby and a toddler at the same time. But the main Nora Bella shop is still going strong. Please stop by and see all the fun, beautiful new things we've added!

Happy Holidays from Nora Bella

2007-12-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a little something from our own shop that I had to include in Nora's Christmas stocking:

It's a set of sugar cookies and cakes from Evelyn of Mon Petit Soleil, and Nora loves them! They came beautifully packaged in a pretty box, which we keep and store them in. An old table of ours is going to be converted into Nora's "tea table," so these felt cookies make the perfect starter set. I can't help but feel proud of the items we offer in our shop!

Here's Dave, Nora, and I, wishing everyone a happy holiday season:

I'm about a month out from having our second child -- a little boy this time -- which is why, dressed all in green, I could be a stand-in for the Christmas tree. The pregnancy is going very well, despite the fact that this past week was spent making our cross-country move to Illinois. Why we always move when I am 8 months pregnant, I do not know, but we managed to reach Illinois in one piece. We are living amongst our boxes, and celebrated Christmas without a tree....although we did get a wreath on the door at least, to show that someone is now living in this old (new) house! So, with the move, the pregnancy, a toddler, and a sudden flurry of post-Christmas Nora Bella orders, things have been busy...but in the best way possible.

I am realizing, lastly, that I have not yet featured the marvelous Heather of "Love 2 Sparkle," who has crafted, among other things, the following beautiful hair clippies currently for sale in our shop:

Heather offers a wide variety of styles and materials. Her clips are even effective at holding back that fine, sweet toddler hair we love so well. (My Nora's hair has been steadily thickening -- I could cry -- it looks like "big-girl hair" now!) Please check out her wonderful selection in our shop.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Welcome Lily Sky Designs; or, The Laments of a Non-Sewer

2007-11-16T11:17:00.001-08:00

Oh, how I wish I could sew!! That was all I could think of this baby-naptime as I listed these gorgeous pinafores, bibs, and shoes by Rebecca of Lily Sky Designs.

There's no way around it: these items are beautiful. Exhibit A:

And B:

And C:

And D:

All of Rebecca's items are, of course, handcrafted, and the ones you see here are made from fabrics by Robert Kaufman, Amy Butler, and others. They are lined and embellished with other heavenly fabrics like cream wool felt, black washed corduroy, velvet, and chenille, and the pinafores feature darling vintage buttons inside and out (which makes them reversible). Please visit the Shoes and Dresses sections of Nora Bella to view and read about Rebecca's wonderful handmade confections. And welcome, Rebecca!

Take the Handmade Pledge

2007-10-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Bash

2007-10-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Nora's 2nd birthday party was held on October 6th, and what a blast it was! Eleven of her little friends came. The party was extra meaningful for us because it also served as a good-bye party of sorts -- we will be moving out-of-state in 8 weeks. So I wanted to celebrate all of the super-cool kids in Nora's life by throwing a big party.

We did an Under-the-Sea theme, appropriate because we are leaving the Atlantic seaboard for the Midwest. We had octopus hot dogs, whale-shaped sandwiches, "Pirate's Gold" (corn) and fun cupcakes that I baked into ice cream cones and put a springy fish toy on top. Dave and I made a deep-sea "ride" by attaching 10-foot streamers to the ceiling to form a sort of tunnel that kids could run through or ride a red wagon through; we attached a bunch of paper fish, octopus, crabs, etc. to the streamers. The kids loved this! We also set up a sand box outside and a station where the kids could paint beach rocks and seashells and design and decorate their own foam fish.

The Birthday Girl eschewed all these crafts for the sandbox and another kind of box: the heady treat of endless juice boxes. I couldn't even keep track of how many Nora had because everyone was indulging her right and left.

In all, the party was just wonderful. Nora still talks about it. The best moment was when we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She had this look of awe on her face that everyone was singing to HER. She even blew out the candle!

Obey Me

2007-10-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

How could you not do what he says?
Mason is modeling the "Obey Me" onesie by Nancy of Kibbles 'n Knits. It's available in long or short sleeves, sizes 0-24 months in the Nora Bella boutique!

Delicious Treats from Tootsie and Grace

2007-10-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

My daughter will go nuts over these! This set of delectable tea cakes and flannel plates was crafted by Marisa Hopkins of Tootsie and Grace, a new seller in the Nora Bella boutique! They are made from the Amy Butler "chocolate" fabric and embellished with tiny hand-knotted "sprinkles." (Finally, sprinkles that won't fall off!)

Marisa is also contributing some of the adorable items below to the shop's listings:

2007-10-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Handmade Plush Goodness

2007-09-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

If you don't think these handmade plush creations have the cutest faces you've ever seen, I'll be a monkey's uncle. And that's right, although they look "professionally" made, they are the custom handiwork of Cerise of Krafty Katina. She's another marvelous Etsy seller who has joined our new online boutique. Please, come on over to our store and check out her offerings, as well as dozens of other wonderful handmade items for babies and kids!

Free Press is Good Press!

2007-09-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

I'm tickled to say that Nora Bella has been featured in two product reviews online:

In Smitherman and Barney's "Designer Scoop":
Designer Scoop wants to introduce you to a great company - Norabella. Norabella designs these adorable baby tees with hand painted (not stamped – thank goodness) art on the front. Furthermore, I really can see these baby onesies being worn by little celebrity star Suri Cruise - simply because they are so Bella like baby Suri!

The second review, on babble.com, is actually of my Etsy shop, and features my "i chew books" onesie. There's a big picture of our Nora!! Check out the link!

THIS WEEK'S BLOG CARNIVAL: WHO ARE YOUR "CRAFTING HELPERS?"

2007-08-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

What a fun blog carnival this was to host! The submissions were so varied, as everyone came up with a different definition of what makes a "crafting helper." Submissions ranged from the musical, to the familial, to the companion-animal....Since my own "little helper," two-year-old Nora, is taking her afternoon nap -- see? how very helpful! -- allow me to take a moment to lead you on a tour of this week's entries...

We start with Kathy Johnston's "Everyday Companion," Patches...and then move on to a different type of helper entirely: caffeine! At least that's what Alicia Mae says gets her through in her post, "As the Stones Once Said..."

Regina of "Bead Jewelry by Shopgirl" thinks her son's talents for both origami and business may soon overtake her own! Check out his amazing origami in Regina's post, "Crafty Helper? Crafty Businessman in the Making!"

Another proud mama is jewelry-and-barette maker Gigi, whose daughter helps... for a price! :)

"Quick, grab the kids, make 'em useful," says Tricia of Lazy T Crochet. Reminds me that I don't utilize my two-year-old enough....she does have those handy little fingers....

Mrs. Dragon offers us insight into her crafting background music in "My Music, My Muse." Here's what helps her get those creative juices flowing....

And it's her children who are most helpful, says Christine Claringbold of Eye Pop Art. Check out her two kids' artistic flair -- must be hereditary! It made me want to hand my daughter a Sharpie and let her decorate my car....well, maybe I should wait until she is 11, like Christine's son...

Last of all, my own post about my aforementioned Helper Extraordinaire is below. So please, everyone, enjoy the posts for this week and remember to check the forum for all of the upcoming posts. Have a great week full of happy crafting!

My Crafting Helper

2007-08-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

My crafting helper is a certain little almost-two-year-old named Nora. Okay, so she's also the main reason I never get all that much crafting done! But she's the best reason I can think of.

As you can see here, she's helpful in lots of ways, like taking care of the yard work...

2007-08-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

...but the way Nora helps me most is by modeling. Poor thing, she's been modeling for me since she was about 3 weeks old...and I continue to squeeze her into way-too-small onesies to model for my Etsy shop! Luckily, she is a good sport, and will do anything for a Cheez-it....

For Wise Babies

2007-08-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

New in our shop: a three-piece set from Joey and Aleethea's "Aristotle the Owl" collection. Aristotle has one of those dignified little faces I just love, and he's available on a burp cloth (stitched freehand!), a onesie, and a Binky Blankie. Check him out in our shop!

At the Virginia Living Museum

2007-08-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Daddy took me to the Virginia Living Museum so Mommy could finish a batch of orders. We saw wolves, bald eagles, raccoons, and loads more. I really loved the outdoor boardwalk. As you can see, there was no stopping me; I blazed on ahead.

Whether I am in the car seat or eating lunch, I always cross my legs at the ankles. What can I say? I was raised a lady.

One Year of Nora Bella on Etsy!

2007-08-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

As of today, August 5th, Nora Bella has been on Etsy for one full year! To celebrate my anniversary, I'm offering a special promotion: buy any item from my store today and receive a onesie of your choice free! (You choose the onesie from any of my designs.) Special thanks for making this a great year on Etsy!!

He's Too Sexy for His Pampers

2007-07-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

A generous neighbor lent the talents of her supermodel son, Mason, when I needed pictures of a couple of new onesies. Look out, Hollywood, this guy is a natural:

See here how he cups his hand to showcase the sailboat. Amazing.

And he has more than one "look," which cannot be said for all models. Here, wearing an "i chew books" onesie, he is clearly acting the part of the teething four-month-old (yes, this looker has TWO comin' in), searching ravenously for a book to devour. Inspirational. Brilliant.

Nora Bella Onesies to Be Carried by Frogs and Pollywogs

2007-07-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Frogs and Pollywogs toy store of Albany, Oregon, is carrying some of my handpainted onesies. They will be taking orders for personalized onesies through their store. Here are the three onesies they asked me to make as samples, which will be displayed in their store:

They are building a web site, so you can see them at www.frogsandpollywogstoys.com. Thanks to Celia of Frogs and Pollywogs for setting this up for me. Our store web site (www.norabellas.com) is listed on the hang tags and advertisement, so it's a little bit more publicity for us. Yay us!

It's a Family Affair

2007-07-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

Aren't these pictures beautiful? I'm happy to announce that we will be carrying three lines of items by Beck By Design: 1) The darling "Soft and Cuddlies" learning toys at the upper right; 2) BUBS, Back-up Blankets ("Because Life Happens...Be Prepared"); and 3) the very stylish Burpz, generously-sized and affordable burp cloths in designer fabrics. I'm adding Becky's items to the store, and in the meanwhile you can check out her Etsy shop: www.beckbydesign.etsy.com.

And yes, that's her son Charley in the photos -- she's another one of us who uses our offspring as models! :) I know that my parents sometimes visit my Etsy shop just to see the old pictures of Nora. It's really one of the things I love about being a mom and craftsperson on Etsy -- even in a large virtual database, there's a family feel. I love that that is transferring over to Nora Bella as well. The store is becoming an online photo gallery of our children! There's Arlo (he's Nancy's son; she's the mastermind behind KibblesnKnits) modeling his Old Time Bicylce Onesies and making the hilarious surprised face in our "Oh Boy! -- Nora bella!" banner. One thing I love about the pictures of Arlo is that many were taken before he could sit up too securely on his own, so you can see Nancy holding hands with him with her left hand while she takes pictures with her right. Then there's the dapper Joey of Joey and Aleethea, modeling his tuxedo bib -- and if you check out her Etsy shop and her blog (links at the bottom of this page) you can catch many more glimpses of this cheerful fellow. (My favorite new one is where he's modeling a onesie that reads "Sleep is for the Weak" -- and he looks like he is about to add the little push on your shoulder to drive home his point. :) Finally, Cheryl of Rosey Posey Confections got a lucky business break -- two beautiful daughters, Emily and Rachel, who model her handmade dresses and skirts.

Anyway, welcome to Becky and Charley...and Becky's beautiful handmade things! I'm glad she joined our store.

Wall Letters are up in the shop

2007-07-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have listed some of the wall letter styles and patterns that the shop offers. There are tons more to go, but here is a sampling:

We will have other fonts and sizes available soon, too -- as well as other kinds of nursery decor. What I'd love is to start taking more custom orders for nursery art -- paintings and the like. Painting is my real love, but with time and space constraints I've been painting smaller things, like onesies. Now I'm trying to get back into paintings in the busy few months before baby #2 comes along! Please check out all of the patterns up in the shop, and expect more soon! www.norabellas.com

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

So this came a week late. But Nora wants to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July. She was in our neighborhood parade with her best buddy, Cole. The hat was a hit with the parade judges.

Cousins

2007-07-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Nora and I are here in Minnesota for the week, visiting my husband's family. Alas, my husband himself could not come...but that's the Navy life. Anyway, Nora had a blast playing at the lake with her "big cousins," Jack and Ben.

Being away from my paints and brushes and cluttered table, I've been able to concentrate on the computer aspects of running our little shop. I signed us up with Etsy Kids and Etsy Bloggers, and have been dealing with Russ, the promotions guy for our web site. It is so exciting to have a new business, but there's lots of waiting involved. I'm just trying to give our web site the best leg up I can, and hopefully...eventually...the rest will follow.

Til then, I've got an almost-two-year-old who needs to play in the lake!

New at Nora Bella: Beautiful Skirts by Rosey Posey Confection

2007-07-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here are two new skirts in our shop by Cheryl of Rosey Posey Confection. They are hand-sewn with hand-embroidery touches. Beautiful!

Babies Love Summer....

2007-07-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

...and babies love Nora Bella!

We're Up and Running!

2007-07-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

After weeks of work, our online store is up and ready to go.

We love visitors! You can register as a guest on our site and receive our newsletter and updates.

I still have dozens of items to list, so check back often to see all of our new things! We have adorable quilts by Rosey Posey Confection....handpainted onesies by KibblesnKnits...gorgeous little hats by Butterfly Design...so many goodies for your little ones. Enjoy! www.norabellas.com