Chalkydoodles Blog

I am SO excited to share that Chalkydoodles is a finalist in the Etsy Handmade Kids Sweepstakes in 3 categories – Furniture, Home Decor and Accessories! The Handmade Kids series in the Etsy Storque has been a great way for folks to discover the Chalkydoodles line and I am so thrilled to be highlighted in this contest.

All Etsy sellers were given the opportunity to enter their products for kids, babies and expectant moms in 7 categories: Furniture, Toys, Home Decor, Eco-Friendly, Clothing, Accessories and Art. I entered Chalkydoodles in 6 categories and was chosen as a finalist in 3 – how exciting!

An impressive panel of judges from Parents Magazine and the popular goodyblog, the boingboing Blog, Cookie Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, the decor8.blogspot Blog, treehugger.com, and the innovative Ohdeedoh.com will be responsible for awarding one winner per category a $200 Etsy shopping spree. Oh, the things I could buy…

Want to join the fun? You need to be a registered member of Etsy to vote. It’s easy and free to join. Click here to learn more.

The Fancy Folding Furniture line by Chalkydoodles in the Furniture Category

Chalkydoodles Oilcloth Apron with our Chalkcloth Block in the Accessories Category

Chalkydoodles Mini Chalkboard Labels in the Home Decor Category

Chalkydoodles was also mentioned in the Handmade Kids Series in the article, “Featured Buyer: Jenn of Minor Details with Picks for the Family Friendly Home” where Jennifer Ward of the Minor Details blog showed off our Fancy Folding Furniture oilcloth-upholstered furniture set for kids and the article “Buying Local with the EtsyKids Team” where our Chalk Mat was highlighted.

I’ve been working with Jute this week, coming up with a new design for my chalkboard labels. I had a customer ask for a more natural look to go with the cowboy theme in her son’s room, so we came up with the idea of using 100% jute burlap as the material to border the chalkcloth.

Turns out, Jute is kind of a pain in the rear to cut, work with and sew. It’s a natural fiber, which is great for a variety of reasons, but it sure does shred a lot when you cut it. There are little “Jutelings” all over my house and the shredded tiny bits fly around and get stuck in my clothes while I sew. Itchy. But, I thought it looked kind of artsy all cut up in my trash bin.

Since all of the Chalkydoodles products are already re-usable, and therefore, a great choice for those interested in conserving natural resources, it seems like a natural fit to offer an organic material as one of our fabric options.

Here’s the result – which I really love. Look for them in the Chalkydoodles shop!

Here are a few facts about Jute from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jute

Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, family Tiliaceae.

Jute is one of the cheapest natural fibres and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses.