a pretty little violet

This morning my family welcomed another little beauty into our world - baby Violet Creina Gabby (late name change!) joined us with a mop of dark hair and alert clear eyes. A third daughter for my sister and her husband.

Last week, before my mum headed up to Brisbane to look after big sisters Scarlett and Ava, I made this unisex blanket for the impending bambino. Red minky was called for, along with a grey and white polka dot print. I wrapped it up pretty and sent it off with one excited Grandma-to-be-(again).

Welcome sweet Violet - we just know that you're going to be totally rad, just like your Mum and Dad xxx

Love you, Aunty Em + Uncle Matt 

Images by Emma Durkin for Cinderella at Brindabella

qld flood appeal auction

Want some cool kids gear, cute hair ties or a funky minky baby blanket for your friend that just had a baby? Also want to donate some money to the Queensland Premiers Appeal for the recent floods? No problem.

Tonight at 7pm AEST I am holding an auction of some of my Little Miss Emma creations via my facebook fan page. Items include several minky blanket designs, lots of fabric covered button hairties, hairclips, girls reversible skirts, boys shorts and pajama sets. The album will be posted sometime today but bidding will not commence until tonight (any bids placed will be removed). The idea is simple really: the bidding starts at a set price and you comment on the photo what you would like to pay for it, bidding then finishes this Friday and then if you have won the item you donate that amount to the Premiers Appeal, email me your receipt number and I post the item off to you (no postage costs).

Couldn't be easier. Head over here to see some other auctions and head over here to become a fan of Little Miss Emma on facebook.

{ Princesses, Pirates and Builders - Oh My! }

I have got some really cute new blanket designs up in my online shop - something for unicorn riding princesses, a budding builder or swashbuckling buccaneer! 

{ Purple Patch }

A little patch of purple - new jersey stretch wrap in purple stripes. As much as I love my minky blankets, stretch fabrics are a close second favourite as they are great to really snugly wrap newborns. This blanket comes with matching white toweling and purple burp cloth...

 

Great unisex gift set for new mums. I quite like purple for boys too (maybe reminds me of chocolate, Willy Wonka??)

Available at Mathilda's this Sunday, Malvern Town Hall.

:)

{ Tiffany Blue Blanket }

More unisex options for new mum gift ideas. Love the not so baby-baby geometric prints in some of my latest minky blankets. This one features a striking black with Tiffany blue, perfect for a super stylish little girl or can be for a baby boy also. I think it would make any pram look extra swanky!

 

If a girl is a sure thing (or has already arrived!) and you are still loving the geometrics then this should do the trick...

Both available here.

{ It Ain't Easy Being Green }

New bright, lime green minky blankets have arrived in my online shop. Featuring the popular black and white dandy damask design as well as disco dots in shades of green and pink. 

The damask lime minky is a great unisex option for expectant mums (and friends of expectant mums...) if the sex of the baby is unknown. I learnt recently that 80% of pregnant couples find out the sex of their baby! 80%! I thought that was quite high (but what do I know?) All of this un-mystery has created a total lack of unisex options in the baby goods ranks I feel, so the lime minky with black and white is a perfect option for both a boy or a girl bubba. 

All minky blankets can be found here.

{ Images by Little Miss Emma }

{ New Packaging }

On my little break I had lots of minky blanket orders and began thinking about new packaging solutions for them. One idea was window faced kraft boxes, which I got a few samples of and sent out all neatly packed.

What do you think? The minky packaged here is my black with bright silly circles - which unfortunately is unavailable at the moment until new supplies from wholesalers come in. The window faced boxes would be great for a retail bricks and mortar shop solution, but on the other hand my blankets really need to be touched, picked up and felt. So I am not entirely convinced yet, the search may continue. If you are looking for packaging solutions for your own products try Specialised Packaging. 

{ We Have Lift Off }

I am super excited to announce that the new and improved Little Miss Emma website is up and running. (You may have noticed the new link over there ----> ) 

You can now buy minky blankets, personalised canvas and pegboards through the site, with the winter range of children's clothing to be launched soon so stay tuned!

Go and explore - I hope you like what you find as I've been working hard on it! You can still find Little Miss Emma at my etsy store and madeit store. Clearance canvas sale is still on so if your child/niece/nephew/grandchild has a name starting with a letter I have pre-made you can snag a bargain.

{ Mock Market }

To say I am nervous about Little Miss Emma's first market outing (other than some dismal attempts about 2 years ago) tomorrow is an understatement. Well perhaps not nervous, just worried, apprehensive, Little Miss Emma is my baby and until now I have been protected by the strange virtual world of blogging, madeit and etsy. What if people don't like my products? What if I don't sell anything? What if I'm not 'up to scratch'? Oh dear. 

{ Rolled muslin wraps, burp clothes and a cushion in white Ikea basket I am using, usually sits under our TV unit holding DVD's }

I turned to my first ever blogging friend, Fiona from cute clothing range Squirt Baby for advice on market stall set-up. She wisely suggested doing a 'mock-market' the day before - setting up my market stall table in my own home to see how it all looks and works, to iron out any creases before my moment in the sun.

  

{ Minky blankets, canvas and rompers galore! I love the little elephant canvas for a little boys nursery, too cute }

So today my kitchen table became my marketplace. I actually have over catered, even with my sewing machine going to heaven this week! I have a lot more stock than anticipated which really isn't a bad thing. Lots of new girls 'tuxedo rompers' adorned with cute buttons and pretty lace, new bigger and better peg boards as well as lots of snuggly minky blankets, light muslin wraps and handy toweling burp cloths.

{ New canvas order forms at the ready on my clipboard, Little Miss Emma sign in my much treasured Freedom white ornate frame, I did order a banner but it hasn't arrived yet :( Oh well, next time... }

I would've liked to have a lot more girls dresses, boys shorts and bibs but sewing machine death in the family has hit hard :( No matter, I am armed and ready! My new business cards from Dingbat Press arrived this week just in time for the market. They are beautifully letterpressed by the talented Adrienne, who was a dream to deal with, very attentive to detail. I wanted something clean and simple and Adrienne was only too happy to work with my cupcake logo and staple colours of pink and chocolate brown.

{ New business cards - yay! }

If you are in Melbourne please feel free to come and see me at the Sisters Market, St Kilda Town Hall - doors open at 10am. Would love to see some smiling faces...be kind!

{ Images by Little Miss Emma }

{ Brown Paper Packages }

I thought I would share with you this morning what a Little Miss Emma order looks like when it leaves the cottage...

{ Image by Little Miss Emma }

{ New Additions }

Available here...more to come soon.

{ Image by Little Miss Emma }

{ Mathilda's Market Advent Calendar }

Forgot to mention last week that Little Miss Emma Design is featured on the Mathilda's Market Advent Calendar - along with heaps of my favourite kids goods like Surreal Design, Milestone Press, and Heart on Your Sleeve.

Congratulations to Melissa Martin who won my red and white dotty blue minky blanket - one of the most popular blankets!

{ I've Made It }

After much procrastination I have opened a shop on MadeIt.com.au - I guess what you would call the Australian version of Etsy. Little Miss Emma can be found at her new Aussie home here .

I am hoping this will bring a lot more local Aussies mums to discover Little Miss Emma. There are so many minky blanket sellers on Etsy - but most are in the US so have excessive shipping costs to us downunder. I make all my minky blankets right here in Victoria - and use the same type of minky they are using (either Benartex or Minky Delight).

So pop on over and be one of my first visitors... :)

{ Image by Little Miss Emma of black minky and Michael Miller Silly Circles blanket }

{ Mmmminky! }

FINALLY - new minky blankets are up and for sale in my etsy shop . They are bright, and cuddly and perfect gifts for newborns, baby showers or stockings stuffers for little bubbas with too many toys. No more baby pink and pastel blues either! Hurrah!

New designs will be coming soon - this is just the beginning of what I have coming up to Christmas. So many colours, so many patterns, oh my! Am trying to do some unisex colour schemes so you can buy the blankets prior to baby's arrival, especially for friends that might not know the sex of the baby even if the expecting parents do.

{ Images by me }