Meet the Artist and Giveaway: Kathleen from Smiling Tree Toys

Next up for grabs is a gift certificate to Smiling Tree Toys!

I really think you're going to have a lot of fun spending this gift certificate.

How do I know? Justin and Kathleen sent me one of these adorable little trucks.  

It is simply amazing! The edges are remarkably smooth, I've never seen or felt anything like it.

Buy it here

I love the contrast of the dark against the lighter wood. And it glides across the floor with such ease.

You will not find anything like it anywhere else. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with your purchase, 

or in this case your free gift!

I'll be showing you  more of these funtastic creations 

as we get to know the team behind them a little more. 

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. 

A: Our Etsy profile tells you more about us and what we were up to before Smiling Tree came to be. 

We created our Etsy shop to support our family by doing something that brings joy to others, is gentle on Mother Nature, and allows us to give back to our community (we donate to Peace Corps youth projects for every toy we sell). 

We love being work-from-home parents! The freedom to plan our daily schedules around play time, story time, and nap time is priceless.  And because the first few years of a little one’s life just fly by, we feel very blessed that we can earn a living while not missing a single moment of our daughter’s daily achievements and discoveries. 

Buy it here

The name Smiling Tree Toys reflects our love of and appreciation for Mother Nature.  Our toys wouldn’t exist without her, and so we wanted our name to pay homage to the trees that allow us to transform them into wooden fun for little ones.  The gorgeous grain patterns, coloring, and silky smoothness of organically finished hardwoods just can’t be beat!  We do everything in our power to keep our environmental footprint very small; we like to think that all of the earth-friendly things we do bring a smile to the trees we use. (see http://www.etsy.com/shop/smilingtreetoys/policy  for some of the ways that we’re eco-friendly) 


Q: What's it like working together?
A: Depends on the day (just kidding)!  It's exciting to be in business with your spouse and best friend - we get to celebrate shared victories, offer encouragement when one or the other needs it, and eat lunch together.  We make the effort to keep things light-hearted and personal so that "business" doesn't get in the way of enjoying each other's company and remembering why we're in this together.  Some days are harder than others, but all-in-all it certainly beats working a 9-5 job for somebody else! 

Buy it here

Q: Where did you learn to woodwork? 
A: Justin's always been passionate about working with his hands and we both hold a deep admiration for trees and natural life.  Justin has lots of experience building houses, and over the years he's gradually taught himself the more detailed work of making toys, cutting boards, and other wooden items. 

Q: Your toys are lovely, such a wonderful idea. What was your inspiration? 
A: Our design inspiration comes to us in many, sometimes unexpected, ways.  Often it’s when we’re playing with our daughter, nieces, and nephews.  Other times it’s every day household items and the way our little one interacts with them that get the creative juices flowing. (You know, all of the things that aren’t made for kids but that they insist on playing with instead of their toys…) 

Buy it here

 Q: What do you think sets your shop apart from other similar shops on Etsy? 
A: We're in love with what we do (we're so lucky!), and that shows through in all facets of our shop - original designs, attention to detail, our story, the "human" factor that's always present in our descriptions, extra-friendly customer service, and that we use our very own homegrown organic wood finish.  It's comprised of camelina oil grown on Kathleen's family farm (camelina is a relative of flaxseed), and beeswax from our bee hives.  Read more about it on our blog. 

Buy it here

Q: Any new products in the making? 

A: Oh, where do we begin?  We’ve got oodles of new and different design ideas up our sleeves.  Like most small business owners, our minds never stop running. Justin even keeps a small notepad on his nightstand for those “aha!” moments that come to him in the middle of the night! Our big secret: beginning in early 2012, we're taking Smiling Tree to a whole new level! We'll be offering personalized toys and will be adding lots more educational items with numbers, letters, and other fun stuff.  

Q: Any advice for new sellers on Etsy? 

A:  Tell your story, be friendly and approachable, pay attention to details, practice, practice, practice, take great, well-lit photos, and stay positive.

Buy it here

Q: Just for fun, what's the last thing you bought yourself on Etsy? 
A:  So glad you asked!  I bought this t-shirt from New Duds for Justin for his recent 30th birthday. He loves it!

Okay, now head on over and check out Smiling Tree Toys 

if you haven't already.

Now, are you ready to find out how to win a gift certificate to this awesome shop? 

I thought so. Here goes!

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Like Smiling Tree Toys on Facebook

and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

3. Follow Kathleen & Justin's Blog via GFC

and leave a separate comment here saying you do.

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 

and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine print:

Only 3 entries per household please
Giveaway ends November 30th at midnight PST
Winner will be chosen by random.org
Entries will be validated
Winner will be announced here
Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Recently I have had to choose a second winner for quite a few giveaways 

due to lack of an email response from my winners. 

If you really want to win, check your SPAM folders often, or better yet 

add moderntypography@aol.com to your address book. Good luck!