Vintage Airplane Wooden Growth Chart

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Swooping and swirling up the chart, the vintage airplanes are a fun addition for your son's bedroom.

 

The wooden growth chart begins as unfinished pieces, each laser cut here in Missouri. The background of the chart is then painted a medium slate gray and given navy blue hash marks for every half an inch.

Next, the airplanes themselves are given their overall colors of navy, tomato red, and light blue. I then add in their wing colors and accents in white, light blue, dark gray, and dark yellow.



The puffy clouds are a white and pale gray gingham, outlined in dark gray, and then the edges stitched with navy blue.

Lastly, I paint the stitched flight paths for each airplane in white.

Personalization is free. Chart markings can be done in centimeters for a small additional fee.


My vintage airplane growth chart has flown across the United States and even into Canada and overseas to the United Kingdom.

To order your own custom handpainted growth chart, see the vintage airplane style in my Etsy shop or contact me for a new style to coordinate with your child's bedroom decor.

Other growth chart designs are on my website and in my Etsy shop.

*Note that the airplanes are also available as quilt clips, wooden wall letters, name signs, curtain holdbacks, wall plaques, peg racks, and more.

2013 Martha Stewart American Made Nominee

Friday, June 21, 2013

Yes, it's true!

Here is my official badge:

Martha Stewart - American Made 2013 - Nominee Badge

More details forthcoming - I will need your vote, please, so stay tuned!

Cowboy Hat Quilt Clips for Western Room Decor Themes

Monday, January 28, 2013


Howdy, pardner! {sorry, couldn't resist!}

This set of 4 cowboy hat quilt clips were handpainted for a very special handmade quilt. Here are the colors, clockwise from the top:

1. burnt umber hat with a light blue band accented with a grass green squiggle
2. bright yellow hat with a light green band accented with burnt umber x stitches
3. toffee (tan) hat with a red and white gingham band
4. grass green hat with a white band accented with tiny burnt umber dots

Each style can be customized with the colors of your choice, or you can even order them unfinished so you may paint them however you wish. Rope in your order today at www.littleelephantcompany.com. {just had to do it!}

Star Quilt Clips

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Did you know that my star quilt clips can be painted in any color?

I can also paint them in contrasting colors or even add stitches or distress them to better coordinate with your child's bedding set.

A happy mom sent me this photo of my stars with her son's all-star quilt. These are a lipstick red and match perfectly with the bedding, bringing out the red accents for his room.

Stars coordinate with many different bedding themes, including celestial, sports, transportation, teddy bear, and more.

I handpaint each one to your specification, but I am also happy to send you a set unfinished so that you can paint it yourself.

Visit my website at www.littleelephantcompany.com to order a set for yourself today!


White and Bright Yellow

Distressed Lipstick Red

White - the most popular

Country Twill and Cream

Jungle Jill Quilt Clips

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The jungle and safari animal theme is one of the most popular themes for nurseries, and there are many different style twists to the theme. Jungle Jill by Carter's is a feminine twist, incorporating popular shades of pink as well as some girly flowers in the precious animals.

For this set, I had the monkey, elephant, and zebra all laser cut. The elephant started with a soft apple green body and a basil green ear. I then carefully handpainted the white flowers, dotting the centers with bubblegum pink.

The zebra is a white with fun bubblegum pink stripes and fuschia accents. And lastly is the monkey in iron oxide brown with a country twill face. I finished her details with a cream and country twill striped belly, bubblegum pink on her ears and feet, and a bubblegum and fushia flower.

Would you like your own set? These adorable jungle animals are on my website individually so you can create the set that best suites your tastes! Here they are:
Note that the Jungle Jill animals can also be used for wall letters, a growth chart, curtain holdbacks, a hair barrette holder, a name sign, and more. If you have any questions, please be sure to contact me today!

Vintage Inspired Airplane Quilt Clips

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Transportation themes are popular for boys, right behind jungle and sports themes. And these vintage inspired airplanes are a beautiful touch to a nursery.

These airplanes fly straight up when hung, as if they are lifting the quilt up, up, and away!

For the red airplane, I started with my newest shade, tomato red. I love the richness of it. I then handpainted the propeller, window, and stripes in white.

The blue airplane is a deep navy blue. The wings are chambray blue, a pale blue with a gray base. I then cut out a star to trace onto the wings and painted those white. (I think next time I will have some stars laser cut to be layered onto the wings.) The propeller is a nice dark yellow, and the window is white.

Would you like your own set of vintage inspired airplanes? I would be happy to create a set for you as quilt clips, wall hangings, curtain holdbacks, wall letters, a growth chart, name sign...nearly anything.

Contact me today for your inspired children's room decor today!

Hristos Voskrese!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Jacob, Tyann, Joey, Mike, and Noah
Our annual Easter family photo. Looks like sitting on the couch is becoming our usual pose.

This is our living room, with my husband's grandmother's artwork in the background. Nina came to the United States from Russia when she was 8 years old. The family tale includes that her family came from a line of royalty...maybe she was a Russian princess?

Nina was wonderfully and artistically talented. Her art was to create rugs. Yes, rugs. She would purchase burlap the size of the rug she wanted to make, whether a small picture size or a large area rug.

Then, she would take wool fabric, many times picking up wool clothing from garage sales, stripping it to small pieces. Nina dyed the wool to the colors she wanted and set to hooking the wool, creating the rug artwork.

Click the picture to see the details.
Nina's pieces were her own masterpieces. Sometimes she even created pieces mimicking a famous painting. My husband's favorite piece of hers was her rendition of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Unfortunately, that piece was lost after Nina passed away.

We had the piece hanging in our living room professionally framed and cleaned so that we can enjoy it. The scene is of an idyllic countryside, including a horse and buggy, a small village, and birds flying over the mountains. Nina's attention to detail is amazing.

In memory of Nina, Hristos Voskrese (Christ has risen!). He has risen indeed!

The Bag Lady

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Me and my bag
Yes, I am known as "the bag lady" at our local post office. It's a secret nickname the postal workers call me because of my giant bag I carry packages in, and one day a clerk let it slip. Whoops!

But being known has its advantages:

  • No waiting in line.
  • They know I just need to drop off packages.
  • When I do wait in line to pay for an international package, they know what I need and run the transaction quickly.

How big is my bag? Well, it could easily fit two 2 year old kids! I have fit nearly 30 packages in it at once. A giant bag is so much easier than balancing a stack of packages, and my 8 year old can take it in if I need him to.

My 2 year old niece and the bag ready for the post office.
Where did I get my bag? It's not a bag that's available to just anyone. The bag is from the clock and watch company Seiko. They sent these oversized canvas bags to the fine gift stores that carry their large clocks. And, lucky for me, I was working for one of those stores when I first started the Little Elephant Company. The owner was nice enough to give me one of the bags when I asked, as I saw the potential for the bag immediately.

You know you want a package carried in my giant bag sent to you, too, right? ; ) Shop Little Elephant Company today for inspired children's room decor today!


Quilt Clips, Wall Letters, Growth Chart and More for the MiGi Blossom Bedding

Wednesday, March 28, 2012


It's no wonder that the MiGi Blossom bedding is one of the most popular bedding sets right now, because it is beautiful.

Since it came out, I have done many, many sets of quilt clips for it. The birds are a snow white with iron oxide brown eye. The wings and and flower are in Valentine pink and sprinkled with iron oxide brown and pale pink dots. The center of the flower is white with iron oxide brown streaks.

And, a wonderful mom shared a picture of the set of quilt clips on the wall with her bedding. So pretty!

Remember, the MiGi Blossom design is available in all of my items, including wall plaques, lightswitch covers, growth chart, wall letters, peg rack, hair barrette holders, and more.

And...it is now in the purple tones as well!

Visit Little Elephant Company today for your MiGi Blossom decor. You can also order from my Etsy shop. If you don't see what you want on my website or Etsy shop, please don't hesitate to contact me!

5 inch wall plaques and single lightswitch cover

12 inch Victorian font wall letters (also available in the stock font)

Growth Chart and Peg Rack

Name Sign and Hair Barrette Holder

9 inch Wall Letter Hair Barrette Holder and Hair Barrette Holder

Purple Tones in Hair Barrette Holders

Pinterest anyone?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Follow my Little Elephant Company Pinterest board for awesome ideas for your child's bedroom. And feel free to follow my other boards, including my photography and design, our vacation houses in Branson, Missouri, and our journey this spring building our new house (and my new studio!).

Don't have a Pinterest account yet? Let me know, and I would be happy to send you an invite!

Special Coupon!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

It's winter, and what else would an expectant mom rather do than prepare for baby to arrive?

So all the felted and regular safari quilt clips are a special of 35% off through the end of February! Use coupon code GOINGONASAFARI to receive the special. Let's go on a safari and forget about the ice and snow and all that cold.

Why safari? Well, besides the warm thoughts of sunshine, tall grasses, and rainforests, the safari theme is also popular for both boys and girls.

Please note that this does not include any handpainted designs. Be sure to use coupon code NEWLEC for your order to receive 25% off all items.

Visit us now at www.littleelephantcompany.com!

PBK Jackson Whale Quilt Clips

Monday, January 16, 2012

One of my favorite bedding companies, Pottery Barn Kids has some of the cutest sets. But not only are they so very adorable, they are high quality sets that last through several children.

It is not uncommon for someone to purchase a retured PBK bedding set second hand and then ask me to make a set of quilt clips to go with it. And last week, I found out that my PBK Baby Boats quilt clips went along for the ride to the second owner (the new mom was looking for instructions on how to use the quilt clips).

I think the PBK Jackson bedding sets will be another one of the sets that will see many baby rooms for sure. A soothing light blue with navy and basil green accents, Jackson is a fun pattern for little boys.

So my Jackson whales are custom laser cut to match the whale shape from the bedding itself. I paint them a base navy coat, and then I add in the dots...lots and lost of dots. I use the tip of a screw to put on all those itsy bitsy dots, if that helps with the visualization!

Then the fin is a nice lipstick red, with a white eye and stitched mouth. Cute, cute!

If you would like your own set of Jackson whales, head over to my website, as I have them listed there and ready for you!

PBK Penelope Lightswitch Cover

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Another cute and adorable handpainted item from me! Painted to coordinate with the Pottery Barn Kids Penelope bedding, this lightswitch cover is a beauty for a little girl's room.

I started with white for the base color and then used iron oxide brown for the little squiggle branches. The tiny leaves are a light green.

Next, I painted the top bird in pale yellow, adding white stitches around his body and then iron oxide brown, legs, eye, and squiggly wing.

The light pink bird was next, also with white stitches and iron oxide eye, beak, and legs. The wing and tail feathers are Valentine pink.

This was all I had in mind and had sketched for the mom. However, after staring at the lightswitch cover for a few minutes, I decided it needed something a little more. I looked over the bedding a bit more and went to work.

I first painted the moss green stripe on the left. Next, I added the white stitching down the stripe. Lastly, I used the end of my paintbrush for the light green polka dots down the right side.

Would you like your own lightswitch cover? I would be happy to create one for you! Please contact me today. : )

For additional pics of the piece, scroll down the post. For close ups, just click on an image for the larger version!

If you would like other coordinating items like wall letters, hair barrette holder, curtain holders, name sign, quilt clips, growth chart, peg rack, and more, just let me know!

All Creatures 6 inch Wall Plaques

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Today we have watched Kung Fu Panda (twice), Alvin and the Chipmunks Halloween edition, Veggie Tales with Montana Duke, and Rio. You know what movie marathons mean, parents...yep, sick child. So, I figured I should probably type out a very long overdue blog post to get you caught up on the exciting things that have been happening lately with Little Elephant Company.


So on September 1st, I launched my new shopping cart and website redesign...yeah! I love the fresh look it has. And, I have been adding all the items I have done over the past 6 years. I am still not close to everything on there, but I am trying to keep the quilt clips section up to date with all the new designs I do each week.

And, I have an ad in the Pregnancy and Newborn Buyer's Guide magazine that just went out last week. Be sure to pick up a copy! I will get a pic of the mag and my page when I get a chance next week (hopefully).

But you are also probably wondering about the adorable set of wall plaques pictured above, huh? These are just beautiful! I painted the 6 inch circle wall plaques a avocado green, burnt umber, and chambray blue. Each is hung with 7/8 inch dark brown grosgrain ribbon and handpainted with an animal from the "All Creatures Great and Small" bedding by the Land of Nod.

This bedding design is so very versatile and can be used for boys and girls. When I was first introduced to it, I created my original polka dot quilt clips that are now one of my most popular designs.

So for these wall plaques, I painted a soft apple green frog with black eyes and lipstick red mouth. The stitches around him are white.

The lion has a beautiful burnt orange mane, a cream face, rose pink nose, and additional details in country twill, lipstick red, black, and pale orange.

The walrus is a smooth burnt umber with white whiskers and tusks, black eyes, and rose pink nose. His circle is outlined in medium gray.

And, yes, I would be happy to make you your very own set of wall plaques! You can choose any combination of animals from the "All Creatures..." bedding. See the listing on my website today to purchase your set. And watch for the matching peg rack soon to be listed as well. And, of course, I can do matching growth chart, nail covers / knobs, wall letters...

White Daisy Quilt Clips

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

One of the most popular designs for my quilt clips is the daisy. I handpaint each daisy the color that each customer chooses. Of course, the most requested color is white. :

Whether the daisy is plain without a center (emulating the Pottery Barn Kids style), or the center is bright yellow, dark yellow, pale yellow, or even a shade of pink, green, purple, or blue, the daisy is one of the designs that coordinates well with nearly any bedding set.

Today, I even received a picture of my daisies holding up a beautiful quilt. I love getting customer pictures!

This mom had a great suggestion as well...she used the 3M doublesided tape in place of the nails to hang the quilt clips and her quilt. She didn't want to put holes in her wall and came up with a great solution! Thank you, Grace!

If you would like your own daisy quilt clips, go to my website now. If you would like some custom designed ones, don't hesitate to contact me today!

New Hardware Style for my Curtain Holdbacks

Monday, June 20, 2011

I haven't always been thrilled with the metal brackets I have used for curtain holdbacks, always wanting something "prettier" but still functional. Although, the metal brackets are very durable and functional. After a customer brought to my attention that they also would like something "prettier" for the hardware, my hubby helped me brainstorm for a new style. Amazingly, it only took one evening to create a concept, and all of the supplies are local!

So here it is...a straight wooden dowel rod that you simply place your curtains behind. It is so very simple, isn't it? I handpaint the dowel rods and bases a coordinating color to go along with the shape that you choose. Then the base is screwed into the dowel rod, and the shape is glued to the front of the dowel rod. I include two drywall screws so you can then screw the base into your wall.

Here are a few pictures:

A pair of daisies in wisteria with dark purple accents and dark yellow centers...front view and side view:



Then a pair of basketballs, front view and side view:



And then here is the original metal bracket style, which is still available, as well as the wooden dowel both shown on the whale. Just let me know which style you would prefer for your curtain holdbacks!





You can order curtain holdbacks in nearly any shape and theme at my website http://www.littleelephantcompany.com/. If you don't see what you want, just let me know, and I would be happy to make it!

PBK Hayley in a nursery

Saturday, May 21, 2011

A mom just sent me a picture of my owls in her PBK Hayley nursery, and I had to share. : )


Owl Quilt Clips

Thursday, May 5, 2011

I have had many requests for owls, and, finally, here they are! This pair of adorable owls are handpainted to coordinate with Pottery Barn Kids "Hayley" bedding, but I am happy to paint the owl shape in any color combination with different details to coordinate with your bedding.

Here is the scoop for the "Hayley" owls...

The boy owlette is a light blue with pool blue outline. I then added the pale yellow tummy and light pink wings, each with fuschia accents. The beak and feet are also fuschia, and the eyes are white with dark gray.

The girl owlette is light pink with a bubblegum pink outline. Her tummy is a basil green and white gingham, and the wings are white, each of those with fuschia accents. The feet are light blue, the beak is nutmeg brown, and the eyes are white with light blue and then nutmeg brown eyelashes.

To order your owls, don't hesitate to contact me!

EtsyKids Spotlight: Hi Mamma Designs

Friday, April 15, 2011

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post! It's the usual craziness around here...looking forward to school field trips for my boys this month, though...the St. Louis Zoo and the Long Meadow Rescue Ranch.

So this time the spotlight is on fellow EtsyKids Central team member Hi Mamma Designs from Zionsville, Indiana. Hi Mamma says she has always loved to create things, and the shop "Hi Mamma" was created since her two little girls are her inspirations.



The products that are offered are all something that have been a part of their lives (as well as her own). Hi Mamma Designs offers handmade soft flannel changing pad covers for the cute little tushies, as well as car seat strap covers, finger/tip towels, coffee/tea sleeves, as well as a few other items. Be sure to follow Hi Mamma Designs on Facebook and her blog to keep up with all the exciting things in her shop! And, of course, don't forget to visit her Etsy shop...see a few items below:



The EtsyKids Team is a diverse group of talented and dedicated Etsy shop owners making items for babies, toddlers, and children. Although we come from different backgrounds and all corners of the world , we are held together by the fact that our members all love to create things for children. In our members' shops, you will find a wide variety of items ranging from clothing to toys to furniture to art and everything in between, in every style imaginable.

EtsyKids Spotlight: ccooperdesigns

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Oh, her shop makes me wish I had a little girl...I just adore her girly ruffled aprons! Hmmm...I do have 3 nieces...those would make great Christmas gifts this coming year...
But take a look through ccooperdesigns shop today, as you just might find the perfect gift for your little girl for Easter. How about a lunchbox tin for a little girl's purse or makeup tote? Or maybe a fabric flower barrette or headband? Or even an entire outfit that even includes an adorable hat!

More about ccooperdesigns in Michigan:

I began sewing at a very young age, hand sewing(doll clothes and embroidery), using the sewing machine before I was allowed(sewed finger) and home economics in school. My Mom and I have had a sewing business specializing in bridal and formal wear for 25 years. Now for a change of pace I am designing and sewing a whimsical line of clothing for children as well as some other neat items.

Be sure to visit Cheryl at her Etsy shop and on Facebook!


The EtsyKids Team is a diverse group of talented and dedicated Etsy shop owners making items for babies, toddlers, and children. Although we come from different backgrounds and all corners of the world , we are held together by the fact that our members all love to create things for children. In our members' shops, you will find a wide variety of items ranging from clothing to toys to furniture to art and everything in between, in every style imaginable.