HandMade with Love Blog Hop: Introducing Ron of Ostlund Custom Works

When Ron turned me on to his work, I was amazed.  Here were pieces with seemingly lifeless parts (such as metal and machine parts) that, when repurposed through his art, became dynamic and functional!  Also, something I’ve noticed about handmade products is that often their function is determined by or through gender.  I can appreciate that Ron’s work doesn’t have those restrictions and therefore become universal pieces.  In particular, I love this clock he created, titled Walnut Tear.
Ron says that the clock was “realized at the hardware store when I was buying wood! I was going to buy cherry wood until I saw this piece of walnut! The grain pattern is so beautiful and reminded me of a tear drop. It has brass hands and little brass ‘stand off’ pieces for number accents. The stand offs were recycled/up cycled from the scrap yard I used to go to. The actual clock face is off centered just a bit because I put the clock shaft through the knothole.  This one-of-a-kind piece is signed and dated on the back.” In his Etsy shop, Ron has some other wonderful one-of-a-kind pieces to fit every budget.  Want a functional accent piece for a table top?  How about this cardholder?   Or how about a lamp that is both traditional and contemporary?  Ostlund Custom Works reflects the artist’s ability to see the potential energy in industrial objects. To find out more about the artist, check out this recently published article about Ron here (great interview, Ron!). To learn about the stories behind his pieces or about his philosophy on art, check out Ron’s blog here. 
SHOP: And of course you can shop the range of Ron’s work at his Etsy shop here where you’ll find one-of-a-kind functional pieces that will energize your living space!
WIN: You are lucky because Ron is donating some items a $50 gift certificate for his Etsy shop to the Handmade with Love Blog Hop!  You can enter the Ostlund Custom Works giveaway right here on Moana Saves.  Here’s what you need to do to enter: As the mandatory entry, go to Ron’s Etsy shop and leave a comment below telling me which handmade piece you absolutely love.  (Mandatory entry means that if you don't do this first, all of your other entries will be disqualified.)
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
1. Become a public follower of Moana Saves via Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. 
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow Ron on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win a $50 GC for 0ne-of-a-kind functional art from @RonOstlundJr and @moanasaves #giveaway ends 2/6 http://bit.ly/dVSojT
6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Favorite Ron’s Etsy shop. 
8. Like the  Ostlund Custom Works Facebook page.
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on Sunday, 2/6/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.
I was not compensated for this post.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

HandMade with Love Blog Hop: Introducing Deborah and Cranky Cat Studio Baby and Toddler Fashion

What’s pink and denim and puffy all over?  Its a pair of tutu overalls from Cranky Cat Studio!  Jayne recently reviewed one of Deborah’s lovelies here and I’m borrowing the image from that post so you can see the quality of the Cranky Cat Studio workmanship.
While Deborah of Cranky Cat Studio keeps a low profile online, her custom baby bibs, tutu overalls, baby bibs and eco punk totes certainly don’t! I love her bold use of color! Deborah’s one of a kind items are eclectic, bright, and fun handmade fashion statements for Babies and Toddlers (and their parents).  Another item in Deborah’s Etsy shop that I love is this Eco-Punk shopping tote in leopard print (below).   Deborah’s creations say that we can fill our lives and our children’s lives with color and imagination.  With Cranky Cat Studio, shoppers don’t have to sacrifice those things for utility!
Some info from Deborah about her handmade pieces:
The handmade baby bib is made from 100% cotton prints with quilters flannel backing. These are not your average baby bibs! Our bibs are made with bold, unique fabrics, unusual patterns and colors. You won't see every baby in town wearing these. Just what your hip fashionable baby is looking for!
CUSTOM Tutu Overalls--You choose the size; You choose the tulle colors!
Made with over 60 yds of tulle and recycled overalls, each one is a one of a kind.
Please note: allow extra time for me to make this especially for you.
SHOP: Check out Deborah’s custom handmade overall tutus, bibs, burp cloths, bags and blankets at the following sites:
The Voodoo Kitten Etsy shop
The Cranky Cat Studio Bonanza booth
Also Deborah is participating in a cool auction that started yesterday.  There is something for everyone:
http://www.facebook.com/AlabamaRoseCreations  1500 Fan Celebration
The auction items are in 2 of the photo albums here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44066&id=159217920763026
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44069&id=159217920763026
WIN: You are lucky because Deborah is donating some items from her Etsy shop to the Handmade with Love Blog Hop!  You can enter the Cranky Cat Studio giveaway right here on Moana Saves.  She is offering the following items to one lucky winner: a custom made tutu, Bib and burp cloth set OR 2 bibs (customer will be able to choose their fabric), & a $15 gift certificate.
Here’s what you need to do to enter: As the mandatory entry, go to Deborah’s Etsy shop (titled The Voodoo Kitten) and leave a comment below telling me which handmade piece you absolutely love.  (Mandatory entry means that if you don't do this first, all of your other entries will be disqualified.)
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
1. Become a public follower of Moana Saves via Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. 
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow  Cranky Cat Studio on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win far from ordinary handmade baby and toddler items  from @CrankyCatStudio and @moanasaves #giveaway ends 2/6 http://bit.ly/hWdfvf
6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Favorite Deborah’s Etsy shop. 
8. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.
9. Like the Cranky Cat Studio Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on Sunday, 2/6/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

A Cranky Cat Studio Tutu Review

"You can dance,  you can jive,  having the time of your life

Ooo,  see that girl, watch that scene,  diggin' the dancing queen"

(lyrics from Abba's Dancing Queen song)

My baby girl is the 'dancing queen' of our home. In fact most days (or nights!) she refuses to wear normal clothes and insists on eating, playing or sleeping in her dress-ups. This is where Cranky Cat comes into play.

I recently received a pair of tutu overalls from the Cranky Cat Studios Etsy store where homemade baby blankets, bibs, burp clothes, hair clips and more are sold.  The tutu we received is made of over 50 yards of tulle fastened to the waist of a pair of recycled overalls (pant legs and base of the overalls are removed). I was able to select the size of overalls to fit my daughter as well as the color of tulle. We chose a fun tropical combination of fuschia pink and pale yellow. (I was told that Miss. Cranky Cat herself takes color requests with your order.)


Some of the qualities that I like about this unique idea of attaching a tutu to a pair of overalls include the ability to actually HANG this up! My older daughter had a tutu years ago that she didn't wear often because it was always in a tangled mess from being stuffed in the bottom of the dressup trunk. Often when she did feel like twirling in a tutu she could never get all of the tulle facing the correct direction. In comparison, the tulle of this tutu stays nice and flat without twisting and the overall straps are ready-made for a hanger.

The second feature that I love about this product is that it's an actual outfit! Now when my daughter insists on wearing her tropical tutu to the store I'll feel a little better because she's wearing clothes and not a random dress-up with a mix-matched top.

You can purchase your own tutu HERE and as I mentioned Cranky Cat also sells other homemade items including this cute butterfly hair clip which was a favorite of my pre-teen daughter.

Check back the first week of February as Moana Saves participates in a "Handmade with Love Blog Hop" where we'll be spotlighting fun handmade gifts for the ones you love. Included in the handmade fun will be Cranky Cat who has generously offered to give away more handmade items including a tutu for your own little dancing queen!

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a sample of the product to facilitate the review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.