A few ideas on journeys + dreams

Hello kid.

Today I want to take you on a journey back to fantastic adventures, in a time when magic and possible existed as a daily reality, not only in fairy tales.

I want you to take a second and remember when we were kids we never feared that snow brick wall we built was going to fall down, we never worried the dolls we played house with were eventually going to break up. We just played, we just lived.

The only novel written for children

I read a brilliant book when I was about 13 (that's almost two decades ago). It's called In Desert and Wilderness and it tells us an ever true story of not giving up, of trusting one's will and strength. On the short, two kids are making a journey through mighty Africa, facing kidnapping, wild animals like gorillas, lions, leopards, diseases like malaria + many other sorts of dangers and obstacles which they surpass holding on to each other, believing they will make it.

Africa United movie

A few days ago I watched a rather similar (on the same conceptual level) movie which depicts the journey of five children from Rwanda all the way down to South Africa to take part in the opening show of the football world cup. In order to get there, they go through amazing adventures. Whether there are wild animals to escape from, people with shotguns or fatal diseases, nothing stops the group from succeeding. They all have dreams and they all know the only way is straight forward.

When you'll read + watch, you'll find out both book and movie also tell you what friendship really is.



Remember the time?

It's true, back when we were kids we just did everything with courage, enthusiasm and determination in a much serious manner than we do now when we call ourselves adults.

We couldn't tell what was good or bad, or even perceive the concept of impossible until grown-ups and society educated us. We just imagined things and then transformed them into reality. We cooked a rose petal jam + mud and were happy about it, without getting angry we couldn't eat it. We rocked a gymnastics championship on the block without thinking of the prize we would win. We built doll houses and played or hours both focused and relaxed, without needing cigarettes to feel so. We jumped and ran around all day, after each other, in teams, one leg up, sideways, backwards without owning a monthly subscription or expensive gear.

Please recall it without being nostalgic or sad, but with the belief we still have those drives and we can pass them on. First of all it's never too late to get back to dreaming and making it come true. Secondly, we have the chance to make it easier on our kids by putting aside the use of don't.

Understand the world we live in is just a series of convention and concepts. Everything is as real as we think/picture it is.

Can't you see?

We become adults just to wish we were kids again.

Another gift?! You've got to be kidding me...

Hello kittns.

I am happy to introduce Dena Harris, a wonderful author otherwise known as "the cats humorist". She just published her newest book called "Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats (Who Don’t Need Any Help)" and rumors are she is generally currently trying to figure out how to bring a third cat into the home without her husband‘s knowledge. :-)

But the best news is she was so kind to present kittn's sweet readers + dreamers with a book! Yes, that's correct - an adorable book to make summer days funnier & easier. And it starts like this...

"It‘s happened. I have become that woman. The one obsessed with cats. Friends no longer put any thought into purchasing gifts for me. If it has a cat on it, they figure (correctly) that I‘ll love it. That‘s how it starts. People start thinking this way and soon—through no fault of your own—you‘re living in a house filled with cat picture frames, cat gloves, cat bookmarks, cat plaques, cat mugs, and yes, even cat underwear..."





Have a cool & fun reading, everyone! Meow!

Summer Giveaway (no regrets pillow set + dragon wings t-shirt + handmade biz book)

Hello.

Kittns worked a lot lately so they are finally taking three or four some days off relaxing on the beach. It would be the coolest thing in the world right now if you could come and join them, as they miss having friends around. If you can't join them now, kittns want you to be happy anyway, take some time off for yourself and enjoy soulful things.

That is why they decided to give away presents this summer:

• a unique pillow set that's entirely hand crafted (+ hand painted using hypoallergenic textile paint, no solvents). The original drawing + text will remind you of your superhero powers and will be a friend for sweet napping or just hugging.
  

• I am not afraid of dragons T-shirt, Medium size, with a hand painted drawing and a lovely set of tulle wings to help you let go of fear and feel like flying.
  

• A brilliant book kittns bought here and read in a heartbeat. It was really really useful, that's why we would love to share the wisdom and pass it on (it would be nice if you did the same after you read it and took notes, in the hope that the handmade marketplace would grow & shine).

You can give your love too and enter the giveaway by following Kittn (see the Follow button at the bottom of this page) + leaving a comment about what you like or would like to see kittns do or write about + your contact.

We will use a random number generator to draw three lucky pals. The first one will firstly choose the prize and so on.

Shipping is international & completely free for you. Results on July 15th.

Meowy wowy hugs to you!

A handmade ABC & more

Yesterday, on Children's Day I received this wonderful book that I ordered on The book depository (by the way I strongly recommend it - delivery was in time, shipping was free plus I got a lovely bookmark as a gift).
I could only ready a few pages until today, but even since the first lines (not mentioning the overall attractive design) it captivated me. If you are into crafts, a handmade artist, a freelance illustrator and a talented person whose hands are restless until you knit or decoupage something, then you will feel like it's you that wrote this book, or at least a very good friend with a bit more experience.
Kari Chapin talks about motivation and inspiration both with their ups and downs, about marketing strategies in a way that the term doesn't seem scary anymore, about tactics, success and goals all in a very personal way that touches your soul just like everything in the handmade business should be.
I'm very happy with my acquisition and I can't wait to read more, but for now here is a set of questions and matters that Kari suggests we keep in mind when we start our business. I say we should ask ourselves these questions more along the way, considering that changes are made all the time and life itself is very dynamic. Our answers will build a strong foundation for business and will help know ourselves more:

• Why do I want to sell my crafts?
• What are my monetary goals?
• What does my idea of success look like? How will I know when I've achieved it?
• Do I have enough time to devote to selling my work?
• Do I have the tools I need at hand to begin selling what I make?
• Do I have a support system in place for taking on this venture?
• What are my biggest fears?
• What excites me the most about starting a business?