Messenger Bird

Inspired by the idea of the Ancient Romans that birds are the messengers of the Gods, I have put my own spin this tradition- giving these little doves the responsibility of carrying these meaningful words and names on their backs for the holidays.

A hand cut ceramic dove is adorned with a small wooden tag, which is hand stamped with the word or name of your choice. (Please note the maximum length for text is a total of 12 characters/spaces).

Order yours with a word that inspire you, or don one with the name of somebody you cherish. The perfect gift for everyone on your list- you get to choose how to customize it!

Each ornament measures between 3 and 4 inches across. Due to the handcrafted process, each one is slightly different in size and shape.

The dove is made of white clay, fired in our kiln, and finished with a special protective surface treatment so that it will remain beautiful for many generations to come. It is designed to become an heirloom for you and your family.

Hole at the top edge of the piece has a silky cord laced through for hanging on the holiday tree or as a decoration elsewhere in the home. This cord also holds the wooden tag securely in place.

Available from Etsy shop, Paloma's Nest.

US$34 plus US$14 shipping to Australia

Sevi Dollhouse

Sevi's Big Doll house comes with all the accessories shown! Colours abound in this fantastic wooden doll house. The first floor features an open concept living space. Stairs and a ladder lead to two top floor bedrooms and bathroom. Spend some time basking in the sun on the roof top deck or throw a backyard picnic party with the outdoor living room complete with a barbeque.

Sevi furniture does not disappoint with modern curves and mod colours and patterns. The Sevi family can relax in front of the T.V. or have a firelit dinner in the central dining room. Create a winter feast in the kitchen or fire up the barbeque on a warm summer's night. Upstairs, wash up in the blue and bubble themed washroom. The hi-tech kid's room has a computer and mom and dad's room coems with a great skylight and extendable rooftop deck.

All Sevi toys are child and eco-friendly, made with solid hardwood and painted with safe dye finish. The high quality of Sevi Toys makes them wonderful keepsakes to be kept in the family and passed on.

Available from Rainbow Puppen.

$440

Wooden Rocking Horse

Your children will love this adorable rocking horse.  With its beautiful finish and natural tones it will become a treasured toy.

Dimensions: 58cm H x 78cm L.
For children aged 18 months +

Available from Tree Frog Toys.

$149.95

Swallowtail - Dress Up

Rediscover the long-lost art and imaginative play of childhood dress-up. Through fantasy and creativity, children compose, dream up and happen upon endless voyages. Saturated with colour and texture, Wovenplays collection intergrates natural and organic fabrics, hand-screened prints and artistic, enduring finishing. Stying is streamlined and modern for free movement, expressive play and imagination.

The swallowtail dress up is made from hand dyed cottons, with rouched panels, fully lined, a zippered back and halter tie to allow for growth. Beautiful hand dyed wings with elastic wrist straps so they can fly in the breeze. These amazing pieces are all hand made and will be treasured as play outfits and handed down for generations.

Available in sizes 2-6 years but the fit is on the small side.

Available from Tiny People along with other wonderful pieces from Wovenplay.


$200.00

Heirloom Noah's Ark

This exquisitely crafted Heirloom Ark (Boat 8"x8"x16") will be treasured for generations. It was designed by Gunther Keil in 1993 and is found in museums and collections around the world. It features wild animals from all seven continents. Natural dyes and exotic woods enhance details, for example, zebrawood and rosewood are used to craft some African animals. Male and female characteristics are defined on many animal pairs.

The standard set includes 42 figures, 18 additional animals (9 pairs) are also available.

Available from ArksAndAnimals Etsy Store.

US$248.00 plus US$42.00 shipping to Australia.

Baby Soft-Map Quilts

Baby Soft-Maps are custom printed, hand-knotted baby quilts made of natural cotton- now available as maps of 20+ cities in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe! City landmarks unique to each place are stitched with brightly-colored contrasting thread. Additionally, each baby quilt can be customized with the child's name and birthdate, along with three different locations.

These quilts make excellent keepsake gifts for grown-ups, too.

Quilt measures 42″ x 36″.

The Melbourne quilt below is available in green, pink & navy.

Available direct from Haptic Lab, expect 3-4 weeks for delivery.

US$95 plus US$35 shipping to Australia.

Personalised locations is an extra US$25.

Sevi Memory Game

Memory Games have always been a popular choice for little ones but world renowned Italian toy manufacturer Sevi has cleverly elevated the standard memory game to a higher level.

- A 10" game board (basically shaped like a giant flower press)
This eliminates the need for a large amount of space (unlike conventional card memory games where cards are clumsily scattered on the floor) as well as making it unnecessary for children to maneouvre around and reach for cards that are far away from their limited arm span

- Six interchangeable printed sheets that each have 10 memory picture pairs so that a different form of memory can be played with each game
The six sheets are designed with varying degrees of difficulty (sheets with a variety of different objects, sheets where the objects are the same but are on different coloured backgrounds to sheets with the same objects that are both coloured differently and are on different coloured backgrounds) making this memory game challenging for many years of play.
As an added bonus, individual sheets can be rotated to any of four orientations, so there is really no memorizing of where items are in relation to one another (except of course if your child is a savant!)

- The construction of the game board itself in readiness for play provides some valuable manipulative skills practice (putting the cover plate and selected sheet on the red pegs before concealing object positions with the daisy pegs)

- Rather than keeping cards when a match is successfully made, you keep the cute daisy pegs instead!

This delightful Memory Game is compelling enough that children will love playing it by themselves or against any challengers.

Whilst it tests the cognitive abilities of a child, like any standard memory game, this unique version of an old time favourite will also help children learn about colours, figures, structures and quantities.

Beautifully handcrafted and hand painted in stunningly vibrant colours (with non-toxic paints of course!) this is an heirloom quality toy that is sure to appeal.  Sturdily made with high quality solid wood (Sevi's 180 year old reputation relies on it!), its innovative design is sure to impress even the most discerning parents and little ones.

A wonderful gift for anyone looking for something that is just that little bit different and just that bit special!
Available from Quirky Kids Online.

$84.95

See full Babyology review here.

Silver Cross Doll's Pram

The Silvercross Cottingley Doll's Pram is a luxurious handmade doll's pram - ideal for when your little girl wants to take her dolls out for a stroll. Based on original Silver Cross design, it makes the perfect gift for any young lady who wants to take their doll out for a walk in the park. It’s similar to full size Silver Cross prams, with the usual attention to detail expected, including luxurious upholstery and all-round suspension. Each carriage body has a hand-decorated border. Every Doll's Pram is made in Silvercross's home county of Yorkshire, using hand skills passed down from generation to generation.

The Cottingley is supplied with a matching miniature changing bag and chrome shopping tray.

Available from Bebe Online.

$999.95

See full Babyology review here.