Focus On... Tiddliwink Toys {And A Giveaway!}

I wish Tiddliwink Toys had been around when I was younger because I would've loved to have played with any of the fun stuffies she makes. I mean, who wouldn't want a colorful stuffed T-Rex as a kid? Instead, I got a sit-n-spin. Fun, yes. But at least the T-Rex wouldn't have made me feel ill after I played with it too much!

Kathy was kind enough to offer the winner their choice of any one pattern from her shop!

{Triceratops}

Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Kathy and I live in beautiful Sydney, Australia. I love craft of many kinds including sewing, toy making, knitting, jewellery making, badge making and pattern making. I started Tiddliwink Toys in August last year. I had started thinking about it a few months before but it took me a while to think of a good name. Tiddliwink Toys only takes up a couple of hours each day as I have two little boys with a lot of energy. I run the local church playgroup and I'm really enjoying being a mum. I am also an environmental scientist, if and when I choose to return to 'work'.

{Large Felt Elephant}

How does your craft stand out from the rest?

At Tiddliwink Toys I have my hand made children's toys as well as the patterns for the toys. That way people can buy the finished product (if they don't sew) and crafty people can make it themselves. I think that this makes my craft stand out from the rest. I like to design patterns which will appeal to children as well as adults and which are quick and relatively easy to make. I also like to keep my patterns as anatomically correct as possible, especially my dinosaurs. No one wants a Biceratops or a three fingered T rex!

{Bluebird Mobile}

How do you promote your business?

So far I haven't done too much promoting of my business, however I will often link a new pattern to my facebook page. I don't have time to blog as all my free time is taken up by craft.

{Baby Owls}

Sum up your craft in five words or less:

Beautiful, bright, appealing, DIY

{Tyrannosaurus Rex ePattern}

What is your favorite Etsy shop?

Well of course my shop is my favourite Etsy shop but I suppose I shouldn't say that. I love to 'shop local' from Asia and see what I find. I just love to get a little gold packet of earrings in the post, all the way from Japan from YukoDesigns!

{Up & Away - Pink Sherbet Balloon Mobile}

Any advice you'd give to other crafters?

Do what you love. It's what everyone says but it's true. It is also very important to find your niche market. There are so many jewellery shops on Etsy, how do people make sales? I found patterns great because, being in Australia, I could just email them straight to people. Postage in Australia is quite expensive compared to the US and this way I don't even need to go to the post office.

- Make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win. -

- Please leave separate comments for each entry. -

First entry (mandatory):

- Visit TiddliwinkToys, select your favorite item and leave a comment telling me about it.

Extra entries (optional):

- Add TiddliwinkToys to your favorites on Etsy

- Add TiddliwinkToys to your circle on Etsy

- Follow me on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

- Purchase an item from TiddliwinkToys

- Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

- Follow our blog via Google Connect

Fine print: Giveaway begins when it is posted and ends at 11:59pm pacific standard time February 28, 2011. A winner will be selected by a random number generator on March 1, 2011 and will be emailed promptly.