Check out these Home-based Businesses I LOVE!

• Linette's Bears with Bling - Gold Coast Australia

  Every now and then you come across something that just makes you go "WOW!" That's how I felt when I saw Linette's intricately painted customised signature bears... the detailing blows you away!

   

  No two of her bears are the same as she customizes her personalized bears with birthstones, favorite colours even a favorite saying to come up with the most unique and special gift you can imagine, and which I'm sure the receiver would cherish forever!

  
  
  

• Betty Mayo's LollyPop Babies - Ohio,USA

  I fell in love with Betty's little fairy babies and have 2 of them on my bed post so I can look at them in the morning when I lie in bed drinking my morning coffee. One day I would LOVE to "turn them into toys" they are just too adorable! Take a look at the beautiful LollyPop babies she creates.
  

  
         
     
    

  Hi, I’m Betty and I am a married Realtor and mother of five, who makes little miniature Polymer Clay Fantasy dolls in my spare time - SPARE TIME you ask when do I have it??  - probably when I should be asleep :) My clay dolls are created from ideas that come from my children and my work experiences; then I wrap that in a fairy type world and that’s how I create a LollyPop Baby :) I strive hard to make my dolls as realistic as possible - each doll is made with exceptional love and care and as many tiny details as I can possible make. I want them to look like they could almost move if you stare at them long enough ....., and if I am lucky they will move you when you look at them :)

  
  
  

• Barbara Allen's Cobweb Cottage - New Zealand

  

  Barbara has written a Needle Felting Instruction book called Needlefelting Magic, to show people how to make beautiful needle felted teddy bears and how these basic techniques can be used to create all kinds of wonderful creatures.

  Barbara lives with her husband in the beautiful New Zealand countryside, surrounded by dairy farms. She began making her Cobweb Cottage miniature bears in 1999, using vintage rayon velvet, and mohair. Since then, her little bears have found homes all around the world.  Needlefelting has taken over her life now to the extent that she no longer finds the time to make bears for sale, but because of the demand for instruction and supplies in needlefelting she has developed a range of supplies and kitsets to satisfy this. The wool she stocks is NZ corriedale, which she says is is a wonderful wool to work with, and also merino which is sourced both from NZ and overseas in some lovely colours.

   

  
  
  
  

• Laurie Vande Kamp's Therapy Threads - Tennessee

  
  

  
  Laurie and her husband are parents of three children (ages 7, 10, & 13), two of whom have Asperger Syndrome. She has been sewing all her life and has used her passion for sewing to produce range of  Occupational Therapy Products for Kids that help children with Autism, Rett Syndrome, ADHD, and Sensory Integration Disorders (SID). 

   

  Her hope is to provide affordable products that will provide comfort and relief of symptoms for special needs children and their families. Her products came from the ideas of occupational therapists and most have been designed by herself. Each category has a specific function –
  

  
  WEIGHTS: weighted items provide a calming effect on children with Autism, Rett Syndrome, ADHD, or Sensory Integration difficulties.

  COMPRESSION: compression (such as bear hugs or wrapping tightly in a blanket) has a calming effect on children who like a deep pressure sensory experience or are hyperactive.

  RESISTANCE: Resistance provides increased muscle tone and improvement in large motor skills.  Children with Autism, Sensory Integration difficulties or ADHD often have trouble feeling where their body is in relation to objects around them.  Resistance helps children feel grounded and safe in their surroundings.

  TEXTURE: helping children to engage in tactile exploration and manipulation, can decrease sensitivity in children with Sensory Integration difficulties or Autism. 
  
  
  Laurie has used the Funky Friends Factory Cat Toys Pattern to create her textured toys with different textures, inside and out.   
   

  ***The site also provides a comprehensive list of Useful Links for parents and therapists.***

  
  
  
  
  
  

• Michelle Brown's SHELL BUGS - Embroidery Designs & Handmade Items-TEXAS

  
  

  I love Michelle's PENCIL PUPPETS... check them out along with her other embroidery designs!
     
  My name is Michelle Brown, and I live in southeast Texas.  I am a wife to Tim, mom to Nathaniel and Theresa, math nerd, and teacher!.  I also enjoy digitizing machine embroidery designs, creating handmade unique items, and rarely find a craft I don't enjoy! I have dreamed of owning a craft business since I was a young child trying to sell my "original creations" door to door and via fliers in mailboxes! After years of great "ideas" for businesses , it finally dawned on me to mix my favorite hobbies with business, and so Shellbug Designs was created.  The site got its name from my childhood nickname that my husband took to calling me as soon as he heard it!  I LOVE digitizing, and have many more projects on the "drawing board" so please browse the site...I hope you are inspired to try something new.  Thanks, Michelle.

  
  
  
  

• Melody Wilson's Pixie World - A Toddler Girls' Boutique

  
  I love the sound of their PINK JUNGLE - Hibiscus, Leopard Print, Hot Pink & Chocolate!
        
  Welcome to Pixyworld - the land of little girls' dreams. In each collection, we strive to combine colors and themes that your little pixy would have thought of herself. We love to hear the stories about a Pixyworld outfit staying at the top of a little girl's drawer because it's all she wants to wear! As parents of toddlers ourselves, we know that even our most fashion-conscious customers will appreciate clothing that is both easy-care and comfortable. We keep this goal at the forefront as we make our design decisions. Most importantly, we simply LOVE what we do! Intoxicated by each heady combination of delicious colors and high-quality fabrics, and drawing inspiration from Eastern fashion, American quilting, and our own bewitching little pixies, we love sharing this joy with you. Truly thankful for your interest, Jonathan and Melody Wilson