Nested

Custom Oil Paintings of your Wee Ones

If you have ever considered commissioning a custom oil painting of your child, you may have been discouraged by either the price or by the process. And because there are hundreds of custom oil painting services online -- with many questionable in quality and work standards -- choosing a service is often more difficult than choosing the photograph to have painted.

In our case, we were quite pleased by the experience we had with Master Arts on Canvas. In October, shortly after the birth of Penelope, we were contacted by Nested reader, Jane, who is the owner of Master Arts on Canvas. She asked if we'd be interested in commissioning a painting of Penelope and then reviewing the work.

The process was quite simple: We selected a photograph to have painted (a close-up works best) and the painting begins. Along the way, we were contacted about decisions that were to be made (for example, did we approve of how the photograph was to be cropped). Finally, when the painting was ready to be proofed, a photograph of the work was sent via email. If we wanted changes, then they would make them. If it was okay, the painting would be stretched and dried. We were happy with the painting and so no changes were requested.

We received the art a couple weeks later and were delighted by the results. Everything about the painting was polished, from the stretching to the work itself. The painting captured the photograph, but was clearly a painting.  

The oil portraits of single subjects start at $142.95, inclusive of shipping. Our art was stretched, which is an additional fee. The standard delivery method is canvas, rolled in a tube and ready for framing.

The only downside -- looking at the art now -- is that we commissioned a painting based on a photo of a four-day old baby. And, as much as we love our little one, newborns are kind of weird looking. Of course, this isn't any fault of Master Arts. It's just a pro tip from us: pick your photo wisely!

If you're looking for a great father's day gift or just some art for yourself, then we highly recommend the folks at Master Arts on Canvas. 

Jane has provided Nested readers with a 10% off discount from now until June 30, 2008. Just use the voucher code "nested."

PB Teen Personalized Wall Mural

Want to see your baby's sweet little face in a format writ large? Or maybe you just have a huge blank wall that you've been meaning to fill.

Intended for teens but surely adaptable for little kids and babies (or even just for your own space), PB Teen sells 6 x 4 personalized wall murals created from your own photos. The murals are printed on canvas from a photo that you have uploaded to the site and sell for $199.

Just don't let the exposure go to your little one's head.

Wall Stickers by dVider

You can't blame us for not trying to be thorough when it comes to exposing Nested's readers to wall decals/sticker options. The other day we highlighted Blik's Threadless collection and today we want to call stickers by dVider to your attention.

The collection of stickers over at dVider is vast, with categories ranging from nature to kids. The stickers are removable vinyl and each design comes in 12 different colors.  The best part is that the stickers are very affordable and most options range in the $20-$35 range. Installation of the stickers appears to be a breeze -- the hardest part will be choosing the perfect image (we like the less is more approach).

Threadless at Blik

Just when you think you've seen every wall decal option out there, Blik Surface Graphics has gone and added some Threadless-created/inspired wall decals to their collection! This isn't the first time -- last year this design created by a Threadless artist was added to the Blik store. However, it now seems that adding more designs, more frequently to the Blik store will become a regular occurrence.

Some of the current designs work better than others for a child's room or nursery. And since they're not intended solely for kids, that's okay.

We're really loving Nerd Berd, Alphabet Zoo and Insomnia for a modern nursery.

And like Threadless, the clothing shop, you'll be able to vote on which designs are produced next.

Yay for more options!

Custom Shoe Portraits

What do the Nerd Babies flash cards and these portraits of children's shoes have in common? Both of their creators creators happen to be sisters-in-law Tiffany and Alisha Ard.

Alisha Ard's portraits of children's shoes are a "great modern take on the old tradition of bronzing baby shoes." Simply send a photo or the actual shoes to Alisha (she'll return them when she's finished) and she'll work with you to create a custom portrait. Prices range from $120 to $220 for your customized portrait.

We love the detail and the life in the portraits and how they capture the little person behind the shoes.

Nerd Babies Flash Cards

So now that you've decided to chuck your Baby Einstein videos and move the baby away from the television (no, that didn't seem like a bad idea), how about some old-fashioned stimulation through flashcards? But why go the underachiever route and tell the kid that "K" stands for "Kangaroo" or "O" stands for "Octopus" when instead you can get that "K" to stand for "Kepler's 3rd Law" and "O" for "Oscillation."

Nerd Babies flash cards are of course intended to be a bit tongue-in-cheek and make a better gift for the resident nerdy mom or dad scientist than the baby chewing her toes. Still, any nerdy parent will feel a rush of pride when their baby first words are not "momma" or "dada" but "quod erat demonstrandum."

Flashcards are $16 and available from artist, Tiffany Ard.

Something to Make: Stencil Collage

When we purchased the Birds of a Feather Mobile by Helen Ige, we were put-off by the $69 price for a few moments. After all, your purchase seems to be nothing more than a 11 by 13 piece of walnut veneer and some string. When we saw that the bird and tree pieces are meant to be punched out of a piece of wood that can become a stencil, we thought, "okay, we can make *something* else out of this" and swallowed the price.

That *something* that ended up being made is this piece of nursery art that was intended to tie all our nursery colors together.

First, we took the stencil and cut out the leaves, tree and birds from brown paper. To add some contrast, some of the pieces were also cut out of white paper. There wasn't anything scientific going on -- just an aesthetic choice of what works and what doesn't.

The background colors were simply  pieces of colored paper we got at a stationary supply store.

The most complicated part of the project was finding the right frame -- and that wasn't too hard either. We used one of those family collage frames that have a bunch of windows cut out the matte paper.

The pieces of color paper were simply placed in the windows -- just like you would place a photo and then the bird/tree pieces were moved around until the presentation was just right. Gluing secures it all and that's it.

Play Food! Group on Flickr

Now for a little something that you can't buy or can make (actually, you can make if you're talented and I'm sure some of these folks have online stores). Regardless, you'll have a tough time deciding which "three-dimensional, hand-crafted non-edible play food: crocheted, knitted, felted, sewn, sculpted from clay, paper-mache, assembled from found objects, origami, quilling" is cutest.

We're torn over which item makes us smile most, but feel determined to somehow, someday become the owners of this cannoli.

Digital Art by John W. Golden

John W. Golden (the artist behind the popular "By Order of the Management" series) is holding an Etsyversary BOGO sale from now unti July 23rd. That means when you buy one print, you can get another one for free (limit two free prints per order).

Although one of our Nested responsibilities is to narrow down options for our readers,  we're at a lost when it comes to picking on the print we're liking best. But if we must, definitely check out the Fido Series and Critter Series. We'll probably be picking up a print of The Hirsute Hedgehog and The Sensible Owl.

Moo Launches StickerBooks

We grew up in the days when stickers were all the rage -- in particular, we cherished those huge Lisa Frank stickers showing unicorns frolicking and bubble hearts flying through clouds. Stickers were really quite the coolest thing when you're a kid.

Well, we all may be much older, but we still love stickers.

That's why it's great to see that printing company Moo launched their customizable StickerBooks today. Don't have any photos or illustrations to use for your StickerBooks? You can choose from ReadyMade StickerBooks featuring the art of some great independent designers.

The real fun, however, is using your artwork and photographs (from services like Flickr, Vox and LiveJournal) for a custom book.

• Stickers are printed on high-quality, scratch-proof vinyl
• Six stickers are printed per sheet.
• There are 15 tear-out sheets
• Each sticker is 22mm x 22mm
• You can choose the colour of your StickerBook

Moo cards and stickers would be great for announcing that new baby. Check out their inspirations page for more ideas.

And right now, Moo is offering free shipping in July.