Storybook Quilts Rocks! » Grandparenting

What keeps you in your grandchild’s thoughts?

Nancy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:47:32 +0000

In today’s world, grandparents and grandchildren all too often live quite a distance from one another. Is this true of you? How can that distance be overcome?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re keeping in contact using e-mail and possibly also Facebook. Maybe you have a webcam and mic so that you can see and hear one another “live”! Maybe you send things back and forth in the mail – cards or gifts or photos.

Is there something very special that you share that keeps you in your grandchild’s thoughts? Is it something that your grandchild will still have when he or she is a grandparent?

A Storybook Quilt can be the tie — and last for a lifetime. The quilt can be customized with a short message, names and dates.

The book can include a longer message from you and a photo – and even be specially rewritten to include family details in the story itself.

To make this even more special, your grandchild can help make the choices, so that it’s not just a surprise, it’s a special project and a lifelong connection.

Until July 4th, we are offering a chance to win a discount on any of our Storybook Quilt themes. Enter to create a wonderful summer memory for you and your grandchild!

6 Steps to Creating the Winning Story

Nancy — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:50:37 +0000

Time is speeding by! The April 21st deadline for the Tell a Story Contest is closing in. Have you started making up your story yet?

Below are the six steps that we use to write our stories. Maybe they will help you, too.

1. Give a name to the character you pick. It’s easier to make up a story about something that has a name.

2. Look at the pictures of the fabrics. Imagine your character talking to or having an adventure with what’s in the fabric. For example, let’s say the frog wins the jumping contest but ends up on the train by mistake and the train starts to move!

3. Pick more of the fabrics and do the same thing. For example, say the fairy grants the frog three wishes – what three fabrics would make a great story about that? (Now you’re up to five fabrics – you need at least seven, so only two more to go!)

4. Cut out the pictures of the fabrics you have chosen and arrange them in a line. Try to tell the story. Rearrange the pictures until you get a story you like.

5. Think of a fun ending – a surprise always is good or an ending that makes the listener wonder. At the end of our frog story, the listener has to decide whether Winnie the Frog was a really a frog — or a boy.

6. Stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself the story. Or tell someone else. Or have someone make a video. This is a great way to find out if you would like to change anything.

Then it’s up to you whether you want to enter the contest with a video or a written story.

Remember: Nothing has to be perfect; the idea is to use your imagination and have fun doing it!

The Grand Prize is a personalized Storybook Quilt or a $300 cash gift card; First Prize is a Storybook Quilt. We expect an adult to help with the story a bit and an adult must be the official contest entrant. Please see full contest information here.

Grandma Starts a New Family Tradition

Nancy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:08:20 +0000

This week, one of the Storybook Quilts we shipped off was to a grandmother with a great idea. She fell in love with the Storybook Quilts, Luna the Turtle in particular. With three grandchildren and another on the way, she struck on the perfect solution to please them all, including herself!

This Luna the Turtle will remain with “Babbie,” as she’s called. She’ll have it at her house when the grandchildren come to visit and she will take it with her when she goes to visit them. It will be a very special treat the entire family looks forward to, creating memories that will be cherished for the lifetimes of them all.

Any bets on how many readings of the story it will take before the grandkids know it by heart?

Storytelling with Children and Chickens

Nancy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:10:15 +0000

This video won the Storytelling with Children Award for 2009. Show it to the child in your life — be spellbound by this silly, energetic, wonderfully told story that involves the audience.

Find more videos like this on Storytelling with Children

SNOWMAN!

Nancy — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:07:28 +0000

Snow is a big deal here, in southeastern PA — or at least two feet of it is. Today, with just a bit of sun and near-freezing temperatures, it’s THE day to build a snowman! Growing up on the Tug Hill plateau, I’ve built more than I can count — of all sizes and shapes.

This had to be the largest snowman in my life. I helped a bit with the first ball, but after that was relegated to documenting his growth. He looked a bit like Charles DeGaulle when he was done!

What a great way to spend an afternoon! His eyes were margarine containers and his mouth was two bricks. We never did find a hat big enough! Rumor was that this snowman didn’t fully melt away until May.

I have to admit that my favorite snowman of all time is one that will never break my heart by melting away! Dapper Dan the Snowman offers a wonderful way to spend time with a snowman who always will keep you and at least one of your favorite children, or grandchildren, warm and entertained.

Dapper Dan Storybook Quilt Package

In the story that matches the quilt, Matt creates Dapper Dan with his Dad, but has a difficult time deciding on his face. The story, which is woven around the fabric in the quilt, tells the tale of Matt’s search for a face for Dapper Dan, including what he remembers as an exciting trip into a magical forest — or was that just a dream?!

In the storybook, we have included images that you and your child can use to decide what face Dan should have.

Learn more about Dan and our other heart-warming Storybook Quilts on our website.

Grandparents: A Gift Idea to Bridge the Miles!

Nancy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:00:13 +0000

With people spread out all over the country (and farther!) and with the hassle and cost of holiday travel, grandparents often find it difficult to be with grandchildren to celebrate the holidays. That can be rough on both grandparent and grandchild. This week, Grandparents.com published one real gem of an idea in its suggestions for bridging the distance: work on something together that can be shared when you next meet in person.

Let’s take one of our customized Storybook Quilts as an example. Many grandparents choose one to give as a wonderful surprise — but consider instead collaborating with your grandchild to create a handmade, original, customized Storybook Quilt. This is a wonderful way to enhance closeness and create memories that will be treasured for a lifetime (or two!). And NO special skills are required!

Here’s how it works. For the sake of this story, we’ll assume that “Grandma” is the giver and “Olivia” is the recipient. But, of course, it could include Grandpa, be for a boy, or be two Storybook Quilts for twins!

Step 1. Grandma gives Olivia a Storybook Quilts gift certificate for Christmas (or for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or a birthday). Olivia receives a special, handmade card with a special message from Grandma.

Step 2. The holidays pass. January arrives with its sudden quiet and, often, dark and dreary days. The blahs are waiting in ambush.

Step 3. Grandma and Olivia begin to customize their Storybook Quilt, corresponding with us back here in the workshop. (We’ll help with ideas, when you need us, and guide the process along.)

First, Grandma and Olivia think and talk and think and talk — and finally choose one of the eight (soon to be nine) Storybook Quilt themes: Maurice the Cat, Maggie the Dog, Dapper Dan the Snowman, DanZy the Rabbit, Vroom Vroom the Car, Amos the Bear, Luna the Turtle, Winnie the Frog or Per — oops! That’s our January surprise!

Then, they decide what words will be embroidered on the special square in the quilt.

Together, they write a message to be printed in the storybook and a pick a photograph to include there, too.

Dapper Dan Storybook Quilt Package

And, last but not least, Grandma and Olivia decide how they want to tailor the story, adding in their own names and details about their family’s life. This then is woven into the story by our expert writer.

Storybook Quilts e-mails photographs as the quilt is made so that Grandma and Olivia both can watch it come to life.

Step 4. The completed Storybook Quilt is delivered in time for the next get-together. Grandma and Olivia open the package together, snuggle up under the quilt and Grandma reads Olivia their story.

What a gift! What a memory! What a way to overcome the miles! What a great way to fight the Winter blahs! And, of course, your grandchild doesn’t have to live far away for you both to enjoy this creative project.

Storybook Quilts are available in eight themes and with various types of personalization and customization. To see them all, visit us at www.StorybookQuilts.biz Or give us a call to find out more. You can call us free using the Google Voice service on our order page.

We look forward to making your gift the most memorable ever.

Grandpa’s Plan for Grandchildren’s Gifts

Nancy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:40:07 +0000

Whoever said men aren’t good at planning ahead for giving was wrong, it seems. I just filled orders for quilts for the two of the five grandchild of a British man who lives in Switzerland. His grandchildren are spread out across Europe, so keeping them close emotionally is a challenge.

His plan is to use the Storybook Quilts to help strengthen the bond not only with his grandchildren, but also with their parents. He now has two “on hand” for use when he’s ready — perhaps for Christmas, perhaps for a birthday, perhaps on a visit. Smart man!

Here’s what he now has ready to go: Amos the Bear and DanZy the Rabbit.

The quilts

The stories

Amos is a very special teddy bear, as you can tell by his big red heart. In the story, Josh goes to the zoo with his grandfather and his teddy bear, Amos. When no one is watching, Amos disappears! The zoo keeper is so unhelpful that Josh goes off on his own to find Amos. Grandpa is worried; while the zoo staff look for Josh, he waits at the office in case Josh comes back. Josh does return to his grandfather and the two of them solve the mystery. They find Amos in a most surprising place!

DanZy is a hip-hopping rabbit who seeks his life’s dream. In the story, Olivia meets DanZy when he is a little bunny living in the park next to her house. DanZy is not an ordinary bunny and does not want an ordinary bunny’s life. He wants to be somebunny! DanZy tries several different jobs, but what he really wants to be is the bunny that jumps out of a magician’s hat! He’s a brown rabbit, though, and magician’s rabbits usually are white. Does he make it? And how? And what does Olivia learn?

Order your DanZy or Amos, or any of our other themes, and be ready yourself! www.storybookquilts.biz

The Best Gifts Come from the Heart

Nancy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:03:36 +0000

This the time of year that we strive to find just the perfect gift for those we love. I think it’s particularly challenging for grandparents who live at a distance from their grandchildren. Knowing their likes and dislikes and their latest obsession is difficult when time together is sparse.

The best gifts are those that come from your heart and that have a bit of your heart in them. If you’re like me, you want the gifts to those most special to you to last, and be loved for longer than a day or a month or two.

That is exactly what’s so perfect about giving a Storybook Quilt as a gift. It’s not “just” another children’s quilt or “just” another storybook — or even “just” another storybook quilt. The quilts and stories are entirely original. They are so woven around each other that they are inseparable — one doesn’t mean much without the other.

Children become very attached to such visual and aural combinations. With a message from you on the quilt square and in the book, you will be in their thoughts daily.

Storybook Quilts will endure for years. It’s the kind of thing one still has decades later, one that evokes warm, positive memories of childhood and the grandparent who gave the gift.

See our themes on our website or on our Facebook Fan page. Contact us through those sites or on Twitter @StorybookQuilts.

Orders are being taking for Hanukkah until mid-November and for Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s until early December. Order now to be sure your very special gift is in the production queue.

We look forward to making your Storybook Quilt!

What Grandparents Want

Nancy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:22:52 +0000

What is it that grandparents look for in a gift for their grandchildren? Each person has his or her own list, of course. What would you add to the list below?

1. A gift of experience and memories, preferably one that will last a lifetime

2. Allows Grandma or Grandpa to enjoy it with the grandchild, forming even closer bonds

3. Can be fully personalized for your grandchild and even include the entire family in the personalization

4. Does not beep beep beep, toot toot toot, or thump thump thump (or at least not loudly)

5. Unique — no one else will give the same gift and no other child will have it

6. Matches the grandchild’s interests — his or her love of cars, or dogs and cats, or teddy bears, for example

7. Packs easily for a visit to Grandma and Grandpa, or to take home from a visit there

8. Does not need an Internet connection, a computer, a cell phone or other gizmo

9. Grandma and Grandpa already know how to use it

10. Can help develop your grandchild’s imagination and advance other life skills

11. Does not need to be walked morning and night or use a litter box

12. Pleases the family as well as the child

13. Teaches positive values; no violent messages or images

14. Will still be a favorite of your grandchild after other toys have been outgrown, broken or lost

How well do you think a Storybook Quilt would meet the requirements on this list?

Children’s Gifts: The Grandparent’s Challenge

Nancy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:34:28 +0000

The tales I hear of the difficulties grandparents sometimes have in choosing children’s gifts are both amusing and concerning. It isn’t easy picking something that is not just another toy or that fits into the family lifestyle. We want the gifts to please, both the grandchild and the parents, and last a lot longer than the birthday day or the holiday week. Since many grandparents live at a distance from their grandchildren, we also want the gift to remind them of us. Often!

Reading Dapper Dan the Snowman

Storybook Quilts was founded in part to provide the perfect children’s gift from grandma or grandpa. The idea is that the child will associate the everyday Storybook Quilt experience with the grandparent. By personalizing to include family names and other details in the story, it becomes an adventure that is both shared and personal. Including the name of the grandchild and the grandparent on one personalized square (see example below) in the quilt adds another memory cue. We even offer the option of recording your reading of the story so that your grandchild can listen to your voice via an iPod or other device.

A Storybook Quilt, then, is a gift that both builds and evokes memories of close times between grandparent and grandchild. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving — even for a lifetime.

For all our themes and more information, visit our website at www.storybookquilts.biz

Personalized square on Dapper Dan the Snowman quilt