Pay It Forward Friday - Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc.

It's time for another installment of "Pay It Forward Friday!" I'm so excited to share this vendor with you. My "Little Slugger" beanie has quickly become one of my top selling items, and I was so excited when one of my customers (Jenifer Lauren Photography) showed me the image below featuring my hat with one of the commemorative baseballs by Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc.

They provide kits that allow you to imprint baby's footprint on a baseball.  Perfect for newborn photos, but they also look great displayed in baby's nursery.  What an amazing gift for new parents!

Let's get to know Marshall and Erica - the team behind Ball One Baby Gifts, Inc. - a little more.

Tell us a little about yourself.  (Where do you live?  Children/Furry Babies?  What inspires you?  Fun fact about yourself?)

I am from Oceanside, NY. I have a 3 year old boy, Jack Nolan who is our inspiration for this product. When he was born we received a baby book to record his footprints. I couldn’t tell you when the last time I opened that book or even know its location.

My wife, Erica, and I wanted to create a unique and affordable baby keepsake that parents were proud to put on display. We know everyone loves their baby and most of the world enjoys baseball to some degree. We partnered with Rawlings Sporting Goods 3 years ago to custom stitch our baseballs. Our baseballs were first “meant” to be newborn or baby shower gifts. But over the past few years we are always busy around Father’s Day. We offer an option to purchase a customizable name plaque in the colors of the parent’s favorite baseball team. Parents typically put the name and date of birth, but around this time of year we are receiving many requests for the plaques to read “Happy 1^st FATHER’S DAY”

A fun fact about our company is we have sent baseballs to the clubhouses of the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets

How long have you been in business?  How long have you been creating your items?

Ball One has been in business since the summer of 2010.

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

I love the Pinch Hitter Package. This is designed for parents who are waiting out the 9 months for the big surprise to find out if they are having a boy or girl. It is priced so parents do not have to purchase both a Pink Perfect Game and Blue Perfect Game.

What are some of your favorite materials to use? 

We only work with Rawlings baseballs. As a father, I would want the best and Rawlings is the manufacturer for Major League Baseball.

Tell us a little about your work space. 

Our work space was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Luckily my inventory was at another location. We are currently renting a local garage to fulfill all of our orders. Throughout the transition process of moving locations, I am proud to say that all baseball packages were still received by our customers between 2-4 days after purchasing. 

Marshall and Erica have graciously offered a giveaway and discount to all Bumble Bee-Knees fans!  Two lucky winners will receive their choice of either a pink, light blue, navy, or royal blue "Perfect Game Package."  Each package is valued at $30, and the winner will be responsible for shipping.  Also, enjoy 20% off in their shop with code "BUMBLE 20."  Not applicable for Navy Ball kits.  Coupon expires Monday, April 1 at 12:01 AM.

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Bell-Rae Crochet Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who showed their support of Bella-Rae Crochet yesterday!

Congratulations to Krista D. for winning!


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Pay It Forward Friday - Bella-Rae Crochet

I am so excited to bring back one of my favorite series from last year - "Pay It Forward Friday!"  My shop is about to celebrate it's second birthday next month, and I would not be where I am today without the kindness of other vendor and photographer friends.  This is my way of returning the love I've been shown.

When designing for my shop, I create my own patterns for almost all of my items.  I very rarely come across a pattern that inspires me enough to click the "add to cart" button.  Last year, I met Amy of Bella-Rae Crochet after seeing some of her designs on the Fulton Photography blog and immediately fell in love with her work.  She works extremely hard to create unique patterns that are both user friendly and intricate.  Her instructions are clearly written and all designs are tested on a baby before the pattern is offered for sale.  This  ensures perfect fit.

Let's get to know Amy a bit more in her own words:

My name is Amy, and I'm the girl behind Bella-Rae Crochet. I live in New Brunswick, located on the East Coast of Canada. I am a stay at home mom, and I love my family dearly. I have thee children, my sons are 13 and 11, and I have an 8 yr old little princess. They all have my fair skin and freckles! Recently I have been teaching my daughter how to knit. It's kind of funny considering I'm a crochet designer, but she chose to learn knitting first. We have two sweet Himalayan kittens, Willow is 1, and Griffin is 6 months. 

I have been crocheting for about 12 years, and it's just become such an important part of my life and who I am. My Etsy/Ravelry/FB shops opened in February 2012. It's been a blast of a first year!  My favourite shop items are definitely my mohair designs. I love using mohair and size 10 thread. There is something so delicate about working with fine fibers. My workspace is all over my house! My craft has taken over much of my home haha! My main working area is in my living room. I have a corner set up with my books, yarn totes, and all other necessities. I have a special seat that is permanently reserved as my work seat! I love having my iPod filled with my favourite songs with me while I work. I am a huge fan of music, and as far as I'm concerned, it makes everything better :) As for my inspirations? Mothers and their newborns. My goal is to create something a glowing new mom can treasure forever in her precious baby's photos. Having the opportunity to design a handmade item to be captured in that lifelong memory is what it's all about for me. I can't imagine having a more heartwarming career ♥

Amy has graciously offered a giveaway item for one lucky reader.  If you are a crafter - enter to win five patterns from her shop.  Have no idea what to do with a crochet hook?  You will be eligible for a mohair beanie of Amy's choice.  Perfect for your next newborn photo session!

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