Tic-Tac-Toe... Tic?Ooooh... I fell in love with this cute tic-tac-toe Cat-Mouse wooden game from MnM Treasures. It's a game, it's a wall hanging... I love the idea of double function.
Michele and Mike lives in Illinois. Michele graduated from the University of WI Green Bay and worked in the Information Technology field until 10 years ago when she devoted herself to raising our 5 children, ages 5 to 12. Mike graduated from Indiana University and works in the Insurance and Health/Wellness field.
So, I'm curious how did all start. Here what they have to say...
MnM Treasures: Michele has always been the creative, crafty person and got Michele and Mike into the craft business in 1992. had purchased a house in Wisconsin that included a complete workshop with woodworking tools and machinery. Having no prior experience, we taught ourselves how to cut, router, sand and finish. We had a lot of success in craft shows and made/sold hundreds of collapsible baskets and other wood plus paper mache products.
Bigib: Why do you use wood as the material?
MnM Treasures: Wood was the natural choice given the workshop that came with our old house. Mike finds it soothing to cut since it requires total focus and concentration. Wood is very durable and we like to make wood do new things like the sponginess/flexibility of the baskets. Wood cuts like butter if you have the right wood, saw and push/pull it the right way.
Our pride and joy is our selection of Collapsible Baskets, each handcrafted from a single piece of oak wood. These amazing gifts lay flat to serve as a trivet (hot plate), and then cleverly fold open to become a standing basket that can be filled with candy, potpourri, soaps, dried flowers, etc!
Bigib: What new project are you working on or anything coming up?
MnM Treasures:Michele is working on new belt buckles all the time. Check our Etsy shop often for new unique, functional gifts!
Bigib: How is your design process?
MnM Treasures: We used patterns purchased from Berry Baskets to start out and then added a lot of shapes and animals based on customer special orders that we added to our collection. The original 5 shapes have grown into one of the largest selections of collapsible baskets in the United States with over 40 shapes and sizes.
Bigib:Do you innovate?
MnM Treasures: We have learned a lot of tricks over the years. For example, when we first started we would make 1 basket at a time from beginning to end. We found it was much more efficient and quicker to do a quantity of the same basket for each step – i.e. cut 10 of the outside shape, then cut out the inside of each of the 10 circles, then cut the inside circle at an angle, etc.
Bigib: I'm sure you have tons of items you like. What's your favorite?
MnM Treasures:
a. Washington Apple Collapsible basket: This Apple basket measures approximately 8.5" wide, 11" tall and .75" deep when 'folded' flat. (Decorative candy and display fruit inside basket not included). This unique yet functional product makes a great gift for any occasion – especially birthdays and Christmas. Of course, you should keep a couple for your own decorating needs!
b. Tropical Fish Collapsible basket: This Tropical Fish basket measures approximately 10.5" wide, 8" tall and .75" deep when 'folded' flat. (Decorative candy and display fruit inside basket not included)
c. Cat/Mouse Tic-Tac-Toe: This is the last one we have left, so it is really one of a kind! This adorable Cat-Mouse Tic-Tac-Toe game makes a unique gift. It is functional as either a game or wall hanging. Comes with the Cat game board along with 5 cat and 5 mice playing pieces on a shoestring that can hang from the tail when mounted on the wall. The game board is approximately 10" wide and 19" tall and comes with a wall hanging plate on the back.
d. Belt Buckle: do you want to choose?
Bigib: Is there anything else you would like to share?
MnM Treasures:
From designing to selecting the wood to cutting, sanding and finishing, each basket is truly a labor of love and creativity. We both love to make unique, functional gifts that are great for any occasion and will be appreciated for years to come! It is very rewarding when customers appreciate all of the hard work and creativity that goes into every aspect of design, manufacture and finishing. Our work can be found at:
http://mnmtreasures.etsy.com/
http://www.indiepublic.com/profile/MnMTreasures
http://etsylove.ning.com/profile/mnmtreasures
No comments:
Post a Comment