Blog
The aim of this blog is to share with you a little more about my work as a French designer, and to give you an idea of what I'm up to. independent.
I talk to you about my daily life in my workshop in Corsica, about my creative processof my responsible production of sustainable toys, I advise you on gifts for babies and children...
Committed Friday VS Black Friday
Since 2024 Balberg shop has been a signatory to the Bien ou Bien charter. Bien ou Bien brings together brands that respect the planet and human beings, and offers a guide and resources to help consumers make virtuous consumption choices. It's already been several weeks since November that the most...
I invite you to the Balberg Shop Christmas Sale!
The weekend of 14 to 17 November, find all the toys and Christmas decorations 100% wool to place your orders online and ensure you receive them before the holidays! Most of my creations are pre-ordered, which allows me to have a fair production and to charge fair prices...
Your choices for your child's Christmas presents
Soon the letters for Father Christmas will be flooding into your homes and you're going to have to make choices to spoil your children, please them and offer them the magic of Christmas, without forgetting your values and personal ethics. You're going to be (over)solicited by marketing campaigns with ever more tempting offers, at great...
5 criteria for choosing your child's toys
It's not always easy to find your way around the world of children's toys, to sort out what is the fruit of 'good' marketing and the real qualities of a toy that meets our requirements and, above all, our child's needs. Environmental and human health issues call on us to...
Love and mimosa
Dear all, I'm sending you sweet little mimosa pompons to delight your little hearts. Happy Love Day! Your encouragement and support are precious to me, and I'm infinitely grateful. Love is the only possible response to these realities that are greater than ourselves...
Balberg Shop: a virtuous initiative
"Be the change you want to see in this world" Ghandi This quote from Gandhi reminds us that to create positive change in the world, we must start by changing ourselves. Instead of waiting for others to act, we need to embody the values and behaviours we want to see spread. If we...
The gentle blue tit Balberg shop
The Petites Formes hand-sewn blue tit in wool felt is finely crafted, designed with love and dedication to bring joy and beauty to your environment. This little marvel hangs delicately everywhere on a cotton thread, ready to embellish any space. The choice of...
The happy robin Balberg shop
The Petites Formes robin soars proudly into the air, capturing attention with its beauty and delicacy. Handcrafted with love and care, this delightful bird is made from environmentally-friendly wool felt. Its silhouette in warm, vibrant hues brings this robin to life, instantly enhancing any room it's in.
My first Christmas market
My day started early, with the first rays of sun rising gently between the mountains. I joined Agathe, who was accompanying me on this new adventure, and off I went! Off to Moltifao! I carefully set up my stand, displaying my lovingly handmade creations. The wool felt animals I make...
Who makes Balberg shop toys?
I'm Manon. I'm an artist designer and I design and hand-make Balberg shop toys for children. I've chosen natural, ecological materials to add to the world of healthy objects for children and biodiversity. The wool felt I use is 100% merino, which means it's...
Castagnina x Balberg shop
When we started dreaming up projects together, it was our love of trees, leaves and bugs that guided us, and the first prototypes were born! Today, we're proud that our collaboration has already produced a number of wonders using felt chestnuts: wreaths for our little ones, soft toys for toddlers, and brooches for the...
Manifesto for free toys, healthy toys for children
As soon as the desire to be a mother was firmly established in my heart, I naturally wanted to make little objects, mobiles, free toys, rag dolls and felt companions for my child. Spontaneous toys, like scribbling down an idea on a piece of loose-leaf paper so you don't forget. Don't...
A birth gift in line with your values
"Everything is ready to welcome our baby, we have salvaged everything and bought second-hand childcare items BUT I want a Petites Formes toy for my baby's birth, how can I make them understand..." balberg.shop is an online shop that is compatible with multi-brand birth lists /...
Is producing new objects in our world of overconsumption and overproduction green?
Spring has arrived with its share of existential and important questions. Balberg shop blew out its first candle in February 2023 and I'm grateful to you for accompanying me on this artistic, creative and independent adventure. So this spring is a time for me to take stock, to grow from my first year...
Happy New Year 2023!
I would like to take the opportunity of this brand new little dachshund dog to wish you a wonderful year 2023! May it be full of play and creativity, joy and mischief!✨ Thank you for accompanying me here and supporting me in my first year of Balberg shop. I'm so happy to have made all these animals for your children in...
Eco-responsible toys for Christmas
Buying less but buying better is one of the bases of minimalism but it also rhymes with economy and ecology. Buying less is, in fact, having more budget, which then allows us to encourage small companies with ethical and eco-responsible values that charge fair prices in terms of production methods, treatment of employees, etc.
My participation in the Inktober 2022 challenge
This autumn, I had fun participating in the well-known challenge for illustrators and designers; Inktober. It's a challenge that takes place mainly on Instagram. I wanted to take advantage of the excitement of the month of October with this #inktober challenge to show you my Small Shapes in a different way. If you don't know this challenge, here it is...
My study path
I've been studying art since high school. I obtained a Bac in Applied Art and studied ceramics at the Ecole Supérieure d'Art Duperré, Paris. Once I'd obtained this diploma, I went on to do an equivalent degree in Plastic Art, then I went on to study at the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Le Mans, where I obtained a DNAP...
Process of creating a felt figure
I'd like to share with you my creative process and the steps involved in making my Balberg shop wool felt animals. I'm Manon, and I design and make simple, natural toys with ecological values for your children. The choice of animal Depending on the season, my whim or the mood of the day...
A walk in the forest
Here, around our house, it is the maquis, hazelnut groves, chestnut groves... We have found an ideal path for walks with a young child without it being a mountain with protruding stones, with steep ascents and descents... It is a very small wood near a very small Careggia village, it is a very small wood with a very small...
Sustainable
Balberg shop toys are made from natural and renewable materials, and are produced with great care here in Corsica. Toys that encourage free play and support children throughout their development. Wool is a natural, renewable and recyclable material. I see the toys as durable objects that will accompany children throughout their...
Handmade
Balberg shop toys are entirely sewn and embroidered by hand. Each model is created with the utmost care, passion and conviction, and slight variations make each piece unique, authentic and vibrant. They are proof of craftsmanship. It's a quality of manufacture that you just can't find in a factory. The...
Energy efficiency
I designed my modest business with a taste for slow, sober action. I chose online sales and social networks to develop my project. Posting a video on Instagram, or sending my toys around the world is not without consequences for the environment. Balberg shop's visual identity was created by Mathilde...
What is a free toy?
The free toy is simple and minimal, allowing the child to project his or her own worlds, characters, emotions and stories. The child decides how to play with the toy. The free toy can be a doll or an animal figure with a neutral expression. It can be...
A healthy, natural and sustainable cocoon for the newborn
Choosing to give well-made, good quality clothes, toys or baby items to welcome and celebrate a newborn is a great idea. If you add in the ecological, ethical and health safety values, it's even more difficult to make the right choices. In this article I want to help you...
The colours of spring
Here in Corsica, free and wild nature is part of our immediate environment and we live very close to it with an ever renewed interest. We love to observe the new grasses that have just sprouted, to observe the flowers, to photograph the trees. Writing a poem about the starry night or a song about the poplars. Here...
Balberg shop toy maintenance
I discovered hand sewing and wool felt at the same time. I wanted to make simple toys for my baby by myself. I wanted to invest my time and my love in the realization of small figures which would soften its daily life, would embellish our environment. I fell in love with the...
Why give your child a Balberg shop balloon?
Balberg shop balls are suitable for babies and children of all ages. Free and timeless toys, they will accompany their games and motor skills. A simple, beautiful toy The balls are made from felted wool guaranteed Oeko-Tex 100, i.e. without chemical treatments, and comply with "toy" standards. Stuffed with natural sheep's wool...
The toys of the Laduz Museum
I had the opportunity to work for a few months at the Museum of Popular Art in Laduz in the Yonne. A rural museum built by the Humbert family: Jacqueline Raymond and their three sons, to present their exceptional collection of 19th century crafts from the regions of France before industrialisation. The scenography is remarkable, the choice of objects...
Balberg shop ball massage
The Balberg shop balls are soft and firm, ideal for relaxing with your child. I remember gymnastics sessions when I was a child. They sometimes ended with a moment of calm. The idea was to massage a friend by rolling a ball (made of plastic, with pimples or...
