SmartLab Toys {Snap Fashion Jewelry Studio Review, Discount & Toy of Choice Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, farmgirl!}

There are days that Big Sister E, at 4½, never fails to leaves me guessing.

On the one hand, she is a complete tomboy who consistently declares "dark blue" as her favorite color and can barely be forced into a dress even if the occasion calls for it. On the other hand, just when I think I've got her all figured out, she insists on sparkly high heels, white gloves, and the pinkest of princess gowns out of the dress-up bin.

Therefore, when the Snap Fashion Jewelry Studio from SmartLab Toys arrived, I wasn't sure if it would appeal to her girly side or not. Would she care about making her own fashionable and customizable rings, bracelets, necklaces, and more?

The answer? Absolutely.

Designed for ages 7 and up, Big Sister E was a little on the young side for this kit... but that didn't stop her from completely loving it. Giving young artists the ability to make interchangeable fabric-covered snaps that mix and match into a closet full of accessories for kids, Snap Fashion offers a fully customizable experience every time.

Waiting for a time that Little Sister B was napping, Big Sister E and I pulled out the kit to see just what personalized jewelry items we would be able to create.

Coming complete with everything from the snap maker to 25 domes and backs to 16 precut fabric circles, the beauty of Snap Fashion is that you are able to get started with the basics immediately or add nearly any of your own additions.

After we looked through the photo-filled, informative book (with Big Sister E ooohing and ahhhing at every page) that was stuffed full of instructions and ideas...

...it was time to get started.

The steps to making each individual snap were easy enough that Big Sister E could do nearly all of them on her own - only needing help to push down a little harder on the snap maker for the final move.

First, she laid her fabric circle and dome in the snap maker and pressed the top down to get it fully covered...

...and then tucked the excess fabric inside and attached a backing to the machine. Then came where Big Sister E wasn't quite strong enough to press down as hard as was necessary to get the entire snap to pop together, but she sure did try! And, of course, she was thrilled with the outcome each time.

The completed snaps are so simple and versatile - simple pop them on and off the various backings to determine which type of jewelry they will become! The kit includes one necklace, two rings, and one piece of ribbon with four bracelet snaps, but that is really only the start of what you can do.

Again, as Big Sister E was a little too young to get into more of the complicated and elaborate aspects of this art kit, we stuck with the basics... which was just fine with her.
The ability to pop the snaps on and off and interchange them quickly and easily is really great. No matter where we tried putting these, Big Sister E had fun with her new custom jewelry every time.

I do think that, as Snap Fashion Jewelry Studio is made for a slightly older age group, we will definitely be stashing this away for a while and pulling it out again in the future to try even more fun things.

The included bottle of glue, birthstone gems, and photo transfer sheet are just the beginning in terms of making creative and elaborate jewelry. It seemed like each page that I turned in the book had an idea that was even more fun and imaginative than the last.

Want to use feathers, beads, and glitter pens? No problem. Inspired to head outside to grab leaves for rubbing interesting patterns? Go right ahead. Want to embroider, monogram or turn your snap into a furry animal? Do it!

SmartLab Toys has found a way to turn an accessory-making kit into an educational toy due to all of the ways that it can be personalized. I would have liked it to come in a reusable box of some sort for storage and I have yet to find where replacements for the snap pieces can be purchased... however, the way that you are able to supplement the other supplies with nearly any household objects is great, not to mention green.

A really fun idea for creative girls everywhere, Snap Fashion Jewelry Studio retails for around $24.99 at SmartLab Toys, on Amazon, and at select retailers. With a wide variety of products for children ages 4 - 12, you'll find many other great art kits from this company, as well as science kits and puzzles that are sure to be a hit or make a wonderful gift.

By taking their belief that kids learn best through hands-on exploration, SmartLab Toys has something for boys and girls with just about every interest. There is even a whole section with free downloadable activities for kids to have even more fun!

This site has it all! And, until June 30, 2011, enter the discount coupon code BLOGBUZZ at checkout and receive an additional 25% off of your purchase, making their innovative products an even better deal. Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to entertain the lucky child in their life with something unique and innovative, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of any toy from SmartLab Toys!

To enter to win: Visit SmartLab Toys and tell me which of their innovative toy you would pick if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow SmartLab Toys on Twitter, Like them on Facebook and/or sign up for their newsletter to receive the inside scoop on special deals and discounts.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

I want to WIN my choice of unique and fun kit or puzzle from SmartLab Toys (ARV $44)! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/lmVLPg #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on May 24th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Anyone who has already won a SmartLab Toys giveaway on another blog is ineligible for this prize. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

This is a MamaBuzz review. The products for review and giveaway have been provided by SmartLab Toys. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.