HP Lovecraft Tiny World

I took a Tiny World Pincushion class in late April with artist Mimi Kirchner, and I've finally put the finishing touches on my Tiny World. I was invited to participate in an HP Lovecraft themed group art show at The Fools Mansion in Salem, MA and I decided to use that opportunity to pick a theme for my Tiny World.

My Tiny World contains a monolith atop an island of slime amidst a troubled sea. Tentacles creep out from the depths perhaps to drag someone under. The Tiny World is a pincushion made entirely of wool felt and installed in a teacup. I chose a teacup that reminded me of a shell to reinforce the nautical feeling. Each tentacle is actually a pin (see below) that can be rearranged, making it an interactive and functional piece of art.

See this in person in Salem, MA. Details:

FROM BEYOND: ARTWORKS INSPIRED BY H.P. LOVECRAFT is a group art show running from July 30TH to August 27TH here at Fool's Mansion in our Red Room Gallery.

Join us for the opening night reception with the artists on July 30th from 8-10 PM.

Serpent Mounds

We're on our way across the country to vend at the Renegade Craft Shows in San Francisco & Los Angeles, and we want to make sure to stop at interesting places along the way. That's most of the fun, right?

Today, we drove a little out of the way to visit the Serpent Mounds in Ohio. It was an incredible sight, and the photos do not do it justice. The visitor center staff were knowledgable, helpful, kind and genuinely seemed to love their job. That always makes an experience better. We walked around the entire serpent and even did some walking on a great trail that wound around below along a river. It was a very surreal experience. Even though it was out of our way, it was definitely worth the stop.

After that, we stopped in Indianapolis at Homespun: Modern Handmade to visit one of the shops that carries our toys. We met Amanda and Aubrey, and marveled at the amazing artists that we get to share space with. The store is very well designed, and I could see myself shopping there repeatedly. No wonder the locals love it!

Zooguu featured in Boston Globe Magazine

The SoWA Open Market was featured in the June 26 issue of Boston Globe Magazine. We were lucky enough to be chosen by Marni Katz, the writer of the article, to have our products photographed. You can imagine the smile on my face when I got the paper yesterday morning and saw how large our photo was! You can see the article online, in a photo slideshow format on boston.com.

Renegade Preview 2 of 2 - Dinosaurs!

They're finally here! I've been dreaming about making jointed dinosaurs for a while now, and of course I have to choose one of the busiest times to try out a new design. I think it might be all of the creative energy flowing here in the studio and the excitement building around another Renegade Craft Fair. If you're in Brooklyn this weekend, come by Booth #22 to be the first to check out these new T-Rex toys! There will be a couple of other color combinations as well.

They Stand!

And they sit, too!

Renegade Preview 1 of 2 - Disco Narwhal

At the Twist Fair in Northampton, MA there is a shiny disco ball suspended in the center of the room. Nate Duval, Jen Skelley and I were enjoying the delights of that disco ball and how its rotation signifies the start of the event. Perhaps it was something in the air, because we started to laugh about bringing a disco ball to outdoor events as well. And then the idea came: A giant disco ball narwhal to hang in our tent! What could be better for a craft fair? I promised I'd have one ready for Renegade Brooklyn, and here it is! Come visit booth #22 (near the baseball field) to check out the newest tent decoration and be captivated by its shiny, over the top, fabulous glow.

Happy June Narwhal Calendar

Now that it's June, I'd like to share this month's free desktop wallpaper calendar. We're celebrating Narwhals this month. It's my newest design, and one of the things I love to make the most right now. You can download the .jpg for free on the Zooguu Free Stuff Page. Pretty soon, you will be able to purchase a narwhal in your favorite colors online. If you're crafty, you can already purchase a PDF pattern in the Zooguu Etsy shop to make one for yourself.

I'd also like to express our thanks to the readers of the Chicago Tribune! The response to the recent press about Zooguu has been wonderful, and we can't thank you enough.

Press - Chicago Tribune

Zooguu appears in the Chicago Tribune this week! I was also informed that the article was distributed nationally to all Tribune papers. The article originated in the Bellingham Herald (WA) earlier this month and seems to be getting around to other newspapers. Great news for us!

May 2011 Calendar

It has been so nice to see flowers pop up all of a sudden this spring. To celebrate May, this calendar download features two little hedgehogs meeting each other at the prettiest flower in the garden. Enjoy!

http://zooguu.com/freestuff.html

April 2011 Calendar

It's a little bit late, but the April 2011 Calendar has been posted to the Free Stuff section on Zooguu.com!

My First Pattern For Sale - Plush Narwhal!

I'm excited to announce that my first pattern for sale has been listed in the Zooguu Etsy shop! Thanks to those who helped read things over and test out this step by step tutorial. It has been a lot of work to put together, but I can't wait to see the narwhals that people make using this guide.

This 14 page PDF pattern includes instructions, pattern pieces, diagrams and photos to make a narwhal in three different sizes. It also includes instructions on how to turn it into an ornament!

This pattern is for intermediate sewers & toymakers. Experience in making a flat or pillow type toy is recommended.