Zooguu Shark

 

"I think we're going to need a bigger crib!"

Introducing the Zooguu Shark. I made a couple for our shows this past weekend and they swam away quickly with happy customers. Look for more of them at shows throughout the summer!

Zooguu Mobile

People purchase our ornaments all year long. Sure, during the holidays, they make excellent tree ornaments, but there are other ways you can use our tiny animals on a string. Lots of kids use them as backpack zipper pulls. Many of the ornaments live on rear view mirrors in cars, others ride on bicycle handlebars. Often, people just like to collect things that make them smile. One of the most popular ways people use them is to make a mobile. I've just started to offer finished mobiles at craft shows. Here is an example of a finished mobile using an embroidery hoop and ribbon. I'll have some this weekend at the Greenway Open Market in Boston and at Bazaar Bizarre's Union Made event in Somerville.

Seahorse!

Hot off the sewing machine! I'll have a few different colors available at this weekend's Greenway Open Market (Saturday 11-5) and SoWa Open Market (Sunday 10-4) in Boston.

June 2012 Calendar

 

June's free desktop wallpaper calendar is up! This month, we're featuring our new dragon toys!

Download your wallpaper at Zooguu's Free Stuff page.

Admiral Ackbar Jointed Plush Figure

I'm a member of the Etsy Plush Team, and every month or two there is a team challenge. This time, the challenge was to create a plush that would be perfect for Father's Day. One of the categories we could choose from was "geeky", so I was very happy to have an excuse to make an Admiral Ackbar plush. He's one of my favorite characters from Star Wars, and I've been wanting to make one of these for some time now. Here he is in all his glory (standing & sitting):

Year of the Dragon

2012 is the year of the Dragon. This Red and Gold Dragon was a custom order for a new baby. I'm hoping it brings lots of luck! This design is definitely going to be added to our line of regular toys, but only available in size medium, large and xlarge due to the complexity of the design. Sometimes, when a toy has a lot of little pieces, it actually takes more time to make it smaller.

May 2012 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar

Our May 2012 Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendar features our latest plush design: The Zooguu Manta Ray! We will be bringing the first few rays to the opening day of the SoWa Open Market (Yankee Magazine's vote for best outdoor shopping in New England!!) on May 6. They will be available to order online later on this month, or by dropping us a line to request one.

For now, you can download the desktop wallpaper calendar for free on our Free Stuff page.

What's new - Huge project in progress

We're in the middle of a gigantic project right now, and I wanted to share progress shots of things as they develop. We love fairy tales: princesses, frogs, witches, disguises, wolves, candy houses and more! Whether everyone agrees on the messages that classic fairy tales deliver, the imagery involved has fascinated artists for centuries. We'd like to put our spin on the classics. This project has evolved a lot over the last few weeks, but I think we finally hit on something pretty great. The look is inspired by Brian's cut paper work, Jen's sewing skills and a bit of toy theatre thrown in. Jen has come up with all of the concepts and initial sketches. Brian has used his critical design skills to improve the compositions and develop the color palettes. The final pieces will be made of fabric with colored top stitching to bring out the details. Here are the first four designs in their computer sketch form. We're hoping for at least 12 total before any stitching begins. It even looks like we have a gallery show lined up for when these are complete! Enjoy this little sneak peek into our process:

Little Red Riding Hood

Hansel & Gretel

Cinderella

The Frog Prince

Custom Dog Collar Mannequin

Our latest custom order is for fellow SoWa vendor Cody's Creations! Kerrie wanted a custom dog collar mannequin that resembled her beagle and her company branding. Standing at 14" tall, this guy is the perfect size for a table top display.

Zooguu is Turning Four - Upgrade Special

Zooguu is turning Four years old on May 1, and we couldn't have done it without your support. Every handmade toy purchased over the last four years has made it possible for us to have this business, and we can't thank you enough. To celebrate four years of being full time artists & business owners, we'd like to extend our thanks by offering an upgrade to your order. Here's how it works:

Order a TINY and get a SMALL - you save $10
Order a SMALL and get a MEDIUM - you save $15
Order a MEDIUM and get a LARGE - you save $20
Order a LARGE and get an EXTRA LARGE - you save $30
Order an EXTRA LARGE and we'll give you a free MEDIUM of your choice - you save $40

All you have to do is write the word UPGRADE in the comments box during checkout. If you are ordering an extra large, please put your medium toy choice in the comments box as well.

Now is the best time to pick up gifts for upcoming birthdays, rewards for a great school year, or even treat yourself to a new office pal to brighten your day!

This offer is good until May 1 - find your new friend today on zooguu.com