Amber Dusick

Creative Thursday Episode 3 is LIVE

My friend Marisa (surely, I've mentioned her here before at least a billion times) has produced an interview series with creatives. 

I'm Episode 3! 

We talk about the evolution from woodmouse and toy making and how the whole Crappy Pictures thing happened and how I've since put that on pause. We talk about making shitloads of money (or to be clear, not) and all sorts of other creative business things like caring (or not caring) about playing the numbers game with likes/followers and missing the "good old days" of Etsy when it felt like a connected community of makers.

 

 

The thing I really like about her show is that the interviews feel much more like a casual conversations between friends.

I also admire that she went against the norm in terms of length. These are full length conversations, not a 2 minute Q & A. In the days where the internet world moves so fast, inviting someone to sit down and really take their time exploring a topic is very refreshing. 

You can watch it here. 

Coming Unstuck

My last post was about feeling stuck. It was written seven months ago.

Needless to say, I didn't get unstuck overnight.

What finally worked was a little experiment I did. I created something from start to finish every day for 30 days. That was it. Those were the rules. Create something (anything!) from start to finish each day. For 30 days. Oh, and I wasn't allowing myself to show anyone. I wanted zero feedback, you see, this was just for me, to play around in different mediums and see what I liked. To see if anything would spark anything.  

I painted on canvas, I painted on wood, I painted on watercolor paper with ink outlines. I woodburned on wood, I designed and cut wooden figures. I woodburned on leather. I stained leather and painted leather. I sewed a bag. I drew pictures with a pen. 

And you know what happened? 

Well, exactly what I hoped would happen. Ideas started to flow and I could feel myself becoming unstuck. I particularly enjoyed working with wood (surprise, surprise) so that is where my focus is right now. Thus, my woodmouse shop is open once again. 

Most of my new designs are directly from what has been on my mind lately. Homesteading, farming, simple living and such.

These beehives are one of my favorites. Probably just because I want to keep bees though. 

 

Course, I'm also partial to this badger. But I don't actually want a badger. (My heart belongs to Wisconsin though and it IS their state animal, hmmmm...) 

 

Chicken coops. They are so dang cute. Although I have a chicken coop I could still look at pictures of them all day long. Why is that?

 

But these mason jars. I can't even. Aren't mason jars the perfect symbol of homesteading and simple living? 

 

And that is just a tiny, tiny sample.

There are over 50 listings in my woodmouse shop right now. Hello, unstuckness! 

 

(People still ask me if I will ever write on the crappy blog again. The truth is I lay in bed each night and write hilarious blog posts in my head. Every. Single. Night. This is fairly new, but this hasn't translated into actually writing for real. Still, it's something.) 

 

 

kiln opening (oh yeah, ceramics! how are you?)

It has been over a year since I last posted about ceramics.

Had been a long time since I did a kiln firing, I had even been holding a batch of work by Marisa hostage in my garage from a clay date last year. I very strongly dislike not finishing things, so I was hugely relieved to fire Melvina last week. I did get Marisa's work back to her finally. She forgave me because she is cool like that.

Some of the kiln was filled with my 4-year-old's ceramics.

Of my own work, these were my favorites:

I made a whole lot of little things with some thrown bowls thrown into the mix. 

I made many beads and tiny little jewelry pieces that I'm excited about playing around with. 

And the houses, oh I adore the wee houses:

I have a fun little project planned for these guys that I'm excited about doing. 

But more on that when I get around to it.  I can't promise that it won't take a year. But it probably won't. Probably. 

Feels SO GOOD to tie up loose ends like this.

Interview on ScoutieGirl

I was interviewed over on the fabulous ScoutieGirl blog.  That blog is one of my favorites, it isn't just a pretty blog that lifts content from other blogs, Tara puts her heart and soul into it.  Her personality shows in it.  Her posts are insightful and thought provoking.  She asked me some really hard questions too.  The interview was done via instant messaging - I've never done one like that before, it was fun and a little nervewracking.  I always think I sound like an idiot in interviews but I'm pretty sure everyone feels that way.    

Handmade Vintage Amp Toybox that Goes to Eleven

Behold!  A handmade vintage inspired amp toybox.  It holds all the odds and ends musical stuff for the kids.  Tambourines, shakers, xylophones, etc.  A musical toybox.

The switch really clicks on and off.  The simple wooden knobs turn.  If you plug in an air guitar?  It goes to eleven. 

 

It kind of makes the others look dull, no? 

 

Welcome to the amp family, little toybox!

 

Notice his cool amp & guitar shirt by TypsyGypsyTees.  I totally didn't plan that.  Or something.

Even the baby can't resist cranking it. 

Getting just the right sound.

Works with a ukulele too!

So this is how it happened.  I'm a toymaker, I'm crafty and I make stuff.  In my (almost) four year old's mind this means that anything he dreams up I can make for him.  And he is mostly right - with the exception of the doughnut machine that he really, really wants for his birthday.  Sorry, kid, you are on your own with that one.  So he told me he wanted an amp.  A wooden one.  A pretend one.  And orange of course, as his favorite color is orange.  I thought about making a little wee one, much like these retro TV ornaments I made once upon a time, but ultimately decided that turning it into a toybox to store all our music related stuff would be better.

(and then to make it weirder, just two days later Emily commented on this post that she had a dream about making wooden toy amps so she gets credit for making me more motivated to make the darn thing...that and if I do ever make wee ones like she dreamt about I'm going to send her one.  I think they'd make great ornaments, just like the TVs, don't you?)

The boy helped with every single step.  He was completely part of the design process in terms of size, how many knobs, color, etc.  It was fun "working" with him.

We did a no nails construction.  Used wooden dowels, holes and glue.  This thing is heavy and sturdy!

Painting.  I did the woodburning myself though.  Although he begged to help with that part I just know he isn't ready.  Too hot.  Too dangerous.

All the hardware is courtesy of the 92 year old engineer we bought the house from, who left his entire life's supply of virtually everything in the garage for us.  Even the red jewel light I found in a tiny drawer, along with the orange one that I'm sure we'll use someday.  (Have people made jewelry out of these?  I love them.)

So there you have it!  The Amp Toybox! 

 

Children of Nature Toy Series, Autumn 2010

The Children of Nature on parade! 

A dozen designs for this autumn.  I meant to keep these under wraps until September 1st because it feels odd to be all "Look at my fall stuff!!!" when it is still August but I couldn't wait.  It is pure torture for me to sit on something that is ready and not share it. 

(PS - thank you for all the lovely comments on our anniversary!  We had a great weekend of food, fun and family)

Autumn Children of Nature 2010 Coming Soon

Autumn is usually the most juicy creative time of the year for me, I find the season so inspiring it is almost overwhelming.  For every new design for the series I sketch I think of ten more.  My sketchbook is filled with lists and lists of ideas and sometimes I get frozen in not knowing what to do first.

I took this with my phone yesterday, right after I finished painting the very last one.  I will finish and share them properly but I just couldn't wait to give a sneak peek.  Turnip, butternut squash and squash blossoms!  Apples, milkweed and sunflowers! 

Autumn for me as a child meant pumpkin patches and apple orchards.  Chasing the fluff of milkweed pods.  Butternut squash with lots of brown sugar.  Sunflowers towering over my head.  Digging up root vegetables. 

When you think back to autumn as a child, what comes to mind?    

PS - In case you are new here, I introduced my first Children of Nature series in fall of 2008 with this post.  Some of those may appear again too from time to time.

wooden building blocks for children Artsy Toddler Blocks

So I was thinking that maybe I should have more photos of kids playing with my toys, especially with new designs I'm working on.  As I was daydreaming about this I looked up and saw my boys playing with my wooden building blocks in a ray of morning sunshine.  No kidding.  And I nearly missed the moment before hell broke loose and the tears came.  Hard to build structures when baby brother is knocking it down.    

Unfortunately, these wooden blocks aren't new so I don't really need action shots of them.  I sold the first set in 2008 because I had too many wood scraps which is what the sets are made from.  For the second set I sold a week later, I changed the name from "Crazy Blocks" to "Imagination Blocks" because "crazy" sounded bad.  But now I'm not digging that name either.   

How about "Toddler Art Sculpture Blocks" for a name?  Or "Artsy Toddler Blocks" perhaps?  Yeah, I like that one.  You'd think after years of making something I wouldn't be sweating names but well, I am. 

My son loves to balance them in interesting ways and make "Culptures" as he calls them.  One of the last remaining "baby talk" words he has left.  Bittersweet.   

It is funny, but of all the things I've made, these wooden building blocks get the most use in our house.  By everyone big to little.

Sometimes simple is best.  

What toys have gotten the most love in your house?

Wooden Toy Cell Phones and organizing my business

Wooden toy cell phones are back?  Yes indeed.  

Keeping with my organizing my business theme, I did something "buiness-y" over the weekend.  I tracked and recorded every toy and ornament design I've ever made and sold to confirm my top selling designs. 

That part wasn't very revealing.  I could pretty much guess what my top sellers were, even my husband could.  The wooden cell phone toys were in the top ten but I already knew they would be.  What was revealing was how many designs I had completely forgotten I ever made.

So what does this all mean?  It means I'm one step closer to being more organized.  I figure that most people keep track of this sort of thing and this has been on my to do list since 2007.  Phew, feels good to check that off. 

Another way I've organized is to pick colors for the wooden toy phones.  No more taking photos of each and every individual phone.  I've got my little rainbow set so the red phones will be that red.  The green ones will be that green.  Course you know I can't resist experimenting with colors sometimes.  Colors are irresistible.  I also simplified the design a wee bit to give them a cleaner look. 

Just for fun (okay, fun for me)  is a trip down wooden toy phone memory lane...

2007.  Made as a custom for a friend.  She wanted one to look like her home cordless phone.  This planted the idea and I totally credit her for it. 

2007.  One of the first cell phones.  These were painted with milk paint.  It is relatively embarrassing.

 

2008.  Getting better.  

2009.  Nothing much changed other than my photography background.

2010.  New cleaner, modern version.  What do you think?  Obviously my skills are better all around.  Like I said, it is slightly embarrassing looking at my early work, but it also makes me really proud.

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So.  Organizing!  Streamlining!  In case you are wondering, these steps I'm taking now are to avoid burnout later.  I'm safeguarding the future. 

(and I'm still working on my template organization, thanks so much for all the amazing ideas, you guys are the best!)  

   

    

ice cream trucks. happiness on wheels.

Ice cream trucks are magic.  Pure magic.  Think about it, they slowly drive around randomly through neighborhoods with a truck filled with ice cream and other frozen novelties.  They bring it to you.  It is one of the last remaining services that come to you.  Plus, it is ice cream we're talking about here.  Not door to door vacuum or encyclopedia salesmen.  Ice cream!  It finds you!  Tell me there isn't something magical about that. 

A happy tinkling melody carried by the breeze through the trees...is it?  Could it be?  Yes!  You hear it and pause for a second and listen intently.  Is is coming this way?  Up my street?  

A dash for cash and then run out the front door as fast as you can and line up.

 

Enjoy your treats in the yard, racing the sun who is trying to melt them.  "Wanna play hide and seek later?"  

Then the ice cream truck moves on, bringing happiness to the next bunch of kids.  

Please, let there always be ice cream trucks for each new generation.

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PS - I heard one wind through our neighborhood as I was painting this truck.  Not kidding.   This sounds almost too precious but honest, it happened.  I didn't however try to catch it - I was too engrossed in toy making and didn't have cash anyway.  I really hope I didn't disturb some ice cream truck karma balance and that it comes back my way again soon.  Next time I'll be ready.

(I'm keeping this set.  I cannot possibly let it leave my house.  However, I did make another one for the shop.)