Amber Dusick

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.)      

Woodmouse Circus

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Step Right Up!  You won't believe your eyes!  A menagerie of spectacular animal feats!"

I love the circus, actually the idea of the circus.  A vintage circus anyway.  And the circuses of my childhood.  I love the history of them especially and the vintage advertising for them.  

I grew up just outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin which is home to the Circus World Museum...the largest collection of circus artifacts in the world.  It is also the birthplace of the Ringling Brothers Circus (who later bought Barnum & Bailey) so the circus is close to heart and home.  I even knew some professional circus folk, a whole family of stilt walkers.  I like to pretend that somewhere in my family tree there are a few trapeze artists hiding but I don't think that is true.

(UPDATE: Upon talking with my father in law, it turns out that my husband has a great great + uncle who was Harry Houdini's assistant for many years. I've grafted myself onto their tree thanks to marriage.  So I can claim this, right?)         

Meet the woodmouse circus folk:

Clown.  I was a little hesitant to make a clown as so many people are creeped out by them.  I think he turned out pretty innocent and non-scary.

Lion.  I'm smitten with the lion.  I think he is my favorite of them all. 

Circus seal with stand and ball.  In first grade my class performed a circus play and I was a seal.  I had to wear all black and squirm around on the floor with a ball.  I remember being terribly nervous.

Dancing circus bear with a ball.  I have had recurring dreams about bears my entire life.  Maybe there was a bear trainer in my family tree?  Nah.   

Circus elephant.  The first (and only) time I rode an elephant I cried.  It was at the Circus World Museum actually.  I was a child and the elephant was stinky.  Then I felt bad for knowing that he was stinky and plus I was scared.  And excited too because I really wanted to ride him.  So I cried and cried because that is what you do when you are four and can't make sense of things. 

And of course it all takes place in a big top tent!  I secretly wish I could paint our house like this, but it would just look like it was being fumigated.  I think it is odd how they make those tents looks like happy stripey tents...doesn't that attract children to them?  We have termites in this climate so we see tented houses often around here.  

Finally, I have to take this opportunity to share one of my most precious articles of clothing.  My vintage Baraboo Circus Parade shirt.  From 1980.  That I've owned since 1980 when I attended the first ever circus parade there.  I had a red one that actually fit me too.  I wore this shirt like a dress back then as pajamas as I was just a wee thing.  It is one of two articles of clothing that I still have and wear from childhood. 

Enjoy the show!    

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PS, Maya is doing an at home circus theme right now go check it out!

 

 

  

in love again

I'm going to try to make this short and sweet. 

You know what can happen when you get reunited with a long lost love?  You jump back in.

It just happened.  Toy designs started coming to me and they wouldn't go away.  Really, really fun designs that I couldn't ignore.  I was daydreaming about them.  Even night dreaming about them.  And before I knew it, I was sketching new designs.  And making them...

And I'm in love again. 

Robot blocks!  A set of robot parts to play robot factory.  I love these.  I want to stay up all night and make hundreds of them just so I can play with them.  But I won't.  Sleep deprivation not allowed this go 'round.  I've got rules in place about that sort of thing.   

Puzzles that happen to be stand alone toy sets...

Or are they toy sets that happen to be puzzles?  Yeah, probably that.  I like puzzles in theory but hate that most of them are "just" a puzzle.  I wanted to have each piece be a toy itself.     

Plus!  More new designs that I'm really, really excited about...but I said I'd make this short & sweet so I'll save those for another day.      

Apparently, I'm in the toy business again.  And believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are.  Okay, maybe I'm not terribly surprised.  Did you see this coming too?