Amber Dusick

woodmouse is in hibernation

Use coupon code: summer

To get 33% off everything left in the shop.

UPDATE I'm officially hibernating! Shop is in vacation mode.

You totally saw this coming, didn't you? Yes, my annual simplifying attempt. I'll be taking a woodmouse break for a bit while I focus on the rest of summer. I'd like to clear it out, so as a thank you, I'm having a 33% off sale.  Will I be back for the holidays?  Honestly, I can't answer that right now.  I just don't know.

A proper post on simplifying and "taking on too much" coming soon. In a good way.

PS - if my last post seemed down and dreary, I had a fever! No seriously, I had mastitis. Ick. Feel much better now.  

a spot of sun, just in time for a woodmouse spring update

 
The sun peeped out for just 15 minutes today and I literally ran to get my camera to photograph my batch of spring goodies for the shop.  Just enough time.  Not my best photography, couldn't even find my normal backdrop but with cloudy skies and rain coming over the next several days I'll take what I can get.

 
Children of Nature included just ONE of pink tulip, yellow tulip, rainbow, purple flower, daisy and black eyed susan.  Plus two bluebell flowers.  Why did I make so few?  Design mode, not production mode is what is making me tick right now.  This was the first time in a long time that I enjoyed every step of the process.  Okay, maybe not the part when I was waiting for the sun to shine.  

Tulips are the essence of spring for me.  I love this pair.  

But rainbow child is my favorite.  Especially since we've seen so many rainbows this month.  I made two, but I'm keeping one, can't help it.  

My usual bunnies and eggs for Easter?  I didn't make any.  Honestly, they are a dime a dozen on Etsyland now and I'm just not inspired by the same old same old.  Instead I came up with three new designs.  Only one of each though.

Last, but not least...three robots for Japan, ready to give a bit of light in these heavy times.  ALL proceeds will go to Japan for these three one of a kind robots.  I've shipped to Japan a few times, amazing how the art community makes us a touch closer.  My thoughts are there often as I'm sure yours are too.      

This was the little window in the clouds that I took advantage of today.  Just after I finished shooting the sun tucked behind again.  Perfect timing, it absolutely made my day.

Everything I have for spring is loaded in the shop!   

 

 

 

 

local thrifting adventures...with kids

As I've complained about before (too much probably) I rarely have luck thrifting here in Los Angeles.  I'm spoiled I guess, having grown up in the midwest where everything is vintage and everything is just a few bucks.  Still, every once in a while I crave it and try again.  

Back in the small town land of cornfields, I used to go thrifting several times a week.  Daily even.  In fact, in high school I volunteered at our local thrift store just so I could be the very first to sort the donations.  This was before eBay or Etsy so this was purely for my own vintage addiction.  

So today I found myself at a thrift store with my two boys in tow.  Thrifting with kids is totally unlike thrifting alone.  You can't wander around carefully mining for jewels.  I've developed a method of thrifting with them.  It is my "walk the aisles as fast as possible and get the hell out of there before the kids freak out" method.  This means I only stop if something really grabs my eye and even then I have only two seconds to decide if I'm going to take it with me or not.  It is like impulse thrifting.  

This skirt caught my eye on my way to the checkout and it followed my "under $10" only rule so I grabbed it.  Didn't even look it over much because my littlest guy was at his melting point.  I quickly looked for a tag and didn't find one so I figured it must be handmade.  It was a wrap skirt so size didn't matter to me so I added it to the books my son had picked out.  

On the drive home I was writing a blog post in my head and was planning on writing something about how the skirt I picked out reminded me of an Etsy seller whose skirts I've long wanted to get.

When I got home and actually really looked at it (I hadn't even noticed the Red Riding Hood/Wolf) I realized not only did it "look like one of those skirts from that Etsy seller" but it IS one of those skirts.  This one.  

Turns out Hannah lives in Los Angeles too and is a bit thrifting/vintage obsessed as you can see here in her house tour.  So now I'm chosing to believe that she put it there.  That she sprinkles her skirty magic around otherwise crappy thrift stores.  Yeah, okay, probably not.  Admittedly, I feel a wee bit guilty for finding this skirt thrifted, like I owe her $ or something.  Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to have to buy another one.  

So I am no longer going to complain about thrifting here.  I have renewed faith.  And next time I'll go alone, because even though my impulse thrifting worked out this time I can't help but wonder what I missed in the aisles I didn't even go down.  Next time.   Next time.    

 

 

 

 

Giveaway!!! To say thanks...

Yes, this is a giveaway post, but before I get to the rules and the loot I'm going to ramble on a bit.  If you're just here for the goodies, skip to the bottom of this post.  

I was upstairs packing up orders for 2.5 hours last night.  I used to hate packing up orders, I even complained about it (Publically, recorded!) in the Podcast I did with Marisa two years ago.  Last night though I was in heaven.  Maybe it was because had a glass of wine in my hand or because I had Christmas music on.  Anyway, sending off all those packages to the far corners of the world (and some practically in my own backyard to local people I've never even met) was awesome.

I love sending to names I recognize from the last few years of doing this and it feels like I'm sending off holiday gifts to friends...well except the part where they pay me first.  I love sending to brand new Etsy customers with no feedback, knowing that I'm representing their first experience buying on Etsy.  I love sending to Australia because after the US and Canada I send there the most often and I like to joke to myself "Oh, I'm huge in Australia".  I love to send to Canada because after living in Minnesota/Wisconsin I pretend I'm part Canadian and plus they probably have snow and I miss snow.  I love sending to unique sounding addresses and I picture what it might look like where they live though I'm probably very wrong.  I love sending to military addresses even though I'm always confused by the double label and wonder if I'm doing it right.  (And I love sending to whomever is now reading this thinking "hey, I don't fit in any of those categories, she is totally ungrateful!"  Yes, you too.)  

AND.  My blog.  How could I forget this blog and all seven of my faithful readers.  Ha ha.  Actually, stats show me that there are about 250 daily readers, maybe this giveaway will pull some people out of the woodwork.  I really appreciate that you guys stick around even though I still have no idea what I'm doing with this blog and I jump from mama posts to "buy my shit" posts to complaining about spiders and everything else.  (Don't tell the people in the above paragraph, but really, this giveaway is for you guys.)

Winner will receive:

1 sheep ornament, 1 poinsettia nature child, 1 skunk toy

To win, comment on this post.  Winner will be drawn randomly.  One comment per person & anywhere in the world.  (winner is responsible for potential duties & taxes coming into your country)  Comments close Friday December 10th at noon, Pacific. 

 

 

 

 

Winter Goodies (last 2010 shop update!)

I just finished uploading the very last of my winter goodies for 2010 in the shop.  Some oldies but goodies and some new stuff too.

I'm so crazy in love with these snowmen with their new scarves and I'm sad I only have these six because I'd like to line my mantel with them.  I will not be sad if they don't sell.

Candycane lane houses make a 2010 appearance in various sets but this lone one is my favorite:

 

Sheep.  Enough said.  These are unbelievable.  And I kick myself that I only made three:

 

Sewing machines for the sewers out there:

 

Six geeky robot ornaments with various personalities.  My favorite is that first green smug one:

 

And (drumroll please...) I finished up my 2010 Winter Children of Nature figures.  I will have only 3 each this time.  Holly, fir, chestnut, poinsettia & pinecone:

 

Chestnut is my favorite though:

And, well, that about sums it up.  Wait.  I must include more snowmen because they make me happy just to look at them.

And can you believe I almost scrapped these?  At first I thought they were too wonky and goofy looking and I almost threw them in the fire without painting them.  So often my favorites start out as my least favorites.

Well, it is official, my woodshop is on break and I'm ready for hot cocoa, fireplace and all that cozy business of the season.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

can you guess?

What does...

this skirt by LovetoKnowYou

this strap by moxieandoliver

and this vintage engraving from bananastrudel mean?

Other than that I've been drooling over all three of course.  Is it that I'm taking a trip to Eastern Europe?  Is it that I love the color brown?  Is it that I secretly want to be a gypsy wanderer?  Something else?

I'll tell you one thing that I do know.  You are never too old to try something new.  Never too old to learn.  You are never too old to change.  Often, the person you want to be was there the whole time, you just haven't been properly introduced.  It is up to you to make that introduction.  No matter how awkward it might be at first. 

 

Collaboration (or, woodmouse jumped into a dress)

I've never done any sort of collaboration before, with the exception of drawing with my son I suppose.  So I was thrilled (and nervous) when Ulla asked me to create a wooden mouse to fit in one of her doll dress pockets.  We have listed it in the Natural Kids Team store.

Aren't her doll dresses wonderful?  This one fits on a 12 inch waldorf doll.  I love the mouse print!  I can just imagine a child putting their beloved doll in this dress and pretending the mouse is the doll's pet.  I wonder what the doll will name her mouse.  (Sigh, why don't my boys love dolls!?)

Perfect little details too, like the small branch button in the back.

Thanks Ulla for the chance to collaborate with you!  Find the one of a kind mouse dress & mouse toy here:  Mouse Dress & Mouse Toy

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.

-----------

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.)      

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?      

clay, meet wood. wood, this is clay.

I got them together at last.  Clay and wood are friends.  Stoneware mounted on poplar... tiles?  Plaques?  What do I call these?  Any suggestions? 

 

I wanted to make work for the walls as I still have some bare walls around the house but not much shelf space. 

I'm having a really hard time deciding how to photograph these.  They go on the wall yet I need to show that they have depth.  Still working on this but I'm just going to go with what I've got and work on photos as I go along.     

I have just a handful finished but I think more are in my future as I'm really loving these.  I think they'd be amazing in a grouping on a wall.  (Note to self: make more with the intention of keeping them.)

  
It felt good to cut wood again, it has been a loooooong time.  Such fun to find a way to combine my two loves.  

(These will be in my Amber Dusick shop soon.  PS - I split my shops, keeping woodmouse strictly for wood.  Even though they play well together I didn't like them living together.)