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.  

Shop Update: New Work...

The sun came out so I was able to photograph everything!  Below is all the new stuff, more classic stuff (robots, cell phones, babywearing mamas) are also in the shop.  

Watermelon child, strawberry child, pink wildflower and violet child.  I love seeing them as a group like this.  Like little pairs of best friends chatting.  Notice how the fruits hang with the fruits and the flowers stick to the flowers?  Such is life.  

Two little yellowbell flower children.  I love "bell" style flowers, they look so whimsical.  

Rainbow fairies.  I like to pretend they paint the rainbows in the sky. Refraction of the sun's light?  Nah. The fairies.  

This little boy carrying his just picked flower is so sweet.  He looks so earnest and innocent.  Reminds me of my own boys, the flowers in my yard don't stand a chance because they love to pick a tiny handful for me each day.

The little girl version too.  Something about these remind me of my own childhood summers, running around picking flowers like it was the most amazing thing in the whole world.  Because it was.    

See the rest in the shop.

Updates are few and far between in these parts lately.  Last one was three months ago and the next will probably be the same, just in time for autumn.  I'm really comfortable with how I've slooooooowed woodmouse down.  I'm not allowing myself to feel pressure to make, make, make although it has been hard telling people "no" when they ask about customs or when I'll have more of this or that.  I feel like I have finally found a balance with this.  After only four years!

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!   

 

 

 

 

welcoming spring!

Hey, spring is here!  To celebrate, we made a batch of tulip and sun cookies using my favorite sugar cookie recipe.  I added lemon zest from our own lemons to the frosting to make them more "spring" flavored. 

I also used 2 cups of whole wheat flour in place of regular flour and they still were great.  They didn't get too "cardboardized" as some healthy versions of cookies tend to.  

We welcomed spring here in Los Angeles with a rainy day so cookie baking was pretty much the perfect activity.  Picnic plans are delayed for now.

I have a few spring goodies coming to my very neglected Etsy shop very soon.  They are all finished, I'm just waiting for the rain to stop so I can photograph them!  Some goodies for Japan (oh, dear Japan...in my thoughts so often) and a few new Easter and spring things.  

How did you guys welcome spring?         

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.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

---------

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.

-----------

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.)