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.  

woodmouse toys in Simply Handmade magazine

So six months ago, a magazine, Simply Handmade by Northridge Publishing, contacted me about showing one of my wooden items in their magazine.  The magazine world as you probably know works about a half year (or more) ahead of schedule.  I sent the requested info and then forgot all about it.  

Until today when a box arrived in the mail!

Now here is the deal, I was expecting another tiny image on a page as part of a collage of other work (like in the two other zines my wooden work has been in) so imagine my shock when I flipped through and found an entire two page spread devoted to it!  I had no idea.  

In addition to an incredible feature, they sent me a box of crafty goodies.  Oh, yes please!  

So Simply Handmade is a new publication that focuses on handmade projects and includes how-to instructions for them.  Tons of inspiring crafty projects in there.  I can't wait to spend more time pouring through it.  

And for all you fellow crafters reading, you can submit your own work for consideration, I believe they are accepting work for Jan/Feb 2012 right now and here are the themes they want to focus on.    

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!   

 

 

 

 

Scroll Saw Geekiness

To make a long story short, we toured this 1885 home and carriage house recently at the Los Angeles Arboretum.  I'll spare you the part where I drooled over the red and white and aqua details:

And the part where I realized that where they kept the horses is much more beautiful than my dining room:

Because in the carriage house I spotted this:

Oh, be still my heart!  A pedal operated scroll saw from 1876.  For the confused, I use a scroll saw to make my wooden toys.  Oh how I wish I could see the things that were made with it.  And I daydream about trying it out.  Think how even more eco-friendly my toys would be if I cut them this way?  Nah.        

I love looking at old houses.  I think I could look at old houses for a living if such a thing existed.  No, I don't want to photograph them or write about them or do any actual work.  I just want to wander through them and daydream.  Is that a job?   

Christmas Tree Upcycling into Jewelry & Gift Tags

Thank you all for your sweet comments on my last post about losing and finding my ring. 

This was the first year we had a tree for the holidays.  All years past we had a wee rosemary bush that we planted in the yard after the holidays but this year my son really wanted a proper cut tree.  I agreed to a cut tree if we found something to do with it afterwards because I always loved the planting of our Solstice tree and knew I'd miss that part of the tradition.  

My husband sliced the tiny trunk, drilled holes, sanded, stained and sealed and made me a pendant. 

It is amazing how beautiful it is, how "me" it is.  

I'm amazed by the beauty hiding inside.  Look at the tree rings!

Our humble holiday tree transformed into a special preserved slice of wood.  Isn't he great?  I love it when he makes me things.  It doesn't happen too often (hint) but I love it. 

I woodburned our names in the rest of the slices to be used (and reused) for holiday tags in years to come.  Paired with cloth bags and a bit of string and our wrapping is completely taken care of for next year with zero waste.

 
         

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.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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)