FOX AND OWL

art shanties

2012-01-29T15:47:00.000-06:00

Another reason to love Minnesota: The Art Shanties Project on Medicine Lake. From the Art Shanties Project Website:

Art Shanty Projects is a four-week exhibition that is part sculpture park, part artist residency and part social experiment, inspired by traditional ice fishing houses that dot the state's lakes in winter. It is an artist driven temporary community exploring the ways in which the relatively unregulated public space of the frozen lake can be used as a new and challenging artistic environment to expand notions of what art can be.

The reflection shanty (first three pictures) was simply stunning. You must go if you are in the Minneapolis area!

in process

2012-01-23T20:32:00.001-06:00

I've never been big on talking about process. It's not that I'm secretive or anything, it's just that I'm kind of all about the finished product. For me the early stages (and sometimes the middle and later ones too) are filled with awkward moments, doubt, and often times struggle and it feels messy and kind of private. This studio project has been going on for quite some time now and well...it's not done yet. Of course I'd love to do a big dramatic reveal! and show you my beautifully finished work space with everything in it's place and all the work I'm producing in it. I'm just not there yet and I don't know when I will be. Lots of progress has been made (thanks Dad, Benji and Adam!) but there is still floor finishing, priming, painting and furniture to figure out. It's a small space and I'm asking a lot of it: I need a dedicated drawing space, a sewing area and lots of storage space. I have a plan and I think it can be done.

I'd like to say that the studio project is the reason I haven't been posting much here on the blog but that's not really true. I have plenty of things I'd like to be sharing here but I'm feeling an aversion to it all for some reason. I know I'll be back at it soon enough but I guess in just in one of those kind of messy, kind of private process times and that brings out my natural hermit-like tendencies.

spun cotton

2012-01-07T15:25:00.000-06:00

Boy oh boy have I been scarce around here lately. The holidays seem to have sent me into temporary hermit mode at least as far as this blog goes but I did want to share some projects and highlights from the holidays with you. We made a lot of our presents again this year. My husband's homemade bitters totally stole the show but these worked out pretty well too:

This year I wanted to find something new and fun and having nothing to do with sewing. I tried my hand at spun cotton ornaments using two video tutorials I found on Martha Stewart This one for spun cotton Easter bunny decorations and this one for spun cotton mushroom clip ornaments. I found both the tutorials to be easy to follow and I had a lot of fun trying a new medium. I found the animals to be a little trickier than the mushrooms which were relatively simple. I can tell spun cotton is something that definitely takes some time and practice to get good at but even though mine were kind of wonky, I liked how they turned out. I usually tend to gravitate towards work that is really detail oriented so these were refreshing in that I was forced to embrace a looser less "perfect" result.

I did a few things differently than the way they were done in the tutorials. For the mushrooms I opted for hanging them instead of using clips as I'm not a big fan of clip ornaments (they always seem to flop over if they have any weight or bulk at all) and instead of using glitter I used some beautiful vintage mica flakes found here for a slightly more subtle sparkly effect. I also added little vintage glass beads and paper flags.

goodbye to 2011

2011-12-31T15:44:00.000-06:00

H e l l o 2 0 1 2

37

2011-12-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

I'm 37 today.

We have a busy day full of a little travel, family, food and lots of presents of course. I gave myself a present and started the day with a run. I started running this past summer and it's one of the very best things about this past year for me.

Happy Holidays to you all!

favorite

2011-12-15T21:01:00.002-06:00

As you may have noticed by now, the newest toy is almost always my favorite. I'm pretty sure that says something about me but I don't feel like exploring it at the moment! I was asked to make a bear for a project (more later once it becomes more concrete) and I took the opportunity to draft a new pattern. I sometimes name my patterns after an event or an occasion for which I am creating them like "Heath" or "Renegade". This pattern is called "The Last Bear". I guess I was feeling at the time like it might be the last one. Once I made the bear however and I was so pleased with it I realized it's pretty unlikely this will be the last pattern (or bear) I make. I love it too much to ever really stop. I told you this studio move has got me feeling pretty transitional over here! I'm done with my orders now and spending this time before Christmas turning my dining room (my former studio) back into a dining room, making presents and doing little Christmassy projects with my boys. It feels good.

Once again, this fabric was given to me by a friend. Thanks T.T for this amazing pink wool hounds tooth! What timing!

rabbit friend

2011-12-12T15:01:00.003-06:00

I just made two new Rabbit Friends...one as a custom order and another to put in my shop. This time I made them with some gorgeous vintage velvet a friend gave me. I just put this Rabbit Friend in my shop!

Thanks to GR for the fabric!

special one

2011-12-09T20:07:00.001-06:00

I've been working away on custom orders this past week. This is a bear I made for a dear customer who'd been dreaming of him for quite some time. It's a pattern I hadn't used in ages but I'm so happy I had the chance to work with it again...I love it. This guy ended up with such a good personality I think, I was a little sad to see him go but so very happy to hear how happy his new owner (well, owner's mom I guess!) is with him. I made another bear this week that I'm pretty excited about too...I show you that one next time.

I've stopped taking custom orders now and I'm trying hard to finish up all my toy obligations in the next couple of days. It will be a while before I'm able to make work again. I've started packing up all my stuff for the big move to the new backyard studio. It will be a month or so before the space is completely finished and set up for working which is good because I feel like I need some time to really think about how I want to use the new space. It's a big time of transition around here.

the tree

2011-12-03T20:53:00.001-06:00

It was the perfect snowy evening to get our tree. We are lucky...there is a place around the corner from our house that has a Christmas tree lot each year. We opted for the "Charlie Brown" tree this year meaning that it's kind of sparse and skinny (and cheap, which is good too). I like a tree like that, it looks very old fashioned to me.

I'll be sharing my so-called studio with the Christmas tree for the next week while I finish up some custom work and a few presents. Then I'm packing it all up and moving it into my very own brand new studio attached to our garage which is just about done!

in the shop

2011-12-02T08:38:00.003-06:00

I've put two of these Mouse in a Stocking Ornaments in my shop. The mouse is removable and the stocking is made from wool felt. It's trimmed with pretty vintage buttons, wool felt greenery and a paper banner that reads Merry Christmas. ~~There are two available~~! ~~One left!~~

mouse nap

2011-12-01T10:58:00.000-06:00

Jude adopted this mouse I made for a little-Christmas-something I'll be adding to my shop soon. When he saw it he said "oh! Is that for me?!" and looked at me with his big beautiful eyes in such a hopeful way. Of course I had to tell him it was for him! The sight of him napping with his little mouse makes having to make an extra totally worth it. I'm so happy he still likes soft cute toys.

Heath Ceramics

2011-11-29T09:55:00.001-06:00

I'm happy to report I finished that wholesale order I was talking about and I realized I never announced where all those rabbits and baby toys were off to. I'm thrilled that Heath Ceramics will be selling my work! I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity. Heath is an amazing company and I respect the quality and the ethos of their work so much (okay, I covet just about everything they make) so I jumped at the chance to make work for their stores. I sent them Rabbit Friends and Waldorf style baby toys and a small edition of simple little jointed bears- just for Heath- wearing feedsack neckerchiefs. If you are not familiar with Heath, head over to their website to learn about their rich history and philosophy and dream about eating off gorgeous hand made ceramics everyday.

ready to go!

2011-11-28T11:14:00.000-06:00

A couple more peeks at what I'll be adding to the shop today at noon....I'll have 40 new items! I'm setting up a 10% coupon today for you lovely blog readers. Use coupon code MONDAYMONDAY today for your discount.

fox & owl vintage

vintage shop update preview # 2

2011-11-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

More things I'll be adding to my vintage shop for tomorrow's update. There is still a lot more. I picked the cloudiest weekend ever to take pictures but I managed. It will be fun to have a well stocked shop again. Come take a look tomorrow!

Yes Tammy, I'm totally teasing you!!

vintage shop update preview # 1

2011-11-26T17:49:00.000-06:00

Some of the treasures that I'll be adding to my vintage shop on Monday. I have lots of kids clothes too and I'll give you a little peek at some of those in preview #2.

fox and owl vintage: shop update!

2011-11-25T16:53:00.002-06:00

Get ready. This Monday at noon CST (that's CYBER MONDAY, people!) I'll finally be updating my vintage shop with a whole new batch of amazing vintage treasures. I'll post some preview pictures here over the weekend.

I found this dreamy image from here via Pinterest. Do you love Pinterest as much as I do???

by mail

2011-11-23T11:57:00.001-06:00

Oscar's birthday is right around the corner...six years old!! I'm feeling so busy this year, I had a moment of weakness: I suggested to Oscar that perhaps we would just send out an E-vite this year because I was afraid we wouldn't get our usual handmade invitations in the mail in time. His response was this: "NOOOOOOoooooooooooo!" Thank goodness he is stronger than I. I totally understand the appeal of an E-vite but making and mailing invitations is such a fun project and do you remember the excitement of getting something special in the mail as a kid? I hate to think that could disappear. Instead you just have to say to your kid "oh, hey by the way you got invited to a party." So much less fun.

These are our best invitations yet I think because they were almost entirely made by Oscar. We threw caution to the wind an let him invite all the full day kids in his class for a bowling party.

Okay, back to work!

about the holidays

2011-11-19T20:00:00.003-06:00

I've had some inquiries about what my plans are for toys this season. Here is the deal: Because I have been so busy with custom orders and this wholesale order, I will not be updating my shop this winter. If you were hoping to get a little something special from me this Christmas I have set aside a period of time in December to do a few CUSTOM ORDERS. If you would like me to make you something, please email me your questions or request at: foxandowltoys@gmail.com. I'll only have time to make a handful of toys and I'll need to have orders placed by early December. I will mail them out on or before December 13th. I've made a little menu of sorts here for you to see some of the toys I'm currently making and their prices. Of course, I'm not able to do exact replicas of any of these pieces, but I can make you something with the same pattern and slight variations. If you have something else in mind based on something you have seen here on my blog or in my Etsy shop, I'm open to that too. I look forward to making something special for you!

progress

2011-11-15T13:36:00.000-06:00

Nine Rabbit Friends.

superbusy

2011-11-11T21:33:00.000-06:00

Sheesh, what a week. I'm working really hard to fill a big (well big for me since I'm a one woman operation) order for some toys. I'll tell you more about that soon, but in the mean time be patient with me as I may not be around here too much in the next week or so. How on earth can it be November 11th already?

sisters

2011-11-07T15:50:00.000-06:00

I just finished a custom order for two bears for two sisters. They have such a big sister/little sister quality to them I think. It was such a fun project to work on because it was really open ended which allows me to let the personalities of the toys unfold in their own time and in their own way.

inside and out

2011-11-01T12:11:00.000-05:00

Amazing progress is being made on the new garage and studio...I'm so excited to get in there! I'm making progress on custom orders inside too, these two bears are to be special Christmas presents for two lucky sisters.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

lost tooth!

2011-10-27T10:23:00.002-05:00

Oscar lost his tooth last night! Sadly, he actually LOST it...I think he might have swallowed it. He was really disappointed about that but I suggested he draw a picture of it and write the tooth fairy a little note (thanks for the idea, Tammy!)and that seemed to make him feel pretty okay about it. I think his note is even more precious than the actual tooth. He made up a word: frstooth= first tooth.

Thanks so much for the kind words about tooth buddy. It feels so good to make something new and different and get a positive response from you.

loose tooth

2011-10-26T15:12:00.002-05:00

Oscar has his first loose tooth and I mean it is l o o s e ! I took a little time away from custom work this morning to make him this tooth buddy with a li'l tooth/money sack. I'm excited to give it to him but I think I'll wait until his tooth actually falls out which should be very soon...unless he's one of those kids that lets the tooth hang on by a thread for like, days and days. Gross!

portrait

2011-10-25T19:10:00.000-05:00

G h o s t B e a r

lamb's ears

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Jude thought it would be funny to make some lamb's ears for himself out of two leaves from the "lamb's ear" plant in our garden. Just for laughs. Good one Jude!

new friend in the toy cupbord

2011-10-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

A Play Rabbit with pink pants!

vintage shop update

2011-10-17T08:13:00.002-05:00

I just updated my vintage shop Fox and Owl Vintage with a few new items including this amazing kid's Halloween cape! I'm sorry to say that my own kids found ratty lycra superhero costumes at the thrift store that they are VERY excited about so there will be no charming home made or vintage costumes for them this year.

cat's pajamas

2011-10-16T14:49:00.000-05:00

You know what's fun? Going out with friends on the weekend...at night! I hardly ever have a chance to do it and this Friday was extra sweet because I got to hang out with my friend Tammy who took me to a big vintage sale at the State Fairgrounds. I've never seen so much vintage all at once...it was like a dream.

I've mentioned Tammy before, she's the one with the fabulous vintage shop on Etsy Ms Tips . She is pretty much the most lovely and put together person I know. She was wearing a vintage silk scarf in her hair that night that was so perfect, it kind of inspired me to try to do more fun stuff with my hair since I have kind of a lot of it but it always just ends up in a messy bun like, every single day. I'm thinking a Ms. Tips guest post and hair tutorial is in order.

Get a load of that calendar in the second picture! We wanted to peek and see what was under the calendar (who wouldn't?!) but she was wrapped in plastic. What a tease.

collecting

2011-10-13T22:44:00.001-05:00

I have a small collection of vintage/antique toys and these are some recent additions. There is no real rhyme or reason to my collecting, I just find things from time to time that I feel I can't pass up. The beaded teething toy I got last summer at an antique store in northern Minnesota. It cost almost nothing and is one of my favorite objects EVER. The black and white mouse is a character from a early American comic strip called Krazy Kat. His name is Ignatz and I found him on Etsy. The hedgehog is a Steiff I got at a crazy place here in Minneapolis called the Cottage House. I had the funniest conversation with the woman I bought it from... she said: "Did you know hedgehogs are like, HUGE in Russia?" And I was like "Really!? I had no idea!!" ...thinking she meant that they were very large but really she just meant that they are a very popular animal there. Well, let me tell you we had a pretty good laugh over that one.

Birthday Bears

2011-10-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, but I'm NOT currently taking orders for custom Birthday Bears. These bears are 10.5" tall and made of a perfect golden mohair with ivory colored wool felt pads. They are stuffed with excelsior (wood wool) and are fully jointed with cotter pin joints. They have old shoe button eyes that are backed with wool felt. Each bear wears a hand knit sweater made of the softest marino wool in the color of your choice. The sweater is finished with vintage buttons at the shoulders and is removable. I'll also make your bear some little pants made of pure wool and a party hat for the big day. Your bear will come with a birthday present of his/her own...a tiny vintage inspired handmade wooden bead toy. Finally, in addition to the information card that details the materials used for each toy I make, your special birthday bear will come with a small personalized card made of gold paper with the birthday number on the front that coordinates with the party hat.

Colors available for your hand knit sweater are: peach, variegated aqua, creme with black and gray specks, fuschia, and lavender.

This is a truly special gift... A bear to grow up with. The cost for each bear is $260. The current waiting period for your special bear is 8 weeks. I have a limited amount of this mohair so when I run out, this particular bear will no longer be available. There is a $60 deposit to place you on my custom bear list. The remaining $200 can be paid all at once once the bear is done or you may make payments over time. The full amount must be paid before the bear ships. Shipping is with priority mail with insurance and is $14.

About toy safety: It's up to you to determine whether or not this is an appropriate toy for your child. It has button eyes and small parts inside (the jointing mechanisms). The small beaded toy is certainly not appropriate for a very young child and it along with the party hat are to be considered decorative. Please feel free to ask me questions about my own opinions and experience with toy safety...as a mom of two young boys (who have several of my toys) I have a lot to say on the topic!

Please email me for more information or to order your Birthday Bear at: foxandowltoys@gmail.com

Thanks!
Erika

prims magazine feature

2011-10-10T14:10:00.001-05:00

I was sent a copy of the new issue of Prims Magazine in the mail a few days ago. My toys got a beautiful four-page spread in it. I got to write a little bit about my process and inspiration in the article which I've never really done before. I got the three toys that were photographed back too. The little ivory bear will be in my shop soon. The mouse is spoken for and I think I'll hold on to that black bear for a bit.

I've been working on a few custom orders over the last month or so and have some more to do before the holidays- which suddenly seem not so far away. Last year at this time I ran myself kind of ragged making as many toys as possible because of the Martha Stewart Living feature. I'm not sure what I'll be making for Christmas-time this year but it will most certainly be different from last year. As usual I have tons of ideas about what I'd like to be making and not nearly enough time to do it all.

Thank You, Prims!

fox and owl vintage!

2011-09-30T18:55:00.001-05:00

Hey! Did I tell you I opened a vintage shop on Etsy? Well I did! I opened Fox and Owl Vintage several weeks ago after talking about doing it for years. I was kind of waiting to "announce" it until I had a chance to fill it up a bit more, but things are selling already and it sometimes takes me a little while to list my treasures. The shop will be a small collection of carefully curated vintage toys, dolls and kid's clothes mostly...but not exclusively. If you have a little girl, you are in luck because this will be my vintage-girls-clothes-obsession-outlet!

I'm in the process of listing a few more things this weekend...here is a little sneak peek!

birthday bears

2011-09-27T09:37:00.001-05:00

I finished my nephew Arthur's bear (the little guy in the blue sweater) in time for his birthday party last week. I'm really happy with the way he turned out. As I mentioned before, I like this bear so much, I've decided to use him as a model for a custom birthday bear offering.

I started making jointed toys because I wanted to make a special present for my son for his birthday a couple of years ago. I quickly became totally enamored with he process and the results, and things unexpectedly took off from there. I really like this bear because the pattern I came up with is very similar to the pattern I drafted for that first bear...just a bit smaller and with a few little adjustments. Making a special toy for a kid's birthday makes me really happy. I just want to capture that joy over and over again!

Click here or on the image of the birthday bears in the sidebar for ordering information.

one last look

2011-09-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

I took a moment to take a few pictures inside our old garage last week. I loved these old movie posters on the walls, and the wood was so dark and lovely. Of course it had it's problems: mainly that it was tiny and falling apart. So that's why...

We had it demolished!

As you can imagine it was a very exciting day here. This week the foundation will be poured for our new garage & studio! Yeah!

little details

2011-09-22T14:05:00.002-05:00

Inspired by vintage crib toys: A little wooden bead friend for Arthur's Birthday Bear!

party hat

2011-09-20T11:25:00.003-05:00

I'm working on my very favorite kind of project today... a birthday bear for someone I love. My nephew Arthur is about to turn one and I want to make him a bear to grow up with. Making a special toy for a kid's birthday is such happy work to do, and I like Arthur's bear so much I've decided to use his as a model for a Custom Birthday Bear offering. I'm still working out the details but I hope to have them available for order starting sometime next week!

today in the studio

2011-09-16T10:25:00.004-05:00

My temporary studio. I'm calling it that now because even though it will be some time before I can actually move in, building permits have been acquired, and this new studio business I keep talking about is really going to happen.

I'm finishing up this custom bear today and got to use some of these wonderful little vintage buttons I just got. I spend quite a bit of time sourcing materials...like tiny vintage buttons for little overalls, shoe buttons etc. I find a fair amount locally and also buy things on Etsy or Ebay but these are buttons I got at a store that just opened across the street from my house!! How lucky am I? A cute shop called Digs Studio sells a nice selection of fabrics, yarns, ribbon and vintage buttons! And now when I need a spool of thread I wont have to get in my car and drive to some terrible huge craft store and be assaulted by the odor of heavily scented pine cones, or get glitter all over myself because I walked down the fake flower isle. I'll just skip on over to Digs Studio!

first day of school...ever!

2011-09-14T16:21:00.001-05:00

He could not have been more ready.

not napping

2011-09-12T15:14:00.002-05:00

last look at summer

2011-09-12T10:11:00.002-05:00

Images 1. and 2. at The Minnesota State Fair, 3. Cousins! 4. Dyed mohair bear parts drying in the sun, 5. Costumes everyday for Jude, 6. Incredible self portrait by one of my students (age 13), 7. Fourth of July, near Stockholm, WI.

on her radar!

2011-09-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Something exciting came in the mail for me: Bex from Stuffed Nonsense was kind enough to send me this clipping from the London Observer. On My Radar: Donna Wilson's Cultural Highlights. There's my logo, right there in the center along with mentions of Misako Mimoko and Lili Scratchy! What an amazing honor to be mentioned by Ms. Wilson who's work I very much admire along with those two talented women. I'm blushing.

See Donna Wilson's work here and read her blog here .

back to school

2011-09-06T12:35:00.001-05:00

Oscar went back to school today. This was the most relaxed and happy looking expression I could get out of him; not the photo I was hoping to get perhaps, but it is true to life. He's happy to go back I know, but he worries too. Jude starts next week. He really wanted to start today too but the youngest kids get phased in after the returning kids settle in a bit and learn how to be gracious and courteous to the new little ones in their class.

Each child in the Children's House get to bring a plant on their first day to put in the classroom. Contributing something to the room, and being responsible for caring for it is a nice transitional tool for entering (or re-entering) the classroom at the start of the year. Such a smart idea.

I have so many pictures of summery things I meant to post here and never did. I think maybe a Summer Photo Leftovers Montage is in order!

north woods

2011-09-05T21:47:00.001-05:00

Benji's parents (my in-laws) took us to their favorite camping spot, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota last week. It was our first time camping in the Boundary Waters, and our first time doing any real camping (not car camping) with both boys.

This area of the Boundary Waters experienced a big fire just a few years ago. It's truly an awesome experience to see it just a couple of years later, the burnt tree trunks still standing but so much new growth coming up. The weather was so nice up there: a little cool and cloudy, with bits of warm sun during the day. The nights were perfectly chilly (the best!) and we could hear wolves talking to one another each night.

dog days

2011-09-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

We are home. Our camping trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area was pretty amazing. I started going through my photos from the trip today and just got kind of overwhelmed....there are so many. The last few days of summer are slipping away and I want to spend them doing not much at all (like these two).

wild

2011-08-28T23:37:00.001-05:00

We had another hawk sighting in our backyard. Can you see it there on the chair? Isn't it beautiful?

We are headed out of town for part of the week for a camping trip in a very wild place. It's sure to be gorgeous and I'm bringing my camera. As soon as we get back the whirlwind of a new school year begins. I am soon to be the mother of two boys in school. Wild.

play dog

2011-08-25T09:10:00.003-05:00

A sweet little pup for a dog-lover. I've opened myself up to the possibility of custom orders again, on a limited basis. I liked what Mimi Kirchner, doll maker extraordinaire, had to say on the topic of custom work a while back...basically that she will do it only if it is interesting work for her. Check out her post and take a look at the amazing commission work she did recently.

Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking

2011-08-24T11:03:00.003-05:00

We watched the movie Pippi Longstocking with our boys last night-I hadn't seen it for ages. I think I had thought of it as a movie that would mostly inspire girls but I was so wrong. My boys were completely taken with her as was I (all over again). I feel like we all need more Spirit of Pippi around here. Another thing I learned from watching this movie: Little boys look amazing in clogs.

big in Europe?

2011-08-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

This Play Rabbit is about to make it big in Europe, people! It's been chosen for Etsy press selections in both England and France for the holidays. I also heard from a very kind blog reader that there was a Fox and Owl mention in the Sunday Observer Newspaper in England yesterday!? I don't know what's going on but I like it! This kind reader is sending me a copy of the article so I'll show it to you when it arrives.

Thank you, Bex!

back to work

2011-08-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

It's time. My fingers are itchy to make something and I have several projects that need to get done. It's been so nice having the dining room table free of my clutter for the past month or so but I need a place to work and it's the best I have for now. We have big plans for a new studio space for me that I'm so excited about. We were hoping to make those plans a reality this summer but now it seems like it wont happen until fall. Now that I know I'll soon have a space of my own it's really hard to keep working in the dining room...suddenly it is almost intolerable even though I've been doing it for a couple of years now!

p.s. These beautiful fabrics are all from Superbuzzy. I am totally in love with these organic Japanese double gauzes which I use for these.

good day

2011-08-15T14:32:00.003-05:00

What a lovely day today is...the kids stayed with my mom last night and will not be back until this evening. We slept in, went for a walk and had a perfect lunch of corn chowder with fresh sweet corn and caprese salad, AND my husband Benji helped me pick a winner for the Tea giveaway!

Faith!

You are the winner of the $75 gift certificate from Tea!

Faith, please email me at: foxandowltoys@gmail.com

Thanks to all who left a comment...it's nice to hear from you so don't be so shy all the time okay?

late summer

2011-08-14T14:56:00.001-05:00

I love late summer. The nights are cooler and so nice for sleeping. We still have a lot good stuff planned for these last few weeks of summer but the new school year is right around the corner and I'm excited about that too.

That big spider has been hanging around outside our house lately. Last night I came home late after a fun night out with friends to find it had made a huge web. I got to see it in action...springing out from the center to grab moths!

DON'T FORGET to leave a comment on the Tea review post for a chance to win a $75 gift certificate from Tea! I'll draw a name and announce it sometime tomorrow.

it's here...

2011-08-11T12:48:00.001-05:00

My advance copies of New American Paintings came a couple days ago. I haven't been able to really bring myself to read it yet. It's so good and so scary at the same time. They included the dream Quilt image (above) and also this one and this one. I'm happy.

That's the work of THESE artists (who also happen to be from Minneapolis) on the cover. I love their paintings.

tea: a review and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-08-09T13:28:00.003-05:00

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do a review of Tea's boys clothing. They are a really special company that not only makes beautiful and high quality clothing but also believes in being a good global citizen. This is reflected in their globally inspired children's clothing lines as well as through their philanthropic efforts for children's causes around the world. You can read more about Tea's values on their website. I got my box of Tea a week or so ago. I picked out pieces that would work well for the summer to fall transition and I couldn't be happier with them. Comfy soft shorts with big pockets for little treasures, a perfect hooded linen popover for Jude that quickly became his favorite shirt and a gorgeous cotton sweater for Oscar, just right for cool August nights. Here are some pictures of them in and around Stockholm (Wisconsin) our favorite little corner of the world.

These clothes are clean and classic, with an earthy but sophisticated palette. They somehow manage to be highly comfortable without being sloppy. The materials are very high quality and the craftsmanship is excellent. I've had several pieces of Tea clothing for my boys in the past and I have found them to be extremely durable...the kind that you can easily expect two kids to be able to wear. I can honestly say that my kids are really quite fond of these new clothes too.

A N D N O W , dear readers I have something special for you! Leave a comment here on this post and you are entered to win a $75 gift certificate from Tea! Yeah, you heard me right!

(I'll announce a winner on Monday August 15th)

exciting week!

2011-08-08T09:30:00.003-05:00

I have a really big week planned for this little blog. I'm really excited to have been asked by San Francisco based children's clothing company, Tea to review some of their clothes. We spent a couple days last week in one of my favorite places in the wold, Stockholm Wisconsin and I took the opportunity to take some pictures of my kids in their new Tea clothes. I'm just going through the photos today but here is a little preview...one of my favorite shots from the day we spent picking blueberries.

You will definitely want to stay tuned and limber up your comment leaving muscles because there will be a Tea giveaway right here on this blog! I'm so excited!

old dog

2011-08-07T09:34:00.004-05:00

This is a funny old dog I found at the same sale yesterday. I love his old sewn in googly eyes with wool felt backing. He's in really good shape despite his age although it looks like he may have lost his nose at some point! I think he's stuffed with kapok because he has a nice heavy feel and is soft but dense. My friend Tammy brought up a valid concern about vintage toys of the plush variety: bugs. I'm not even going to name the kind of bugs she mentioned for fear of unleashing something vile (I've been reading Harry Potter- sorry). Here are some steps I take to help ensure I don't bring anything scary (or evil!) into my house:

1. The first line of defense: I don't buy anything that looks suspicious or smells suspicious. Well loved is okay, but dirty or smelly is not.

2. Washing: Some toys are washable. I've washed vintage toys (and new toys for that matter) to varying degrees of success. A crochet or knit toy made of wool and stuffed with wool, or kapok would wash up quite well. Synthetic fur or toys stuffed with foam or rags...maybe not. I've ruined a few old toys this way but I figured it was worth a shot. By the way, mohair (my favorite material for toys) washes very very well.

3. Open it up: If you are worried about what's inside a toy just have a look. Find the seam where the toy was sewn up and cut the toy open. If you poke around and the stuffing looks nice and clean sew it back up. If not, throw it out or remove the stuffing completely (looking carefully for invaders) and stuff with nice new wool, cotton etc.

4. Freeze it: Because I live in a part of the world where it's freezing cold much of the time I do this one a lot. I put the toy in a plastic bag and put it on my porch for a couple weeks. It has to be really cold to work. If you have room in your freezer that works too. A very hot dryer for an extended period will work for some pests too.

Do you have any tips to share???

cute girl

2011-08-06T14:15:00.001-05:00

I found this sweet vintage doll at an estate sale today. I was initially drawn to her just for her beautiful dress but she quickly won me over with her perfect rosy cheeks and slightly wonky eye. As you can see, she was in need of a little hair help. This is the method my sister and I always used when our dolls hair got unruly (actually I'm not sure my sister cared about messy doll hair a bit so I probably did her doll's hair too): brush out the hair, get it nice and wet, brush again and style, then carefully put a sock over the head until the hair is dry. Now look how cute she is!

My friend Tammy brought up a good point in my last post about vintage toys and (eek!)...vermin. I'm going to talk about that a bit in my next post!

family

2011-08-02T14:36:00.004-05:00

This family of sock monkeys for sale on Etsy are driving me mad...I want them. I'm sure they will find a loving home very soon. I really love making sock monkeys but haven't made one in a while. As I said before I'm taking the rest of the summer off from working/ making things. It feels good to take a break from the pressure of producing but when I'm not creating I always feel a little off. I think it's good for me to take a break and think about my next project(s) though.

Maybe I could make one little sock monkey, just for fun?

Speaking of handmade toys, there is good news from the Handmade Toy Alliance about the CPSIA today!

more heat

2011-07-31T15:11:00.002-05:00

This July has been the fourth hottest one here ever. Also, it's so insanely h u m i d.

It's not so bad when your not moving...but unfortunately the kids aren't content to just sit in front of the fan. In fact, this weather hardly slows them down a bit!

I hope you had a good weekend and are staying at least little bit cool.

sailor

2011-07-28T18:59:00.000-05:00

We have a new little friend living in our house...meet Sailor the parakeet. We are still getting to know each other but the boys are so kind and sweet to her, it's amazing to watch. By the way, you can't determine the sex of a parakeet until he or she is older (and Sailor is still quite young) but I made the executive decision that she is a girl. A little girl bird baby.

about renegade (part two)

2011-07-27T11:40:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to do a special post here about some of the really lovely work I saw at Renegade. As I said before I didn't get nearly enough time to explore but here are some of the shops I did manage to see and I'm so glad I did.

Hillery Sporatt's work is so darn good. Her pieces are beautiful and detailed and sweet but also quirky so very thoughtful. They feel modern but also have a strong connection to folk arts and history making them feel like something from another era. I missed my opportunity to buy a piece at the show but I know it's just a matter of time before I pick out something special from her shop, Specks and Keepings. Also she is a total sweetheart.

Also included on my list of Very Talented And Also Super Nice Gals I Met is Nora Aoyagi. Her work is lovely and kind of dark in a really elegant way. I was particularly fond of this print I saw and I hope whoever picked up Summer Bear (above) knows how lucky they are!

And finally, I was pleased to meet the lovely Emily Martin of The Black Apple. She is incredibly talented and prolific and must have just about the best collection of vintage dresses in the world because both days I saw her I thought to myself "Damn, that is an amazing vintage dress." I love this Portrait With Prize Toys (above).

Want to see the presents I bought myself?

A small print by Hillary Bird: Together. It's hanging in my kitchen and feels like a good sentiment to keep in mind in my (sometimes) crazy house. Also this pretty bracelet/necklace from Cursive.

Lastly, a friend of mine from my book club directed me here for a really nice mention of my work. Go there if you want to see a (sadly) typically awkward picture of yours truly!

about renegade

2011-07-19T14:12:00.002-05:00

Well I've been back from San Francisco for just about a week now...and I still haven't completely unpacked. Why should I? It will just add to an already huge amount of laundry that need to be done! Thank you so much to those of you who stopped by my Etsy shop on Friday and in the last few days. I'm so happy so many toys have found homes. There are still a hand full of really good ones in the shop and they will be the last for a little while. Before I went to Renegade I was so frazzled trying to make so much work and at the same time fulfill all my other obligations. I promised myself and my family I would take a nice big break from it all for the rest of the summer.

Okay, so about Renegade: In my ragged state just before we left for San Francisco I was cursing myself (and just cursing a lot in general) for ever taking on so much and was convinced it wouldn't be work all the time, money and effort I put into it. But I was completely wrong. Just getting the opportunity to meet so many kind, enthusiastic, talented people made it totally worthwhile. I've been realizing that in the past year or so that I've been doing so much work in my house that I've become really kind of isolated. This sale was such a good reminder to me that I actually do like meeting people and talking to them. As far a selling toys goes I did better than I thought I might and of course that makes the experience even more of a positive one.

One of the best parts about doing the fair was meeting other vendors. I met so many kind supportive people and there was some really beautiful work there too. My only regret was that I didn't have nearly enough time to look around at other peoples work as I was oftentimes at my own booth by myself. I want to show you some of the lovely things I saw but I'll save that for later posts. For now I'm going to put some of my favorites on my blog list so you can visit them yourselves.

As usual, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this if I didn't have such an amazing family. They are just the best. I took very few pictures at the fair. The ones above are from the beginning of the second day (I think I was simply too shaky and nervous to take pictures the first morning). As you can see I have just about the cutest booth helper a lady could ask for. In fact I was notified by the organizers that I won the Cutest Kids Award that weekend. Sure, they probably say that to all the moms...but I'll take it!

late entry!

2011-07-15T11:51:00.001-05:00

I thought I might have had a home lined up for this special bear (the coral one with the creme overalls) but it turns out she needs a home! Come see her and the others in my Etsy shop in just a few minutes!

in the shop tomorrow

2011-07-14T13:00:00.006-05:00

A preview of the toys I'll be adding to my Etsy shop tomorrow at 12pm CST:

I have a few of these Waldorf-inspired baby toys to put in the shop as well.

home again, home again

2011-07-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

We are home! I have so much to say about our trip I don't know where to start. I love San Francisco. I got to see dear friends and family. The sale was exciting and successful and mostly just really fun. I met so many amazing people: Vendors, fair organizers, and fair goers, I was blown away. I'll talk more about some of the great work I saw at the fair and show you more pictures in later posts.

I still have some toys and I'll be putting those in the shop on Friday at noon CST. Look for a preview here tomorrow.

going on a trip

2011-07-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

There are a couple more I still need to photograph before we go. I'll be so happy when we are ALL actually on the plane. I'm going to try to take all the toys for the sale in my carry-on so yes, I'll be one of those people whacking others with my big bag and hogging more than my fair share of space in the overhead compartment.

I like to imagine what they will all look like when my bag is x-rayed!

last night

2011-07-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

Benji and I screen printed some t-shirts!

Thank you to our friend Gip and KICKSTAND PRESS for his help with the screen, and again to John Vogt for his design work!!

final details

2011-06-30T14:32:00.001-05:00

There are so many things I've been meaning to post here but I just haven't had the time or energy to do it. I've been really busy making work and teaching and have also managed to get really sick. I still have a lot to do to get ready for Renegade but my new #1 priority is to get healthy.

I just made this rabbit. I'm calling it "rabbit friend" because I made it as a little companion to a very special bear I haven't had a chance to show you yet. I love this tiny toy...stuffed with wool but with a jointed head and the softest velvet body. I'm going to try to make a couple more of these before we leave for San Francisco next week.

Thank you for the nice comments on the last post. Your encouragement and support means a lot.

to-do list

2011-06-24T12:40:00.002-05:00

I stayed up much too late last night knitting sweaters for these mice. I have a to-do list and I'm trying hard to stay on schedule from now until we leave for San Francisco so I feel good about the amount of work I'm bringing to Renegade. I woke up this morning (groggy and crabby) and looked at my task for today: "finish knitting mouse sweaters!!" Mouse sweaters...jeesh. I think everyone around me would appreciate it if I would chill out a bit.

teens painting

2011-06-22T23:19:00.001-05:00

My summer Teen Painting class is in full swing and I'm really excited about their work. Next time I'll show you some images of the drawings they did today...gorgeous. This is one of my favorite age groups to teach: 12 to 15 year olds. I've been playing a lot of The Beach Boys in class...I'm not sure if they get how perfect it is.

I'm obsessed with taking vintage-y looking pictures with my new phone!

a little surprise

2011-06-19T14:29:00.001-05:00

A make-over for Benji's shaving brush while he is at work today.

for dads

2011-06-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all you loving, hard working and FUN dads out there. This is a picture of our team's beautiful ballpark...one of my husband Benji's (who is a truly remarkable dad) very favorite places to be.

this week...

2011-06-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

...was a very busy week. But I did manage to make two batches of brooches which feels good as I've been meaning to make more for Renegade. I made some cats this time!

happy place

2011-06-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

Our city used to be filled with streetcars but now there is just this one and one other that give short rides on the weekends. This one is quite near our house and we go on lots of rides in the summertime. It's one of my very favorite things to do with my boys. Yesterday I made them promise they would always go on trolley rides with me, even when they are teenagers...so it's settled.

portraits

2011-06-11T09:02:00.012-05:00

sister and brother

twins

a new pattern

2011-06-10T09:42:00.001-05:00

He was made using a brand new pattern. This pattern is a lot like the very first pattern I made when I made a bear for my son Oscar for his birthday. This one is a bit smaller but with a fuller (four piece instead of two piece) body. He has a sister too made of a beautiful coral color mohair but I haven't had a chance to photograph her yet. I finished the black bears too...I'll show you them when I have a nice sunny day to take pictures again.

h e a t w a v e

2011-06-07T09:43:00.002-05:00

we like to draw

2011-06-03T10:52:00.004-05:00

Their drawings really inspire me. I have that itchy feeling I get when I have ideas for new drawings but no time to realize them. As soon as I'm done with this group of toys I'll start to draw again. I have come to the conclusion that not having a dedicated drawing space is really holding me back. I'm working on that.

I have a website now for my drawings!

ERIKAOLSONGROSS.COM

who's hiding in there?

2011-06-01T14:55:00.002-05:00

I'm making a couple of bears this week (like this guy) with this crazy nappy mohair. Right now they just look like hairy beasts but after a careful haircut I'm sure their true character will emerge. I made this pattern some time ago specifically to work with this thick and somewhat unruly mohair. I imagine if I were to use it with a short or sparse variety the bear would end up looking like something else entirely...a weasel maybe?

I sat down today to figure out exactly how much time I have before Renegade and what I still want to get done. I'm feeling a bit panicked about it to tell the truth. It's times like these that I really feel the limitations of working entirely by myself, but I've made myself a schedule I'll just do the best I can!

in our own backyard (part 2)

2011-05-31T21:29:00.001-05:00

Blooms on our tree peony at dusk, and in a bouquet on the kitchen table...absolutely glorious. I think I've been out back at least 20 times today just to look at them, and watch the bees rolling around inside them. That big one in the bouquet is over 8" in diameter!

new bear

2011-05-31T09:45:00.003-05:00

He's the newest addition to the toy cupboard. I love him because he looks like my sweet nephew Arthur (if Arthur were a teddy bear).

for babies

2011-05-25T11:39:00.001-05:00

I'm just finishing up a new batch of these Waldorf-inspired baby toys today...three dogs, three polar bears and one brown bear. It's so fun to be working with this pattern again. My cupboards are starting to fill up with toys for Renegade which makes me feel good but I have so many more things I want to make.

in our own backyard

2011-05-22T19:49:00.002-05:00

Cursive and little bits of nature...two of my favorite things.

god's eye

2011-05-21T17:56:00.005-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of really pretty god's eyes lately (like here) and realized I'd somehow made it through my childhood having never made one. I made my very first one last night and thought TODAY was probably a good day to show it off...is everybody still with us?

When I sat down with my sicks I suddenly had a hard time figuring out how to actually wrap the string around them correctly (I think I was kind of over-thinking things) so I got out this book I have on my shelf Making Things With Yarn and sure enough there it was. I was hoping it might be a project Oscar and I could do together this summer. I think with big sticks and yarn he could do it.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to show you some of the pages from this great book. Unlike many craft books out there you will definitely not be intimidated by any glossy, overly produced, perfect looking projects! I mean, just look at the adorable kid on the cover. He has a supper choppy home-spun haircut and some kind of food on his face...just how my own kids look most of the time! Makes me want to do a kid's craft book myself...

Best Kid on the Cover of a Book Prize

lucky find

2011-05-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

Just look at what we found at a garage sale last weekend! The story is that it's counted cross stitch, from Italy and over 100 years old. It's in pretty good shape- even the original frame, and I love the beautifully faded colors. It's hard to tell from the photo but it's nice and big too. And I got it for a very very good price. The onset of garage sale season...yet another great thing about the warm weather months!

two bits

2011-05-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

Bit by bit things are coming together for our trip to San Francisco for Renegade this summer. We bought our tickets (four of them this time...ouch) and I'm really excited to see some dear friends of ours there. I have a good start on making things for the sale but I have A LOT of work ahead of me in the next month and a half.

green!

2011-05-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

We have had some crazy weather here in Minnesota this past week...very hot and humid, kind of cold and rainy, tornado warnings and even golf ball sized hail! The rain and warm sun have finally made things lush and green around here and it feels so good. I've spent a lot of time last couple of weeks working outside in the garden and I have just a few more things to plant (for now).

thank you, mom

2011-05-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

My mom, keeping me safe in 1975. Happy Mother's Day!

playroom

2011-05-07T15:26:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post photos of what the kid's playroom ended up looking like ever since I posted pictures of their bedroom but I never manage to take a picture in the very tiny window of time in which it is actually clean. This is what it looks like most of the time...actually it usually looks even messier.

I hope you are having fun and making all kinds of messes this weekend too!

two bears and a mouse

2011-05-06T09:00:00.009-05:00

I was asked by a magazine to submit some toys for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue. I sent these three: two bears I was never quite able to let go of and a mouse I just made recently from a brand new pattern. They are some of my best I think, and I hope they make it in! I plan to work with all three of these patterns some more for the work I'm doing for Renegade this summer. I'm pretty crazy about this mouse pattern if you want to know the truth.

boy's day

2011-05-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

Today is the Japanese holiday Boy's Day (or Children's Day) and we celebrated as we always do, by making onigiri. It has turned into a favorite family tradition in our house. Today was the first time Oscar is not with us for lunch on Boy's Day as he is at school all day now. I got to pack his in his specialized onigiri shaped lunch box (which usually holds a sandwich). I've posted it before but here is a recipe for making onigiri...fun, easy and so delicious. It brings me back to my days in Japan...we used to buy them at the Circle K after school.

Hooray for boys!

time capsule

2011-05-02T15:32:00.002-05:00

I bought this vintage velvet blazer for Oscar years ago...in fact I think he was still a baby when I found it but I figured it was worth waiting for him to grow into it. It's been hanging in his closet ever since and today he wore it for the first time. When I looked inside the pocket this morning I found these treasures from long ago. Did Mike wear this blazer on his first day of school? To a Christmas party? I bet there is a picture out there somewhere...how I wish I could see it!

A bit about Oscar's outfit: If I saw a five year old wearing an outfit this cool I'd probably assume that the poor kid's mom was dressing him up like a tiny hipster to make herself look cool, or in the hopes of grooming her son into a rock star or some nonsense. I swear I had nothing to do with this skinny jeans, velvet blazer, wolf t-shirt combo! The kid has taste, that's all.

missing carrot!

2011-05-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

These are the little rabbits my boys got from me for Easter. Jude's rabbit seems to have lost it's carrot so these two are trying to share. It is truly amazing how much time a person can spend looking for lost toys or more often pieces of toys!

beautiful day

2011-04-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

We had the loveliest Easter Sunday. I feel like we should really just call it Spring Fest, or All Rabbits Day or The End of Winter as our celebration is totally secular. Our Paas dyed eggs ended up looking great! I like the tie dyed ones the best I think.

Today I'm making a mouse and a bear and dreaming of a new studio...

easter parade

2011-04-23T13:48:00.003-05:00

My little collection of vintage Easter fowl.

We are dyeing eggs today with my sister and her family. I spent some time looking for egg dyeing ideas on the Martha Stewart website last night. There are so many great ideas there...natural dyes, stencils, various resist methods....but in the end I just bought some good ol' Paas. If you don't end up seeing pictures of them here you can just assume they look like all the other Paas-dyed eggs in the world!

Happy Easter!

wild animal

2011-04-22T23:08:00.001-05:00

Jude is the fox.

This picture was taken a little while ago. Today there was a serious art/ mess situation on the kitchen floor, a pencil in the toilet (he explained that he didn't know where the pencil sharpener was so...?), a nap tantrum, dinner refusal and more stuff that doesn't really matter but can drive a person crazy when it's all packed into one day. Two is easy street compared to three if you ask me.

new face

2011-04-20T13:44:00.001-05:00

I have something exciting to share with you...

A new face for Fox and Owl. Just look at my beautiful new business cards and hang tags! All designed by my friend the very talented illustrator and designer, John Vogt. Check out his blog and prepare to get inspired.

I've been doing a lot of fiddling around here on my blog, sorry if it's making you dizzy! Spring feels like the right time to tidy up and start fresh. I've got it just about where I want it but you may see a couple of random posts from me like an "about me" page and a "toy gallery" page as I try to make this blog a smooth running machine.

this is happening

2011-04-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

It's hard to be crabby about something so beautiful, but it's been a terribly long winter and we are all ready for the real spring to begin.

image quality

2011-04-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

I've been struggling with image quality here on my blog lately. I'm confused because sometimes the images look very crisp and nice and other times (like in the last post) they look kind of, well...crappy. I've tried different approaches to sizing, importing through Picasa (which is what I used to do) but I can't find any rhyme or reason to it. Clicking on the pictures shows them as they should look but I can't get that same quality on the blog itself. I think it all started when I switched to this new template...or when I got a new camera...or when I switched to the new and recommended editor??? Do any of you lovely bloggers out there have any tips for me?