Flying Star Toys blog: June 2007

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Katkin Rattles - Coquettish Cats

Finally, I'm able to launch a new toy I've been so very excited about - Katkin Rattles! The Katkin Rattle designer toy collectible is among the Flying Star Toys Signature range belonging in the company of Snow Walkers for its distinctive character design.

Katkin Rattles are like the rattles that distract and amuse children, now there is a rattle to amuse you too :) If you're in need of a little giggle of pure fun then wave your Katkin Rattle, watch its funny little face smile while the tinkling bell sweetens the air with joy. Delightful!

If that weren't enough, each Katkin Rattle has a tiny red pompom on its tail as a cute coquettish wink. So many beautiful fabrics and combinations to choose from, so many different little personalities....

These little kitties won't mind if you'll want to collect them for display like spring posies - Katkins, named after the catkins of budding branches, love to bloom together.

Made from premium designer fabrics, hand dyed wool felt and embroidered with Japanese variegated sashiko thread. 26cm (10 1/4 inches) tall.

Katkin Rattles are now available at Flying Star Toys on Etsy.

Not Another Seven Things!!!

Jaihn has tagged me with telling you all seven things about me....

I often find these things difficult and so tend to put them off. I suppose because I have so many different worlds in my life that to tell you the truth it can be hard to know how to unite them...

Let's count that as #1 shall we ;)

But, seriously, to make it a bit interesting I thought I'd tell you about 7 things about my day (that is Tuesday 26th June).

1. I slept until 11:30am....because I'm on "holidays," that is, John and Jacqui my fellow artists collaborators of Frank Theatre have left for the annual world tour. This means I can sleep in...longer than usual, just because I can, not because I need to. It also means that with the intense work with Frank Theatre dimmed down I can concentrate on my Flying Star Toy world :) Which I'm loving!

2. Checked email incessantly for good news....maybe even a sale? No sales, unfortunately, but still had some other good news...asked to be featured on a blog :)

3. Internet and email connection going down mysteriously throughout the day..... eventually phoned my provider's friendly help desk to re-establish the link...he thinks it might be due to all the rain!

4. Spent most of the day making a proto-type and patterning a new toy....which didn't work :( the pattern worked but I was not happy with where it was going so I put it all away and was abject for about an hour. I felt like I wasted the whole day while I tried to tell myself that I'd leaned something from the failure.

5. After after finishing the third set of an as yet unreleased toy I felt better, then while walking down the corridor to the bathroom, I thought of something important re-toy designing and realised I really had learned something from my failure!

6. Broke my fine sewing needle.....I suppose it was time. I use a #10 milliners needle with a tiny eye for use with ordinary sewing cotton to close all of my toys. My mum keeps me well stocked with the very best needles so I wasn't too upset. I use my needles too long anyway, this one had developed a bend in it which while often useful weakened its structure. RIP good friend.

7. washed my hair.

Now that wasn't so bad after all....

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Biscuit Bunnies

Please welcome a new designer toy to the Flying Star Toys family - Biscuit Bunnies! They're the most delightful guests to have to tea but you'll have to watch that they don't hop into the tea cups.

When they're not investigating the blend you prefer, they like to sit quitely listening to the wind in the trees, thinking on buttons and balls of string.

Biscuit Bunnies currently come in Oatmeal Cream and Gingerbread. Made of the softest baby blanket brushed drill cotton with the cutest white corduroy tail the Biscuit Bunnies' sand-weighted body is a tiny 6.5 cm (2 1/2 inches) but together with their long weighted legs and cloud brushing ears they measure 22 cm (8 3/4 inches) tall :)

Now available on Flying Star Toys on Esty.

Monday, June 18, 2007

A Sunday Wedding

Thank you for all your well wishes for my sister's wedding. It was a beautiful day and as you can see my sister was absolutely stunning. This is us just before going down to be picked up by the bridal car and taken to the gardens. Emma did get a little wobbly just before the big walk down the aisle but a little dabbing of the eyes with a tissue and a big sister to lead the way she had the whole gathering large hearted and in joyful tears.

She and her husband are currently enjoying their honeymoon in Vietnam and has emailed us twice to tells us of all the fun and chaos.

***
On a toy note: I have been busy getting ready quite a few new toy ranges for launch, very exciting!

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Me a Bride's Maid?!

This long weekend my sister is getting married. She asked me to be her bride's maid...though I'm not technically a maid...I said yes.

One good thing about my sister, among many, is she has good taste. Having been brought up around fine fabrics and embroidery (she's been a lace maker herself) Emma has an innate understanding for the finer things. So I was not too concerned about what she might make me and her best friend wear.

As you can see from the image above I have the not so onerous task of wearing an Italian silver silk dress from Saba and a rich black velvet sleaveless jacket by Carla Zampatti. Poor me!

Emma's wedding colours are very modern, she's chosen black, white and silver with colour being expressed in the bouquets.

So the next few days sees funny ol' Florence undergoing all sorts girly proceedures in order to be fit to accompany the star of the day. I'm even having the blue died *out* of my hair just for her. While part of me would rather be making toys, I suppose I can endure it for my dearest and only sister.

Monday, June 04, 2007

New Addition - Toyz in da House 2

This Sunday past saw the Umbrella Collective journey to fellow Umbrella Girl Shannon Garson's house in the mountains for some playful planning and some serious lunch. Maleny is a lovely little town set among green rolling hills only an hour and half away from Brisbane city. While there we had a quick look-see in some of the shops especially Maleny Antiques. I found this quirky Chinese man doll there for only $4!

He had such a interesting egg shaped head that I couldn't pass him over. Also his little shoes and the extremely firm quality of the stuffing and yet a remarkable flexibility to the legs intrigue my toy maker's instincts. He has Honk Kong stamped on the bottom of his right shoe and must have been a type of souvenir doll many years ago.

So now he lives with me and all my little toy friends. The Japanese folk toy cat has become quite fond of him already :)

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