Custom piece created recently

We were recently commissioned to create a family piece for a wedding anniversary gift.  Above is the result.  Customer was very pleased. Don created a new figure to be used for the Dad! (third from the right).  I'll post a better picture of the new male figure soon - we need to make more!  With some secret muttering under our breath, we actually enjoy the challenge of creating new designs to order.  This one needed a new male figure - some of our male figures are not all that interesting, but this fellow, while not exactly dancing, still manages to exude some class!

This piece uses a background a bit larger than our usual 20"x30" background.  The figures are our standard 15" tall size.

New Car

Above and below - the new 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, and the front of our old Dodge conversion van . Our first new vehicle in 10 years! Goodbye to 5 car payment free years!

Below - Cheryl puts the first of our stuff into the new Caravan.Then Jim Bentley showed Cheryl some of the features on her next dream car, a sporty little Fiat convertible! (I think she is looking forward to the post craft show years?) Many thanks to Jim and Doan Dodge for our third smooth and comfortable car buying experience. Sorry we don't buy cars more often Jim! If you need a new Dodge or Fiat, call Doan, and ask for Jim Bentley!

Below - the one thing I couldn't save from the old van. The 2004 camping pass for the last time my brother Dave and I camped out at Merlefest. We had the coolest campsite there because we use both of our 10x10 craft fair tents! We slept in one - right behind the van, and behind that - next to the river, we used the second tent for cooking, sitting, story telling, etc. The next year I reserved a hotel room for us, because it was just getting too hard for Dave to manage the cold nights. I found the nights pretty %$#& cold too. Dave would never have done the hotel thing on his own, but he did thank me for doing it! The following year, Dave had died from his cancer, and my friend Bert and I went, and I put some of Dave's ashes under his old seat - Row 10, seat 39. Since then, I've sold the tickets to some friends of Dave's and mine, but sometime I'll go back.

Thanks old van for lots of good memories!

World's Coolest Business Card

See video below to watch in action!

This wooden business card is 3/8 inch thick, by normal business card dimensions - about 2"x3.5" Included is what is known as a "planetary gear" system - the 4 small wooden gears revolve around the central gear as you move the outer ring. These can be customized as you like by laser etching your name, phone#, e-mail address, etc.--- within the limitations of the available area to etch on the front and back of the "World's Coolest Business Card" At $25 each, they are not cheap, but your very best customers will not be tossing this one in the circular file! For now, I am not charging anything extra for the customization. Minimum order for custom is 2 pieces. If you want a whole bunch, we can talk about a discount? This modern day version of the classic "Do Nothing Machine" will endlessly amuse you and your customers.

Or you can order any of the following 4 quotes about "meaningless" play - minimum = 1 if ordering a standard item.

"I, a machine, am showing you a world, the likes of which only I can see." Dziga Vertov

"It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened the day's toil of any human being." John Stuart Mill

The power of play is valued as an experience that can be quite powerful in and of itself.

Play is no trivial pursuit

This item is intended as an adult amusement, and is not a toy for children under 13.



Click here to learn more about custom made items from Louise's Daughter

High Steppers

Here is an early view of some new figures in the works. Based on some figures created from working with Art Start type pieces, these 6 new figures (yes I know there are only two shown) are a bit more abstract than our current line-up. The common theme in all 6 is the big shoes. There should be two guys, two gals, and a couple of kids. The ones shown are a couple of the computer drawings that are an early step in the process of creating our work. They will look a lot better when they are made out of wood instead of pixels, and are painted with Cheryl's magic touch instead of with computer fills!

The kids will be about 9 inches tall, and the adults will be availaibe in our usual sizes of about 15" tall and about 29" tall.

Look for them at the upcoming wholesale and retail shows - 7 shows in about 8 weeks. We take off in about 10 days or so to hit Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia again, and Saint Paul --- I think in that order???