toys – Page 2 – everydaysparks

Sock it to ’em

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Cate

Sock monkeys seem to be everywhere at the moment. Well, not wandering the streets or catching buses or seeing movies, but everywhere in shops that sell cool toys. I like them a lot and think they’re a great gift for young and old alike, but they can be a bit same-same looking, without a distinct personality or style. Enter the clever people at You Make Me…Me, who sell their ‘handmade sock softies and baby books’ on my beloved Australian handmade market site MadeIt.

These are more than sock monkeys. These are movie stars. Whether you’re a fan of Star Wars, Harry Potter or a whole heap of other films, you’ll find your match here. It was this Yoda who first caught my eye – firstly, because he is a favourite beacon of wisdom in an often dreary world, and secondly, because in this incarnation he looks a little bit like a dodgy gremlin or an old man you might see in the park…

Or if Wookiees are more your thing, then here is Chewbacca in sock form. I find him almost as scary in this form as on the big screen, but since he means no harm (at least, that’s how I remember it), he’s probably a safe addition to your home security detail.

Then there is that pesky boy wizard Harry Potter, complete with dorky glasses, scar from that failed homicide and a little wand to cast a spell on those around you. As always, I take no responsibility for whatever happens if you bring Harry into your life – that kid did get into quite a lot of trouble…

You can also get custom-made supporter sock monkeys in your team’s colours, along with a range of more traditional looking sock friends. If you’d like to brighten your life with the company of these ‘sock softies’, then check out the collection in the MadeIt shop here.

Great Danes

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Cate

I first read about Danish label LuckyBoySunday in Frankie magazine, alongside a photo of three very cool looking chairs. So I looked at the website (yes, even though they were apparently only for children) and I was hooked. I don’t know if Danish children are more melancholic (if that’s a word) than other children, but the collections of accessories on the website would scare the crap out of most kids I know.

The creation story of LuckyBoySunday is a cute one. The idea was born “on a Sunday in August 2007” as Camilla & Camilla (yes, really) sat by a lake in Copenhagen and “shaking hands, promising each other to create our very own version of a child’s reality”. And so they did. With their focus on “silly, seriously, joyful, graphics, dreams. Yes!” they are surely on the right track. As long as your children aren’t prone to nightmares as they see their toys coming to life at night…

The collection is made of “very soft 100% baby alpaca”, which sounds a bit cruel to me. (They haven’t specified, but I presume they mean the baby alpaca’s wool.)

Anyways, the peculiar hand cushion is called Fancy Finger, for obvious reasons. And the little girl is holding Dead Buddy. Uh huh. Then there is Balthazar, the shirtless guy with the blue balaclava and his bestie Sailor Jack, who look like they’ve had a rough night at sea. Or somewhere. And then there’s the Uffie cushion – part-robber, part-anxiety and all charm. Then there are the fabulous Mr Bells, with their green and blue moustaches.

The collection is for children? Do you really think so? Either way, they have some very cool and kooky accessories and their website is well worth a visit. You can check it out here.

Arty sparks, Fashion Sparks

Knitted Fashionistas (Fashioknitstas)

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Cate

Diane is from Canada and she sells knitting patterns on etsy. Unfortunately, you can’t buy these dolls ready-made, as Diane notes that she doesn’t have time to knit them for you, but she will sell you the pattern so that you can do it yourself. And if I could, Diane, I would. Because I can think of so many people who would love your work. Ok, mostly me, but there will definitely be some other people who like them. They are kooky, they are bright, they are hilarious. Put them together and you could have a beauty pageant to rival Miss Universe. And I love that Diane has named all of her dolls and provided funny back stories on the site.

This pink doll mightn’t fit the pageant look, but I had to include her. Back in my day, there was a cartoon about a chick in a rock band called Jem. I can’t remember much, but that theme song has stuck with me since the 1980s. Probably because the lyrics were mostly a repetition of: Jem. Truly outrageous. Truly, truly, truly outrageous. I can’t remember if she really was, but since they said it so many times, I guess she must have been? Anyways, the pink haired, pink leg warmered doll reminds me so much of Jem. Although Diane says that she modelled this on an outfit she saw on Dancing with the Stars. Uh huh. I must try and find that episode to see it with my own eyes.

If the beauty pageant isn’t your thing, you might prefer your own knitted family. Or you can recreate (or dream about) your special day with the knitted wedding scene. Or adopt the doll that looks a bit like Marilyn Manson, with different coloured eyes. Diane’s etsy shop is well worth a look and you can find it here.

And the post wouldn’t be complete without a knitted streaker. Here he is.

Arty sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Livers & thyroids & brains, oh my!

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Cate

These bright, colourful and strange looking soft toys caught my eye on Fab.com recently. And when a product line is described as ‘anatomically correct plushies’, you know you’re on to a winner. Whether you want to encourage a med student, commemorate a successful surgery, or just have some organs scattered around your lounge room, these designs from I Heart Guts are worth a look. They appear to feature most of your big-ticket organs, like the pink and blue lungs shown on the left (which appear to be selling out, so if lungs are your thing, better get in fast). And of course, red hearts and purple kidneys and blue brains. Ho hum.

I really like some of the other organs though – the ones that I imagine are slightly less popular at sale time. The good ol’ gall bladder, source of such pain for so many. Or the pretty pink and purple ovary, yellow (of course) bladder, bright green spleen or worm-like orange appendix. There’s even a pancreas and a whole heap of different glands, in case you’re a fan of those unsung heroes of the body. And the I Heart Guts website is educational too, with great descriptions for kids (or adults who aren’t great with science) like this summary of your smiley orange stomach: The stomach creates a highly acidic environment used to digest all the cookies, ice cream and bacon you gobble up. This lil’ guy’s digestive juices help break down food for the intestine, which absorbs the actual nutrients. Don’t forget to chew. Say stomach in Japanese: Ibukuro!

Wendy Bryan, I salute you. You and your cleverly designed plush organs.

Need some guts? Look here.

Fashion Sparks, WWWhat?

Who cares, bears?

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Cate

Care Bears first appeared when I was little and, although I never had one (don’t feel bad, I had my beloved Cabbage Patch Kid – Vita Lillian), they seemed to represent all that was good and sweet in the world. With names like Tenderheart Bear, Funshine Bear and Love-a-lot Bear, they were a wholesome bunch. And, like all good things from the olden days, the Care Bears are back. Along with Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony, those recycling marketeers have decided that the kiddies of today would benefit from some old school playtime.

But in case you find them a bit too sugary, here are the Don’t Care Bears – a bad ass collective from the clever folk at Threadless. You can get them on a t-shirt or a hoodie, perfect for when you and your gang are cruising around your ‘hood like BMX bandits. For these and more unique designs (you can even submit your own designs), check out Threadless Tees.