New Etsy Mini Shop Now Open!

I'm happy to announce Fantastic Miniatures is now open. The shop features handcrafted 1:12 scale miniature animal dolls. Heres  a couple of my favorite photos of the dolls available.

Giraffe Family Portrait

Meet the Giraffe Family. Mr. Giraffe is an inventor/artist who rides a penny farthing to his office. Mrs. Giraffe loves her husband and adores her son. Their son takes after his father and likes to tag along and help him with his inventions.

Before Fantastic Toys is what it is today I used to make 1/12 scale miniature animal dolls. I imagined a world with fanciful dressed animals who would gather in a formal garden to relax, be entertained, play and socialize about the days events. After much delay I'm finally up to the task of taking new photos and start listing the dolls in a NEW Etsy shop. Stay tuned for upcoming details.

Digs Studio ~ Best craft shop in town!

I love Digs Studio! Combine a little bit of Minneapolis shops Crafty Planet and I like You with the interior design aesthetic of Hunt and Gather and you have the best craft + handmade + gift shop in South Minneapolis. Located at the corner of 38th and Grand this independent craft studio has loads of charm and personality reminiscent of an ol' timey trim & notions shop from a bygone era. Wander around the shop to find handmade goodies made by local artists as well as unique crafting supplies. Everything from cards, fabric, buttons and yarn can be found attractively displayed among the vintage decor. Its great to have a shop like this in the area and I can't wait to see how it grows in the community. Support handmade and your local Mom and Pop shops, check it out when you're in the area. Sugar, sugar an independent candy shop is located right across the street to entice you even more to visit.

Fellow Minnesota toymaker Tara LaChance (aka little BIG pants) soft toys are some of the handmade goodies that can be found at Digs.

New Craft Book ~ Kids Crafternoon Felting

This was a great side project I did last winter. I was asked to create a tutorial in a felting craft book. Its part of series of craft books called Kids Crafternoon published in Australia. My assignment was to construct a money bank out of a mailing tube. Hmmm, well it seemed like a challenge until I decided to take advantage of the shape and make a cute wiener dog. His doggy coat is easily removed to reveal a hidden money slot to save your coins for a rainy day. 

I'm very pleased with the way the book turned out and glad to be a part of it. The editor was a dream to work with! The colorful and beautifully photographed book features 25 felt projects for a crafty afternoon. Robots, ipod animals, zombie critters and of course the dachshund money bank I designed are just a few of the items featured. Check it out!

Fantastic Toys now available at Manufactory!

Manufactory is carrying a small selection of my toys including fawns, keychains, magnets and even paper toys. Located in South Minneapolis the shop features the work of Erin Currie and a few other local artists.