Stuffie Stories: Beauregard

I can't help looking at the plushies when I'm out at a thrift store. The toys there all have their stories, though most of them are sad.

Beauregard is a well-loved plush dog I found at Goodwill. Although I wasn't really looking to adopt that day, I knew the moment I saw him, before I even picked him up, that he needed to come home with me.

You can spot a beloved toy no matter what circumstances he's fallen into. Beau's once-plush fur was thoroughly matted and tangled, but he had that unmistakeable "knowing expression"* in his eyes, declaring that he had once been loved dearly enough to be made Real.

"I declare if that old Bunny hasn't got quite a knowing expression!"

After I paid his adoption fee and got him home, a closer inspection revealed that Beauregard had likely been the favorite pet of a little girl, as evident by the stick-on earring on the underside of his left ear.

Only Beau and his former owner know how he ended up in a basket at Goodwill, but I like to think the little girl wasn't given a say in the matter. Maybe her parents told her she was too old for toys and had to give him away. Or maybe they 'cleaned up' her room one day when she was out. Sometimes I wonder if he was accidentally left somewhere and unable to be retrieved. Whatever the reason, I hope she wasn't too sad. I know I still miss my plush friends who've been lost over the years.

And even if Beau's story was one like Jesse's from A Toy Story, no amount of 'growing up' could change the years the little girl spent taking care of him and loving him.



Beau remembers his last owner with love and fondness. But he's living in his retirement home now, with all my other plushies and me, secure in the knowledge he'll never be let go of again.

This is the point in my blog where I usually direct you to my shop and encourage you to buy a new, eco-friendly plush from me. But, this time, I'd like to ask you to consider adopting a "used" stuffed animal this holiday season, one who needs to be loved again. Check your local thrift stores or yard sales. Every plushie needs a loving home. :)

Official Update for Poison Dart Frog Plushies

With the poison dart frog giveaway in its final hour, I thought it was high time to officially introduce the newest poison dart frog plushies.
In addition to Orange and Green, we now have...

Yellow Striped Poison Dart Frog...

and Blue (a.k.a. Dyeing Poison Dart Frog)!

 Welcome to the chorus!

Available via Etsy

About the frogs

I don't know about everyone else, but when I was little, I wasn't happy to learn that poison dart frogs were, you know, poisonous. What could be more enticing to catch pick up than a tiny, colorful, cute, jumping thing? So when I decided to start a toy-making business, you can bet I was eager to make a safe rainforest frog (or two... or three, or four). Not only is their skin non-toxic, it's eco-friendly and US-made. Eco-fi Rainbow Felt is constructed from 100% recycled plastic bottles. It's that perfect combination of soft and strong (not easy to find in felt), and the colors are gorgeous.
And no, I'm not being paid by Eco-Fi to say this. I simply love their product.

Those are no glass eyes in those little froggy faces, either. Each frog has a pair of plastic safety eyes, securely attached with strong plastic washers. Any eyes (or noses, or any toy parts) can be torn out by an ambitious and unguarded child, but I promise you, I have searched for the safest components I could find, and safety eyes fit the bill.

Even the thread used to sew them altogether is of highest quality, and US-made (i.e., Coats & Clark vintage).

When The Toy Cove states that quality is the most important part of the business, you can trust that it is. This is my personal business, and I take pride in every thing I create.

Ferocious Ankylosaurus!

You'd better watch out, because there's a new herbivore in town, and he means business!

Introducing The Toy Cove's fearsome Ankylosaurus:

He's got armor. He's got a club tail. And he's got attitude.

Ankylosaurus doesn't mess around.

Looking for the perfect guard-dino? You found him.

Just look at that armor.

The Toy Cove's Ankylosaurus came about when one of the neighborhood kids asked for "a green dinosaur with an angry face."

That club was made for knockin', and that's just what he'll do.

I was really pleased with how his bony plates came out.

Ankylosaurus' armored back plates

Underside of plate. I think it'd make a good turtle shell.

Ankylosaurus is available on Etsy.

Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Dolls!

Just in time for Day of the Dead, here's a delicious sugar skull.

Plush Calavera de Azucar

 

Ready to celebrate!

I've never seen a sugar skull decorated in the back, but it looked so plain unadorned.

So I added a flower.

(Available through The Toy Cove on Etsy.)

Poison Dart Frog Plushie

I present The Toy Cove's latest addition: The poison dart frog!

He's quite a personality, as you can see.

My sweetheart suggested an orange and black poison dart frog for Halloween, and I must admit it was a very good idea.

"You can't see me!"

He seems like the Halloween-y type. Just as long as he stays away from anyone wanting his toes for a potion...

He's 11'' long, crafted from eco-fi rainbow felt (made in the USA from recycled plastic bottles), and sports two neon green safety eyes.

He's available for adoption on Etsy.

Kawaii Pocket Pigs!

You may have noticed from previous blogs that Kawaii Pocket Pig has been in the making for some time. Well, get ready for an overload of cuteness, because they're here.
(｡◕‿‿◕｡)

 

 

Pocket Pig has, as you might expect, a pocket in his/her back, just like a piggy bank. When I was little, I had a polar teddy bear with a hidden pocket under her arm. Don't ask me to explain why, but I found it delightful to hide my plastic bracelets and boardwalk tokens with her. There's just something about having a secret place to store treasures that makes childhood more exciting.
And so Pocket Pig was conceived.

The treasures!

I've recently discovered that these little piglets are extremely sociable. They'll strike up an enthusiastic conversation with any of your other plushies, pets, roommates, or anyone else who wanders by. In fact (and I think this is adorable), 1st Pig could not wait for his sibling to be completely stitched together. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish 2nd Pig last night, but promised I'd complete him/her in the morning.
This morning, when I opened the studio door, I saw a cheerful 1st Pig talking excitedly to their not-yet-born sibling:

They do the cutest things. <3

(Available on Etsy)

Introducing the Rag Dolls

When I was little, somebody gave me a rag doll. Her name was Rag Doll. Her rustic dress was a very simple fold-and-cut pattern, and her hair was a tangle of knotted rags. She was absolutely beautiful. Her face consisted only of two small eyes, but you could look into those little yarn knots and see exactly what she wanted to say.

Years later, when I decided to start a toy-making business, I knew I had to make rag dolls. Using my old doll (yes, she's still around and well) as a template, I drafted their pattern on newsprint and set to cutting and sewing.

...and stuffing.

If I say so myself, I was quite pleased with the results.

 Isobel, looking very reflective.

 Anne, playing in the school yard.

Adelaide, relaxing in an apple tree.

I make toys because I love them. Each one of these dolls is an individual, an artisan doll with her own history, hoping to share her future with a loving owner.

(These dolls, and others like them, are available through my Etsy page)