April is Buy 1 Give 1 Month at The Toy Cove!

April's here, and for The Toy Cove, that means Buy 1 Give 1 month is back.

As you may know from years past, each April we at The Toy Cove commit to donating one plush toy for every toy purchased to a child (or senior) in need. Charities such as S.A.F.E. and Project Smile are just two organizations that provide stuffed animals to children in emergency situations.

No code or special link is needed. For every purchase during the month of April (via our Etsy shop or website), we will donate one stuffed animal to an organization such as the ones listed above.
 

The Toy Cove's Black Cats make purfect donation plushies,
as they are mid-sized and have no detachable pieces.

Stuffed animals can be a tremendous source of comfort for a child experiencing a disaster or frightening separation. I hope that you'll join us this April as we help make the world a more loving place, one plushie at a time.

You can participate in The Toy Cove's Buy 1 Give 1 month by making any purchase via The Toy Cove on Etsy or TheToyCove.com during the month of April.

A Present For Your Inner Mermaid

February has been an exciting month here at The Toy Cove. Last week, we announced our first-ever grown-up item: the Mermaid's Purse purse.

The Mermaid's Purse with Baby Skate attracted an unprecedented amount of attention when we released it in December, and many of those who favorited it on Etsy loved the idea of having a mermaid's purse (the beautiful egg casing of skates and sharks) of as a human-sized zippered pouch.

So, we took it a step farther, and made a mermaid's purse that grown-ups can wear.

The Mermaid's Purse Wristlet is a faux leather handbag that can be worn either with a wrist strap or as a clutch. The purple satin lining ads an unobtrusive touch of deep sea color.

 

Whose inner mermaid could resist?

Available at The Toy Cove on Etsy.

RAWartists in Charlotte, NC!

Exciting news:
The Toy Cove has been invited to showcase at the RAWartist exhibition in Charlotte, NC!

 

If you live near the Charlotte area and want to experience a night of spectacular Indie art from film to fashion, music to makeup design, performing arts to plushies, just click the link above. Tickets are only $15 if you buy before January 7th ($20 at the door).

If you don't live close by or won't be able to attend, but want to support RAWartists and The Toy Cove, just share the link above with your friends!

Hope to see you there!

Baby Leopard Ray Giveaway!

Oh yes, it's that time of year. The time of year when The Toy Cove offers all you lovely readers and fans a chance to win a FREE plushie!

This time, the lucky winner will receive the newest addition to The Toy Cove family, a Baby Leopard Ray!

This darling little ray is bursting with curiosity! He's just hatched, and can't wait to see the world. His soft little felt wings are ready to carry him through the ocean, and his wide, bright safety eyes are eager to take in the sights. At 9'' from nose to tail and with a wingspan of 7.75,'' he's the perfect size for little hands.

And, as if his adorable little face weren't enough, he's made from Eco-Fi felt (a US-made fabric constructed from recycled water bottles) and stuffed with US-made, all-new poly-fill.

This little sweetie can be yours this holiday season!

 All you have to do is fill out the RaffleCopter form below for your chance (or chances) to win. Good Luck!

Please note, due to shipping constraints, this contest is only open to US and Canada.

Remember, you can always adopt a ray (or any other Toy Cove plushies) from The Toy Cove on Etsy!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Custom Plushies! [Closed]

Yes, you read that right, and no, the title is not too good to be true.

The Toy Cove's first custom plushie

After receiving several requests to make custom stuffed animals for friends (see "an angry, green dinosaur" above), I've decided to try my hand at the popular kid's-drawings-to-plushie. So if you have a kid, and that kid has a cute imaginary creature committed to paper (or .bmp paint file), and you'd like to get a FREE plushified rendering of it, today is your lucky day.

Just pay $3 shipping. Yes, $3 shipping gets you a one-of-a-kind stuffed animal from your child's drawing.

How do I get in on this?

Just be one of the first three people to comment on this blog post. Then send me your image within 48 hours.

Okay. Give me the fine print.

• If you're selected and you send me your image file, you'll be given a custom listing on Etsy.com. You'll pay the $3 fee through this listing, and in 2-4 weeks, you'll be receiving your plushie.

• By doing this, you agree that I can use your original image and the finished plushie on this blog (thetoycove.blogspot.com), thetoycove.com, thetoycove.etsy.com, and anywhere else The Toy Cove is present on the web. I may also print your original image next to the finished product for use at toy and craft shows, or any other promotional materials.

• Let me restate this for total clarity. If you are selected, you are granting The Toy Cove unlimited license to use your child's drawing for its commercial purposes, royalty and link-back free.

• I can also refuse to render your/your child's drawing for any reason (mainly if it's inappropriate, too large, or excessively complicated. A 50-armed, 4-foot high, naked monster is probably not going to happen).

• What if I/someone else doesn't send the image?  If any of the three winners does not send the image within 48 hours, the next person in line will be selected as the auxiliary winner. So, if you see three posts already, you might as well go ahead and post your entry too.

 Any other information?

Your custom plushie will be made from Eco-Fi felt, and will proudly bear The Toy Cove's 'U.S-made' tag. If your drawing is not in color, and you do not provide color information, I'll select the colors that look best to me. Any specified colors may differ slightly from your image/instructions. Your plushie will be between 7 and 14'' big.

Do you have examples of your work?

Certainly! Check out The Toy Cove on Etsy.


Now get posting!

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Dolls, 2014

It's finally that time of year again! Time for a brand new set of peluches para Dia de los Muertos!

Each one is unique, and once it's sold, it won't be seen again.*

 

A few of the dolls currently available are:

Azteca

Orchid

 

Marigold

To see them all, click over to The Toy Cove on Etsy!

 
* You can always request custom colors on a Sugar Skull Doll, and I'll be glad to re-make one that has sold, by request. But it will take some time (from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how many orders I have), to complete it.

Mt. Holly Arts Festival

The Toy Cove is back from an amazing artisan festival in Mount Holly, NC. This was the first year I'd been there, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

Setting up shop in the morning.

Everything was well-organized, and I was able to set up pretty quickly. Luckily, the weather was completely perfect; 75 degrees and sunny all day.

The Black Cats & Kittens were excited and curious:

The Long-Leggity Frogs were ready to leap for joy:

But perhaps most excited were the Baby Leopard Rays, who were making their world debut that day:

"Adopt me!"

 The Sugar Skulls received quite a lot of attention:

And even Angry Ankylosaurus seemed to have a good time. In his own way.

Though, as happy as I am to see them adopted, it's a little hard to see them go.

Adios, mi amigito.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The Mt. Holly city employees and festival volunteers were extraordinarily helpful, and the festival was very well attended. I hope I can go back again next year with lots of new little plushies.

Thanks from The Toy Cove!

To see the stuffed animals pictured in this blog, click over to The Toy Cove on Etsy: http://www.thetoycove.etsy.com
Or just visit our website at http://www.thetoycove.com
To learn more about the Mt. Holly Arts Festival, click here: http://www.mounthollyartsfestival.com/