Peter Pan

It's spring at last - everything is young and beautiful again, finally. It gives me new strenght - and I know I'm not the only one.
I haven't been here for soooo long, blogging I mean. Too much things to do here and there - even making softies was neglected, as well as writing about it. Well, almost neglected - exept few custom orders (one lady with a magpie asked for my magpie decorations! thank you - I love these toys) and some knitted toys for friends I haven't make any. And any photo - that's worse. Yes, making toys is an important vein of my soul, but I had to chose between some other works and adventures (like renovating). I'll be back soon.
And among all this work and adventure I've came across the book Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie again - this time in English, not in translation, and in the same time - a movie from 2003 and I must say I'm enchanted by both. The novel is much more sarcastic, and bitter, magic and touching in the same time, and though the movie has some good parts too - it's just an adaptation. But I love it! Peter Pan in a movie is not an archetype of youth and joy, but much less demonic than in a book when it's heartless, gay and innocent child who meets joy, and loneliness, and death, and loss. Thank goodnes for good casting - at least it has few qualities of an original: he has gorgeous smile that lights stronger than 100W lightbulb and is corky. I do not quite agree with current tendency to turn every story into romance - there's so much more in a book. On the other hand - maybe it's actually the most important thing under the sun and those children are great. Anyway - I'm enchanted.
The story about Peter Pan still has the power to captivate children: Ada wanted me to tell her at goodnight few times about Peter Pan, flying girl Wendy, Captain Hook and - the most of all - Crocodile!

doll and Zuleikha

doll and Zuleikha, originally uploaded by lalootka.

I'm planning (still only as a project) to make a serie of simple dolls. Template should be very similiar to this one for sheep but the size larger. This one doll is made of jersey - grey one, her body of orange jersey and hair of felt. On this photo she's accompanied by Zuleikha bunny - another production of mine. For next month propably I won't be making softies (sigh) - I have another plans....RENOVATION of the flat!

new dress and old toys

new dress and old toys, originally uploaded by lalootka.

It's my first attempt to sewing pillow dress - and even though it's fairly simple, hand sewing took me some time :) Pillow was cheap, thrifted in Jysk store, but I love this pattern - it's simple but beautiful, and pockets are made of Japanes MiuMiu fabric (I still think it's worth it's prize but not the shippment) and have a lining of turquoise cotton. And I know that I have to change straps - these ribbons are not too good.

Toys are also handmade - kitty made by Trinlayk and sheep - made by moi.

And - for many reasons - I've changed privacy settings at my flickr - I've decided not to show everybody the photos of Ada. Family and friends only. It doesn't mean that I will not pop her photos anymore - I will, sometimes, and only after careful consideration :) Now I'm away-mother, making renovation of our new flat, longing for her little baby and frightened of imaginary dangers.....

random things

Random Things meme is shorter now - it used to be 8 things but now it's 7 :), funny,m isn't it? I've been tagged by Net of Area Thrifty One to take part in 7RT meme - thank you! I never know what to write in such things, but I'll try...
The rules of this meme are:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So these are my 7 random things:
1. Aloutka Kazawa is my artistic alias - Aloutka IS a form of my real name Alice though, Kazawa is a bit altered surname of Adam, my boyfriend. I feel MUCH better with this name than with my real one and propably I will try to make it official.
2. When I was 6 my dream occupation when I would be grown up was "house wife" - and actually I still dream about being WAHM. Or fine artist.
3. My beloved place in Poland is Cieszyn - on the Czech-Polish border at the banks of Olza river, small - only 40 thousands of inhabitants - but very beautiful town. I lived there few years and I met Adam there - (xoxo Big Foot anyway). On the other hand my dream city is London - and I do not know what to do with such contradiction in myself.
4. I draw, paint, make softies since I was 7 (which means almost 30 years). The only thing I've never tryed was sculpture. My biggest success as an illustrator was -just once - a catalogue for a puppet theatre. Being social anthropologist has good sides too, but I like drawing :)
5. I love black and white in everything - interior design, graphics, furniture, clothing. Orange and turquoise are very necessary additions to this base.
6. I cry watching cartoon movies: "Lilo and Stitch" "Lion King" "Nemo" and - worst to stay calm of all - "Bambi". (Now I've noticed that all these stories are about orphaned children, that explains a lot) Ada will be surprised seeing me sobbing....Adam, while we were watching "Nemo"together, had been VERY surprised - I was weeping!
7. I'm addicted to flickr , reading my favourite bloggers (see my blogroll) and watching sites dedicated to softies.

I hope they won't have anything against being tagged:
Sion from cuteable and ubiki
Sara from saracolorido
Florence from "Windbag and Thunder
lowekrowe alias Maciek Blazniak
Hodowcy Zabawek
Ewa and Michal from Konsorcjum Rapacholin
Geninne from Geninne's Art Blog

from the father's point of view

Today I found The Pokey Pup site run by Bryan Townsend. As he sais - he has worked in the music industry in some form (including promotions for MCA/Geffen Records, marketing for Interscope Records, music licensing, owning a record store since 1997) for most of his working life, so while expecting together with his wife their first child, he decided to challenge this expertise in a new direction, providing great music and other media for kids and parents. Very interesting idea, and - as for me - good choice.

Music one can find at The Pokey Pup has nothing, or almost nothing to do with multi-colored alien babies or annoying kid's music, but lots with the classic 20th century gems. Or modern versions of gems, like The Beatles, Love

or favourite creatures of few generations already - on both sides of the ocean - Muppets like Kids' Favorite Songs" with my hero, Big Bird,

or a hero of my daughter's sleeping time - Elmo

The site is nicely organized that everone can easily find books, or CDs or DVDs. You can find there really variety of music areas: from lullabies to pop or rock, from music for babies and preschoolers, some classics for the whole family. And also interesting, nice, or just funny gifts for the baby showers or any other occasion. The most hilarious for me is this pastiche of famous mob story -
. Reading the story you realize it's not the movie "for the whole family" but very special gift for the hip father-to-be who needs some entertainment and professional knowledge before his baby arrival.
I like the sentence at the "about us" page, that sounds like cool motto: "If music is the soundtrack to your life, why not share it with your kids?" and I must say - I agree!

Henio doggie softie and his collection

Henio doggie softie and his collection, originally uploaded by lalootka.

Finally I borrowed a camera to upload my photos. They've beem waiting for this for more than a month.
Henio is ready to play. He's my own pattern and made especially for Bartuchna, friend of ours as a custom order for his nephew. It was meant to be an Alsatian shepherd, hehe.
Now I think next time I should make similiar doggie larger - children like large toys. And those tiny, too, but medium size is rather for larger children (read: grownups)
P.S. I've realized that Henio is very much in style of my wolf finger puppet

home inspirations again

Rice is one of those Scandinavian interior design companies that seem to have the largest impact on the fashion designing, and promote something bigger than just earning money - social awareness. Of course, one may say that it's just marketing - but I want to believe that it's worldwide movement (inspired and promoted by women mostly!) that everyone should help the others - in this way or the other, but even buying can be helpful for someone. Maybe this is one of the reasons why Scandinavian design becomes more and more popular, especially among young people who are fed up with pure consumption and want some undefined "more". This is definately more. More color, for instance. I like the eruption of color in their catalogue. And white floors. And pillows that catch your eyes with vivacity.

But as a toy maker, I could not to notice that doll has absolutely superb doll house - it's a package also, I believe. And I just love it.

How does it come that Scandinavs make great design? Is it just the matter of publicity, or something else? I suppose that the poverty of Sweden of Norway - I mean 19th century and earlier -made them focused on the simplest things. And as less means more - simplicity works even nowadays. This advent calendar I found at Angelattable, An Angel at my Table blog of photographer Mari Eriksson. I think her blog'd become one of my favourites. Colourful photos of interior and b&w photos of children and family - this style appeals to me.

Decorated IKEA blanket looks great but I'm affraid the simplicity of this trim is delusive. Maybe making pompoms is not that difficult (with a tool especially) but the rest - well, you better buy such a folk inspired trim than make it. Photo via uncomparabledecor8

Consortium Rapacholin maybe are new at etsy but as a artistic and merchandising team they work for some time. And I'm happy to know them (Ewa is ethnologis like me! and Michal is tallented graphic designer, one of my mother's best students) - but I haven't known untill recently they make such great things you can see here . Finally I know, and I'm really glad to find these two - they made, among other things, beautiful tables, painted in my favourite folk motif. This time Opoczno region with beautiful "pigeons" in white. Yum. Very inspirational. And I know when to knock when I'll be in desperate need of renovation of my furniture and repainting in in folk way :)Cute tables - who could say that black and white can be cute too?

Takeshi Iwasaki is illustrator and painter who makes collages that could decorate any nursery or children room. But his creations are not just for children. Many people love Japanese artists and arts for the illusion of children naivety and use of simple modes of expression. And maybe for the subjects - like this Lighthouse.
I feel awfull but I lost the name of the company that makes these beautiful furniture for children. This little table, rocking chair and shelf are on the top of my wish list when I think about beautiful objects for my daughter.

scandinavian design for children, originally uploaded by lalootka.

And yes, I'm still into it - planning what to do, and how much (or rather how little) money spend. But white and simplicity is really my choise, not the result of limited budget, heheh.