Give Us A Twirl

 How about a pretty party frock to start the day?

I found this on pinterest a while ago and bookmarked it to show Savannah.

Every little girl dreams of being a princess don't they?

Es+ Es Kids

Baika Dolls

She's called Zuzanna Bukala, remember her name, you'll be hearing it a lot. This talented young Polish designer is about to graduate from Dundee University and has designed and produced a wonderful Baika Dolls toy for her Honours Degree Project. Baika is a phonetic spelling of the Polish word ‘bajka’ which means ‘story’. Zuzanna is interested in fairytales, in their universal and individual nature, and the customary act of family storytelling.

Her Baika Dolls set consists of a series of handpainted pine-wood dolls embodying the popular characters from the traditional tales, the classical landscape elements of the fairytale world and a board providing a platform for play. Bright, colourful and simply-designed, Baika Dolls was inspired by the folk stylistic of Zusanna's homeland. It's a beautiful and decorative toy for creative play that I'm sure children will love.

However, there's more to this set than meets the eye. Baika Dolls is a sound toy. When the fairytale characters come in contact with the board they emit a sound. Children can upload their own custom sounds for each element allowing them to invent countless storytelling scenarios.

If you're interested in finding out more about Zuzanna's work and the entire Baika Doll design / production process have a look at her blog. She has also produced a short video about the toy, which you can watch here.

via beetroot

Let me tell you a story

Morgandy

I'd like to introduce you to a few new acquaintances

Linnet, who prefers her bird friends to people. She prefers mist and twilight to sunshine. the birdcage door is always open, a comfort rather than a cage.

Brenna, who knows of the secret garden behind the old wooden door

Corinne, who dreams of island life, wandering the cliff tops and collecting flowers.

These exquisite creations are the work of Nottingham-based mixed media artist Gillian Lee Smith. Love at first sight! Gillian has a lifetime fascination with storytelling, history, fairytales and folklore. Her work (painting, felt and soft sculpture) explores the expression and characterisation of human nature, a glimpse of the hidden, and is influenced by the Baroque and Victorian periods.
Each of her sculptural characters tells an original tale and endeavors to embody a whole lifestory with a single image, a way of seeking the perfect representation of our character. They are a nod towards her own imaginations, avid reading and childhood dreams.

Need I say more? Gillian's work is quite extraordinary, moving infact. Her sculptures have a soul. Why don't you take a look for yourself?

Penny Leaver Green

It's been a while since I've found anything as interesting as Penny Leaver Green's embroidery.
This Bristol-based textile artist, with a background in English, drama and theatre design, makes sewn pictures from fabric and thread. Her work is conversational, incorporating language and exploring the relationship between fabrics, design and words. The provenance and type of materials she uses is important, nothing is planned, her pieces stem from an idea and develop as fabric is placed in a certain way and thread is worked.Penny occasionally works on a specific theme or creates a series of pictures, such as her bird series, exploring the place birds have in our consciousness.

Six Eggs
Hand- dyed linen ground with silk and thread from a series of pieces exploring the depleting number of British birds

She is currently working on the place buttons have in our culture in collaboration with a button phobic and a clinical psychologist. Through 15 pictures she will be exploring a particular button phobic's reactions to buttons and also looking at the button phobic presence on the internet. Her work will be exhibited in Harvey Nichols in Bristol in 2010.

Scale of Repulsion IV
Vintage French linen, vintage bakelite buttons, thread

A picture based on the response to 16 similar buttons by a button phobic in order of repulsion

It's very difficult to choose a favourite, but I especially like her "into the woods" series exploring fairytales in the woods

Hansel and Gretel

Silk screen print Liberty fabric vintage cotton and thread on vintage calico
the text reads: 'quite happily they played on the edge of the deep dark wood..'

If you are interested in finding out more about Penny, her work in progress and work for sale, please visit her excellent website, flickr stream (beautiful quilts, wall hangings, children's pictures and children's toys) and new etsy shop.

A joy to explore!