It's the Holidays Once Again

Blogging is such a weird thing for me. Every time I go to my blog I realize that so much time has passed between posts. It's kinda strange. It's not like things aren't happening, I just forget to blog.

This Winter Holiday season has been very busy one for me. I can't seem to keep items in stock and my sewing machine has been in overdrive! Yeah!

So here's what's going on this Saturday:

Kokma Toys is back at CherryBomb PopUp Shop located at:

Zora Dora
201 Main Street
Beacon, New York
www.cherrybombpopup.weebly.com

And is carrying the Lazy Daisy Holiday Limited Edition Cloth Doll

Kokma Toys has also expanded to a new location and is doing great at:

Bliss Co-op
1371 Kings Highway, Romers Alley #4b
Sugar Loaf, New York
www.blissco-op.com

I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season! And thank you for all your support!!

Can't believe it's Spring!

After 2012's holiday season I took a bit of creative time off... couple months to recover and regroup. I have still been working on local community projects which are rewarding! So rewarding that I am going to receive the Forty Under 40 Shaker Award from the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce!!

I'm still in shock! All I can do is to thank BeaconArts for their overwhelming support of my work and for nominating me!

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

Holidays Are Approaching!

This holiday season feels different than most. I think I have been on production overload in a very festive and joyous way! This year I am particapating in the CherryBomb Holiday PopUp Shop as well as the Annual Holiday Craft Fair at the Howland Cultural Center hosted by The Hudson Valley Etsy Team!

Here are the details:

Cherrybomb Holiday PopUp Shop

Saturday, November 10th, 2012
through
Monday, December 24th, 2012
for store hours visit
www.cherrybombpopup.weebly.com

Located at
Zora Dora Paletaria
201 Main Street
Beacon, New York

___________________

Holiday Craft Fair
at the Howland Cultural Center

Saturday, December 8th
10am-4pm
at
The Howland Cultural Center
477 Main Street
Beacon, New York

Hope to see you there!
Have a fun and festive Holiday Season!

Halloween Art Show

I'm very excited for the art show I have coming up this month. I have always wanted to do a Halloween show, since it's my favorite holiday of all time!!

I hope you all can make it!

Tall Tales from a Short Kid Named Mort:
Things Made with Haunted Stuff
Art by Amy C Wilson

From the disturbingly adorable mind of artist Amy C. Wilson comes Tall Tales from a Short Kid Named Mort: Things Made with Haunted Stuff.

This show is visually inspired by early cartoons of the 1920s - 1940s Each image is told through the eyes of a short kid named Mort and his imagination.

Be sure to stop by for this creepy cute ode to Halloween!

Opening Recepiton
October 13th, 2012
from
6pm to 9pm
at
Dream in Plastic
177 Main Street
Beacon, New York

As always delicious cupcakes will be served.
Show runs from October 13th to November 7th, 2012

Pre order prints at www.Kokma.Etsy.com

Windows on Main Street 2012

Tonite is the opening of Windows on Main Street 2012 in Beacon, New York. I'm extremely happy I got to do Dream in Plastics window again this year.

Kurīn and Baby Wash Scrub
at
Dream in Plastic
177 Main Street
Beacon, New York

Kurīn and Baby Wash Scrub is about a young girl, Kurīn, who decided one day to clean all of her baby stuffed animals and hang them out to dry. Sadly all of her tiny companions did not survive the wash :( As she hung them out to dry a storm cloud rolled into town and began to rain cupcakes all over them.

I think, by far, this project was the most fun and the most challenging. Here are some of the steps in in developing the pieces for this window display. I normally start with facial expressions to help my concepts come to life. Here is the sketch of Kurīn's face and the sizing of it on fabric.

Once I had the idea of the face, then I designed and custom ordered the fabric for her dress.

As I was waiting on the fabric I started the construction of the body. The hair was by far the trickiest of all. I have never made a 40 inch tall doll before... and boy did she require a LOT of hair!

Once the hair on the head was assembled I sewed the rest of her up.

Next up was inserting the skeleton. For Kurīn, I made a simple wooden one and used armature wire for her arms and filled her head with packing peanuts to help keep it light.

Once she was filled, it was on to styling her hair

Once her hair was complete it was time for the details. I wanted her to have a top hat to go along with the Japanese Lolita Style. Here are some images of how I constructed her awesome top hat!

...and Viola!

For more images on how I made the rest of the display 'Like' my Facebook page and check it out! Kokma - Art & Design by Amy C Wilson

I hope to see you there at the opening reception!

Cutting Very Tiny Pieces of Felt

Crafting tiny things is always fun! But sometimes when your working with tiny pieces of felt it can be a little tedious. Here's a technic I like to use when working with tiny pieces of felt, slippery fabrics and cotton.

What you will need:
- Newsprint pad
- Regular stapler and book stapler
- Pen
- Pattern

Trace out your pattern per color felt on a sheet of newsprint (while still leaving newsprint paper in pad) leaving enough space between tracings for stapler to fit between. Once tracing is complete, rip out the traced sheet and the sheet underneath the traced sheet, so you will have 2 sheets of newsprint.

Cut the 2 sheets stacked together to the required size of tracings if they do not fill the entire sheet of the top newsprint sheet.

Next, cut felt fabric to the same size as the newsprint sheets and then sandwich the felt between the traced newsprint sheet and the additional non traced newsprint sheet. Match all corners. Staple each corner to make sure the newsprint sheets and felt are stacked evenly. Then continue to staple around the edges and between tracings. This will hold your pattern and felt in place while you cut.

Once done stapling, cut your pattern!

This technic sometimes will take a little longer, but it will give you nice clean lines and save your pattern from wear.

I used this technic when making the Cupcake Felt Ornaments.

Last Bit of Fun for June

June has been a super month for me and Kokma Toys! Started with the super awesome HVET Fishkill Craft Fair and The Custom Toy Show at Dream in Plastic!

The Custom Toy Show runs until July 6th, so hurry over to

Dream in Plastic
177 Main Street
Beacon, New York

Ending this fun month Kokma Toys will be at the local Beacon Riverfest on Saturday the 30th starting at noon.

Also...

Kuriketto and the Unicorn Super Pow Chop!
will be featured at the
Plush Stories : These Plush of Mine
at
Grumpy Bert @ DeKalb Market
138 Willoughby St. #38
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Show runs June 30th - August 5th
Opening Reception Saturday, June 30 from 6-10pm

Sad to say I will not be in attendance :( But if you go please send me pics!

For more info visit : http://www.grumpybert.com/blogs/blog/6152148-plush-stories-these-plush-of-mine-6-30-8-5-2012

For more event listings including Craft Fairs and Shows visit: www.kokmatoys.com/events.html

Hudson Valley Etsy Team June Craft Fair

What a great day!!! I think by far this is the best craft fair I have done. Met a lot of great people and had tons of help and support from my amazing husband and my friend Kat. Especially when the rain came down! O_O

I have another great outdoor event coming up the end of this month which I'm really excited about too!!

For the latest event schedule please visit:
http://www.kokmatoys.com/events.html

Hope to see you there!!

Craft Fair This Sunday!!!

Getting prepared for Sunday!
Come by and enjoy the fun, sun & handcrafted goodness.

Beacon Open Studios 2012!!

Shhhh... I know I'm late on my post about Beacon Open Studios.

I must say I had a great experience this year!! I got to meet a great new set of Artists, Photographers and Designers. Truck City at Spire Studios was much larger than I had expected and was full of wonder!

Although I didn't have enough time to prototype all my new designs I still got to share some of my previous and a couple new ones.

New design Lazy Daisy was a HUGE hit with kids!! Mommy's who have purchased the couple dolls I had on hand have been sending me pics!

I also had a great interview with FIT Alumni & Faculty Relations!

Click Here to Read Interview with FIT Alumni & Faculty Relations!

Now I'm preparing for June's upcoming craft shows!! For event calendar please visit the Kokma Toys website at www.KokmaToys/events.html

If you have Kokma Toys Fan pics please email them to me at amy@kokma.com

Be sure to like my Facebook page and follow Kokma Toys on Twitter to get all the latest news!

Pre-Orders for Lazy Daisy are now being taken.
Please contact me directly or order from Kokma Toys website at www.KokmaToys.com/dolls.html Quantities are limited and production time is currently 3 weeks. Please email me with any questions at amy@kokma.com

Kokma Toys Video

Beacon Bull Digital has been so awesome!!! They created this great video featuring my creations!!

Beacon Open Studios 2012

Very excited for Beacon Open Studios at the end of this month. I will be featuring my toys and art.

Again, this year I had the great opportunity to create the graphics for Beacon Open Studios Postcard, Poster and artwork for the catalog.

Please come by!!

Beacon Open Studios
is the weekend of
April 28th & 29th, 2012
12pm - 6pm

My work will be at
Spire Studios
45 Beekman Street
2nd Floor Gallery
Beacon, New York

Spire Studios is a prime location for this year's Truck City! So much eye candy!

Kickoff Show
at
Hudson Beach Glass
162 Main Street
Beacon, New York

Kickoff Show runs April 14-30
Kickoff Party April 27th

I will have one of recent digital renderings in the Kickoff Show :D

For more info visit:
www.Kokma.com
www.BeaconOpenStudios.org

Creation of Kuriketto and the Unicorn Super Pow Chop!

Before the Holidays of December my friend Diana told me about The Custom Toy Show event they were hosting at their store Dream in Plastic. And of course I had to be a part of the fun! Inspired by one of Diana's birthday cakes I decided to make a decapitated Unicorn.




But since I dislike making my life easy when it comes to my craft I added a cloth doll, Kuriketto, to the mix.

I started with Kuriketto first since I had to order the fabric for the Unicorn and it takes about 2 weeks to receive. I worked with a current doll pattern I developed and modified it slightly.

First step was to start with her face. I did a rough sketch as seen below.



After I got the shape I wanted I rendered them out in Illustrator.



I printed them out and got them ready to be ironed on. Thankfully my printer decided to play nice.



After her face was set I started spooling her hair and sewed her completely up.



Then I filled her with my favorite polyfil made by Fairfield World.



At this point she needs her nose, which I hand tack on and her skirt. Her hair is not styled.

While in this week long plus process of finishing up Kuriketto my Unicorn material arrives. I have been working on the pattern in between constructing Kuriketto. Normally a new pattern, like the Unicorn's, will take me up to 2 weeks to develop before going to final fabric. Here is a picture of the Unicorn being sewn.



With his new innards.



Now to the hand glittering. This is by far the most favorite thing to do... I think I have a glittering problem ;D





The glitter can take up to 16 hours or more to dry. Especially on fabric. At this point I was starting to panic because the show was only days away and I still had so much to do to finish Kuriketto. I spent an entire day detailing her hair made of yarn and putting on last minute accessories.


I'm happy I got the piece finished! It's currently being shown at Dream In Plastic in Beacon, NY

Holiday Fun

For this Holiday Season I have created Yeti Henry.

He is soft and cuddly and is sugar cookie scented! He comes with a handcrafted cinnamon ornament and hand knitted scarf.





In addition to having my toys and ornaments being sold at Dream in Plastic, The CW Elf Pop-Up Shop is also selling my creations.



CW Elf Pop-Up Shop
197 Main Street, Beacon, NY




Dream in Plastic
177 Main Street
Beacon, New York
www.DreamInPlastic.com





The Hudson Valley Etsy Team Howland Center Craft Fair was so much fun! I got to meet some really great people and make some connections with local creative people.




Wishing Everyone Joyous Winter Holidays!