Fairy tales

I'm not sure what's causing it, but even as discount-store toys get more plastic and disappointing (or—eek!—more dangerous), there is an increasing blurring of the line between stuffed, toy-like art objects and really beautiful handmade dolls. I honestly don't know sometimes where one ends and the other begins, but I feel like maybe Ugly Dolls are at one end of the spectrum and Tamar Mogendorff's seahorses and pearls are at the other. (I, for one, have always been a devotee of Rockford Red Heel sock monkeys, but that's neither here nor there.) In any case, today on Craftzine (you know I love Craftzine!) I spotted a post about Cocoon Designs' sweater creatures, and oh my! They are nice. These two in particular are so reminiscent of Grimm's tales (or of the troll I imagined living under the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff), and simultaneously really well made and pretty. I like that their faces are expressive and their shapes unusual. They're made out of recycled sweaters, too, so: Eco-score. Read More »