soopsori

Soopsori is a collection of handmade toys that exude beauty and simplicity.  The toys are made of wood and are finished with linseed oil, making them environmentally-friendly and child-safe.

We picked up Soopsori’s Wooden Push Car and Wooden Rattle Block set at Emmo Home, a local design store.

The artist behind Soopsori is Lee Chul Soo.  According to Soopsori’s website, “Living with his wife on a small farm in rural Korea, Lee Chul Soo grows most of his own food, writes poetry, and makes his prints by hand in the traditional way.”  We love to see artists working in traditional methods.  These are well-crafted toys that will definitely be passed on to future generations in our family!

millergoodman

"Prepare to be amazed" is the first line on the back of the box of millergoodman's ShapeMaker blocks.  We could not agree more!  We were so amazed at the quality, craftsmanship and innovation of this toy when we first cracked open the box and continue to be the more we play with it.  This set of blocks is destined to be a classic in our household.  For now, Avery enjoys the different animals and designs that we form with the blocks but it won't be too long before she creates some of her own!

Here is a description from millergoodman's Shhhop site: "Winner of a gold award at the 2009 Practical Pre-School awards. ShapeMaker is a set of 25 colourful, geometric design, hand printed, beautifully crafted, environmentally friendly hardwood blocks made of rubber wood - a replenishable wood. The blocks can be excitingly arranged to create a menagerie of thousands of surprising creatures and tons of sparkling, imaginative, engaging images that guarantee to delight children of all ages. The blocks perfectly illustrate millergoodman’s commitment to combine function with the highest design principles, producing beautiful, sensitive New Classics in the children’s market."

We purchased our set of ShapeMaker blocks from The Wooden Wagon.  Click here to see more creations and here to see the ShapeMaker blocks in action. 

august

I can't believe it's August already! We're more than halfway through the summer.

I've gotten into the habit in the last couple of years of buying ilee's calendar, which is hand printed using letterpress, silkscreen and foil stamping.  I love how she distills the essence of each month into a lovely and engaging illustration.  Browse her etsy shop and you'll find something you like!