we whistle while we work

Some freshly made bunnies, bears and Pig 2.0.

This crew is now en route to my new friends at Kennedy Crawford Design in North Vancouver.

My littlest helper is never far....

Off she goes, onto the next adventure

Syd and Ria: first two koo ever

These were the very first koo & poppets I ever made!

You can't see the bear's eyes and there's just something *off * about that bunny's face.....I don't trust him....he looks like a pick-pocket, or some character of equivalent shadiness....

but practice I did, and soon I found the look I was after. my stitches have really improved since then too :)

It's fun to look back and see how they've evolved. These two dinosaurs live in Sadie's room.

They don't have names and they don't have likes or dislikes. So hows about I make those up on the spot:

(bear) "Ria"

likes: auspiciousness

dislikes: bad timing

(bunny) "Syd"

likes: loose change

dislikes: law enforcement

Let's just say that these two are the Bonnie & Clyde of K&P.

Happy American Thanksgiving!

See you on Black Friday - there will be a sale in the shop from November 26 - December 4.

Calling all Facebook fans old and new! Enter to win a Koo & Poppet scarf!

Are you a fan of Koo & Poppet on Facebook?
Simply visit the K&P page (via the sidebar of this blog or by clicking here), leave a comment on the scarf giveaway post, and be automatically entered to win it. Give it as a stocking stuffer or save it for a windy day!
Stripes and polka dots: they're so hot right now.

A winner will be chosen by a random number generator (random.org) on Cyber Monday, November 29th.

:-)

Betsy and Ricardo

Do you know what I love? POLKA DOTS!!!!

You guys, you don't even understand how much fabric I have in gigantic bins at KP world headquarters.....nevertheless, I continue to add to the supply because now and then I come across adorable Japanese linen cottons that I SIMPLY CANNOT RESIST. The Koos need them!! It is entirely justifiable.

These two are also available at Hip Baby, however methinks I will list them in my Etsy shop too :)

Thanks for checking in, more tomorrow.....

Gift Certificates!

now available in the shop...

Giveaway hosted by BLOESEM KIDS

Presenting Brown Bear Henry and Cute Bunny Portia.

Enter to win this charming pair here.

www.bkids.typepad.com

Merrily, merrily, to Asia we go

I would like to have a giant world map on my wall and stick a coloured pin at every location a Koo & Poppet doll has traveled to.

Yes, I will most definitely do that one day.

Up until this week though, no Koo had ever traveled to any part of Asia.

But a certain Benedict is on his way to a new baby in Shanghai:

And here is strawberry-loving Riana-Chan with her "Summer" bunny in Japan:

(thank you, Ada, for the photo)

In other travel news, GUESS WHO TOOK A TRAIN RIDE ACROSS CANADA?

None other than our beloved "Milly":

(thank you, Darrell, for the photos)

I just about fell off my chair when these photos were sent to me :)

Milly sure gets around.

Okay Scandinavia, your turn.

Christmas in July sale

All Cute Bunnies are on sale in the shop!

Summer has arrived in the FOrEst of MiSfiTs

Here are a few of my favourite things:

Trios.

Berries.

Gingham.

Linen.

Pink sisters.

Mod.

Happiness.

(for wall art sources, click here)

Orange and Pink

Much to my delight, several Koo & Poppet critters have been featured in Etsy treasuries lately!

For those unfamiliar with Etsy, a treasury is a hand-picked collection of items on the site, selected by any Etsy user. It's basically just a way for a complete stranger to say "hey. i like your stuff. i put it in a group of my favourite things."

suffice it to say, it is a humble honour.

Spy Avril and Piquette in these colourful, if not clashing, treasuries:

visit the curator of this treasury here

and the gatherer of this one here

links to the treasuries (which eventually expire, because all good things must come to an end):

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c168170310f6d916421ba8c/juicy-with-a-hint-of-gray

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c123a570a5a6d91404c772e/squishy-cuteness

Mama in the City Giveaway

Little Sylvie and Bunny Baxter are up for grabs over at one of my favourite blogs, Mama in the City, which also happens to be celebrating its first anniversary this month!

The author of the blog, Andrea, is mama to baby Ben (well not so "baby" anymore....let's face it - our toddlers are growing up!) She is also a Labour/Delivery nurse and lives in the one and only Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrea is a great writer, her husband a talented photographer, and her son is one gorgeous little boy. That's right, all the ingredients of a must-read blog :-)
In fact, vancouvermom.com recently included Mama in the City in the top 30 Vancouver Mom blogs. And it's so fitting that we collaborate on a giveaway, because Andrea was the winner of the first ever Koo & Poppet giveaway last summer.

Oh - and she has coined a term that I LOVE: "Koo madness"

And all you have to do to enter the Koo & Poppet giveaway is leave a comment on her post here.
But make haste - the giveaway is only on for a few more days. But luckily Mama in the City is only a hop, skip and a click away......

good luck!

Koo & Poppet at Onlyhuman, Victoria BC

Well hello there, Gary. Stop your sleuthing around.


I am so pleased to tell you that Koo & Poppet is now available at Onlyhuman in downtown Victoria. Located at 616 Yates Street (the former Design House location) the showroom is a bull's eye for unique design and exquisitely crafted contemporary furniture.
The Koos are so very honoured to be included in the studio's eclectic mix of novelty designer items.
If you're in Victoria, definitely put Onlyhuman on your list of spots to visit this spring.
To read more about the store's philosophy, check out Meade Design Group's interview with owners Chris and Christina here.

Clockwise from top left: Summer, Gary and Christopher (a seafaring bunny)

Esmerelda prefers to keep to herself. Perhaps you can help socialize her?

Christopher and the piggy are fast friends. Good luck separating them. They're like dogs at the SPCA (except much more chic) who form a bond and have to be adopted into a new home together.

All of the new Koo & Poppet designs shown here are also available in the online shop.

My thanks to Chris and Christina at Onlyhuman!

http://www.onlyhuman.ca/

Miss Popular

I am honoured to see Cute Bunny Milly featured in another treasury on Etsy!

Thanks to Samy for including her, she is most flattered :)

You can see larger images of the whole collection on Samy's blog here.

Exhibito "A"

I'm not exactly sure if "exhibito" is the Italian word for "exhibit" but it's close enough and that's where these sextuplets are off to - Italy!

I present to you "Claudio".

Likes: bike rides

Dislikes: flat tires

And yes. Those are linen carrots. On a bunny's tummy. How long do you think it took me to decide I needed THAT fabric? Umm, like negative 2 seconds.

ITALIA! Another Koo & Poppet European Adventure.

"BOLOGNESE and MUSEUMS and GELATO and FASHION, HERE WE COME!" they squeal from within their luxurious bubble mailer. As soon as their voyage is complete, these bunnies will be available online at Ecohandmade.it! I will post more about this fantastic site in the coming weeks.

Catania, Italy

So here you have it, the newest resident of the Forest of Misfits. Claudio has moved into a burrow right next door to Tuesday, and Milly is showing him around. The welcoming committee consists of Elliot, Baffin and Weasel McBeasel. And those of you reading this who are unfamiliar with Koo & Poppet - permission granted to consider the author of this blog insane.

The Koo & Poppet spring collection is well underway, and I will be posting more designs over the next few weeks. I'm so excited to unveil the 2010 fabrics!!

Bon nuit, little bunny

Milly gazing out across the streets of Paris

First, Riley traveled to New York, and now Milly has taken up residence in one of my most favourite cities in the world, the unmistakable Paris.

When new mom and talented photographer Carine Tyler sent me this photo, I couldn't quite believe my eyes at first.

"Milly, is that you?? Wait....wait. Full stop. OMG. Milly is that you in PARIS??!?!"
She wears her new city well, by the looks of it.

Whenever I package up one of these little misfits and drop it off at the post office, I imagine the journey that lies ahead: over land (over sea in some cases) and all the points in between. I imagine the small manilla package tossed in a cargo bin, in some random holding place, and then I imagine X-ray vision seeing through the package at the little critter inside.
I imagine the parcel being to delivered to the door of the recipient, and its contents placed in the hands of a little boy or girl.
I imagine this new friend being toted along on trips to the park, the library, the dentist. I wonder if one might ever be left behind, destined to become a stray and lost forever.
But approximately one year ago, around the time that Koo & Poppet came to be, could I ever have imagined that I would receive a photo of one of these bunnies high atop a balcony in Paris, looking in the direction of Sacre-Coeur? Absolutement pas!!!

I hope this doesn't come across as me putting too much importance on these things. Afterall, they are just toys, and they are just things. But it's what these things have come to represent for me. They are a means of connecting with people I've never met (that's you, by the way), a stitch from one place to another, a journey that I would otherwise have never known.

And photos just make my day. Please keep sending them!

Bisou, bisou,
Sarah

It's a fabulous GIVEAWAY!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a BIG FAT KOO!

The brains behind Big Fat Hen (that would be Emily & Lee) and the brains behind Koo & Poppet (that would be me) have come together to present to you, dear readers, a totally spectacular GIVEAWAY. Emily and I got to talking, and since hens lay eggs which in turn are delivered by bunnies at a certain time of year, we thought HOW ABOUT AN EASTER TREAT?

Here is your chance to win a coveted Big Fat Hen baby blanket with a coordinating Koo & Poppet bunny. Think nursery, think style, think cozy little baby.

There are two sets to choose from:

Combo #1: Bunny Bronson and Ben's Wheels

Bunny Bronson is made from a navy blue natural wool and has white corduroy ears and white stitching.

Ben's Wheels is a multi-functional blanket designed to fit perfectly in a stroller, car seat, or bassinet. Warm, stylish and plush, it measures 29" x 31".

Combo #2: Bunny Rosalie and Ruby Blossom

Bunny Rosalie is made from a natural grey wool and has cream corduroy ears and cream stitching.

Ruby Blossom is a multi-functional blanket designed to fit perfectly in a stroller, car seat, or bassinet. Warm, stylish and plush, it measures 29" x 31".

Here are the rules for entering:

Leave a comment, specifying the following:

1. Which combination set you prefer (Ruby/Rosalie or Ben's Wheels/Bronson)

2. Your favourite item from Big Fat Hen's online shop and your favourite item from Koo & Poppet's online shop

3. Tell your friends! Post a link to this giveaway either on your blog, twitter page, or facebook page, and leave us your link in the comments field.

The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, March 24th. A winner will be announced on Thursday, March 25th.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

KLUB KOO: Ember and "Ruby"

photo: Sarah Ferguson

Just in time for Valentine's Day, here's an adorable photo of 2-month-old Ember and her Ruby bunny. It looks like they make a wonderful pair!

Koo & Poppet archives

Sylvie was one of the first bunnies I ever made, and proved to be one of the most popular designs of 2009. I think she's a keeper for the 2010 cast of characters too...

Kids with Koos

photo: Alex Firmani

Newest Klub Koo inductees, Sophie and Gavin live near the University of Victoria campus, and for those who don't know, the campus is absolutely hopping with little cottontails. When I was a student there I simply could not resist the urge to say "Hi bunnyyyyy!" everytime I walked past one, even though I'm sure I got a lot of sideways glances.

I love seeing these photos of Sophie and Gavin opening their very own bunnies on Christmas morning. Great jammies too!

Thanks to Sarah for the photos!

Change is good!

Hi eVeRyOnE!

Introducing the new masthead. Is it too big? Too busy? Too in your face?

It's just that the old one was created slightly hastily; meant for temporary use only, and well, it's almost been a year.

I'm working on new print media for K&P this month and I thought I might as well update the blog graphics as well.

Here is permuation #2:

and #3:

I want to keep it simple and fresh, but also representative of the style and personality of all those Koos, all those Poppets. Who is who anyway? Even I don't know!