Sky is just the right size to sit in a pocket. But, what he really likes to do is fly. Flying through the sky like his name. The feel of the wind, or sweeping through the clouds is what flying is all about to him. It's a shame that eventually he gets tired and has to stop and rest.
0 Comments
Did you have or do you have now a tiny toy that you keep with you? A tiny teddy bear, or doll. A small bunny or dinosaur. Perhaps it's a little car or truck. Maybe you have a rock or a coin or a paper bill. Does it live in your pocket? On your desk at work? In your briefcase or purse or backpack? You are not alone. The Christmas I was 8, I got in my stocking, a Skittle doll. She had long straight black hair. Her head was about the size of a Barbie doll head and the body was only as long as the head was tall. She had on a teeny tiny outfit. I remember my younger sister got a doll also, but cannot recall the details. That little tiny doll was about 2 inches tall in total. I loved that doll. She was just the right size to put in a pocket. No one but me knew she was there. She became my secret companion. When I was feeling left out on the playground at school, I could reach into my pocket and knew I wasn't entirely alone. I'd hide her in my pillow when I went to bed at night. After all, I was a big girl now and didn't need a night time toy to go to sleep. I told her my dreams and wishes. At about 10 or 11, I stopped carrying her in my pocket. But she had a place of honor on my desk at home. I still needed that reassurance as I headed into my teen years that I wasn't alone. About that time, I spent several pain staking afternoons after school making her some clothing. She had a bathrobe I was particularly proud of because I had managed, in spite of the huge difference between her body and her head, to make an attached hood on the robe that actually worked. When I was making teddy bears years ago, I became fascinated with the miniature bears of 3 inches tall or less. I experimented with sewing such tiny bears. I gave one to my son. Turns out that he kept that little bear in his pocket through grade school and middle school. It became that important companion. I have since given out miniature bears to others, both children and adults, only to discover that the little bears were kept in pockets or the dash of the car or a place of honor on a desk.
For some reason we as youngsters, as teens, and as adults need that little bit of comfort. That something outside of ourselves that reassures us. Maybe it isn't a "toy". Perhaps it's a key chain decoration or something hanging from the rear view mirror on our vehicle. It's a little something that is meaningful that sits on a dresser, a dashboard, or a nightstand. It's not always a toy, maybe it's an interesting rock. Whatever it is, we feel better for having it. Knowing this, I have created pocket dragons. They are about 2 inches (5cm) long nose to tail. They will be available in my Etsy shop soon. I'm finishing up the pictures and descriptions. If you feel the need, or know someone who might just need, a tiny dragon to be that little something meaningful, stop by the shop and take a look. Have you ever felt like your name didn't fit you? Or maybe it did, but then you changed and now the name doesn't seem to be who you are anymore? It's not easy living with a name that doesn't fit. People will go by nicknames or shortened names or diminutive names rather than by a name that doesn't fit. Some opt to go by a middle name. Some even go so far as to legally change their name.
After 3 plus years of selling toys under the name of Mountain Goddess Studio, I am changing the name of my business to Whimsy Forest. It wasn't an easy decision. After all, I've got a few years of sales and people knowing me as Mountain Goddess Studio. It's not that I've changed, or that my products have changed. It's that the name didn't suit what I did from the beginning. It was a legacy from when I had bees and made candy. I confess, I should have thought it through when I began selling online, but, I didn't. I kept the core name of Mountain Goddess. It was familiar and comfortable. Struggling to create a logo and a marketing plan for Mountain Goddess Studio, it just didn't want to gel and come together. I must have tried a half a dozen different logos. When I showed them to people for an opinion it was either negative (it didn't seem to fit), or it wasn't recognized for a mountain, a dragon wing or whatever I had come up with. Then there were the logos that got crickets. Nobody even bothered commenting one way or the other. It was frustrating and very sad. My marketing became virtually non-existent. I couldn't find my brand. Besides with the name of Mountain Goddess Studio it felt more like a fine art or graphics art business, not someone making stuffed toys from natural materials. Several times I thought I should just change the name. But, to what? So I kept the name and carried on. One morning several weeks ago, upon awakening, there came to me a name with a logo, colors and even some idea of how to market it. Unfortunately, that name had already been taken by someone else and the domain name wasn't available. :( For the next several days I kept a list of words that spoke to me in a similar way. Hours of checking if the domain had been sold to someone else as I tried combination after combination. Then, it happened. The name Whimsy Forest was available. It made me smile and it evoked the feeling I get when I work on the stuffed toys and how the toys speak to others. I hesitated. I questioned, is this right? Will this work? How much work would it be to change things? I ran the name by family and friends. What do you think? I'd ask them. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Still I hesitated. My husband (and biggest fan) told me to just go for it. So, I bought the domain name. It was such a relief to have made the decision. I immediately felt more positive and the ideas for marketing and new products began to pour into my head. I've been working on getting the website set up, changing my name across social media and coming up with a logo. Everything is falling into place with only a few minor hiccups. The critters and fairies are delighted to be in a forest instead of a studio. It's much more to their liking. :) There are a few more loose ends to tie up to finish the name change. Since the name change wasn't planned when I made goals for this year, I'm behind on those goals. Once the name change is completely in place, I will get back to those goals. Here's a sneak peak at one of the new things that are in the works. |
AuthorHi, I'm Debby. Welcome to my world of Whimsy Forest. I design and sew up all the residents who live in the forest. Archives
December 2017
Categories
All
|