Thank You

I’m sad to say that I’ve decided to put puppet making on the back burner for the time being.  The new CPSIA regulations have made it virtually impossible for me to continue selling our shadow puppets at a reasonable price.  Thank you so much to all of our customers and fans who’ve supported our toy making habit so far.  I intend to keep this space so that I can share toys and crafts as I make them for my little Cricket, who was born this spring.  Thanks again and I hope to be back here soon!

Shadow Puppets on Martha Stewart

We loved our time on the Martha Stewart show!  Meredith taught Martha how to make a polar bear shadow puppet, while she made a muskox.

Watch the video:

Meredith in rehearsal

Mer might have been a little nervous, but rehearsal went well, and all the staff at the show was friendly and helpful.

Ewan and Robin in the audience - the cheering section

When it was time for the taping to begin, Ewan (Mer’s husband) and I sat in the front row while Meredith waited in the green room.  Because of an upcoming “doggie fashion show” segment, Martha’s two french bulldogs were on the set.  One was acting nervous and shakey.  At the first commercial break,  a harried producer dropped him in Ewan’s lap, saying, “You’re not allergic, are you?  Maybe he’ll be less nervous sitting closer to Martha.”  Stunned, Ewan took the dog and expertly soothed him.  He later informed the producer that Sharkey was in good hands, as he’s a second-year veterinarian student.  Martha laughed and waved when she saw Sharkey on Ewan’s lap.

Martha taking questions after the show

The puppet-making segment opened with Martha playing with the polar bear puppet, which she seemed to really get a kick out of.  Meredith hadn’t met Martha until they actually began taping the segment.  Mer had about 6 minutes to make a shadow puppet and be “as high energy as if you drank 10 cups of coffee”.  While that’s not her normal personality, we thought she did great.  There was even enough time at the end of the segment for Mer to give Martha a set of shadow puppets of Martha’s 3 dogs.

After it was over, a photographer took a picture of Mer and Martha together, and then I was invited to join them in a photo.  Martha looked over at me and smiled and said, “Well that went well, didn’t it?”.  I couldn’t agree more.

Robin and Meredith brave bitter cold winds on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty

Meredith on NBC15 in Madison

Start spreading the news…

…and tune in to The Martha Stewart Show on January 12th to see us demonstrate how to make your own shadow puppets!

We’re headed to New York to tape the show this week and are very excited!

Brrrr….Arctic Circle Shadow Puppet Set

Throw on a parka and mittens to play with these guys – their thick fur will keep them warm enough to cast hours of shadows across the snow.  Muskox drinks hot cocoa and Arctic Fox prefers sipping spiced cider on a chilly evening.  This set includes Arctic Fox, Dall Sheep, Muskox, Polar Bear, and Reindeer.

We’ll be giving some away in January, so stay tuned for details.

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to kbombbilly, who was chosen by the random number generator as our giveaway winner.  Thai shadow puppets will be winging, slithering and stomping your way!

We will be running our next giveaway in about a month, so remember to check back soon!

Thai Legends Shadow Puppet Giveaway!

We’re giving away a Thai Legends shadow puppet set to celebrate the launch of Robin’s favorite puppets.  The set includes a Garuda, Hong, Naga, Singh, and Thai Elephant.  (Also included is a fact card to briefly explain the significance of each symbol in the Thai culture.)

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post by the end of Thursday, December 11, 2008.  We’ll chose a commenter at random.  Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win.  (We promise never to send spam.)

As always, our puppets are available for purchase from our Etsy store.

A whale of a fun shadow

We are excited to share 4 new sets that are bound to make you feel like heading for the ocean.

Check out our Etsy store for:

• Whale Tails (pictured above) – Beluga, Blue Whale, Humpback Wale, Orca, Right Whale, Sperm Whale
• Blowholes and Blubber – Blue Whale, Dugong, Humpback Whale, Manatee, Right Whale
• Flukes and Fins – Beluga, Dolphin, Narwhal, Orca, Sperm Whale
• Flippers and Whiskers (pictured below) – Polar Bear, Sea Lion, Sea Otter, Seal, Walrus

Happy swimming!

Happy Halloween!

Shadow Puppet Creator Kits

Invite your friends over for a puppet-making party.  You supply the drinks and scissors, we supply the all the fixings for creating a ton of great puppets.  Which puppet will win first prize?  Your cousin Marco’s Giant Slug, your neighbor Chrissy’s Killer Robot, or you daughter Olive’s Napoleon?  Tack up a screen and let all three duke it out.

 

This kit includes 10 sheets of laminated paper (5 colored and 5 black), 20 sticks, and 40 brads for making joints if you want to get fancy.  Also included are tip sheets for creating your puppets and shadow puppet theater.  What are you waiting for?  There are puppets to cut!

Election 2008

Show your political colors with these new shadow puppets for the US Presidential Election!  Check out the sets in our Etsy store.