Toy Drop in Arcata

A couple of weeks ago I made a couple of new toys. This one is Eunice. She has a striped ribbon for a mouth and I raw-edge appliqued his eyes...part of a Moda fabric...I love the googlily look of Eunice. Doesn't she look like she enjoys a good joke?






















As a member of The Toy Society I wrapped her up with a hand made card and a tag that says, "Take me home! I'm yours." I like to take some colorful fabrics and add them to the tags.





















I put the bag in my car and waited for a good opportunity to leave my toy for a child to find. On Sunday, July 26 I was on the Arcata Plaza in Arcata, CA for a Crafts Faire so about 9:30 I walked about 15 feet from our booth and left "Eunice" on a bench. I took a picture, went back to the booth and a few minutes later I looked back and she was gone! I hope Eunice's new owner likes her as much as I did.

More toy drops!

Today I took Sydney to the zoo....we do that every once in awhile. Eureka is not a big town, but we have our own zoo. Up until last year it was free. Now you can buy a membership (I bought the Grandparent Membership. Two adults and two under 18 can get in on the membership. Cost only $49/year) and last year Sydney and I were the first ones to buy such a membership. Read about it here.

While we were at the zoo we made two different toy drops for The Toy Society. First off while we visited the gibbons and the spider monkeys we left "Angus" the second little felt Scottie Dog I made.

We left Angus on a bench called "Brayden's Bench" in honor of a little boy who lived and passed on in little more than a year. His memory is honored with that bench.


No one was around when we left it and after watching the bears sleep, the golden tamarins, the ravens, the flamingos and the birds in the aviary Sydney decided that it was time for ice cream....strawberry!

While Sydney licked her cone we spied a little boy and his grandma....he was holding our little Scottie and she had the bag in her hand! I was able to bet a picture of them while taking a picture of Sydney!


Sydney loved being in on the drops. At first she thought she should get to have the toys. When I explained they were "a surprise for someone to find" she was in. She kept whispering and helped me tie our next toy onto a bench by the Spotted Owls.











"Maggie" was our second toy. I made her while I was still in Minnesota and I've just waited for the right time to make my toy drops. I'm sure some think I'm pretty crazy, but you know....I love this.


Tomorrow I'll show you the new purse I made.

I'm a member!

Several weeks ago my friend Carol posted a picture of a little toy she'd made. It was a funky free-form "monster," the kind of soft toy perfect for a boy or a girl. She introduced me (and her other blog readers) to The Toy Society. Here are just a few of the toys Carol has made. She really inspired me and I made my first toy while I was in Minnesota.

























I found a pattern for this cute little Scottie Dog on line and I made two of them. I named this one "Alastair" and took him with me to Sacramento this past weekend. I have another I'll leave somewhere in town.



















At The Toy Society site they show pictures of toys "dropped" and toys "found". You can download labels and more. Each toy is accompanied by a card with information inside about The Toy Society. I made my card with some pictures I cut out of a $1 children's book. I've never scrap booked but making my tag and label were fun. I didn't use glue, but stitched my cards together. Guess that's the quilter in me.



The idea behind The Toy Society is that you make a soft toy suitable for a child, you attach a little tag which says, "I'm free! Take me home." Then you find a spot to leave your toy where a child will find it. Some members leave toys at parks, libraries, doctor's offices, lots of creative places. I left mine near the front gate of Scandia Miniature Golf Course in Citrus Heights, CA. about 9 am on Sunday morning.

It's kind of like a random act of kindness....you don't know who will find your toy, hopefully someone who won't throw it away, but I'd like to think that someone who really needed a little hug, or pick-me-up or affirmation will find it. Maybe it will give a grown-up some faith or trust and in addition a child will have a little squishy toy to hold close and find some comfort.

Look for more toys....I think it's a lot of fun.