It's a team effort by my wife Adrienne and myself. We started making toys shortly after our son was born almost a year ago. My wife and I both come from a fine art background, which is how we met in school, so we are visual thinkers which helps.
We wanted his toy box to have variety and some alternatives to plastic and battery operated devices, in addition we wanted to give him toys that allowed room for his imagination to develop.
Naturally our son is a great inspiration, as I write this he has rediscovered his stash of cardboard boxes and paper. There is something pure about the manner in which he plays and engages the world around him. I believe that our role as toy makers is to stimulate a child's imagination, we are involved at the front end and simply provide a stage, they decide the role it plays.
Well, I'm very excited about some of the new toys we are designing at the moment based on endangered animals, less emphasis on color and more about texture and form. However, the current toy that I think best meets our goals is the tree fort, it's a simple design that holds endless opportunities.
Be sure to spread the word and thank you to David at Manzanita Kids for this fabulous giveaway!
p.s. Entries open until Friday night around 8pm. I will announce the winner Saturday morning!
89 comments:
The owl family is adorable- I am awfully partial to those!
I love the Tangrams, Block and Puzzle Set, but it might be that I just want to play with it. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hands down, the tree fort is my fave! Beautiful stuff!
This tree fort is my favorite creation! All of the pieces in the shop are great, but this is especially fun. love, Beth
Oh I love the dinosaurs! Thanks for the giveaway!
My 4-years-old-tomorrow little girl was literally drooling over the fairytale set as I read this! She loves looking at your pictures, and we talk about all the ways people live!
the pirate ship is a close second but the tree fort IS my favorite!! my son would love this. thanks for the chance!!
The fairy tale set is awesome, although just the tree fort is lovely too. I also love those baby unicorns. How adorable! *love*
I'm a facebook fan now too. :)
became a fan on facebook!!
My favorite is the fairytale set, though I love the tree on its own. Beautiful, and thanks for the giveaway!
I too love the fairytale set- thanks for the great link and giveaway! Always an inspiration.
i love the fairytale set but the tree fort is my absolute fave!!@ thanks for the fun giveaway! ;)
I love the little girl's fantasy playset...very sweet.
HUGS
Char.
P.S.Pop over to our blog...I am giving away a chance of a custom family portrait!
I love the owl family! Owls are a big hit in this home. Everything in the shop is wonderful though.
The pirate ship is my favorite if I had to pick one. They are all beautiful!
My kids would adore that tree fort! But my personal favorite are the baby fairies! Sooooo cute! (:
Oooh that's a tough one...I really like the pirate ship but the tangrams, well those look just awesome as well!
i think my favorite is the fairy tale play set.
i would have to agree with david that the tree fort is absolutely wonderful! thank you for sharing, cindy! you always know about the best toys!!
That tree fort is fabulous! I might play with it as much as my kiddos would!
What a great tree fort! I love the witch and cauldron in his shop too! Really great stuff (and from my home town!) :) Thanks for the chance!
We have the fairy tale set and it is wonderful. The treefort is truly amazing!!! Anyone who wins it will be sooooo amazed, if we win I have the perfect family to give it to :)
Our new fav since we have the fairy tale set is the pirate ship set...it looks fantastic!
We are facebook fans as well and faithful readers of your amazing blog. Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway. Good luck to everyone!!!
Love the tree fort! My daughter would choose the fairy friends and my son would choose the pirates though.
the pirate ship!!! ♥
love those baby unicorns too!
I like those little goblin/troll guys. :)
Oh my Gosh, I don't know what to choose. It's all so beautiful. But I suppose my girls would probably love the Little Girls Fantasy Playset and the baby fairies best. The dinosaurs would be high up there too, though. Thank you for this awesome giveaway and for introducing me to a great new (to me) ETSY site!
I really love the tree fort! What a great idea and good "look out" for the people and animals.
became a fan on facebook too :)
I adore the little girls' fantasy playset. It's very cute!!
Oh, and I'm their fan on FB. How could I not be? ;)
The owl family is super cool. Thanks for the giveaway! Klara
I love love love the tree fort! I was just thinking that we needed a tree to go with our mountain puzzle from another etsy place. The castle is great too but the fairies are INCREDIBLE. Such imagination. And it's cool they are from Seattle, where I am from. Also the name Manzanita, since we live just up the coast from Manzanita, OR. It's one of our favorite places.
So inspiring, thank you for the giveaway!
well... I like the tree fort SOOOOO much!! But I am so torn between that and the amazing pirate ship. Can I choose both as favorites? LOVE!
OOhh - so wonderful. Here's hoping
the tree fort is my favorite- it's gorgeous and i can imagine my sons spending hours of play with that beautiful fort. such lovely toys.
The Mod Dinosaurs!! ADORABLE!
I adore the tree fort and the fairy tale set. My boys (3 and 5) tell stories about their tangle fairies and the tree they live in... they would love this too1
Oh I just love the fairy princess circle of friends. My daughter would play for hours with it I'm sure. Thanks for the chance and the intoduction to a beautiful shop.
Well, the tree fort is my favorite. But I also think the unicorns are super cute.
I became a fan!
I can't decide between the tree fort the fairy tale set. What a wonderful giveaway. Thanks for introducing another etsy artisan to check out.
I would have to say my fav is the fairy dolls set....Quinn would go crazy over them!
I love the tangrams and the building blocks. They're awesome, and I can imagine my son playing with them for a long time! The tree fort is beautiful - my kids would love to sit around it with their little figures and make up tons of stories around it. Really great work!
I also am a fan on Facebook! Great stuff!
Love it all! I hadn't seen this Etsy site before and am glad I have a birthday to buy for soon. Either the pirate ship or the treehouse would be the best for our two. so unique!
Love everything! Either the dinosaurs or the tree house are my favorite! Thanks
That is such a creative castle! The tree fort is really cool too!
I'm a FB fan!
OH MY GOODNESS! that tree fort is to DIE for!! so lovely..
pulchrabliss(at)hotmail.com
fanned on fb!
pulchrabliss(at)hotmail.com
The owls are adorable. Love those cave people, too!
My little one would love the fairy princess circle of friends. they have beautiful things!
I am a facebook fan.:)
My wee ones would love playing with the tree fort!
I love it all! Especially the woodland animals.
That Fairy Tale Play Set is beautiful. What young child wouldn't have fun playing with that?!
Fairy Princess Circle of Friends. I see hours and hours of play with those, in the woods, on the swingset, on the floor, the patio, dancing across a little's bed. Oh yes, hours of imaginative play. What a beautiful giveaway you're hosting.
Little girl fantasy play set. Oh, how my lollipop would love those! I'm thinking these would make great additions to her Easter basket.
Thanks Cindy for the opportunity. BEAUTIFUL toys.
-Super Jen
And now I too am a fan on FB.
-Super Jen
I love the ocean nested play set - so cool!
I'm a FB fan now!
Just beautiful!
The tree fort is my favorite!
Oh, there are so many great toys to choose from! I think I like the ogres the best though...so sweet in their ogreish way!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I went to the Etsy shop and there are several wonderful items but, for my little ones, it's (still) always about pirates so my favorite item is the pirate ship also included in your post. A tree would be a nice change of pace. I'm sure the pirates would enjoy a tree.
Thanks for the tip on a great Etsy shop and for hosting a giveaway!
Oh, I love Fairy Tale Play Set!
And thanks for presenting us this super beautiful shop!
I adore the baby fairies <3. My big kid says the pirate ship is "boss".
How to decide?!? I really love the pirate ship, but I think my real favourite is the nesting ocean play set. So sweet! :o) Thank you!
Am a Facebook fan, now, too! :o)
the wooden pirate ship is so fun! my little guy would love that.
thank you for the great give away!
The castle with drawbridge is my favourite (though the owl family is ADORABLE).
I love the wooden pirate ship!!
Thank you for the giveaway!
Fan on Facebook
I have to admit, my favorite item is the owl family. So cute!
I'm a fan on FB too now :)
Love the unicorns. Gorgeous!
the fairy tale play set--for sure!
I'm a friend!
Well, I love the tree fort. Also, the little girls playset is beautiful. Thanks for the giveaway.
Oooh so many beautiful toys! I love the fairy stuff and tree fort but think my favourite is the dinosaur set!
Am also a FB fan!
Became a fan on FB!
I love the ocean set. Adorable. And, I became a fan on facebook!
gorgeous! gorgeous toys!
what a beautiful gift i would be thrilled to win! thank you for this generous chance!
Wow! what beauty. I adore the fairy tale play set...it's amazing.
Thank you for the chance to win.
Love the owls!
Hi from New Zealand, the tree fort is real cool, cheers Marie
The tree is our fav. :)
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