Monday, March 29, 2010

Mamazakka Shop Update is TODAY!!!

Hello! I do hope you can swing by my little Etsy shop today! :)
T O D A Y at 12:00 Noon (eastern standard time)
There will be 1 set of hollow-bodied wooden Matryoskas (pictured above). 1 set of hand-sculpted Mini Matryoshkas (this time with a Grandmother figure)
2 Matryoshka-inspired pencil holders, 2 solid wood Kokeshi-inspired dolls,
3 Mother and child pendants, and other goodies. 
Mamazakka.etsy.com
If you arrive at noon, please note it may be taking me a moment to upload all my items, (figured it out!)
Please remember sales are not finalized until you finish the Esty checkout.
Happy shopping!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Fun with wood...


Oh the drilling and the sanding and the sanding and the drilling and the gluing and the painting of it all...
(Having some fun getting ready for my 'big' update!)

this one's a pendant...

Friday, March 26, 2010

and another sneaky peek: Rock-a-bye baby...

~ all tucked in ~ a little walnut shell cradle...


for my Etsy shop update on Monday!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

another sneak peek...Matryoshkas!

like little flowers...
See, they're a garden!

And here's a Mama to watch over your pencils and pens...
Only a few more days now till my shop's update! :)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

another peek...ladies in waiting

Oh, the painting and the making, the making and the painting...so so fun! 
Just 6 more days till my big shop update! :)

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Mothering Magazine says 'Babywearing is Safe' (!)


Wow.  Apparently I'm not the only one all a'dither with lots to say on this subject! 
This should be good!  Mothering Magazine is my favorite, favorite Mom magazine.  I have a 'real' subscription AND a digital one, so I can access archives without having to buy up all the available back issues...seriously, those magazines you get for free at the OBGYN?  Leave them.  My only complaint with Mothering is that they only publish 6 issues a year.  But, they're great issues, so whatever.  Now I just need to figure out how to have a quiet house at 11:30 am on Monday...hmmmm.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Dear little Etsy shop o' mine...

...your shelves have been so bare lately.  Never mind, just know I have BIG plans for you, with a Spring Update planned for March 29th!!! 

There will be lots of dolls and goodies like this that are finally nearing completion, now that the turmoil surrounding adding our new baby is subsiding... so, be comforted, my lil' shop!

And get ready for Moday, March 29th 2010
mamazakka.etsy.com I'll be updating this blog till then with some sneek peeks, so if you are a good sleuth, you may have a pretty good idea of what I've got up my sleeve!  (here's a little something Lucy likes a LOT!  It's a good thing I'm making a few!)

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Are Baby Carriers Bad?!!!

My heart aches for the parents of baby Derrick Fowler, who obviously thought that their 1 week old would be safe and sound as they carried him in his sling.

And, they are not alone. There have been other baby deaths involving sling-type carriers. Which I find shocking, but not unimaginable... just horrible.

"On March 12, 2010, CPSC issued a warning about sling carriers for babies. Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling's fabric can press against an infant's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate." - Baby Zone Newsletter
And yet, and yet... 'babywearing' has been one of the great joys of my life. And I will continue to wear my baby and to advocate wearing your baby(!) but with this very particular caution:

Wear your baby as you would carry your baby in your arms. Her head near your head. You wouldn't naturally hold a newborn down by your waist, you would hold a newborn close, against your chest. So a carrier designed to do that is the first kind you will want to use.

The picture above is the Infantino Sling Rider, the sling the Fowler's were using. Notice how far away

Monday, March 8, 2010

Doll bed linens...for our Mod Doll House

"Morning, Grandma!"
"Good Morning!"
I have been having some fun with my fabric piles...and made these nice quilted bed-pockets for my kid's dollhouse... the Plan Toys furniture fits it soooo nicely in style and size (but I hate their fabrics! yuck!) And remember these dolls?
I love the modern lines of this doll house, and the wood floor...My kids (and I) really have a nice collection of dollhouses...and this one has emerged as a favorite. It's even been given pride of place in the living room!
(Secret announcement: I am going to be making a few more of these dollhouses to sell in my Etsy shop! Fun!!!)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

A cute-n-creepy doll movie (short) : 'Alma'

Would it be accurate to say I am obsessed with dolls? I do admire dolls, have dolls about, make dolls, make things for dolls, and obsess over buying dolls, and wonder how many dolls are too many dolls...and wonder why anyone (including me) would like dolls, and wonder why anyone wouldn't...

Well, here's a cute lil' horror film, beautifully done, that kinda touches on why some people may not like dolls so much...

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ruffled pantie covers...



Don't you love her? I do. Her name is Ddung. She is such a little rascal. Apparently, she is very popular in Korea, but I only just discovered her. You can watch her videos here. You can buy her here. But you can't buy her in her classic 'outfit' of polka-dotted bloomers, no, you'll have to make her the ubiquitous ruffled panties if you want them. Or I could make them for you...someday...(when?!)...or I could at least post the pattern I made for them in my Etsy shop...hmmm...yes, I suppose I could do that...Ok. Check back soon for the pattern!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Feeling blue...


My cloudy-headed doll so far...

About Me

My photo
Mamazakka is Mommy blogger Autumn Sousanis; also-known-as Autumn Dunbar; and also-known-as "Mama" to six little ones, ages 9, 7.5, 5, 3.5 2 and a 3 month old! :) Busy,yes. A graduate of C.C.S. (Center for Creative Studies, School of Art and Design in Detroit) with my bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, I have finally found my calling as 'Mamazakka', maker of everything and anything that might improve your home, life and outlook. :) It's my goal to create things that truly meet Wikipedia's definition for 'zakka'; (here's an excerpt)..."cute, corny, kitschy is not enough. To qualify, a product must be attractive, sensitive and laden with subtext." Oh yeah! You betcha! Well, that's my goal, anyhow! I'm also known as an over-user of exclamation marks(!) and parentheses (can't help it) though I do try to keep my smileys to a minimum :)