Get Involved with The Toy Society

Turns out there's lots of you who want to get involved in The Toy Society. Bless your cotton socks for sharing my excitment. So in the not too distant future these will be some of the ways you will be able to get involved:

- Sending in a toy to be part of a big drop
- Regular competitions for you to submit your town/city/humpie and I'll send you a pack of toys to do your own drop
- A massive drop for everyone and anyone to get involved in where ever you are in the world
- Oh and there's a button for your blog in the works too if you're interested

I'll keep you up to date here about when these opportunities to get involved are coming. Or send an email to thetoysocietyatgmail.com and let me know you want to be emailed about getting involved.

Why The Toy Society

Welcome if you've clicked here from Whipup or Craft Zine (!!). I've had a lot of lovely emails and comments full of love for The Toy Society and lots of questions too and I realised I hadn't really told you how The Toy Society came about.

It came about from a love of "street art" but a recognition of my lack of artistic skills. I really wanted to contribute something to the street scape. I'd watched a friend put his work up about the place and got such a buzz walking past random walls in the city and seeing his work. I thought maybe I could sew something instead. And so The Toy Society was born.

I planned to leave toys around the streets to brighten up the place and give people something interesting to look at. And then I imagined what they might look like if they were still sitting on a light pole 5 weeks after they were put up...all faded and manky and rotten. So I thought I should invite people to take them home, share the love and all that.

I've been sitting on the idea for about 4 years and come up with many different versions of implementation (at one stage it was all ghosts) and even made some sample toys until finally I just decided to stop thinking and go for it.

And I couldn't have imagined the response! It was something I planned on doing myself and maybe dragging some mates along to help put the toys around the place. I considered that maybe a few people here and there might like to join in some how. I never expected the amazing global response I've received and the number of people who want to get involved.

FOUND drop #2

FishGhost. Found by a comic artist! What luck! And living the high life playing in the backyard


********************************
Just wanted to let you know that I rescued this guy from outside 'All Bar Nun in Canberra. I think he had traveled quite a distance so he was a little scared. But as you can see he's out and about now enjoying the fresh air.

He was the perfect highlight of a very strange and enjoyable week. You guys rock.

--
-Azz
******************
(Azz has a livejournal page azzamckazza.livejournal.com)

And here is happy little FishGhost frolicking at Azza's.


Watch out FishGhost, don't get stuck in the vines!


Oh and as I said Azza's a comic artist so we're planning some comic/plush collaboration. Turns out the peeps of the national capital totally get it. But I kinda suspected that.

Drop #2 and just so you know...

Just so you know The Toy Society isn't limited to just Melbourne or Sydney...it's global baby! Melbourne happened to be the first drop but there are drops lined up for Rotterdam and New York as well as other Australian cities and more in Melbourne and Sydney and that's just the immediate plans. Plus - oh my gawd - Canberra. Yep, Canberra. It happened this weekend.

Once again just 2 toys. Who knows what those folk in the national capital would think of all this crazy toys-abandoned-in-public-spaces stuff? So off to O'Connor shops a couple of toys went to test out just what the Canberra locals would think.

My pet ghost

A bird in a tree

Hope someone picked them up toot sweet cause it's freezy cold in the ACT, poor little toys out in the cold with no inbuilt heating in their rain coats!

PS I'll be posting later this week about ways you can be involved if you're interested.

Stuff

Wow, what a great response The Toy Society has received. There's been visitors from far and wide, craft bloggers linking in, fantastic little crafty businesses donating patterns (a give away to come) and endless hands raised to get on board with the project. Thanks everyone for getting so excited about this. There's been loads of questions about what's happening too. As I mentioned this is one big, fun work in progress. I can tell you:

- there will be a drop this weekend
- the members of The Toy Society are all handmade (by me, Bianca)
- another drop is in the works, birds in trees
- there might be some sneaky little ones in between

And The Toy Society loves email (thetoysocietyatgmail.com) and comments, it makes the heart beat a little faster and the sewing machine sew a little faster!

FOUND June 08

Found and living in her new home, with a new name and access to a delicious Golden Book Library!

********
Hi Toy Society,

What a gorgeous surprise to find Lil Jemima hanging out on Gertrude Street waiting to be found. She really made our day, so thank you for the love!

And please rest assured that she’s gone to a good home, presently she’s in the library scoffing down as much Golden Books as she can devour.

Cheers,

Bronni
x

********

Out and About Drop #1 - June 08

A favourite end of a favourite Melbourne St, Gertrude Street.


The Toy Society Members travelled in hiding


Until a good position was found.






Hope this experiment works, the ideas are already overflowing for the next drop. This is fun!

Welcome to The Toy Society

The Toy Society is a small project spreading the love throughout the streets. Nothing to it really, just a bunch of handmade toys looking for a nice home.

Should you come across a member of the Toy Society on your travels collect them up and take them home with you! But don't forget to let us know about it here.

thetoysociety@gmail.com