View from the Zoo

Congratulations to Erica of Raplapla (I talked about her line of baby animals) for winning the «Grand Prix» in the packaging category at the Grafika Awards 2008 for this gorgeous box, designed by Atelier Chinotto and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, all from Montreal. Raplapla also picked up an award of excellence for their catalogue. Monsieur Tsé Tsé’s name was indeed inspired by the tsetse fly because he puts you to sleep however, unlike the fly, he doesn’t bite! «Monsieur Tsé Tsé is made of organic cotton with embroidered eyes. He is produced in Montreal by members of a social integration organization and 10% of the profits from the sale of this product are donated to UNICEF. Oh, and he’s very soft!» You can buy Monsieur Tsé Tsé here.

Velvet Moustache, I love your sense of humour! The big Boyfriend, pictured above, is climbing into the hearts of many plush enthusiasts. Is it a bear or, what? Many of their inventions are inspired by animals and nature. Among others, there is Panda Mourant (right, center – save the panda!), Arctic Warrior (top right, kind of an owl), Esturgee (bottom right, a huge sturgeon), all made by hand with organic cottons and recycled materials in their studio in Montreal.

Velvet Moustache, I love the name! «Velvet, for the softness of the material and Moustache, because it’s cute and has personality.» says Majorie Labrecque-Lepage, who hails from a fashion background.  With her partner Benoit Massé, a graphic designer, they founded Velvet Moustache two years ago based on their common interests in ecology, ethics and crafts.

Velvet Moustache – where can I buy your creations?  Directly from their studio online, or if you are in Old Montreal you can stop by Galerie Zone Orange, a cafe-art gallery which offers a variety of handmade items by local artisans. Do you have a creature that you would like to see in 3D? Majorie does special orders.

Velvet Moustache – what is your most popular toy? «Popeye (below)  – people are really surprised when they realise they can take the eye out and play with it like a ball!»

You can see Velvet Moustache in person this weekend where they will be participating at Couture X-Press in Montreal, creating fashion, live, in front of an audience, starting at 21h.

Photos by Velvet Moustache, 2009

I discovered these intriguing and original creatures at the Souk Christmas show in Montreal last December. Made of exotic woods, they charmed me immediately and I knew I had to have them for my art toy collection. Plus I had some leftover birthday money to spend! Alexandre Lafleur, a former cartoonist, explained his concept: «They are ambiguous – they are forest sprites, animals, robots, whatever you want  them to be. Wood is a living and incomparable medium. The infinite variety of textures, colors and patterns give a unique personality to each of my toys, even if they are produced in series.» Inspiration? «I love traditional Japanese art, comics by Tezuka (considered the father of the modern manga), sculptures by Henry Moore and Niki de Saint Phale, toys by Australian Nathan Jurevicius (of Scarytoy fame), classical Indian music, a hot cup of tea…»

Interested in getting a sprite for yourself? «I’ll be opening an Etsy shop soon but, in the meantime, you can e-mail me at kijemanito@yahoo.ca» Thanks, Alexandre, I have my «monkey» and my «caterpillar» right up there next to my Japanese wooden dolls!

Eggpress has come up with these cute designs for Valentine’s cards using birds, giraffes and, more unusual, snails and clams in love! See the whole selection here. Thanks, Kara!