
Last updated January 2010
A project we conducted off and on during 2008 and 2009. Starting with a 100% cotton blank plush toy people could customise theirs using fabric paint, spray paint, markers, bits of fabric and felt, glue, add ons, accessories, and whatever else they could find. Our slogan was Dress 'em up, mess 'em up, make 'em your own!
Blank Plush were great for Creatives Types and Kids Parties. People also wrote stories about the characters they created. Some people sent us pics of their toys and you can see some examples below:
This is how it worked:

And here are some other examples:
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Creator Pete Woo
Name of character Duncan and Steve
Materials Fur, fabric paint, fabric marker
Story Duncan is a Hitchhiker! He travels with his dog Steve. Not much is known about Duncan like where he's been or going to, he is a silent type. It is said that Steve does most of the talking |
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Creator Elaine Woo
Name of character Jumpinawatta
Materials Fur, felt, fabric paint, fabric markers, thread, small plastic toy
Story Jumpinawatta is always very busy running about in the forest and getting things done. She loves to carve little sculptures in tree trunks, and cook organic nut stews for the squirrels. All this requires lots of energy, which Jumpinawatta gets from a magic pool. Every morning she leaps off the side of the magic Zing-Zing pool, doing a high arcing dive with a somersault, and plops right into the middle. The water is clear, deep green and very cold and smells of the salty earth. She swims four times in one direction and five times in the other direction. After this she is once again full of energy and ready to go and tidy leaves, brush the squirrels, and gather berries.
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Creator Jennifer Lovemore-Reed
Name of character Miss Muffy
Materials Wool, felt, vintage fabric, thread, glue, kokis, ribbon, accessories
Story Miss Muffy has her own special style - she loves having her hair done - usually in a short curly perm with blue or purple rinses. Although she is only 6 she thinks of herself as a debutant and is very fashion conscious. She likes to be called "Darling" and has beautiful manners. Anyone who knows her would use phrases like "so sweet", "what a honey" and "what a good girl" to describe her. What no-one knows is that late at night she changes into a purple spotted rubber suit and heads down town to pursue her secret passion … street gambling. The rougher the crowd is the more she enjoys it. As she throws the dice, crouched down near the sticky tar with the smell of cigarettes and stale beer pouring from her compatriots mouths, she realises how happy she is … and how lucky to have 2 such different lives. A night of street gambling is only perfect, however, if a fight breaks out, and Miss Muffy gets a chance to "duel" as she calls it … enjoying the chance to use her horns, wreaking a bit of havoc before going home. |
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Creator Claire Anderson
Name of character Moozles Drinket
Materials Markers, nylon hair, craft eyes, fabric flowers, glue
Story Moozles D. was born several thousand years ago in a prehistoric tiger den where he learnt his excellent hunting skills. When he was roughly 3 years old, he found that he really couldn't kill things too comfortably, and decided to run away from home. After several weeks of rooting for food, he became more sad and lonely than ever before. One overcast and especially windy day he came across a beautiful tulip, brighter than all its fellows. Upon leaning closer, he reached out to touch the petals and at the precise moment that his paw touched them, he felt himself falling further and further in, which resulted in him landing onto the soft yellow pollen. Thinking that this must be some trick or practical joke, he began calling out, asking to see his captor. Then a beautiful flower faerie emerged, dressed all in tulip petals, skillfully crafted into the most beautiful dress you could ever imagine. "You are Moozles," she said in a voice like the sweetest nectar. "We know all about you." Vexed, Moozles merely nodded. "Come," said the faerie, "and you shall be our king." And Moozles went with her. He now lives happily with his wife, the very same faerie who first found him, and his seven children. Some say you can still hear the laughter of his kingdom if you sit very quietly just under the right tulip at the right moment. |
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Creator Peta Sarkis
Name of character Man-tra (for man-truth-radiate-all)
Materials Oil paint, marker, old jewelry, badges, beads, felt
Story Born one rainy, grey night in a quaint Kalk Bay apartment with a swish of a red oil paint brush & flash of inspiration, Man-tra came into being just before the start of the journey of some of her closest friends, her spiritual highs - the false-bay whales. She is proud & loving, inspiring, creative, calm & humble & sometimes a pain in the....er hum... you know!! Einstein her eccentric mad believer points his pointy tongue her way often - lighten up little one - you are wise as are you not & neither matters. yin yang a total sham - she loves all & no-one, play & hibernate, create & infuriate. A little maori tattooing, a little african beading, some of this and more of that... Man-tra is dressed and ready to share her best!! |
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Name Rosela The Princess
Made By Mishka
Lives In The centre of a galaxy
Fave Food Roast Chicken
Loves to Do magic |
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