Creature Collection

item#: 067 & 068, 090-108
materials: mostly plastic
status: taken (2.01.08)

Here we have all kinds of fabulous freaks: Kitty (the Monsters Inc. character, item #090), a glow-in-the-dark alien (item #091), three pigs (item #100-102). These tiny creatures were picked up here and there. I couldn’t say where each and every one was from but I know some came from Kinder Eggs: the crow that pulls the worm out of th ground (item #107), the strange bird with blue feathers (item #104), the yellow and orange worm (item#095), and the scary green smiling thing with yellow arms and suction cups (item #098), and the robo-cat with green arms (item #092). The pigs and the chicken (item #093) came from a set of farm animals, Kitty came from a vending machine outside a Japanese toy store in NYC, and the turtle with the bobbing head (item #094) my mother picked up on a trip to some place I can’t remember. The Monkey (item #068) and the Giraffe(item #067) are also part of the Creature Collection.

2.01.08 I gave these away to an artist through freecycle and we met up at a benefit art show, Corsets For A Cure. As a totally unexpected bonus she gave me a copy of The Daring Book For Girls. It’s perfect.

The creatures became the stars of this creation:

item#: 067 & 068
materials: plastic
status: taken (2.01.08)

These two are quite the pair.  I can’t recall when or how Giraffe lost a leg.  The monkey, however, is the perfect height and is more than willing to lend a hand (leg?) to his dear friend.  They go everywhere together–art openings, fancy dinners, the occasional opera or show–and they truly enjoy each other’s company.

Over the years I’ve grown quite fond of this couple, and I look forward to seeing what life brings them next.

Star Locators

star locator & instruction book
item#: 034 & 035 (I have two)
materials: paper
status: taken (1.26.08 & 2.13.08)

My mid-term project for my physical computing class was lots of fun. The concept: a tent that had little lights under a layer of fabric. When you touched the walls you could “light up” stars and create your own constellations.

At the time I had a tent set up in my apartment. I slept in there sometimes, my friends came over and slept in there sometimes. Later, I turned it into a womb. Anyway, I made a model, and then I constructed tent panels out of shower curtains. I did all the circuit stuff, but couldn’t get the sensors to function properly. Like many of my physical computing projects, it never worked as I hoped.

These materials and left over pieces of this project have a bit of a sad history. I was sorting through all the panels, the LEDs, the circuits I had spent hours soldering, the patterns for the tent model, and the sketches I had made for the design, and I just started crying. I loved making this, I still think it was a fun idea, but all these things represent a lot of failure, a whole era of creative projects that just never worked… so, it’s time to let these things go.

The pattern, made from paper, I recycled. I dumped the model with all the electronic bits. I will probably make envelopes out of the enlarged star locator maps and shower curtain panels. As for the original Edmund Scientific star locator (and instruction book), I’d like the next chapter in their history to be more positive, much better, and brighter.

The Star Locator was listed on Philadelphia’s freecycle network. Freecycle, as they state on their site, is all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. I like that. The woman who came to pick it up wanted it for her grandson. I hope he’s enjoying it.

update (2.12.08): Just yesterday I found yet another star gazer and an instruction book (How many did I buy???). SO… maybe you are reading this now and you want to star gaze. Maybe you want to make a star tent. Maybe you just want to attach better memories. BUT, maybe you don’t live in Philly. I can mail it to you.

updated (2.13.08): A lovely woman at the First Person Arts Salon took the second star locator. She couldn’t stay for the whole presentation, but she was very cool. I hope she finds lots of stars. They’re hard to see in Philly, but still easier to find than if you lived in Seoul (where the pollution is so bad that you can look at the sun in the middle of the day).

Kinder Egg Toy: The Chariot

item#: 012
materials: plastic
date acquired: no idea.
dimensions: 8 x 2.5 x 2.7 cm
status: taken (2.01.2008)

I have a thing for Kinder Eggs. I find it amazingly entertaining to put these things together following mini-instructions. The more pieces the better. Oh my god, I’m such a nerd. WARNING: These are very small and probably NOT suitable for small children. That’s why Kinder Eggs are difficult (though not impossible) to find in the states. There is concern that the toys or parts might be “swallowed or inhaled” by some crazy child that likes to eat “plastic candy” and/or snort playthings …joking, I like children! Anytime someone was going on a trip out of the states I’d tell them to pick me up a couple Kinder Eggs. That left me with a ridiculous collection of toys.

This chariot as originally had a warrior that rode in it, but somewhere along the road he went missing. He wasn’t cute anyway. He was flat. The exciting bit about this and some other kinder toys is that you can make it move. When you push the wheels along one horse moves in front of the other then back again.

The car was far too easy to put together, but cute. As a side note: I’ve noticed a decline in the quality and intricacy of the toys over the years. What a disappointment–just like the lame Cracker Jack prizes of my lifetime (they were significantly more worthy of the word “prize” back in the day).

Kinder Egg Toy: The Car

item#:011
materials: plastic
date acquired: no idea.
dimensions: 6 x 2.1 x 1.8 cm
status: taken (2.01.2008)

I have a thing for Kinder Eggs. I find it amazingly entertaining to put these things together following mini-instructions. The more pieces the better. Oh my god, I’m such a nerd. WARNING: These are very small and probably NOT suitable for small children. That’s why Kinder Eggs are difficult (though not impossible) to find in the states. There is concern that the toys or parts might be “swallowed or inhaled” by some crazy child that likes to eat “plastic candy” and/or snort playthings …joking, I like children! Anytime someone was going on a trip out of the states I’d tell them to pick me up a couple Kinder Eggs. That left me with a ridiculous collection of toys.

The car was far too easy to put together, but cute. As a side note: I’ve noticed a decline in the quality and intricacy of the toys over the years. What a disappointment–just like the lame Cracker Jack prizes of my lifetime (they were significantly more worthy of the word “prize” back in the day).

The Plane

item#: 010
dimensions: 10.5 x 5.5 x 4 cm
materials: plastic and metal
date acquired: 2002ish
status: taken (2.01.2008)

In the early ohs, whenever I used to wander around town with guys I knew, we’d often end up checking out toy stores. I picked up this plane somewhere in Chinatown. I’m pretty sure I tried congee for the first time that night, but didn’t really like it.

The Alumni Truck

item#: 009
dimensions: 8 x 4 x 3.1 cm
materials: plastic, paper, and metal
date acquired: 2000
status: taken (2.01.2008)

The Alumni Truck was made by my boss at NYU when I lived at Alumni Hall. He was crafty and fabulous. Later he went on to become an interior designer, which suited him much more. He was always making something that looked just adorable, or like it came right out of a Pottery Barn catalog.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Whistle (#008)

item#: 008
dimensions: 5.5 x 2 x 2.5 cm
materials: plastic and paper
status: taken (2.01.08)

Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wienerThat is what I truly want to be’Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wienerEveryone would be in love with me.Oh Yeah! The best sound comes from this when you hold it sideways and there is a hole on the top that you can leave open or put your finger over to create a higher pitched sound. I couldn’t help but love this little thing when it came into my world. It’s so heavy with nostalgia. What would a transportation series be without a weinermobile?!

The Transportation Series was listed on Philadelphia’s freecycle network. Freecycle, as they state on their site, is all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. I like that.

Transportation Series (#7-12)

• Boat
• Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Whistle
• Alumni Truck
• The Plane
• Kinder Egg Chariot
• Kinder Egg Car

I was going for a theme here: to get from point A to point B.

Dinosaur Collection (#001-#006)

• Stuffed “Rex” from Toy Story
  Brontosaurus Skeleton Figurine
  T-Rex Skeleton Figurine
  Dinosaur Rummy Card Game
  Grow-in-water Stegosaurus
  Grow-in-water T-Rex

I used to arrange and exhibit all my toys and chatchkies as if I was a curator of a collection of priceless objects. These were not toys to be played with. I guess I would allow it, but most of them were arranged just so, with intention, or they were in their original packaging. The nerdy tween boy in me developed this set after a trip to the American Museum of Natural History and generous gifts from Alex and my mother.

Rex
item#: 001
dimensions: 12×12x20 cm
materials: synthetic fiber, plastic pellets
date acquired: 2002-3
status: taken (2.1.08)

The Toy Story stuffed animal was given to me by a guy named Alex. He was a pretty wild dude–creative, intelligent, spontaneous, and even a bike messenger in NYC for a bit. Once upon a time he came to class after a run-in with a manhole or a taxi, and showed me where part of his nipple and a section of his flesh used to be. He was at the Disney Store in Times Square and decided, as a gesture of his distaste for the company, to take Rex hostage. I’m not by any means a fan of Disney, and was a full supporter of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping since the late 1990’s; HOWEVER, I didn’t think stealing was okay. I’ve held onto his contraband all this time for many reasons I don’t want to admit. I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place, but this piece, and the story that went with it, was a nice addition to the Dinosaur Collection.

Skeletons
materials: plastic
date acquired: 2001/2

Brontosaurus
item#: 002
dimensions: 4×5x23 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

T-Rex
item#003
dimensions: 15×14x4
status: taken (2.1.08)

The bone figurines are from the gift shop at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. They are great for creating funny dioramas.

Dinosaur Rummy Cards
item #:004
dimensions: 11×7.5×2 cm
materials: plastic, paper
date acquired: 2001
status: taken (2.1.08)

The dinosaur rummy cards are visually stimulating, informative, and promote group interactions. My mother, a middle-school science teacher, looks for opportunities to educate or inform at every moment. There was always some kind of quiz about the clouds and the water cycle, flowers, the PH scale. These cards were one of her purchases.

Grow-in-Water Dinos
materials: superabsorbent polymers (?)
additional comments: probably best for kids over 4ish
date acquired: 2003(?)

T-Rex
item#:005
dimensions (when dry):4.5×2.5x.7 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

Stegosaurus
item#:006
dimensions (when dry):4.5×1.7x.6 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

Lastly, the yellow and purple mini-dinos in the picture. They look like nothing now, just little plastic whatevers. But, put them in water… AND THEY GROW! They get all slimey and big, and if you leave them out and don’t touch them, they shrink back down into mini-dinos. Apparently, I never got past the age of 6, maybe 8 at the oldest… I LOVE THESE. The novelty hasn’t worn off yet.

The Dinosaur Collection was listed on Philadelphia’s freecycle network. Freecycle, as they state on their site, is all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. I like that.