MAQET

We’ve always maintained that MAQETs are egalitarian art objects. When we were 15, we hated 21+ concerts. And now that we’re grown up, we find it terribly unfair that we can’t ride the kiddie rides at the carnival. (How awesome are these cars???) So we made MAQET with everyone in mind: From Scott Tolleson, a professional designers working for Disney (Check out his Bernie Cotton MAQETs) to Camille, a 5-year old girl who already possesses a keen sense of color theory.

With some assistance from her (proud) papa, Lee, Camille chose Nao’s Dankeschoen Create Your Own Character template, and immediately went to work with magic markers on a paper printout. Lee and Camille enjoyed the ability to view the bear in 3D before ordering the collectible. Once satisfied, the bear was given a name (Rainbow), and dispatched to the worker elves at MAQET HQ.

Please take a look at Lee’s post about MAQET on Howdy Kids: The Magazine for Parents of Exceptional Children. Here’s his verdict!

For special occasions or gifts, it’s really exciting to see your child’s artwork translated into 3 dimensions. We’re already brainstorming what our next creation will look like. If you’re not the artistic type, you can also go rogue and cover your figurine in photographs of a family vacation or quotes from your favorite book. Anything you can illustrate by hand or compose in a computer graphics application can be placed on a toy. For the cool factor alone, MAQET’s offerings are totally worth the price.

Thanks for sharing your MAQET, Camille! We encourage parents to check out the Howdy Kids website for all its great content AND our special discount code for free shipping on your next MAQET.

In just a month, MAQET’s secret lab has gone from dusty mayhem to Plastin^® paradise. MAQET HQ and our online shop are now fully stocked with festive and unique gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Order by December 15th (standard mail) and December 21st (Fedex Overnight) for GUARANTEED delivery by Christmas!

One of our favorite creative couples, Tokyo-based Shin + Nao, customized Danke (their white bear) and Schoen (their black bear) with cozy red, plaid Santa suits. (And Schoen has a little beard!) The Santa Dankeschoens shares Shin + Nao’s message of love as they travel the skies in their sleigh. Santa Danke is available here. Santa Schoen is available here. Both figures are made of MAQET’s own eco-friendly Plastin^® and available as collectible ornaments or free-standing figures for $25 each.

Los Angeles-based artist, Scott Tolleson, has already shown us that a nerd can be a werewolf.  But did you know that your odd uncle could also be a mischievous elf or a peppermint robot? Saint Bernard is Bernie Cotton’s distant cousin who lives at the North Pole. His presence guarantees high-jinx and eliminates boredom. Saint Bernard is part of an edition of 30 for 2011. He’s made of Plastin^® and is available as a collectible ornament or free-standing figure for $35 here.

Bernie Cane is part of a dedicated candy cane workforce engineered by a lazy or resourceful (depends who you ask) elf. The Bernie Canes seem happy to do the work, and so the project is a success. Or is it? Bernie Cane is part of an edition of 30 for 2011. He’s made of Plastin^® and is available as a collectible ornament or free-standing figure for $35 here.

The spirit of Christmas can sometimes take a backseat in the rush to hit up the big box stores and grab the latest gadgets. This special variant to Shin + Nao’s Santa Danke figurine wears an eco-green suit. It’s a visual reminder that when you buy a MAQET, you are supporting an environmentally responsible small company in the USA. (We also love the color green.) MAQETs are designed by independent artists and made with pride by artisans and engineers in our Northern California lab. Eco-ambassador Santa Danke is made of Plastin^® and is available as a collectible ornament or free-standing figure in an edition of 15 for $25 here.

We love how all our artists designed their idea of the holidays with their personal style. It’s a cohesive collection, but each piece is an individual. That’s what MAQET is all about! Oakland-based artist, Yosiell Lorenzo, created the Lil Bruiser character, and it’s become one of our most popular Create Your Own collectibles. For the coming holidays, Yosiell answers the question: “Who says you can’t have tattoos AND wear a suit to work?” Santa Bruiser is made of Plastin^® and is available as a collectible ornament or free-standing figure in an edition of 15 for $25 here.

What does a Dankeschoen Snowman look like? It begins like a regular snowman with button eyes and a carrot nose. But instead of your typical top hat, a Dankeschoen Snowman wears a little black “Harajuku-style” hat tilted to one side. This stylish snowman completes the look with matching plaid scarf and mittens. This special artist edition Dankeschoen Snowman has been customized by Shin + Nao and will add a dash of “kawaii” to your holiday decor. Dankeschoen Snowman is limited to just 15 pieces for the 2011 holiday, is made of Plastin^® and is available as a collectible ornament or free-standing figure in an edition of 15 for $25 here.

Hey, how did Saint Bernard sneak back into the lineup? He already had his turn!

Last, but not least, is Frank Kozik‘s lovable Heathrow the Holiday Hedgehog. The first few pairs were born today, and you can check them out here. Ready to order? The Heathrows are made of eco-friendly Plastin^® and are available as pairs of collectible ornaments or free-standing figures in an edition of 50 for 2011 priced at just $50 here.

Even when Dankeschoen gets a little creepy, he’s still alotta cute The amicable bear makes friends wherever he goes… Happy Halloween!

Shin Tanaka just posted this cool “blueprint” of the making of Patchwork. As you can see, Nao designed the Patchwork Dankeschoen MAQET using patterns from some of Shin’s previous figures. So sweet! But what’s that figure in the lower righthand corner? Look for Japanese Schoolgirl Dankeschoen bear “and special friends” coming soon!

Patchwork is a limited Artist Edition of just 25 pieces. Once it sells out, you won’t be able to get it again! Go to Patchwork now.

Two of my favorite people in the whole world, Shin and Nao, have collaborated on the first in a series of Artist Edition Dankeschoen bears designed exclusively for MAQET. We chose this colorful Patchwork bear as their debut because it’s a terrific design, and it also symbolizes the originality and philosophy of MAQET. Patchwork, or “pieced work,” combines many bits of material to form a cohesive whole.

During the Great Depression, patchwork was a way to recycle worn clothing into warm quilts. In the current economic recession, “upcycling” continues to be popular. Over the last seven years, for instance, Brooke Serson Cernonok has been turning old cashmere sweaters into new Teddylux teddybears. Patchwork Dankeschoen is about reinvigorating the past and looking positively toward the future. Shin and Nao designed it just months after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan. I’d be hard-pressed to find two more optimistic and huge-hearted individuals than Shin and Nao.

Patchwork Dankeschoen is not soft like a traditional patchwork quilt, but rather, each MAQET is made with layer upon layer of Plastin^®. Our process “patches” the Plastin^® powder into a solid sculpture. Any surplus powder is immediately recycled into the next MAQET. Patchwork Dankeschoen is a new design from Shin and Nao, and it’s a new type of collectible from MAQET. Feeling creative? You can customize your own version of “The Japanese Bear With the German Name” right now in the Create Your Own section of MAQET.com.

Beginning the afternoon of Thursday, August 4th, Patchwork Dankeschoen will be available in a limited edition of 25 MAQETs in our online shop. The individually numbered figures stand 5 inches tall and are made of Plastin^®, a porcelain-like material with a smooth, clear finish. The Patchwork Dankeschoen edition is being offered at $50 each. Follow @maqet on Twitter to be the first to know when the figures are available. We can’t wait to get these in your hands!

Over the next week, MAQET will be making some very excellent announcements. It’s been really tough to keep a lid on everything! So, similar to how the government slips in last minute legislation on Friday evenings, but without the shadiness, here’s a peek into one project we’ve got coming up.

MAQET is excited to be working with Naoko Shimojo, proprietress of Tokyo’s Dankeschoen. The shop’s adorable mascot bear (created by legendary Japanese designer, Touma) will be joining MAQET. There will be Artist Editions and, of course, you will be able to Create Your Own Dankeschoen!

Note that the above image is only symbolic. Danke doesn’t need to take a long boat ride from Japan to get to MAQET’s Northern California headquarters; his arrival in our labs is a bit like teleportation.

Below is the Dankeschoen crew and friends at the recent Taipei Toy Fest. Hmmm…I wonder if some of the other artists in this photo will “teleport” over in the coming weeks???