Child’s own

How would you like to preserve your child's artwork into a soft toy or stuffed item that can be kept forever? Many parents would agree that it is such a fantastic idea! A good friend of mine, Nina Fruelda, has recommended Wendy Tsao's Child's Own Studio for this.

"After making my first ever softie based on a sketch by my four-year-old son of a stick man with big round eyes and ten long wispy fingers, calling it his self-portrait, my son recognised it immediately with so much excitement," Wendy recalls. "This was when I realized that this is what I should be doing with my time and energy, so I began a business making softies based on children's drawings. Since I've started, I have custom-made almost 600 toys, each one as unique as the child who drew it."

After getting a lot of attention on the internet, Wendy Tsao now requires that orders be places at least a year prior, as she is still currently working on the 2013 orders. When Wendy posted that she was ready to accept orders for 2014, she got over 200 submissions within three hours, enough to keep her busy for a year! Cost per item varies, depending on the amount of work and details required on the softie. Shipping charges apply as well.

Based in Vancouver, Wendy Tsao works only with children's own drawings and not with trademarked characters. There is no age limit for a child to start drawing, but a clear object is usually achieved from age 4 or 5 onwards. The child's artwork can be sent via email directly to Wendy, then she will let you know if it is something she can work on. "I have a strong preference for children's hand-drawn and hand-colored original artwork," Wendy says.

The softie size does vary but it is usually around 14 - 17 inches long and the fabrics used include cotton solids, prints, fleece, upholstery fabric, flannels and cuddle-luscious! Once finished, the customer will be sent some photos of the item before it gets shipped off to the "young artist."

The finished soft toys are also stuffed with new and hypo-allergenic 100% polyester fibrefill. To clean these softies and blot out stains, best to use a damp face cloth.

Wendy Tsao's email address is [email protected]. Her business website is www.childsown.com. Those who wish to view more of Wendy's work may check www.flickr.com/photos/childsown/sets.