Amber Cunningham’s #TopTenToysof2018
The following #TopTenToysof2018 was shared with us by Amber Cunningham - who answered the IG-call to share! Do follow Amber at Insta @heyamberc for more toyness! Thanks for sharing!
#10: Croconana by Sorbet Jungle
There is just something about that little face that speaks to me. Croconanas are just plain fun pieces and make me smile. I was bummed to have missed the My Plastic Heart drop, twice, for him. But perseverance paid off and now I have a small bask of Croconanas smiling at me from their shelf (a bask is a group of crocodiles!).
#9: Speckled Lurv Birb by High Proof Toys
BIRB! It's even fun to say. I really loved the colors on this piece and his little red boots. I kept a really close eye on HPT's Instagram so I could pounce on getting the very small run of this speckled birb. He's bright, different, and fun.
#8: Flying Sofye and Billy Rabbit by Lam Pei
I had the honor of meeting Lam Pei this year on a trip to Hong Kong. She was sweet enough to show my husband and I her studio and talk with us about how she got started into art. She's insanely talented and her studio is full of amazing treasures. I had ordered the red beret Sofye and blue Billy Rabbit ahead of time and picked them up from her. I also got a gorgeous print of Sofye flying on swallows which I am head over heels with. Sofye is so unique and I love her comic stories and adventures.
#7: Pinana Pineapple Bun Girl by Cafe de Bollo
Helen's artwork and pieces tick all the boxes for me. Cute, pastel, whimsical, food related. When I saw Unbox was doing a vinyl version I was sold. She's even cuter in person and you can't help but smile when you see her. Icing on the cake was that when she arrived, she was hand signed. One of my first hand signed pieces and I'm thrilled. Plus, Helen is such a wonderfully nice person! I love supporting nice people.
#6: GID Ngaew Ngaew and Dino by Pang
Pang is hands down one of the sweetest and most adorable artists I follow. Seriously, she's amazing. I've been dying to own a Ngaew rabbit and was ready to go to get this little set. They arrived and do not disappoint at all. They glow so nice and the speckled paint reminds me of those little easter egg chocolates. Their expressions crack me up too.
#5: Cat General by Xiaoou Jia
Have you ever seen a piece that actually made you gasp or take your breath away? Cat General did it for me. I was in China over the summer and went to the amazing Popmart flagship store. I don't even know how much time I spent there ogling over everything. Then I spotted a case of work by Xiaoou Jia of Keke and had that gasp moment. Their pieces are of remarkably beautiful quality and detail. There is something so serene and calming about this piece. It's dreamy and perfect.
#4: Resin Breadcat by Rato Kim
Carbs are good. Cats are good. Breadcat is so good. As a fairly new collector, I've missed out on the early runs of many now popular artists. Resin breadcats from Rato Kim are in my opinion the best of her work, but pretty impossible for me to find. A chunk of my wish list is different ones. The fine folks at Mothership Gallery saw my ISO post and had one. As Mary Berry would say, "that's a good bake."
#3: Acorn Jr Mini by Fufu Fanny
I'm a sucker for woodland creatures. I'm also a sucker for miniature things. Acorn Jr Mini was begging me to adopt him. I had him on my wish list for a while and a very sweet collector sent him to me when she saw that. So not only is he adorable but the fact that he was sent to me in a sweet way and the fact that Fufu Fanny is such a kind and sweet person, makes him extra special to me.
#2: Rabifees by Machiko
I spotted one of these little rabbits in a google search for something totally unrelated to toys and went on a long journey to find out how I could have them in my collection. I finally found Machiko's website and just wrote and asked if I could place an order. When they arrived, I was overjoyed. Seriously, I'm lame as hell and I actually cried when I saw them. They are some of the cutest things I've ever seen and not only one of my favorites of 2018, but some of my favorites of my collection.
#1: Sweet Nweet by Trivalities
Do you see that snoot? You just wanna boop it. This good boy looks so proud to look over your other toys and keep them safe. When I first saw him I just knew I must have him. It is also really exciting to see Trivia develop her toy skills (she was originally a 2D artist) and I'm happy to have one of her first pieces. In fact, I just recently adopted my second Nweet!
[ Above authored by Amber Cunningham ]
