Etsy :: The Storque :: This Handmade Life :: Process: Tin Toys by Loran Scruggs

Process: Tin Toys by Loran Scruggs


Story by loranscruggs, objecked Published on February 11, 2009 in This Handmade Life

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(Music by Eric Beug and Boolar. Animation by JuliaPott)

Up in the most northern and western part of the United States lies the artsy little town of Port Townsend, Washington. There, in a chilly workshop, artisan Loran Scruggs fashions whistles, airplanes, elephants, sculptures, and all sorts of amazing oddities from the tin that she collects from all over the world. She uses the tab and slot method in upcycling the tin, an abundant and colorful resource.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Loran this December. We visited her studio to produce the fifth video in our Process series, where we focus on the artists' flow and the conception of handmade items, as shown by the unique and inspiring artisans who make them.

See more Process videos from this series.

Tags	bottlecap, CPSIA, Earth Tones, LoranScruggs, Loran Scruggs, metal, Port Townsend, Process, Process Video, recycling, sculpture, THIS HANDMADE LIFE, Tin, Toys, upcycling, video, Washington, whistle

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59 comments Login to add your own!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 12:57 p.m.

LaireMarie

Impressive! Looks like a lot of time put in to making these - very NICE!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1 p.m.

AlloverArt

Fun!! Great work! :)

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:03 p.m.

baconsquarefarm

Oh my, love her creations and style~ funky fun~ eclectic~ whimsical too~ Great story and read.

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:04 p.m.

redyellowandblueink

great video piece. It is so cool to watch and listen to a crafter's process. And great to hear there are other people out there who fascinate at a box or a tin can.

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:13 p.m.

PeppermintDaydreams

i'm truly a fan of packaging too!
i adore your creations Loran!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:19 p.m.

behappynow

very beautiful and happy article !

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:22 p.m.

dogties

Great article & Awesome Toys
Thanks for sharing!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.

BabbidgePatch

Super cool! wonderful work Loran!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:43 p.m.

thegratulatest

Oh this is great! I'm also a collector of tin toys. I've got some on my Etsy site including an original tin gun.

Feb. 11, 2009 at 1:53 p.m.

boopalinabebe

Port Townsend is a well-known artisan community, and it's no wonder why with amazingly talented craftspeople like Loran!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 2 p.m.

DuBuhDuDesigns

That was a nicely done video~I love to watch other create, paint, build,etc..it's very relaxing and interesting. Your work is great Loran!!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 2:29 p.m.

FancifulForm

Adorable work! I love it!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 2:32 p.m.

chalkydoodles

I love the vintage-look of the pieces. Very nostalgic!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 2:38 p.m.

IcingOnTheCupcake

Wow, these are such fun pieces!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.

nfall2rt

What lovely work! It's great to see a video of someone creating because you can get lost in their process with them!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 3:16 p.m.

gloilocksandbody

What a cozy little shop! Makes me wish I had one of my own.

The video was great :D

Feb. 11, 2009 at 3:21 p.m.

worksofwhimsy

I love this stuff. So fun and bright.

Feb. 11, 2009 at 4 p.m.

blinkonmynose

Love tin toys!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 6:25 p.m.

jodieflowers

Awesome!!! Very inspiring! I love her work!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 9:30 p.m.

bellasparty

Great video. Love the pieces!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 9:56 p.m.

pogoshop

I love those whistles! Kids don't have whistles anymore, do they? The bottle caps and bright colors are wonderful.

Feb. 11, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.

patriciasaabdesigns

The perfect toys for grown up kids!

Feb. 11, 2009 at 10:24 p.m.

dragonhouseofyuen

what wonderful tin toys - just love it all!

I am also an admirer of littleblackrabbit who makes wonderful bird tin art!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

Feb. 12, 2009 at 12:30 a.m.

vantiani

Oh I love tin toys!
And I definitely LOVE this post!
Thanks a lot for sharing this,

Vantiani.

Feb. 12, 2009 at 4 a.m.

Iammie

Cute Stuffs!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 6:59 a.m.

EpicBones

oh great idea! i love the vintage collectables!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.

elizabethwren

Just wonderful!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 11:44 a.m.

redcrowgoods

Tin toys are so awesome. It is great seeing the "lost arts"
Kept alive by dedicated craft folks.
Great video article. Thank you for sharing.

Feb. 12, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.

loranscruggs

Eric, the video is great! Ahead of schedule too. Thanks for coming to PT and holding up in our chill air.

Feb. 12, 2009 at 1:53 p.m.

katiearms

Oh wow, really beautiful video. Loran, you're an inspiration!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

beautifulbridget

Wow! Impressive!!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 2:37 p.m.

weirdwolf

One of my favorite Etsy shops! Fantastic video. So great to see Loren in her studio working those beautiful old tins...

Feb. 13, 2009 at 5:28 a.m.

strozzistawzeeh

YELLOW PHILIPPINES!!!!!!
Im proud to be PINAY!!!!!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 5:36 a.m.

strozzistawzeeh

lovely process! it feeds me a lots of ideas!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 6:52 a.m.

twolefthands

Great video, my grandsons love their whistles!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 8:04 a.m.

theduskyjewel

Love the ladybug and vintage bottlecaps!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 9:28 a.m.

StudioAMF

I love her commentary on using hand tools. I have a studio full of power tools and can appreciate sometimes wanting to simplify. I do love my power tools though! Crochet during the day, power tools at night!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 5:27 p.m.

ColorTheSky

A huge fan of tin toys & thrilled to find this seller. Thanks

Feb. 13, 2009 at 5:29 p.m.

uncorked

I have bought 2 of Loran's whistles and they not only look amazing, but they are the only thing that gets my dog in the house! Awesome video Loran! You are an inspiration!

Feb. 13, 2009 at 7:22 p.m.

urbanwoodswalker

Way to GO Loran! ♥

Love LOVE your work...ALL of it! ♥

Feb. 14, 2009 at 4:22 a.m.

brownbunnybyiris

Very cool work!

Feb. 15, 2009 at 4:04 p.m.

gilhooly

Loran,Thank you for making such wonderful works and sharing your process and space with the world. I just love seeing artist's studios and tools!
All the Best to you,
Barbara

Feb. 16, 2009 at 2:52 p.m.

Vanessa

Loran, I sent this video to a friend of a friend from Port Townsend. She says she knows you! Her name is Counsel. Anyways, small world!...Small world filled with great handmade items! Way to go with finding such beauty in what many would consider trash.

Feb. 16, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

jensingh

What a great piece-I truly enjoyed seeing that wonderful slice of an artist's life-viva la flow!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:22 a.m.

loranscruggs

thank you so much everyone! what wonderful comments. Also a great big thank you to Eric and Kelly and the person at etsy who told Eric about my tin work.

Feb. 20, 2009 at 1:43 a.m.

MakeMeOver

What a creative process! I love the recycling of vintage tins - I enjoy recycling of vintage fabrics almost in the same fashion. "The flow" does work it's majic!! Thank you so much for sharing your talents with all of us.

Feb. 20, 2009 at 4:08 a.m.

GommStudios

I was a metal sculptor before dedicating myself to stained glass art. The video reminded me of the days when I wanted to learn more about metal smithing. Very wonderful to see you doing your inspirational work.

Feb. 24, 2009 at 2:16 a.m.

Signs

These are all so awesome! :D I love these toys.

Feb. 27, 2009 at 11:15 a.m.

Geminimoondesigns

She is a genius!

March 6, 2009 at 12:38 p.m.

tiedyedmonkeys

I love vintage tin toys, and it is wonderful to see someone creating with that kind of feel. I also love the reusing of stuff that would be thrown away! Thanks for sharing.

March 18, 2009 at 7:31 a.m.

chubbycheeksweaters

Very clever!

March 21, 2009 at 9:42 a.m.

sisply

amazing!!!

March 22, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

sandali

Classic -- love this !!

March 25, 2009 at 1:23 a.m.

reginasstudio

What an inspiration, and to think all this tin could be taking up space on our planet in a land fill, and instead it is these beautiful pieces of art- you rock Loran!!

March 26, 2009 at 9:49 a.m.