ArmadilloDreams

*** About Us ***

Armadillo Dreams is run by Dustin and Amanda Cowell. We have lived in Central Oregon most of our lives. We met during sophomore year in high school. After graduation we moved to Portland, Oregon for about 3 years and then moved back. We got married in 2004, had our daughter Lucy in 2007, had our son Lincoln in 2010 and had our son Alden in 2015. We enjoy a high desert life near the base of the cascade mountains and near the deschutes national forest in a land full of lakes and rivers.

*** Our History ***

Armadillo Dreams started in late 2010. We started the shop after Dustin discovered a passion for woodworking during the summer that year while building a backyard chicken coop. We always wanted more wooden toys for our children, but didn’t have a lot of money. Amanda had already been selling on Etsy for about 5 years with her other shops. We combined Amanda’s artistic skills and knowledge of Etsy with Dustin's passion for woodworking and Armadillo Dreams was born.

No matter how big Armadillo Dreams gets we plan to keep operations small and home based. Our wood shop is in our backyard (a large converted shed). We also have a two car garage that was remodeled into a family room that serves as an indoor work area. A lot of work also takes place on our dining room table. We like it that way.

*** Our Process ***

We hand draw all of the designs for our toys. We then cut them out of poplar in our backyard wood shop. Each toy goes through up to five sanding processes to make them super smooth on all sides. Next we wood burn all of the details so they will never fade. At this point we paint some of our toys with AP certified non-toxic watercolor, while others are left natural. Lastly, we seal the toys with natural beeswax polish.

*** About Our Toys ***

We get our poplar from a local lumber yard who sources it from a sustainable supplier. Each toy is made from a different piece of wood, so grain and slight color variation may occur. Our wooden toys are hand detailed and each has its own personality, but will look very close to the original. Painted toys receive a light wash of paint instead of completely coating them, so you can still see the wood grain for a more natural texture. All of our designs are hand drawn so you won't find wooden toys like ours anywhere!

*** Safety ***

We don't recommend giving our painted toys or small toys to children who are still placing objects in their mouths. Our painted toys are painted with AP certified non-toxic paint and sealed with natural beeswax polish, so they are safe if a child does happen to put a toy in their mouth.

Please like us on Facebook (facebook.com/armadillodreams) or Instagram (instagram.com/armadillodreams) or Twitter (twitter.com/armadillodreams) for shop update news, behind the scenes and giveaways!