Tinker & Miss was born in 2013 when we found that there were limited Weighted Soft Toy designs available for our daughters that they liked. 

 

The name Tinker & Miss itself came from our youngest who used to introduce as family as 'This is Daddy, this is Mummy, this is Tinker and I'm Miss'. 'Tinker' being her big sister whose name at the time she couldn't say.

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They were both diagnosed with Autism shortly after their 3rd birthdays and benefitted greatly from weighted products trialled in occupational therapy.

 

Nearly all the designs we did find were aimed at boys. Being that there are more boys diagnosed with Autism than girls we understood that.

 

It also meant that out there there were going to be other families with little girls like ours, unable to find something unique, fun & funky that they liked.

 

It then became my mission with hubby's support to track down designs that both girls and boys would love to have.

 

Once I found designs I asked trusted friends with their own children what they thought. If they agreed

that the design would be a hit I then went about making the first ones of each.

 

I started out using polar fleece as my main fabric and over time watching how it wore decided that a nicer, better wearing fabric would be needed.

 

I then discovered minky and haven't looked back. It's so soft to cuddle and meant that it could be cuddled anytime anywhere and just looked like any other soft cuddle toy, unbeknown to those around it is actually being used for therapeutic purposes.

 

In 2021, I became the Official Cricut Ambassador for Newcastle and Hunter Region. I love all things Cricut. I hold regular in store demonstrations with our retailer partners, Cricut classes and private lessons. 

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In 2023 with Tinker turning 15, Miss turning 13, and Tinker & Miss having been trading for 10 years the decision was made that it was time to take on a more grown up look to acknowledge the growth of Tinker and Miss both as people and as a business.

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Ann