“And as the year
Grows lush in juicy stalks, I’ll smoothly steer
My little boat, for many quiet hours,
With streams that deepen freshly into bowers.”
John Keats
Endymion, Book I
Quiet Hours is a mother-owned and operated online shop that offers a changing array of artisan-crafted toys and wares from around the world. We work with small companies, fair trade cooperatives and independent artists and crafters who design custom-made, limited-edition pieces that will delight the little people in your life.
While children can have fun with everything from a scrap of cloth to a plastic doll from the local chain store, we aim to offer a selection of original, well-made toys that have some lasting value. We believe old-fashioned craftsmanship and good design make for the kinds of things you’ll want to hold on to, and that is what we seek out.
When you choose a gift from us you draw from a whole community of creative people who lend their talents to our virtual shelves. Each of them does the work he or she loves in home studios or shops, in order to make the special items that find their way to you. It’s a pleasure for us to support them, and we like you to know who they are. So when we write up our product descriptions or “shop news” segments, we include information about the artist or designer who dreamed up each toy. It’s our way of connecting you to the hands behind the goods, and making the world a little bit smaller.
You can read more about our philosophy in the “What are you paying for?” section of the site as well as on our blog, where you will find the latest shop news and sneak peeks of new items coming our way. Your questions and comments are always welcome, as are submissions from artists. Please contact us at info@quiethourstoys.com or 1-866-877-6023.
As for the site itself, we’d like to take a moment to share credit where it is due and direct your attention to the people who created this little outpost on the web. The design for the site can be attributed to two talented gentlemen who, no doubt, never imagined they would find themselves playing with toys at this point in their lives.
The technical brain of this operation is Tom Filepp of Paper, Scissors and Glue. He is a graphic and website designer of wide-ranging abilities, as well as a musician with mastery over an intimidating array of instruments. He took our techno-phobic selves in hand and patiently walked through every step of the design process, never forgetting the goal was to create a shop with a pared-down look and a streamlined buying experience. He helped make the artisan-crafted toys we sell the stars of the show, and on a limited budget, too.
As for the look of the site, we have Robb Ogle to thank for sharing his expertise and eclectic design sensibilities. Robb is responsible for illustration, lettering and packaging design. He has been obsessed with type for some time now and fills his hours working for the mighty Font Bureau in Boston and juggling his own projects. He has a marvelous ability to translate cryptic stylistic directives into magical images, and you can find his contact information as well as a sampling of his work at his wittily named Houndofthe.com home page. (Yes, he’s an Arthur Conan Doyle fan.)