PRODUCT LINE: THE TOTEM POPPETS
The Evolution from the The Totem Poppets to the 3D Tunnel Books and EyeConnect Crafts
How the Totem Poppet paper animal designs became the award winning 3D Tunnel Book art and craft kits and found a home in museum gift shops, and retail stores across the nation.
Neutral and Nature, Not Pink – The story of The Totem Poppets as the very first product line I launched at EyeConnect Crafts begins in the woods. I love to hike. And we live near the forest. As such when my sons were young we spent much of our days out in those woods, walking, pickup up sticks and rocks and exploring. My sons were constantly finding—and catching—box turtles, American toads, and blue-tailed skinks. They desperately wanted to keep these creatures, but as both a mom and a naturalist, I had to say they couldn’t keep them. They belonged in the wild.
So, I took the boys to the craft store to find a box turtle they could keep. But I was met with nothing. There were no crafts of “snakes, and snails, and puppy dog tails and all the things little boys are made of.” Everything looked like clip art or, worse, was horribly stereotyped—predominantly pink and focused on fashion and appearance. The crafts on the shelves were made of styrofoam or non-biodegradable materials and lacked any connection to the natural world.
Erin Sparler | “Spherism” – A Flip-Through of the Original Concept Artwork used as the basis for The Totem Poppets
The Theory: Spherism vs. Cubism
The designs for what would become my Totem Poppets were created from a body of work titled Spherism.
In the designs in Spherism, I had 2 rules. All shapes had to be organic in nature. And none of the shapes should overlap. The work – and these rules- were in direct opposition of Cubism. While Cubists breaks forms into rectangular and triangular shapes and uses overlap and and maximalist approach, I sought a minimalist approach.
I deconstructed animal forms into completely separate, organic shapes—circles, arches, crescents, and yin-yang forms—where no two shapes touched.
Originally drawn with clean black lines on hemp paper, these “Primitive Spherist” designs relied on the cream of the substrate for middle values, clean black line and simple opaque white.
The Innovation: Engineering the Joint
To turn these minimalist drawings into functional kits, I moved the work into Illustrator, recreating each limb, head, and tail as precise vectors.
I engineered 1/16″ holes at specific pivot points that aligned between pieces so that the limbs could be connected while maintaining the animal’s natural range of motion.
After researching various fasteners—from brass eyelets to tools—I settled on mini brads to ensure the kits were accessible and “tool-free” for children.
The first generation of Totem Poppets was laser-cut locally from 100% recycled chipboard, marking my first foray into professional packaging and hang-tag design.
Erin Sparler | Totem Poppet: Box Turtle Stop-Motion Animation
Product Spotlight: The “Secret Sauce” to Articulated Animal Designs
While the Totem Poppets were born from design based in the study of motion inherent in traditional cartooning and animation, they actually come to life through a special miniaturized hardware solution: the Mini Brad also know as split pins.
Finding a way to join the Totem Poppet animals joints and allow for a natural range of motion -without requiring a special tool- was a critical step in making these kits accessible for all ages.
My journey with these tiny but components involved mastering the full lifecycle of a developing and sourcing physical products.
Strategic Sourcing: I researched and sourced 11 different colors of 1/16″ mini brads to ensure every animal—could have color coordinated joints.
Packaging & Presentation: I sourced packaging options, learned setup for printing header hang tags, designed custom-branded insert cards, and developed the initial brand to be consistent with the nature-focused designs.
Erin Sparler | Levels of the Ocean Tunnel Book Stop Motion Animation
The Expansion: Education and the 3D Tunnel Book
As the Totem Poppet line grew, so did its application.
I began collaborating with schools and organizations like Commonwealth Charter Academy and Light Box Studio to develop curriculum and programming.
It was during this phase of teaching and play that the first 3D Tunnel Book was born.
I needed a home – a stage if you will- for these animals. The resulting ocean tunnel book depicts the level or biomes of the ocean and the animals that live there.
Sourcing, Packaging & Importation of The 3D Tunnel Book
The original 3D Tunnel Book depicting the level of the ocean and the animals that lived there was well received. But people began to ask if they could make their own Tunnel Book.
It was this process of feedback that feeds my creativity and the development of new products and new lines.
I met and worked with the Design Edge to source, package and import a fully realized and market ready make-your-own 3D Tunnel Book art and craft kit.
During this process I learned so many amazing things. From COGS, to MOQ, ,to case packs and a multitude of other acronyms and terms. It was fascinating! We launched the first 3 themes of the Deluxe 3D Tunnel Book kits in 2024, and to a second line of Mini 3D Tunnel books composed of 8 different themes in 2025.
Industry Outreach: & National Retail Distribution
Strategic Networking: I attended numerous industry trade shows to connect with the key partners for the packaging, production and testing necessary to produce and sell a professional product in the competitive toy space.
Retail Expansion: These B2B efforts led to our 3D Tunnel Book art and craft kits being picked up by Barnes & Noble and over 60 nature centers, toy stores, zoos, and aquariums across the nation.
National Reach: Our distribution spans from Hawaii to Alaska, placing EyeConnect Crafts products in diverse venues—from zoo and aquarium gift shops to planetariums and observation centers—as well as specialty gift and toy stores and major national retailers.
Industry Recognition & Awards: Our commitment to quality design and educational value earned EyeConnect Crafts significant industry acclaim. We were honored to be selected as finalists by ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) and the MSA (Museum Store Association), recognizing our products as top-tier in the specialty toy and museum gift markets.
Additionally, we were proud to receive a win from Autism Live, a testament to the tactile, accessible, and inclusive nature of our 3D Tunnel Book designs.
