I have some extremely fond memories of the original Game Boy, so when I initially saw that someone had defaced it withPokemons, plants, and grass hanging out of its buttons - I was more than a little upset. The Game Boy held some of the best gaming experiences for me and then some artist comes along to tear it apart for…pleasure? Oh, hell no. As I was about to pass this off in anger, I took a second to notice how much work artist Winnie Sumida had put into this project and started to see how beautiful it actually was.
Winnie Sumida from Kirkland, Washington started the Gameboy Planter business in 2016 due to her love of putting plants in weird things and a deep nostalgic love for gaming, especially Nintendo. By trade, Winnie is a hat and interior plastic plant creator but her project calledWaku Waku Islandis her most famous project to date.
This artful and creative venture sees Winnie using old Nintendo consoles that are usually made up of Game Boy’s and Nintendo DS’s, where the inner section of the console is scooped out and then filled with decorations such as pebbles, plants and of course the scattering of adorablePokemons.
Time for #MarchMeetTheMaker Day 10: YOU! Hi! For all of you that don’t know me, my name is Winnie Sumida and I’m the creator of Waku Waku Island and co-designer for @Huggalugs! I am a 28 year old Jewish-American artist born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve loved cartoons, toys and cute things all my life. Disney, Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon and Hamtaro were some of my childhood favorites and still are. When I saw the first episode of Pokemon in 1997 I fell in love and it just never stopped. . I have done a little bit of everything, from retail at Disneyland to professionally dog grooming for 5 years and most recently working in the cannabis industry! I have no formal art education, Waku Waku Island was born while I was doing only three 12 hour shifts per week at an Urgent Care, I needed a hobby, something to do on my days off, and so I just started creating and making cute things for my home. The Gameboy planter was born while trying to think of weird containers to put plants in, and sure enough it was a hit. Now I get to do this pretty much full time along with designing and marketing for my parents children’s clothing business Huggalugs! . Some other random facts: I have a Dauschund mix named Latte, My favorite Pokemon is Sylveon, I’m obsessed with K-Pop and K-Drama, my favorite movie is My Neighbor Totoro, my fav anime is Cardcaptor Sakura, I’m married to a very handsome Japanese man, I have a twin brother, my nickname in highschool was Winnie the Jew and I live and work in my parents basement XD . . . . . #kawaiiartist #otakuartist #Myart #seattleartist #meetthemaker #makersgonnamake #makermovement #creativityfound #retrogaming #retrogamer #gamergirl #gamerlife #kawaiigirl #mmtm #kawaiistuff #pokemoncollection #pokemonart #pokemoncommunity #gameboy #gamer #gamerlife #retrocommunity #gameboymods #Pokémon #smallbusiness #creators #girlsrule #girlgamer #gamegirl #geekgirl
A post shared by✨🌴Waku Waku Island🌴✨(@wakuwakuisland) onMar 10, 2019 at 3:13pm PDT
Working on a few new pieces with the toys I brought back from Japan! Just waiting for these to dry so I can add the finishing touches! . . . . #retrocommunity #90skids #pokemonyellow #pokemoncommunity #pokemoncollection
A post shared by✨🌴Waku Waku Island🌴✨(@wakuwakuisland) onJun 5, 2018 at 8:39pm PDT
What makes this project appealing in my opinion, is that it not only reaches the fans ofPokemonbut also art lovers and plant enthusiasts - Winnie has surely encapsulated a unique and intriguing idea with these planters that can engage audiences from many different backgrounds.
With so many amazing varieties to choose from that include the Vulpix Gameboy Classic Succulent Planter Pokemon Terrarium, Special Sweet Pastel Pikachu Gameboy Succulent Planter, or the Waddle Dee Gameboy Succulent Planter, it is apparent that Winnie Sumida’sWaku Waku Islandcreations could become our latest obsession.
Me with my babies 🥰 #artvartist #artvartist2019 . . . . . . . #kawaiiart #kawaiiartist #kawaii #toyartistry #otaku #otakuart #otakuartist #pokemonart #pokemon #retrogaming
A post shared by✨🌴Waku Waku Island🌴✨(@wakuwakuisland) onFeb 10, 2019 at 10:00am PST
Wow you guys 4,000 followers! Thank you so much for hitting that follow button on my page, I appreciate every single one 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 As a thank you I will be doing a Giveaway in February so please stay tuned for more info! a lot of people wrote in saying they want a Dragonite for the giveaway so that’s what I’m planning on doing! 😁 . . . . . . . . +NO REAL GAMEBOYS HARMED+ Shells made from recycled plastic🌿 . . . . Custom orders are closed untill 2/1/19! Please visit my website WakuWakuIsland.com for more info! . . . . . . . . #かわいい #とっとこハム太郎 #otaku #otakuartist #anime #fanart #kawaiiart #kawaiiartist #kawaiigirl #kawai #hamster #hamstersofinstagram #hamham #toonami #nostalgia #fanart #hamtaro #toyphotography #retrogames #retrogaming #gameboy #gamegirl #nintendo #90skids #90stoys #pokemon #gameboycolor #japan_of_insta #crafts #konpeito #kawaiistuff
A post shared by✨🌴Waku Waku Island🌴✨(@wakuwakuisland) onJan 31, 2019 at 8:46am PST
If you would like to know where you may get your hands on these, then head over to Winnie’sEtsy pageand also stay up to date with what she is creating next on herInstagram page. Staying on thePokemontheme, check outthe inside of a Pokeballin an amazingPokemon-themed terrarium handcrafted by Craft Jungle.
You can also pre-order bothPokemonSwordandShieldon Amazon now, which is coming to Nintendo Switch sometime this year.
