Interview with Chic Galleria

Beth Anderson interviewed me this weekend for her site, Chic Galleria. Read the interview here.

Zooguu.com Launched

My new web site has officially launched! You can see the calendar of events, showcasing dates and locations where I'll be vending this holiday season, a free tutorial (more to come), an online shop, a chance to win a free stuffed animal (one drawing every month) by signing up for the newsletter, and a new feature called The Incubator. When a new product is coming out, a date will be posted on an Incubator Egg. Check back on that day to see the egg hatch to reveal the newest Zooguu! Check zooguu.com tomorrow, Nov. 14 to see what the first one will be.

Can you find me in this picture?

Happy Halloween week, everyone!
Gubicza and I were vending at South End Open Market's annual Halloween Market. I love Halloween because I get to make cool costumes! Gubicza was a giant version of his office monster illustration (you can see the monster head on the table, because he's taking the photo).
Here's a photo of one of the foam heads in progress:

Beelzebone - Art Doll - Special Edition

The newest, coolest devil-skeleton to hit the shop!

Beelzebone was designed by Brian and made by me.
Lots of work and love went into making this Halloween friend.

You can also download a free paper toy version here:

SoWA Open Studios This Weekend!

I'll be in Boston, MA this weekend at the South End Open Market. Come check out Open Studios in the South End and be sure to stop by my tent and say hi!

Finalist in Etsy's Handmade Kids Contest

I'm thrilled to be selected as a finalist in Etsy's Handmade Kids Contest.
My products made it in three categories:

Toys - Fat Fugu
Eco Friendly - Fat Lion
Home Decor - Monster Pillow

Please help by casting your vote for sweetestpea!

Good Morning America!

My XL fat penguin made an appearance on Good Morning America yesterday! Tory Johnson was on the show talking about how to make money working from home. The main star of the Etsy portion of the segment was Chanel (aka junkprints) who was also featured in the New York Post related print article this week. My penguin seemed pretty proud of himself sitting on the table, though. :)

Thanks to Etsy user craftsfromtheheart for hunting down the video!

Announcement: Brooklyn, NY

Some of you may have already heard the news, but I need an official announcement with pictures to prove it.

Gubicza and I moved to Brooklyn, NY to build my stuffed animal business. I'll still be working for Big Blue Dot remotely, but I have a studio space to call my own. We share a large warehouse space with many other talented artists: DesiraPesta, Junkprints, RuffeoHeartsLilSnotty, LedThread, Reiter8, Moon Tree Press, CubistLiterature, Misery&CoNYC, Mike Jacobsen, Tough Dumplin Studios and Rob Kalin (Rokali).

Here are some photos of my new space. If I lean my head out the window, I can see the Statue of Liberty. How cool is that?

Fat Crab - It's Summertime!

My newest custom order -- fat crab! Made with red faux suede and shown with embroidered eyes. This little guy is silly when he stands up on his legs. It's great that you can pose him in different ways.

Fat Panda

The Summer Olympics in Beijing starts in August, and this panda is ready! He's been eating lots and lots of bamboo. I think he over-did it a little (look how chubby he is!), but he insists it's all part of his "training."

Fat Bears - new design

Fat bears are soft, round and cuddly! Shown here in the eco-friendly version (100% cotton towel, stuffed with fiberfill that is corn-based), and the regular version (faux fur and stuffed with polyester fiberfill).

My first big plush commission!

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) asked me to create 8 plush versions of their new characters, the Uh-Ohs, for an upcoming trade show. The Uh-Ohs are little block characters that are cute, curious and careless. They always get into trouble and kids have to make sure to keep them safe. Check out the web site for more info about the Uh-Ohs: http://theuhohs.org

This job was a big undertaking, but I had a lot of fun creating them. They're just so adorable. I kept the original for my collection (I made some slight modifications to the design before I completed the entire order of 8) and I currently have him riding in the passenger seat of my car. He's not wearing his seat belt, of course, in true Uh-Oh fashion. :)

South End Open Market - May 17 & 18

It's that time again - The South End Open Market kicks off its new season this weekend. Come on by and see me and Gubicza. We'll be selling Zooguu animals, Dr. Perfect's plush (designed by Gubicza and sewn by me), Illustration prints, and Gubicza's paper puppets! It should be a great event with a ton of super cool vendors.

More info can be found here.

Hope to see you there - stop by and say hi!

Fat Octopus

I'm finally offering a "choose your color" octopus in the shop.

It's been almost 3 years since I've made an octopus. Oddly enough, Gubicza and I were surprised how much it looks like Dr. Perfect. It's the same design, but for some reason we weren't expecting it to look so similar.

One of my favorite things about this design is the footy-pajama bottom. It really completes the octopus look and is also lots of fun to hold.

NEW! Fat Fugu (Pufferfish)

My newest item is Fat Fugu. I've wanted to make a pufferfish for a long time, and finally got my chance with a recent custom order! I like this guy so much I want to keep him for myself. He makes me smile every time I look over at him.

I'm thrilled that Etsy brought back its Alchemy feature (you can request custom items from sellers who opt-in to receive requests). It makes it so much easier to manage my shop and the ongoing requests.

Sweetestpea, Etsy & Martha Stewart

Tune into Martha Stewart Living this Friday, February 29 to see a feature on Etsy.com.

I'm told that my animals will be shown during this feature, so keep your eyes peeled!

Read more about this and check for local station times in the Etsy News.

Softies Kit by Therese Laskey

My penguin made it to the cover! The book isn't out yet, but it looks like you can pre-order it from Amazon.

Recent Press - U.S. News & World Report

In the current issue of U.S. News & World Report, you will see me mentioned in the article titled, "Avoid Recalls: Make Your Own Toys." It's a small paragraph, but my tricky last name is spelled correctly, and my Etsy username is also mentioned. It's part of the larger issue that features 50 ways to improve your life. This article talks about how you can make your own toys. You never know how much of your interview will make it in the press, and I was hoping to encourage others to try toy making. Here's the text about me:

{Cuddlier creations are also in the realm of possibility, says Jen Gubicza, 28, another Etsy.com seller whose specialty as "sweetestpea" is chubby animals. Making toys such as her signature penguins and hedgehogs involves some effort, and the finished product probably won't look as polished as toy store stuff—even graphic designer Gubicza describes her first attempt as "lumpy." But the toy is bound to be more memorable. "No one else has this. It's one of a kind," she says.}

Read The Entire Article
Illustration by Travis Foster for USN&WR