Teaching At The EtsyLabs Sept. 2007

Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007

I had the pleasure of teaching another stuffed animal class at Etsy Labs in NYC recently. Students made an owl, a cupcake, a snail and the unforgettable "cat monster."

It was a wonderful time, very relaxing, and also very exciting to see the students create 3 dimensional objects and see their creations take form. I think everyone learned something new, and gained some skills for their next projects.

Thanks to Etsy, and those who attended.

D.I.Y. Kids - Get your copy Aug. 23, 2007

I'm very pleased to announce that D.I.Y. Kids is coming out in a couple of days. I had the pleasure of contributing to this book in the stuffed animal design section, as well as being interviewed for a profile. I can't wait to get my copy, and I'm even more excited to know that many, many families and groups will be crafting together and getting ideas from the book.

About D.I.Y. Kids:

"Princeton Architectural Press is proud to present D.I.Y. Kids, a book by Ellen and Julia Lupton forthcoming in Fall 2007. Illustrated with real artwork by real children, D.I.Y. Kids engages young people in making stuff, from binding their own books to sewing their own clothes. It’s packed with fun ideas for making stickers, logos, clothespin dolls, box buildings, graffiti furniture, ribbon accessories, and other cool projects. Each is explained with step-by-step instructions and colorful photographs of great designs and the kids who made them. The activities—rated by difficulty, time, mess, and cost—are intended for ages 7–12, but can easily be modified to suit all ages.

D.I.Y. Kids aims to trigger imaginative play, without requiring fees, teams, or a minivan. It’s for parents, teachers, aunts and uncles, friends and baby-sitters, neighbors and citizens—anyone who wants to create a better world not only for, but also with, the next generation. Most of all, it’s for kids who want to make their mark (and make a difference) by exercising the arts of design with wit, intelligence, and style.

— Ellen and Julia Lupton"

New Line - Eco-Friendly Animals

So, I've been wanting to make a line of eco-friendly animals for a long time. The only thing that has held me back is the fiberfill. All I've been able to find has been polyester, and that just won't do.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered Eco-Craft fiberfill. It's made from corn, which is an annually renewable source. It's very cool stuff. It performs a little differently than its polyester cousin and has the consistency of cotton candy. I think it's great because of the source material, and I hope my customers will enjoy it as well.

So, here are the specs for my new eco-friendly line:
- 100% cotton fabric
- 100% cotton thread
- embroidered eyes, no plastic
- stuffed with eco-craft fiberfill
- beanbags are filled with buckwheat hulls

I'm really thrilled to be posting some animals this week in the shop.

Fat Sheep - A redesign

Sometimes you think things are looking pretty good. Then you realize that you were sadly mistaken. Fat Sheep is a good example of this. I originally based the design of the sheep from the design of the moose - same basic shapes with ears instead of antlers. Then, recently, I was looking at the portrait of a sheep that is hanging in our kitchen (yes, we have animal portraits in our kitchen) and noticed that the sheep's nose should really be its entire face!

So... I made the modifications and so far it's been a success. A few sheep are going into a store in Groton, MA and I had an order for two sheep the day I posted the new design in my Etsy shop.

Compare the two and see the difference (blue is old, white is new). Oh, and I still offer them in all colors, these are just the photos I had at the moment.
Original Design: March 2006 | Redesign: June 2007

Sometimes it just takes hearing "Is that a sheep? If so, it's pretty cute!" so many times that something must be done to make it recognizable. :)

Featured on Mixed Plate

Today, my fat chick was featured on the Mixed Plate Blog in a collection of yellow - themed items. Check it out!

Fat Pigeon - the newest animal

Welcome Fat Pigeon - the newest member of the sweetestpea gang.
This is one of those custom orders that is really exciting, and an interesting challenge. Most of my animals come about because someone will ask, "Do you make a fat (insert animal here)?" and I'll reply, "Not yet, but I could try it!"


Usually, things start out with computer sketches, so I'm attaching the client-approved sketch here for you to see. This one was a bit unusual because it relied heavily on the fabric choice. The client requested fabric that was shiny, and changed color like real pigeon's heads do. I went on my search, and I only came up with organza or silk with that quality. Then, I went back to dig in the piles of fabric that were home decorating remnants, and I found the perfect piece! There was one yard total. So, I should have enough to make 9 pigeons if I want! Good thing, too -- the client requested two more!

If you'd like to request a limited edition pigeon of your own, contact me at any time. :)

I've been tagged

Ok, so I've been tagged... This means that I have to list 7 random things about myself and also have 7 other bloggers do the same. If you'd like to be tagged, please comment on this post, and I'll leave a "tag, you're it!" comment on your blog.

1. I am really bad at keeping journals, scrapbooks and blogs. It's funny that the busier I am, the less I think about updating the blog. But, with all the fun things I'm doing, there's plenty to write about!

2. My husband and I have a giant stuffed octopus named Dr. Perfect. He has a blog and it's updated even less than mine. Last year, he threw me a surprise birthday party. Yesterday, I threw one for him. He just turned two (see photo above).

3. I am 27 years old and currently I am: a full-time graphic designer, a part-time educator, a small business owner, and I contributed to two books that will be coming out in the next year.

4. The song "Monster Mash" used to scare me as a kid. The man who sang that song died recently, and a friend sent me an email letting me know, "You're free. He won't hurt you anymore."

5. I'm really excited to travel to Japan - hopefully next year!

6. I think pickles, as a side dish, can add to most any meal.

7. Sometimes I'm surprised at the success of the stuffed animals I make. Sometimes I'm not. It's a very strange thing. From the beginning I saw their potential... I guess it's just strange seeing something work out and finding it sort-of unbelievable.

Ignafruit's custom thank you cards

Ok, so I just had to rave about my new thank you cards. I've always included little notes with my outgoing packages. Usually, they're just pieces of paper I've taken from leftover paper sample books. I fold the piece over, write thank you on the front, draw some little leaves (why leaves? I dunno... why not?) and write my message inside. So... they had NOTHING to do with my branding. And, being a graphic designer who makes a living branding other companies, I decided to follow my own advice.

I discovered ignafruit's shop on Etsy in a Treasury. I thought "Those are really pretty note cards!" and I went to see what else she had to offer. Well, much to my delight, Angi (igna backwards) does take custom orders. I made my request - 3 inch square cards with my own design, sent her the file and she hand screen printed 200 for me. I think they arrived within a week (including production and mailing time) now that's fast!

If you want to see Angi's beautiful cards, check out her etsy shop: ignafruit.etsy.com. Or, you can just be one of my next 200 customers. :)

Teaching At The EtsyLabs

Hey there!

Long time without a post. I've been busy working on new designs to show, as well as activity sheets that you can use at home!

Etsy invited me to teach a stuffed animal class on Sunday, March 25. I'm really excited to show some fellow Etsy sellers how to make stuffies of their own design. The class will provide tips on making your own patterns, how to sew them, and each student will leave with a completed stuffed animal of their own!

The response was very good. Too good, in fact... I'm also teaching a morning class specifically geared towards kids. Kids will learn the same concepts, but the class will be taught in a slightly different way. We'll be creating characters out of simple shapes and by looking at the world around us.

Learn more about these classes, and sign up to take one at the Etsy Labs store!

Me & Pillowhead

Brewster is an adorable pony. One of my customers from Etsy approached me about creating a fat pony that looked like Brewster. It is her nephew's favorite pony and she wanted to create a special present for him.

Then, I was asked if Brewster's name could be embroidered on. Well, I knew where to turn for help. Enter Angela from pillowhead. Angela hand embroiders letters on many things, my favorite being pillows, of course. But, she agreed to help me with my little project.

It was tough. The chocolate brown faux suede that I found is perfect for Brewster, but it's very dense and hard to get a needle through. Angela rose to the challenge and created these tiny (.5") letters on Brewster's backside.

Well, he was certainly a hit. And, you know what I'm making for my niece and nephews this Christmas - stuffed animals with their names embroidered on them! What a unique way to personalize a gift that will be treasured for a long time.