Animal Makeovers: Before & After

Over the past three years, I’ve been putting an increasing amount of time into creating stuffed animals from recycled fabrics. At this time of year, after the frenzy of the holidays has passed, I like to look back at my progress and celebrate how far I’ve come and what I’ve accomplished.

A few animals stayed in the shop long enough for my style and techniques to move so far past them that they no longer fit in with the new stuff I’m making. I decided to give them makeovers. Two animals—a hedgehog and a sloth—got new faces and names, and the hedgehog sold soon afterward, so I’d say the operation was successful.

The before and after pics, tho—what a great way to demonstrate my development in the past year! 2016 Persephone became 2017 Pinklepoke, and she now lives in Pennsylvania.

And 2016 Nezbert has been rechristened as 2018 Neville. This is your year, Neville. Someone will fall in love with your delightful face, with its hand dyed and embroidered details soon enough, I’m sure…

There are a few more upgrades I’d like to do on some of my earlier creations. I’m ’bout to go all Dr. Frankenstein up in here, y’all—watch out.

Other projects currently in the works:

• Custom Moogle (a winged cat from a video game, v cute)
• Fiona the Hippopotamus
• owl
• fox
• (to be determined—might be a goblin idk)

Also, I’ve opened a second Etsy shop for art on paper and canvas and other crafts. I’m still getting it stocked, but if you want to be one of the first to peep it, here’s the link: Galactic Gift & Trading Co.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Best of 2017

Astrid the Astronotter was in the shop for less than a month when one of my friends bought her for his girlfriend, M. Ever since, they’ve been sending me shots like the one above—Astrid in the new scarf M made for her (omg ❤ right?!) Astrid chasing ducks in the park, Astrid building a snow otter. This really is the best possible outcome—it’s almost like selling my otter and keeping it too—and I wish all of my customers would send me pics like this. (hint, hint for any of you reading 🙂

I also did three custom orders in a span of a few weeks, and they were all fantastic learning experiences. I love custom orders, they always make me stretch in unexpected directions and that’s good fun. I made a fox, a dragonfly, and a goblin.

But that goblin tho…

He’s one of the best things I made in 2017, along with Astrid the Astronotter. I’ve been sewing like mad to replace stock in the shop for 2018, and four new faces now grace the shelves, with more to come.

Big plans for 2018, more about that in another post.

Otterly Obsessed

Otters are probably some of the cutest animals on the planet right now. I’ve been obsessed with them for a while, and the more otters I see, the more I love them. I love their little kitteh-pupper faces and their little t-rex arms and their little busy people-hands. I love that they collect pebbles and enjoy juggling them. And I absolutely love that *they have pockets* hidden in their baggy-skinned armpits where they sometimes keep their favorite rock.

I bring all of this up because I’ve just created a new otter stuffie pattern and have already made three of them and I’m definitely keeping one for myself because omg lookit these guys:

One of these brown tweed fellas is named  Maynard and is in the Etsy shop. And then there’s Astrid the Astronott, who’s going to Otter Space. She has a papier mache space gear and is ready for lift-off:

I’m pretty sure these are the cutest guys I’ve ever made. I want to keep them all, but I CANNOT.

Summer of Sloth

I’ve made a lot of sloths this year—they’ve been popular in the shop. Somehow each sloth I make becomes more and more elaborate—the latest one, Magenta—even has eyelids.

 

sloth crew

I like figuring out how make the little fiddly details like sloth lips and octopus eyes. That’s when the magic happens. I also have a deep interest in creating textiles—developing visual textures with embroidery, appliqué, quilting, dye and bleach, etc.

Here’s a group shot of everyone in the Etsy shop right now. My beautiful upcycled, eco-conscious fam.

I aim to run a low-to-no waste shop. But that’s another post, for another day.

2015: Year of the Plushie

This is Claude, the three-toed sloth, and his buddy, Toby. (You may remember meeting Toby briefly and randomly a few weeks ago, if you’ve been following along. Toby is a regular two-toed sloth, if you’re counting.) Claude is now chilling in my Etsy shop, where he will soon be joined by Toby and various other friends looking for new homes.

I would like to draw attention to the toes, as I’m really proud of what I did there.

This is a thing now, I make plushie animals and I sell them in my Etsy shop. And that’s another of my 2014 resolution/goals, squeaking in just before the ball drops. Pop pop!

I’m currently working on an otter. Still drawing cats.