Slowly, slowly, getting it together, another girl nearly finished and a glimmer of possibility that the new shop could be up by early December.

I would love this guy from here.

Inspiring image via Wikimedia Commons.

Today we built a space ship so that we could fly to the moon. Ishi made a star map to aid navigation.

Cock-a-hoop to see Fish Boy in the latest edition of Small magazine. Happy to see one of Mia Hansen’s cats too, Ishi will be pleased!

Check Small out here.
Fish Boy here.
Mia Hansen there.

Roll up friends for a sneaky preview, oh yes, I do have some new creatures up my tight fitting sleeves! First up a deer, she may even get some clothes, who knows. Fingers crossed that she makes the leap from the page to fabric successfully & doesn’t end up losing her head.

I am so thrilled that Diane is joining us today, her work is irresistible, a perfect combination of fluffy plush joy and cyclopean monstrosity. I am in love with these guys with the wild antlers and spiral horns. Lets’s join Diane and her creatures now, I can’t wait!

Tell us a little about yourself, the media you work with and your creative process.

I am a full time plush toy designer based in the Philadelphia metro area. I graduated from college in 2005 with a fine arts degree in photography and mixed media and have always been a more 3D oriented artist. I started my company Cutesy but not Cutesy about two years ago and have been stitching my way along ever since. I use felt (made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles) and faux fur in most of my creations. Everything I do is entirely hand-stitched and I use no machines.

I like the way the fabric feels between my fingers and the way I can build the object from the ground up, it’s more like sculpture to me in that way. I think people can also really appreciate seeing the stitches in my work, it adds to the notion of the object being made completely by hand.

Each piece is one-of-a-kind as I don’t use any patterns. I just grab my scissors and start cutting! I really enjoy working on the larger pieces and pieces made for gallery shows because I can get a little more creative and make the horns and antlers as out of control and detailed as possible.

From where do you draw your inspiration: music, books, people, nature etc?

I’m mostly inspired by people who are doing what they love. People who have started from the ground up and who aren’t afraid to put themselves out there and work as hard as they possibly can to continue to get their creative voices heard whether it be through art, music, writing, etc. The internet makes finding constant inspiration rather easy (and sometimes distracting). I am always following a new blog and discovering a new site for inspiration.

I have always loved the work of Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane. Her blog is a constant source of inspiration in both plush and non-plush related things. Kit Lane is another huge inspiration. She’s incredibly productive and her work is so quirky and adorable which is right up my alley! I also have a not-so-secret obsession with vinyl toys and my collection is ever growing. Non-plush/toy related, I recently discovered the work of Nava Lubelski which nearly brought tears to my eyes. I learned of her on this amazing blog … talk about inspiring! I’ll stop there because my list of inspirations could go on forever!

If you could talk briefly about the background to one of your pieces which would you choose and why? Please tell us the story behind the piece.

One of my favorite recent pieces was created for the Mortal Plush Show at the Art Whino Gallery in Washington D.C. The piece is called The American Dream (above). I created it with a lot of things in mind with one being a reference to the classic American Gothic painting by Grant Wood… my monster interpretation, if you will.

It was my chance to add a much more personal touch to a piece. I like when I can create work with a personal message that people can either get or not get, it keeps things interesting.

You can find diane in these places:
Etsy
Blog
Flickr

Thank you so much Diane for joining us today, it was such a pleasure to find out some more about you and your incredible work. Make sure you click the links recommended by Diane, I was so pleased that I did, some amazing work to be found!

I’m not sure when the next interview will appear, I am going to be keeping a low profile for a few weeks while I try and get some new creatures out of my sketch book and onto the sewing machine. I also need to get going on some new embroidery pieces, oh, I have plans! It feels wonderful to be so full of enthusiasm again. Another side note, I have wanted to write a post about a book I read over the summer, I don’t think I am going to have time but must urge you all to rush out and borrow/buy a copy of Leviathan by Philip Hoare. Really, it is the most wonderful book, so inspiring, my Sea Ghosts sprang from its pages. Go, rush, now!

I think that he looks like Nick Cave back in the days of The Birthday Party! Zebra fabulousness (above) from Skunkboy Creatures of course. Here we are again friends, it is time for another plush gathering. I am feeling so inspired by the wonders on display here, my fingers are itchy and desperate to get snipping and stitching and stuffing! Things have been a little quiet on the creature front for me recently, that is going to change very soon though. I had planned to release a little list of the places you can find my work this year, I am waiting to hear if I have been accepted into one particular show, once I know you will know-keep your fingers crossed for me please kittens. Now, feast your peepers on plush heaven!

“Quand la pluie tombe chez moi” by Cocon

Wonder by Melissa Stanley

Victorian Lady by Junker Jane

Lumi by Le Train Fantome

Family by Matilde Beldroega

I can’t help making up background stories for the new creations from Astulabee. Oh, especially the Show Pony!

Endearing foxes from Oso Polar

Super floral fish by Flora Douville.

Kootoom, Turris & Pecten by Sarah Bourque.

Deer by Takiyaje.

Plushrooms from Kitty Bee.

Beuys Bunny from Das Kaninchen.

Jinx Moon Bunny from Moon’s Creations.

Peascape in Strangeland from Kit Lane

Large Fabric Bird by Abigail Brown

Rabbit from Fawn Potter.

Francis by Flannery O’Kafka

Cat from Red Craft Works.

Miss Black Dahlia from Meeniak.

The Classic Maggot in White with Pink Heart from Pterodactyl Pants.

Feathery Doll by Cathy Cullis.

Doli Mary Chestnut from Misako Mimoko

Crazy cool! I want a plush wall. Collected work by Ninon.

Before I forget please do join me tomorrow for the ever shifting weekly interview, so exciting, meet me in Argentina!

Who is that beautiful person reclining upon a bed of monsters? Why, it is Tania of course, otherwise known as Ninon, plush maker extraordinaire! I have been watching the development of Tania’s work over the past months and every time she uploads an image of her latest creature creation onto Flickr I am blown away. I adore her insistence on spontaneity and the uniqueness of each of her ‘monsters’, there will never be two the same, Tania must plug into some super-saturated well of creative energy! I was desperate to find out some more about Tania’s creative process so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she agreed to appear on LL&O. I am still pining for Nero Bolotovski (the wolfy man bellow), he belongs to another, I would love to know who was lucky enough to scoop him up.

Devastating plush charm!

Only Gaspard E. Pinopine (above) could make up for the loss of Nero. Hmmm, sorry, let’s get on with the interview.

Tell us a little about yourself, the media you work with and your creative process.

“My name is Tania Patritti, I was born in a little town in the Alps in northern Italy almost 31 years ago, but after many moves around italian cities, last year I decided to move to Berlin…and now I am really enjoying it!! I have a degree in History of Art and I am interested in photography, animals, music, cooking vegan food, cinema and, of course, crafting.”

“I started sewing using my mother’s sewing machine in 2001, my first mission was to make my own bags and some clothes for me and my bravest friends… I’ve always liked the idea of wearing things that are unique and I think it’s a bigger satisfaction walking around with something handmade, even if it’s very simple and not perfect. I like imperfections. I can’t stand the idea of “serie”, in fact everything I make is one of a kind. A lot less boring….”

“At the moment I am working full time on my crafting projects. Lately I am mainly focused on my softies “Les Monstrìs”. I started making them 5 years ago and I like the fact that they are evolving everyday…I’ve always been drawing little strange creatures and in the years I felt the need to bring them to the 3rd dimension. My first attempt was with papier mache, but later I decided to make them softier with fabric and polyfill..in fact I am a fabric addict and the part of the job that I enjoy the most is to put colorful fabric together.”

From where do you draw your inspiration: music, books, people, nature etc?

“My inspiration comes from everything that surrounds me, my drawings, movies, dreams, insomnia, people, ideas given by friends, internet, memories of my childhood…I like to challenge myself and feel the subtle evolution of my work day by day.”

“I like the fact that the idea of making something in a certain way often comes without even thinking about it! I definitely follow my instinct when I am hand-making something. I don’t use or make patterns. For me the feeling of freedom that comes with this job is very important and for this reason I prefer working on my own projects instead that on commission, even though I am open to work with/for people with whom I feel that there is a common view on things.”

If you could talk briefly about the background to one of your pieces which would you choose and why? Tell us the story behind the piece.

“Mmh, to answer this tricky question I went over my archive of pictures of Les Monstris and figured out that maybe Desperate Junino is the one that has something to tell…: I made him in the summer of 2007 when I was living in Turin…it wasn’t a very happy phase of my life and this somehow reflected on the faces of the monsters that I was making at that time. Junino was my first attempt in using a little bit of free hand machine embroidery technique and what I like most about him is that it’s closer to the drawing that I was making and much more expressive. Usually I don’t like softies that are cute just for the sake of it, I appreciate more the ones that have something “twisted” in them.”

“I hope not to sound too immodest with what I am going to say, but, another reason why I am so fond of Desperate Junino is because of the person that bought him from me. I had a booth at a summer festival in Turin where Sonic Youth were playing and at some point in the afternoon Lee Ranaldo came over and we chatted a bit and then he chose Desperate J. and another one for his two children, that are really into softies…now, can you imagine your favorite guitar player of your favorite band since you were 15 taking a picture of you and your stupid monsters? I was so embarassed, but trying to look laid back somehow…yes, in fact here I am, telling you this story 2 years later, eheheh… I was very happy also because he chose my favorite one!”

You can find Tania in the following places:
Flickr
Super Ninon blog
Etsy Shop

That story just kills me! Can you imagine what an incredible rush it must be to have a member of your favourite band take your work home? Thank you so very much Tania, I loved reading your responses and have been inspired to inject a bit more spontaneity into my own work. As both me and Tania share a love of Sonic Youth I thought it would be fun to share our favourite songs with you. Tania’s first and mine to follow. Have fun jumping around to these!

Stagger back in amazement! I actually managed to update my shop with some new creatures. I am running with a bit of a circus theme and jumping on the mustache bandwagon at the same time. In honour of my mini update I have gathered together some wonderful things with mustaches attached. Get out the wax and start twirling in a nefarious fashion! Circus Bear, at the top of the post, from The Good Machinery.

Catty Catty Owl Tamers by Me!

Mustache On A Stick from Something’s Hiding In Here.

Felix from Simpli Jessi.

Moustache Tea Cup and Saucer from Surya Sajnani

Weep with me for Jake the Sad Oneyed Lumberjack from Ninon.

Cedar Mustache Key Hook from Suddenly, its real!

Fis & Flo from Psarokokalo.

Ring from Isette

Heraldo from Pink Cheeks Studios.

Pint Glass from Bread and Badger.

Walrus Mustachioed Amigurumi from Melissa Sue.

Print from Ole Rattlesnake.

Ok, so he doesn’t have a mustache but he would probably do quite well in the circus. Velvet Fish Boy makes his debut in the Lou Lou & Oscar shop today. I am really happy with the switch to this new fabric, velvet seems to suit Fish Boy’s temperament and he is so lovely to stroke now! I have some new Fish Boy designs waiting to hit the scissors, very exciting, for me at least. Please don’t forget to join me here tomorrow for the Monday Interview. Good night kittens.

Every week I am hoping to do a little ’round up’ of everything that has caught my eye in the world of plush, doll making, soft-sculpture, or what you will! One of the things I find most wonderful about plush (etc!) art is its ability to elide categorization. Who is it for?. What does it do? How am I supposed to respond to this? Is it art? Is it craft? Having taken my first tiny steps down the road of toy making/softy design/plush art I have discovered how difficult it is to explain to others what it is that I do. Soft sculpture/plush art is not particularly established as a form in the UK, there appears to be much more of a tradition in the US and a ‘grammar’ is developing as a result. I hadn’t heard the terms ‘plush art’ or ‘soft-sculpture’ until I began to research what was going on in other countries and forming relationships with artists working in this medium. We have some of the finest makers of plush/dolls/soft sculpture working in the UK, you can scroll down to see pieces from a couple of them. Although I often find myself tongue-tied on the subject of my creatures I celebrate the slippery, taxonomy busting form I have chosen as a vehicle for my creativity.

Here are just some of my recent favourites, they are so outstandingly good, just see for yourself!

Heading up this post are Lewis and Lumi from Le Train Fantome. Also above, the most beautiful Lumi doll. Fanja Ralison is the phenomenal talent behind Le Train Fantome, and yes, she creates her fantastic creatures from her home in the UK.

Wow, Super Ninon is on a roll at the moment. Look at the beauty above and I am so in love with Nero Bolotovski, fabulous wolfy below. I need to find out some more about Super Ninon and be a lot quicker the next time she updates her shop. I would love to know who snagged Mr Bolotovski, they must be so very happy.

Hello Super Wolf!

I absolutely adore everything from A Little Sprout but Juliette is a total dream doll! It seems as if it is quite rare these days to come across a doll with real wool hair, let alone beautiful blue hair. Swoon!

Oh, these rabbits! A delicate soft-as-a-whisper bunny, handmade from vintage angora sweaters by Sonja Ahlers. Sonja has an Etsy shop called Make It Awesome where you can find more of these tiny bunnies, they even have a lucky penny in the belly. These little fellows have such simple and yet such expressive faces, touching is the only word for them. I want one!

Shannah Burton’s shop Das Kaninchen is one of my favourite places on Etsy. I am looking forward to getting a Beuys Bunny for me and Ishi very soon. There is such intelligence behind Shannah’s work and an amazing aesthetic sensibility, a powerful combination. These bunnies certainly defy categorization and I love them for it.

Look out for more on Das Kaninchen here before too long!

Such a cute kitty from Abigail Brown.

Look at Mungo, he is one beautiful Dolphin. Crafted by the unbelievably talented Margie Oomen, of Knitalatte fame. I am hoping that a Mungo will appear in Margie’s shop and that I am quick enough to pounce, Margie’s work sells out in minutes after it is listed, it is so beautiful.

It makes me so happy to come across something new to me and I was overjoyed to make the acquaintance of Heartbroken Wolf Man from The Good Machinery. I was going to save him for my Wolf post but couldn’t wait until then. Oh, he is wonderful!

Donna Wilson is simply amazing, one of the best “Knitting Designers” I have ever seen. I have the biggest crush on Cyril the Squirrel, he likes marmalade and dislikes cottage cheese, I like both but not at the same time.

Ok, so I promised to honour an admiration truce with Miss Astulabee but there was no way that this beauteous creature was going to be left out. Such perfection can be painful to look at for too long, I like to peek in small doses and dream of the day when an Astulabee deer is mine all mine (cross fingers for me please!).

Hooray for Skunkboy Creatures! Just look at this darling Jackalope. I love the fact that Baby Jack is “always thoughtful and never grumpy. Baby Jack’s favorite things are moon shoes to make him extra bouncy and having his velvety tummy rubbed by someone special”. So adorable!

My, there were so many more too! I am very much looking forward to my weekly plush round up, but the question is, will I spend so much time searching out the best work to share with you that I neglect to sit down and work on the new creatures I have been neglecting. We shall see. I’m not sure if I will manage a post tomorrow, all depends on poor Adam who has to work this weekend. I hope to see you soon, love until then. XXX

Phew! I managed to update the Lou Lou & Oscar shop with some new Rabbits. Go and take a peek if you please!

The Catty-Catty above is on his way to Canada as part of an order I have just completed for a new shop that is opening soon. More details on his adventures coming up in a couple of weeks!

I’m off to get some much needed sleep now. See you in the morning.