I was so nervous about asking Kit for an interview, she was one of the first artists I hearted on Etsy (via my secret account!) and I suppose I was a little in awe. Silly right (not the awe part obviously)? I am so glad I plucked up the courage to ask and was delighted when I received an extremely thoughtful and intelligently written email in response to my request. Kit’s beautiful work has a still eloquence, her creatures are so expressive and soulful they transcend cute. It is no wonder that the adoptive parents of the Jacabobs and Bunnies, Ursabobs, Burbles, Nudipeds and Pods become so besotted. Hold onto your hats, let’s enter the fantastic world of Kit Lane.

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

“I live in a wee house smack in the middle of the cultural wasteland of Western Minnesota. Much of my life has been spent out of the country in Germany, Mexico, Haiti and most recently New Zealand. I share my abode here on the windy tundra with my only child, the great love of my life who is my 16 year old daughter soon heading to University and a soft-hearted tiny Pomeranian fur beast who earns her nightly ice cream by reluctantly donating her hair to top the heads of the Nudipeds.”

“I’m quite loath to speak about myself, shy even, although outwardly my life has been quite bold and gregarious for the most part. Today I live the life of a recluse, choosing to do what truly makes me happy, making art, crafting and writing.”

“I began felting about two years ago after seeing a demonstration by Jenn Docherty on-line of her cupcake teddy bears and chicks. It was cute, syrupy sweet, benign and physical, all things of which I had no experience. Although I paint and draw, the majority of my art exists in the realm of 3D digital navigable virtual realities which I create for both corporations and entertainment. Those realities tend to be rather dark and somewhat dangerous. The sweet faced Jacabobs and their ilk help balance out the monsters which reside in those digital realms )”

“My creative process is maybe a bit strange. I start every morning with a cup of stiff coffee at 6:00AM then read my mail as most is more palatable when I’m half awake. Then it’s off to wander the interweb to some my favorite painters, Dan May, Chris Ryniak and Mark Ryden til 6:30 when the rest of the denizens begin to stir. My wheels are cranking by the time I hit the shower, walk the dog and take kidlette to school. Then with any luck I can head to my work room which is filled to the brim with my favorite things; little pieces of art, hand made widgets and doohinkies, bits of bone, small carvings, thick pads of paper, sharp pencils and pens, great heaps of wool, boxes of buttons, and tools for all occasions. I shut the door to the world at large and begin tinkering.”

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

“I have, over the last many decades worked in male dominated professions as a therapist, forest fire fighter, welder, training real estate salesmen in the art of thumb screws, trade lobbyist, public speaker and 3D multiuser world developer. But what has captured my attention and my admiration are the women I have watched and some I’ve met these last couple of years.”

” I love their art and their crafts but more importantly I am inspired by their courage and perseverance, their own quirky and often humorous creative sensibilities. Tobiah Mundt, Melissa Stanley, Allison Sommers, Jessica Fortner, Loopy Boopy, Kate Savage, Karna Erickson, Astulabee, Liz McGrath and you Lisa, all inspire me to strive to be a better maker today than I was yesterday. There are too many more to mention but most (not all) can be found in my “favorites”. I get lost in their work sometimes in awe, wonder and admiration.”

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.

“People have identified me with the Jacabobs and their ilk which live at the far end of my garden, a mostly sweet group of dear wee creatures who populate now the far reaches of the planet, some living solo but most congregating in groups of 3 or more on desktops and shelves of their adoptive and often times addiction prone parents. I adore my patrons and give them what they want/need in the best way I can as up until two years ago I had never created a smidgen of anything “cute”. With a smile of warm satisfaction, I send the wee Bobs affectionately off to their new homes.”

“There are times though when my personal oddities come to the forefront demanding to be acknowledged and made physical. I share those moments when I think they might be palatable to more people than myself. My most recent piece, “Alien Albino Space Peas with 20/20 Hindsight” is a result of that process in wool.”

” On the surface it’s quite sweet but lurking behind the pink cheerful Peas is a deep gazing eye. It might suggest that not everything is always as it first appears, that sometimes there’s more to a thing if one takes the time to really look, or we could make certain conclusions about a being that always prefers to look away from the world staring into dark corners while presenting a pink wide smile to the audience. Or…it’s just some peas and a strange eyeball. You choose. )”

“I’m quite struck by the number of Jacabob parents who have suggested I cobble together a book for children. The truth is that there’s a story in the works albeit convoluted and disjointed from all the editing, rending and tearing and the occasional rescue from the yard after tossing it out the window. We’ll see.”

You can find Kit here:
Etsy Shop
Flickr

Ah, that’s my boy, Lindt, you see above, I haven’t met him in person yet but I know I am about to become a besotted Jacabunny Mummy! Ok, so I am still in awe of Kit, her work, creativity and seemingly boundless imagination. Now, I also know a little more about the woman behind all that creativity and I am so honoured that Kit agreed to share a part of her world with us here at LL&O. Thank you so much Kit for your words and for being such a sweetheart.

Yipee! Wasn’t that amazing? Hmm, where will we fly off to next week I wonder, let’s meet again soon curious kittens?

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!

It has been a while since I posted a plush round up so I have many a beauty to share with you today. There are a few notable absences here as I am saving these up for a ‘secret’ post that is coming very soon! I have a couple of new friends to introduce to you further down the page, be sure not to click out early! Enjoy the marvelous softy buffet below. The incredible Kit by Kitty Vane is the little star at the top of the post.

From WAWAYA

Black Sheep by Feltmates

Chester McNutterson from Small Fox in a Big World

The Count from Forest Creature.

Blue Rabbit from Fing Toys

Little Princess from Lillalotta.

Sybille from Astulabee

White Deer from Lemmikkiapina

Little White Rabbit from Little Love Blue

Mandragora doll with glow-in-the-dark eyes from NuitBlanche

Amigurumi 1 by Melissa Stanley

Googly-Eyed Boyl Bear from Hasenpfeffer.

I Love Blood Zombie from Cat Rabbit Plush

Guillaume of Chartres and horse Geraldine from Herzensart

Bunny Yeti from Rosemoo.

Allison from Pink Cheeks Studio

An Egg from Happy Friends

Soft Notre Dame and The tiger and The Tea from Violetta Testacalda.

Lulinda from J Sartist

Jackob Mercoledi from Ninon.

New Lumi from Le Train Fantome.

Today I’d like to welcome two ‘new girls’ to Etsy and Flickr, it is so exciting to begin a new journey or venture and I’m sure everyone will offer their support and encouragement by clicking the links below and exploring their corners of the world.

Flannery O’Kafka opens its virtual doors at Etsy today! Based in Glasgow, Andrea makes really cool plush creatures and dolls, I particularly like Aesop, a sort of fox and the little ‘Unvamp’ doll. If you are wondering about the name of this new shop you should send Andrea a convo, it is an interesting conflation! Welcome to Etsy Flannery O’Kafka, I wish you lots of fun and many sales.

Baby Unvamp from Flannery O’Kafka

Aesop…a sort of fox, also from Flannery O’Kafka.

I couldn’t end my super plush round up without featuring this wonderful little mushroom, complete with baby, made by Rane aka I Remember Sleep. Rane has just opened a Flickr account to share her creations with the world, her enthusiasm and energy are so inspiring. A few days after signing up Rane already has her own group called Forest House Mushroom Drawing Swap, admirable indeed. Welcome Rane! I am so in love with that mushroom!

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