I am so ecstatic to have Paulina of Lemmikkiapina at LL&O today, a truly lovely anniversary treat. I am a little lost for words about Paulina’s work, the images really speak for themselves, better than a list of adjectives, where would I start: sublime, heartbreaking… you see what I mean! So, let’s meet Paulina and lose ourselves in her beautiful world.

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

“My name is Paulina Temmes and I’ll be 34 years old this December. I live in a small village in Southern Finland with my partner and my old grey striped cat. I grew up in Helsinki and I studied textile art there at the University of Art and Design.”

“I started making dolls and writing and drawing little animal stories when I was about 20 years old. Most of my older dolls were made from modelling clay, but lately I have concentrated on sewing soft sculpture animals. I love loosely woven linen, paperlike organza and vintage fabrics with signs of their age. One of my favourite materials is little stones and pebbles found everywhere.”

“At the moment I’m working at home and sewing my animals full-time. I rarely draw any sketches before I start sewing. By the time the animal’s face and body are ready, I usually know his character and how he should be dressed. Usually my animals turn out to be quite melancholic and peaceful.”

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

“I always find inspiration from animals: my own cat, neighbour’s horses that graze just behind our garden fence, the rabbits that come to our garden at night, a patient dog waiting outside a grocery store.
Lately I have drawn inspiration from old mechanical toys and books about medieval embroidery and outsider art.”

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.

“This monkey holding a garland of forget-me-nots is very dear to me. I made him for a small exhibition I had in Helsinki a few years ago. I think he looks very calm and quiet, a bit like a statue in an animal cemetery.”

Lemmikkiapina Shop

Thank you so much for joining us Paulina, it has been so wonderful to learn some more about you and your creative process. It is my dream to give a home to a creature from Lemmikkiapina next year, keep your fingers crossed for me, they fly so fast! Do you have a favourite from Paulina’s shop? I would love to hear which you would choose, it was hard enough to select the images for this post, *everything* is so beautiful. Sigh!

How I wish I had been in Seattle on Friday for the opening of Plush You 2009. I got the first reports from the show via Danamarie of Green Star Studio fame (I *need* a knitimal!) through Twitter. I couldn’t sleep, I wanted to be with my gang, marvel at the artistry and imaginative power on display, give Kristen a hug and say hello to everyone in person. I really want to know who my creatures are hanging out with over there? Kristen puts such a lot of work and heart into Plush You and I would love to give her a big hug and a very loud *thank you* for all of her support and encouragement. Dawn, you will know her work very well, and her husband took all of the product shots for the show, a huge undertaking and they deserve a super big thank you too. You can view some of the shots over on Dawn’s blog, Plush-a-holic. Dawn took the beautiful picture of The Bird Suit (above) by the way, thanks Dawn.

Yay, some images from the show are up on Flickr here. As you can see my gang are hanging out with Melissa Sue Stanley’s incredible creatures. Jinx looks a little worried, perhaps it is the proximity of Narwhal Fish Boy’s horn? I am happy to say that all three of my little ones are off to new homes, I know they will be well behaved and give lots of love to their new owners. Congratulations to everyone involved, it has been such a privilege to take part. Three cheers!

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!

One of the best makers of soft sculpture around is having an end of summer sale, 15% off the exquisite items in the Astulabee Etsy shop. I wish, wish, wish for the deer above (just incase my secret benefactor is reading this!). This may be your last chance for a while to share your life with a magical, handmade creature. Get thee gone now!
Astulabee

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!

Picture this: A 39 year old woman is sitting at her desk, it is quiet, her boy is at nursery, she is planning to write some long overdue emails, she is feeling blocked, the words won’t come. She decides to catch up with her Flickr friends while she waits for things to unstick. She is looking at Fricktoria, recently hearted on Etsy, not explored completely. Allyson Mellberg/Fricktoria made the woman cry. No, Allyson Mellberg’s work made the woman cry, it felt like a rabbit punch in the stomach. The woman couldn’t believe her eyes, so much beauty emanating from a single source, the mainline into her heart filled with tiny tigers, deer and Persian buddies. J G Ballard died, her neighbour died, she misses her son, she is crying over beautiful soft sculpture, just a little.

Allyson Mellberg Etsy Shop
Flickr

Oh, that little Hare guy above just kills me! One look and you already know who my super fantastic guest is today, her work is so distinctive, charming and original. Kate is the genius behind Girl Savage and I have been stalking her shop since I first joined Etsy. Grab a cup of something delicious, sit back and marvel at Kate’s wonderful creations.

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

“I live in Chicago with my husband, two spoiled cats and one even more spoiled muppet-like dog. I’ve been creating things as long as I can remember. My mom says when I was little you could hand me scissors and paper and I would be happy for hours cutting out shapes. I guess I finally figured out to take my shapes, cut them out of wool felt and stitch them into animals.”

“I love working with wool felt, it has such warmth to it and can be made into just about anything. My creative process is sort of as scattered as I am. I sit and think, what do I feel like making today and then make it. I think I have a strange knack for picturing how to make something 2D into a 3D shape. I will take a side view sketch of an animal and make into a 3D pattern.”

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

“Most of my inspiration comes from cartoons that I watched as a kid and Richard Scary books, I was fascinated with them. I also draw inspiration from nature and folklore.”

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.

“I guess I would have to choose feltidermy. They came out of a request from a video director who wanted to know if I could make a deer head that was mounted to a plaque and could be used like a puppet to lip sync. Oh, and he needed it delivered cross country in about a week. I had to laugh, but it got me thinking about mounting a plush head to a plaque like taxidermy. There were not many people doing faux taxidermy at the time and none like this so I gave it a try. I wanted to set mine apart from anyone else, so while stitching the first one together, I came up with the word feltidermy. I ran to the computer to look it up and the word was not being used anywhere, so I started using it for my work. Oh and don’t feel badly for the little animal that lost it’s head…these guys never had a body to start with, they wouldn’t know the difference.”

Thank you so much Kate for giving us this fantastic insight into your work. I am so glad that the little disembodied creatures are happy and unscathed by their experiences! If you would like to visit Girl Savage you can find Kate in these places:

Girl Savage Etsy Shop
Flickr
Blog

Yay! Another inspiring interview, who is next I wonder? Well, as the ‘Monday’ interview appeared on a Wednesday this week I have to confess that the next interview *should* have been part of my spring/birthday week. For various reasons I decided to hold off for a little while but I am nearly ready for the grand reveal! You are going to love it I promise you. Back soon kitty cats. X

Rabbit And A Shadow by Lemmikkiapina.

I am completely besotted with the work of Finnish artist Paulina Temmes. You will find some of the most beautiful fiber art, soft sculpture and dolls that you have ever seen over at Paulina’s Etsy shop, Lemmikkiapina. Oh, how I would love to collect that Rabbit! I simply must find out some more about this artist. I will let you know how I get on!

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!