Monster Monday

I think this week's monsters are my most unique. :) They're much bigger than the rest of my monsters as well and I LOVE them. You can't help but grin every time you look at them! They camp out on the back of the chaise sitting next to my desk. The light pink one is an Iffiet, the dark pink one is a Trolliak.

Usually they sit there nicely, they're very well behaved monsters. :) But the sun was out today and when I walked outside with the dog I found the Iffiet and the Trolliak climbing trees in the front yard! ;) 

The very talented plush designer behind these unique monsters is Megan of  Green Elevator Industries. Megan took a few minutes out of her busy monster making day to give us a little behind the scenes info... read on!

-Tell us a bit about yourself.

Greetings! My name is Megan Barbour and I'm a plush designer originally from Ohio, now based in Brooklyn, New York. During the day I'm a project manager/producer at a media arts company, and 90% of my time outside of the office is spent getting my craft on. The other 10% is spent playing games with the wonderful cast of silly characters in my life, running, traveling, biking, and telling very bad jokes.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?

My shop is named "Green Elevator." When I first moved to New York, I met my dear friend Steff who lived in my apartment building. She and I instantly bonded over how much we loved cheese and crafts. We spent most weekends crafting up a storm, and decided one night we should form a business. This idea was formed less out of the desire to make money, and more for wanting to make a million crafts and not really NEEDING all of them taking over our apartments. We decided to form our business while riding upstairs in the elevator. Steff said "We should call it something silly like... ::looks around:: Green Elevator, so we don't fuss over the name forever." Agreed. Done. Green Elevator was born. I should also note that this is a very GREEN painted elevator that we often joked about. Apparently, our landlord loves the color as it also appeared in the lobby, hallways, doors, and bathroom walls...

-How did you get started making monsters?

Another one of my craftastic friends, Kaitlin, inspired me to learn to crochet a few years ago. Once I did, she sent me a link to an article about "amigurumi" (which I had never even heard of at the time). I wanted to crochet a little mouse to cheer up my desk at work, and just never got around to stop making creatures. I crocheted basic animals at first, then more abstract creatures, then gave sewing a try with some scrap fabric, then fleece, and now fur has taken over my life.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

I've always loved making things. At this point, I can't imagine not creating something on a daily basis, so I really don't need any motivation outside of my obsessive natural desire to do so. I draw inspiration from all things silly in my life - which tends to be quite a bit.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

Flying. That is over done and predictable but I don't care - it would be awesome.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods:

1. Chinese food. Not authentic. not fancy. cheap, greasy, delivery Chinese food.

2. cereal

3. cheese

4. fruit

5. Annie's Mac & Cheese

TV Shows

1. Glee

2. 30 Rock

3. House

4. The Gilmore Girls

5. The Daily Show/ Colbert Report

Bands

1. Tilly and the Wall

2. The New Pornographers

3. The Beatles

4. Mason Jennings

5. David Bowie

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

There are about a thousand shops I LOVE, so I will narrow it down to Plush and then narrow it down again to three shops that were big inspirations to me when I first started out.

1. Love and a Sandwich

2. Cutesy but not Cutesy

3. Scrumptious DelightThe

-One year from now, I hope...

1. Start doing craft shows/gallery work on a more regular basis.

2. Officially go nonprofit with Green Elevator. I'm working out some of the details now.

3. Continue to grow creatively and expand my technical skill set.

4. Integrate Green Elevator with a free teach/learn group that Steff and I formed to spread the power of craft.

-Where can we find you on the internet?

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Etsy

Flickr

 Megan and the original Iffiet (mine is an extra special one thanks to those BIG rainbow horns)

Go check her out! Her work is phenomenal!!  And don't forget to check back next Monday for another peek at some great monsters!

Monster Monday

This week I'm sharing some monsters that aren't of the soft and squishy variety, but that doesn't deter from the absolute CUTENESS OVERLOAD at all! I've been watching this shop for AGES but everything sells so quickly it wasn't until I got more vigilant in my stalking techniques that I was finally able to bring a couple home for my own collection. ;) I'm not one for 'dust catcher' collections, I got rid of all my figurines of that nature a number of years ago because I HATED having to move them and dust them all the time. Never say never. Because I've made an exception for the Beastlies and I will smile when I dust the top of the bookshelf where they sit now because I am IN LOOOOOOVE!!! Meet my Beastlies...

Dingie

Williby (with my ChapStick for size comparison)

and both Beastlies together... Dingie is kind of a scaredy cat ;)

tell me they are not absolutely painfully adorable!! You should see them in person, the tiny details are just astonishing! Seriously. Some of the spots on Williby's back are smaller than a pin head!! A PIN HEAD PEOPLE! That's tiny!! Even the tiny white spot in the center of each pupil is a dot of clay!! I have no idea how she does it! Not surprisingly, this shop crazy popular! The brilliant artist behind it all posts a few new creatures every couple of days or so and they are usually gone before you can blink! Once I clicked on 'add to cart' and in the few seconds it took my cart to load, it was SOLD to someone else!! Check out some of the other cuties that I am sad to say I missed out on...

Leslie was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy day to answer a few questions for us. :) read on to find out more about how the Beastlies came to be...



-Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Leslie and I make the Beastlies! I live in LA with my husband and cats, and I sculpt pretty much all the time. Some friends and I write a webcomic together, which I sculpt when i'm not making Beastlies. 

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
Beastlies.  The story behind it is just that I make small monsters, and wanted a word that sort of conveyed the monster-ness and also small, cute side.  I ended up deciding on Beastlie when I combined "beast" and my first name. 

-How did you get started making monsters?

I sculpted a lot of little characters and animals when I was a kid, but then I gave it up for more "serious" art.  A couple years ago, I had the urge to try it again. I started out making cats and dogs and elephants and such, but they slowly started evolving into the Beastlies.  

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

I love animation and the Muppets. I sell Beastlies at a lot of comic festivals and conventions, and just being around all the amazing, small-press creators is really inspiring.  It's worth going to those events just to be immersed in that many interesting artists.  As for motivation, if you're passionate about something, you have to devote yourself to it and make it the thing you work harder at than anything else.  I quit my day job, which was a job I actually liked, to do Beastlies full time, and it's a ton of work, but I'm so glad I did it.  If you want to be a full-time creator, then you push yourself.  I dunno, is that too self-helpy?  I think people motivate themselves because they are driven to do the thing they love.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

I would be some kind of super-chef.  Like, if I could make brilliant food just by thinking about it, that would be ideal.  I love cooking, but I don't have time to do it enough to be great at it, and that kind of bums me out.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods: All kinds of cheese. Cake. Tea.  Blueberries. And I kind of love roasted beets right now.  

TV shows: Buffy, Firefly, Arrested Development, Farscape, Lost.  I'm a nerd.  

Bands: Yikes... I've been listening to Janelle Monae a lot lately.  She's great.  I dunno!  While I sculpt, I tend to put on podcasts or film scores.  I've got a playlist with music from Ratatouille, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and How to Train Your Dragon that gets used a lot.  Again, nerd.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
EvaFunderburgh does amazing ceramic creatures 

lwong is a friend of mine whose art I just adore

specimen7 is another lovely artist who also makes small creatures, but with a very different style.  

-One year from now, I hope...

To be farther along in various Beastlie-related endeavors...  If things just keep chugging along like they are now, I'll be a happy camper.

-Where can we find you on the internet? 

Beastlies.com is my main site, and from there you can get to Twitter, FB, Flickr, and Etsy!  (Oh, and the webcomic is at TheAtrox.com.  It's about a former man-eating monster who is trying reform and be civilized. Recently, though, we've been following a quest that some viking bunnies are on.)

 The artist herself at a comic festival, selling Beastlies

and her work space... where the magic happens!! 

You might be able to get your own Beastlie... if you're faster than me that is! Trust me, I've perfected my quick reflexes when it comes to clicking 'add to cart' and 'checkout'! ;) 

Stay tuned for another edition of Monster Monday next week!!

Monster Monday

I'm super excited to share this week's featured monster maker. Mini, micro and macro creatures, sea suckers and oddvarks (<<< best name EVER)!  All of those must mean that today we're getting to know the talented owner and operator of Mr. Sogs Creatures! I've had plenty of Mr. Sogs creations in my favorites for a long time, but only recently scored my very own mini creature in CUSTOM COLORS! I wasn't sure they'd be up for doing this but thought it couldn't hurt to ask, and they were so kind and made the perfect little mini creature for me!! I love her!

With a little help from my oldest son she got a new name and now she sits on top of my sewing machine with a couple of her new friends. :) Meet... SKITTLES!

*are you seeing a colorful theme here?! I like 'em bright! ;)

Here are a few of my other favorites from the shop...

 Zeno (above) and Effel (below) are both mini creatures. As you can see they don't look very much alike, but they are similar in size and of course they're both ADORABLE! ;)

 this is an Oddvark, his name is Hercules and I am in love!

and of course we can't forget the sea suckers! This is Clara. I don't think I'd like to meet her in a dark cove underwater... those fangs look dangerous!!

The brilliant plush maker behind Mr. Sogs was kind enough to answer a few questions for us, so read on for the inside scoop!


-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
My shop name is Mr. Sogs Creatures. Mr. Sogs is also the name of my really fat cat that loves to steal the creatures and have a nap on them. He is not allowed in the studio but tries to sneak in when he can.

-How did you get started making monsters?
I started making creatures as gifts for my nieces and nephew. Soon the adults began wanting them for their own birthdays as well, so I thought why not make them for everyone and it just grew from there.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
My best motivation is requests from friends. I never would have thought to make a giant evil penguin until a friend of mine mentioned that they wanted one and could not find it anywhere. Moments like that make for the best creatures because I definitely get inspired to make something completely unique.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
I would choose to never need to sleep. Oh the things I could get accomplished!

-Top 5 favorite foods?
spicy salsa, goat cheese, broccoli, mac & cheese, brownies

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Needle Noodles - www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleNoodles
Kitty Baby Love - www.etsy.com/shop/kittybblove
Poor Dog Farm - www.etsy.com/shop/poordogfarm

-One year from now, I hope...
I hope that Mr. Sogs will be my only job.

-Where can we find you on the internet?
www.facebook.com/MrSogs

If you ever wondered what it might look like inside a monster makers lair, wonder no more! Check out this giant pile of monster skins!! All prepped and ready to be stuffed with monster guts and love! ;)

 

Don't forget to check back next week when we'll be meeting another talented Etsy genius!!

Monster Monday

Monster Monday is back! And this week I was lucky enough to hook up with the creator of Hello Again Monsters! I love these unique vinyl plush and Santa brought me my very own little vinyl family for Christmas...

Screevish was in my favorites folder for a very long time before finally coming to live with me.

Of course he couldn't make the big trip through the mail all alone so he brought along Eaganormous for company.

Together they guard my bookshelf and they do a great job of it. No one has messed with my books since they arrived! :) Here are a couple favorites from the shop as well, the little scalloped cut outs are a new feature that I've just seen pop up recently and I LOVE IT!!!

I posted about this shop on my blog in October of last year (as a 'Favorite Find') and now Romiette, the creative genius behind Hello Again Monsters, was kind enough to take some time out of her monster making day to answer a few questions for us. Read on to find out what makes a monster maker tick!

-Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a monster making girl from Seattle, Washington. I have lived in Seattle all my life (minus one cold year I spent in Iceland). I often think about moving somewhere new but I'm just not sure where I would want to go. I work at Whole Foods Market to pay the bills, and hope to one day be able to make things for a living. I love cupcakes, gummy bears, and chocolate truffles. If I could live of of those for the rest of my life I would be happyhappyhappy!

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?

My shop name is HelloAgainMonsters. There's not really any story behind it. My friend (see question 3) and I went over lots of different names when we were making monsters together so I took my favorite one when we split to do our own things. Its kind of like my comeback... HELLO AGAIN!

-How did you get started making monsters?

Lots of years ago (5 or 6!?), I was dating a boy who was a graffiti artist. He had one character that he painted around the city. That Christmas I decided to turn his character into a plush thing for a Xmas gift. It turned out really good and we started making them together. We did a big group plush show at Snowboard Connection, but then he turned into a real jerk (ha!), and we went our separate ways. I really loved making plush so I decided to keep doing it on my own with my own designs and took on the moniker 'Hello Again'.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

All kinds of things! Its almost difficult to pinpoint what it is really. I get inspired but the cupcakes I eat, by the people I know, and by the city I live in.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Only one!? Ummm... I think I would like to be able to be invisible.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods - Cupcakes, gummy bears, chocolate cake (those are all foods right!?), tacos from El Asadero (best taco bus in town!), and my moms cooking.
TV Shows - Thats tough because I don't really watch a lot of tv shows. I like the cooking channel and i love Anthony Bourdain (totally my old man crush!).
Bands - Wow this is hard. I don't like limiting myself to favorites! On current rotation: Baths, Eluvium, Little Dragon, Machine Drum, and I've just become insanely obsessed with witch house.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
www.etsy.com/shop/retrowhale Sooooooo cute!
www.etsy.com/shop/poppyandmoe Also sooooooooooooooo CUTE!
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHouses I want all of her jackets!

-One year from now, I hope...
..to be debt free, and living the dream.

-Where can we find you on the internet?
www.facebook.com/helloagainmonsters
http://twitter.com/_HelloAgain_
www.plushart.net


In addition to sitting down for our interrogation, Hello Again Monsters has also agreed to give us a little sneak peek behind the scenes. Check it out!

Romiette's work station - where the monsters are born!

 

that's A LOT of monsters!!

I love that one with the furry face on the top left ;) and the pink one under it that has EYELASHES! lol

oh look! BABY monsters! :) I see mine in there!

I am having so much fun with Monster Mondays! Can't wait to share next week's monsters with everyone!

Monster Monday

Welcome to another episode of Monster Monday! This week's super talented Etsy plush maker is one of my very favorites. The JaeBird! It was her monsters that actually started my collection and they probably {definitely} out number all the other monsters on my desk combined at least two to one.

The little ones are called Uggles and MAN are they addicting! I won't divulge the actual number living here on my desk and in other parts of my home... needless to say it's probably more than any one person needs. Which is why I gave some to my kids for Christmas and even gave my mother and sister an uggle each from my very own collection. because I had so many I couldn't even fit them all on the desk and still have space to work. It might be embarrassing except for the fact that they make me smile every day, sitting there looking all cute and colorful while I work. So I make no apologies. I've even gotten my sister and nieces/nephew addicted and I happen to know that the Easter Bunny will be surprising all of them with an uggle in their baskets.  ;) Ok, so you probably get the point. :) Here are a few pictures of the uggles that live with me...

this is Gretchen, she was my very first and still my very favorite uggle. I love her crazy colorful fur!

the ones with the zombie eyes are among my faves :)

these uggles guard the buttons in my giant button jar ;)

but uggles aren't the only monsters you can find at The JaeBird. She also makes all sorts of bigger monsters, like Boggit. I LOVE his antlers!

as you can see, he's quite a bit bigger than the uggles!

Lucky for us, The JaeBird herself agreed to answer a few questions so we can get to know the woman behind the monsters! Read on...

-Tell us a bit about yourself.
About 15 years ago I stopped going by my birth name and insisted everyone call me “Jae” instead. Only official documents hold the secret to my real name. Currently, I am attending college for Accounting and am running my little shop on Etsy called “The Jae Bird.” Random facts about me: I am 4’9 (and by height standards alone I can be considered a dwarf, however I do not suffer from dwarfism), I am obsessed with hot pink and lime green together, I am a closet nerd (I heart star trek), and I am intrigued by tattoos and plan on getting full sleeves done.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
The Jae Bird has no real story. “Jae Bird” is just something that random people always call me. When I signed up for Etsy, I really had no idea what I’d be selling or if I would be selling anything, so I tried to be somewhat generic in my username. However, there is a story behind one of my main products, “Little Uggles”. I am always teasing my little dog Pixie and always saying she’s hideous (when in fact she is adorable). One day I started calling her a Little Uggle as a variation of “ugly”. I liked the sound, so I started naming my small cute creatures that.

-How did you get started making monsters?
It all started in February of 2010---there was a terrible snow storm that left me bored and in need of a yeti friend. I doodled a little drawing of a yeti and went to my craft space to try to replicate my drawing in plush form. A couple of hours later my yeti was born and I decided to take silly pictures of him in the snow. From that point on I was hooked on making monsters.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
My mind is always racing with new ideas---not just plush. I also write music, poetry, design clothes, and am always looking for new things to try. As far as my plush---I am inspired a lot by colors, seasons, animals, and sci-fi. I very seldom draw my monsters anymore, but just make the pattern and see where it takes me. Most of the creation process is random and whatever I feel like at a particular moment. Sometimes people will give me suggestions that help me think out of my comfort zone.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Simple----time travel. I probably wouldn’t use it for any sort of awesome crime fighting but rather just to go on mini vacations. Ever since I was a child I have loved the idea of time travel (thanks to Back to the Future) and always wonder what things will be like in years to come…or were like in the past.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Foods----sushi, raspberry anything, cheese (in almost any variety), dark chocolate, and ravioli (or other cheese filled pastas)
Tv shows----Heroes, The Office, Psych, WWE Raw, and The Soup
Bands----As Cities Burn, Matisyahu, Johnny Cash (not really a band but he rocks), Dead Poetic, and Underoath

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Miss Demented (AWESOME wigs), The Poppy Tree (cute paintings and prints), and Glowbies (amazing little polymer clay creatures by a very talented 10 year old). Please note I am in love with a million shops but these 3 I probably stalk the most.

-One year from now, I hope...
To be better organized, have participated in at least 1 craft show, have way more unique items, and have made enough money from my Etsy shop to purchase a home. That last one is a pretty big goal, but anything’s possible!

-Where can we find you on the internet?
Etsy---jaebird.etsy.com (plush) and thejaebirddestash.etsy.com (destash supplies)
Facebook--- www.facebook.com/TheJaeBird
Email---TheJaeBird@gmail.com (I don’t check this as often, though, so facebook or etsy are the best ways to get a hold of me.)

As an added bonus we've even been lucky enough to get a super fun behind the scenes sneak peek of The JaeBird and her workshop!

check out all that fabric! *drool*

the beginnings of what looks to be a very cool uggle! I see zombie eyes! and guess what, he's in the shop now!! check him out! LOVE!

it looks like your monsters are a little out of control Jae, be careful! that one on your head has some big chompers! ;)

Thanks a bunch to Jae for giving us a peek behind the scenes at The JaeBird. Now everyone go and order yourself some monsters!  :)

see you next week...

The first official Monster Monday!

I've decided to start a new feature here on my blog. I've been wanting to share some of the super awesome plush creatures that I've found through some uber talented Etsy sellers, but I didn't want to turn Friday Favorite Finds* into an all plush feature. So this is my solution! Every Monday I'll share one of the plush monsters from my collection as well as an interview with the creator. :)

First up is actually the newest addition to my family of monsters. His name is Quarx and he's a Cake Monster. ;)

Quarx with one of his new friends here at MandeeFranee manor. ;)

I'm not even sure how I managed to find him on Etsy amongst the many, many other plush monsters. But I'm SO glad I did. He's so unique and SO well made. I really love him! The seller - Bearmojo - has a number of fun monster goodies for sale... purses, wallets, pillows and CAKE! They've got a great variety of colors available and if you know someone who likes monsters... or cake... you'd better hurry on over to the shop before they're gone! :)

 

I was able to hook up with the genius minds behind Bearmojo and they were kind enough to answer a few questions for me. :) Read on to learn a little more about this talented duo...


-Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Andrea I am a costume designer and all around creative crafty person. I formed Bearmojo with my wonderful, amazing boyfriend Todd. We are both employed full time and spend our free time together creating the world of Bearmojo.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?

The story behind Bearmojo starts even before Todd and I met. I was a couple of years into college when the whole “internet Electronic mail” phase started up. Since I was and am completely inept with computers my then roomate was helping me to get an email address and up to date in the world. Well, since my last name is Bear we decided to try all the usual names: Abear, AndreaB, etc. All of the usual combination of names were already taken. In a nod to the great Austin Powers we decided to add Mojo onto Bear and sure enough it was available and I have been stuck with that email ever since. So, when Todd and I were deciding what to name the business we both decided that Bearmojo was the perfect name because its unusual and stands out from a crowd, while still being easily remembered.

-How did you get started making monsters?

I seem to have an addiction to buying fun, cute, crazy, bright colored fabrics and Todd joked that I needed to start making stuff to sell to support my “problem.” Since there seems to be no Fabrics Anonymous meetings for me to attend I jumped at the idea. Soon Todd was trapped in my craft web and now he spends his free time cutting out pieces and helping with all aspects of the business including fabric shopping and design. We’ve gotten to the point where we can’t remember who thought up what anymore.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

Everything! Life, television, nature, we never know when the sparks of creativity will start a fire. It could be anything as innocent as driving down the road talking about the day and all of a sudden one of us is, “what about...” and the rest is history. Right now we have so many ideas we just need to clone ourselves to get it all done!

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

This is a very dangerous question, and our lawyer has advised us not to answer. Just kidding! I know I should want something that would make daily life easier but I really really want to be able to breathe underwater and swim really fast. Todd wants to be able to see the future at least a couple of days to see the winning lotto numbers.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Food:
Pizza
Cake
Ice Cream
Beer, beer is food, right?
Fruits (this is Todd’s mine are the all the others)

Tv shows:
Firefly
How I Met Your Mother
Face Off
Psych
Pawn Stars

Bands:
David Bowie
Violent Femmes
The Ting Tings
Mustard Plug
Mrs. Miller

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

This is tough, but I know Twinkie Chan is definitely in the top three! And I would have to say The JaeBird and Triquimoches, if you haven’t seen them you should definitely check them out.

-One year from now, I hope...
1. Living in a place with no snow
2. Bearmojo large enough to suppport at least one of us
3. Have acquired said super powers from previous question
4. Writing answers to many more questions from many more interviews
5. No seriously what is up with all the snow?

-Where can we find you on the internet?

We just started a Facebook page www.facebook.com/bearmojo we also have a new website which is in its baby stages, www.bearmojo.com and of course at bearmojo.etsy.com.

Not only did they answer our questions, but they even agreed to give us a little peek behind the scenes at Bearmojo! Check it out...

be careful Andrea, those teeth look sharp!

looks like this monster wants a bite of cake

a whole herd of cake monsters! Todd looks a little nervous!

maybe if he shares a bite they won't get rowdy?

monster wallets!

what a workshop!

Thank you so much Andrea and Todd for answering my questions and letting us take a peek inside the inner workings of Bearmojo. I wish you all the luck in growing your business and I can't wait to see the new monsters you'll create in the future!

Don't forget to check back next Monday to see more super fun monsters!!

*speaking of Friday Favorite Finds... look for it to be making a come back this week! :)