Flying Fortress Dunny

Out Today and going fast.
$39.95

JunPo Film Contest

Scarygirl

I am also in love with these new Scarygirl toys. I think they are so creative. I just love Nathan's work!

Burgerbuns Today

Today is a good day for toy releases. I love Le Merde's new Burgerbuns. I am friends with Mike and think his work is awesome. I am really happy for his success and think that the folks on the toybot studios blog had an awesome review of this toy. Go Le Merde Go!

Heidi Kenney Interview

S-How long have you been working on plush toys?

HK-Well I have been working on the plush toys like the ones I make now for a little over 4 years. Before that I had been making some random little plushies, but those were all hand sewn and looked a bit different.

S-It looks like you have been participating in a lot of Plush Shows including Plush You this year. How do you think these shows have helped you build your craft business?

HK-I think the plush shows have been really awesome, even in just kind of getting my stuff out to different parts of the world, where people might not otherwise see it. Plus I think plush is sometimes one of those things you need to see in person, so you can squish it, hug it, and really combine all the senses for.

S-I was very excited when Kid Robot picked you up for the Yummy Donuts. How was that experience for you?

HK-It was a really amazing experience and pretty unexpected. They saw my stuff at one of the Renegade shows (but I didnt
know it at the time) and a little while later they sent me an email to see if I would be interested in working with them.

S-Networking seems to be a very important part of building your business yet it is also very time consuming. How do you balance the different aspects of building up your creative business?

HK-Well your gith is is hard, with the creative fun stuff there comes a lot of dull paperwork, calls to make, taxes to pay etc. I am still struggling to find my balance with all these things and I just try and remember that sometimes that means you have to say no to some things. Learning to say no can be a really hard thing though!

S-Every time I check out your site, blog, or flickr you have managed to turn some other object into plush. Is there anything you have NOT tried to make into a stuffed item?

HK-Haha, oh yeah I am sure there are billions of things. Its actually one of the things that keeps me going..knowing that the
possibilites are endless!

S-Do you have any suggestions for aspiring plush creators?

HK-Just to give it a go and keep it fun! There is no use trying to make anything if its a chore, or brings you to tears. Remember that like anything else in life sewing plush takes practice!

S-I think that the Internet has been nice for a lot of stay at home parents that enjoy crafting to talk about parenting, crafting, etc. Has it been hard to grow as a business when you have two kids? How do you juggle both? Do your kids ever help?

HK-At times it can be a struggle to work from home, and work as much as I do with two kids. I just feel very fortunate + lucky to have a totally supportive husband. Lucky for me he doesnt work until the afternoons, so it means most mornings I have free for sewing and business work. I also spend a lot of late nights working, and just trying to fit things in whenever I
can. While my kids think whaat I do is cool, and they always like adding ideas, or seeing the new things I make they don't ever help with the work part, haha. My youngest son does try and stuff things sometimes, but of course thats just for fun and I have to re stuff them afterwards. My husband has braided tampon tails, glued eyes, and even turned things inside out in a pinch!

S-Any shows coming up you would like to mention?

HK-I will be part of the Medical Experiments In Plush show coming up this weekend in NC, you can find more info at http://www.myspace.com/curatedbystupidcreatures

S-Do have any other exciting news you would like to share with your fans?

HK-Just that I am working with kidrobot now for some more exciting stuff that should be coming out in the fall!

If you haven't checked out Heidi's work before (which would make me very suprised) go here. Thanks Heidi for the awesome interview. I look forward to seeing new stuff and hearing more about all the excitement happening over at My Paper Crane!

2H and Soso

Amanda Visell at Disneyland

Here's another Pirate signing event update. Its Sunday March 18th from 9-11:30 in the Disneyland Gallery above the attraction. Im told that it is a first come first serve line, and the line will start when the park opens . This is a merchandise signing with both Michelle and Amanda along with artist Jeff Granito, and Disney Legends Alice Davis, X Atencio, Bob Gurr, Harriet Burns, and Blaine Gibson.

If you are in line for merchandise you do not need a wristband, heres a link for more info.
http://www.register123.com/event/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x69180c577&varPage=home

Hello Brute Interview

S-When and how did Hello, Brute start?

HB-Hello, Brute started around January of 2006. I had some downtime before moving to Australia for the first half of the year to go to school and I wanted to create some sort of identity for the design work that I’d been doing. I had been mostly been designing for t-shirt companies, but I had been collecting designer toys for awhile and was hoping to use this as an opportunity to expand and transition into similar fields. It really just started out as something to do for fun, but within a matter of months I was taking on more client work and contributing to exhibitions.

S-How long have you been working on plush toys?

HB-I actually learned how to sew this time last year (2006). I was interested in learning how to make clothes and toys, so one of my professors in Australia hooked me up with a friend of his that is a prominent fashion designer. She invited me into her studio in Perth and sat me in front of her (scary) industrial sewing machine and said, “Off ya go!” I guess it’s like when people throw their kids into the swimming pool to teach them how to swim. I’m grateful for it now, but I was really scared of breaking her nice machine or sewing off all my fingers!

S-There has definitely been an increase in men sewing and creating plush work. It makes me very happy! I was wondering if you ever get weird reactions from people about your crafty side?

HB-It makes me very happy too! Guys have very complex relationships with their masculinity (I’m guilty too) and have a tendency to shy away from things like sewing that could threaten it. My parents were definitely skeptical when I told them I bought a sewing machine, but like anyone else, they came around once they saw what I was doing with it. Sewing isn’t just for girls!

S-I always view plush as another way to get your art and name out there. How has it helped you in the art/toy movement?

HB-It’s been incredible! I think in the beginning, if I had my choice, I would have moved directly into rotocast vinyl toys, but didn’t have the money or know-how. Plush was a really affordable and speedy way of realizing my characters into 3D. I was able to do it on my own, and because materials can be really cheap, I could buy materials and have my work finished and online within a matter a days.

S-Networking seems to be a very important part of building your business yet it is also very time consuming. How do you balance the different aspects of building up your creative business?

HB-I’m still not very good at it yet! As of now, I’m running the whole show by myself (on top of finishing school) so I’ve had to be really choosy lately when it comes to taking on projects. The hardest thing is saying no! The next hardest is deciding how much time to put into projects for my own label versus projects for someone else’s label. I think a lot of times the networking is a byproduct of working on projects. I don’t even think of it as networking because these people (whether their clients or customers) end up becoming friends of mine, which I think is the most rewarding part.

S-When I first started Schmancy, I had a very hard time balancing my store work and my craft. I finally read an article in Bust about how to live a crafty lifestyle with a fulltime job. It was kind of the jumpstart I needed to start making things again. When making stuff is fun yet also might pay your bills, how do you keep the fun part of it still alive?

HB-Right now I’m finishing up my education, so I have the luxury of doing this part time. I take on only the projects that I think will be fun and help Hello, Brute grow. It takes balls to try and make a living off something like this. I don’t think many people do. I have hopes of doing it in the near future once Hello, Brute has had some time to mature because it is still a very young label with lots of wiggle room in terms of how it can develop. Right now it’s all fun!


S-Do you have any suggestions for aspiring plush creators?

HB-Don’t be scared! Sewing isn’t incredibly difficult, and it doesn’t make you less of a man. If you can’t afford a sewing machine, hand-stitch or glue and sell your toys until you can afford to buy one—they’re a good investment and they’re hard to break! Also, don’t be afraid to show your work to anyone that’s willing to look at it. Who knows, someone might fly you across the country to show in their gallery!

S-I love your art as well as your plush. Any plans for future shows we should know about?

HB-Thanks! As of now there are a few group shows coming up I’m contributing hand-painted pieces to. My first solo exhibition (at Rotofugi) just finished and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Now I’m really looking forward to being able to experiment and take on some different projects and different approaches. Exhibitions can take over your life, but they are a blast! Hopefully before too long someone else will be crazy enough to let me take over their space for awhile.

S-Any exciting news for Hello, Brute you would like to share with us?

HB-Sure! I’m working on developing both plush and clothing lines for this summer with lots of bits in between. There are also a few other top secret projects with other clients in the works as well, and I’m working as hard as ever. Just keep your eyes peeled ‘cos anything can happen! Wish me luck!

To see more about Hello Brute visit Here

MoPods

I need one of these

New Info from Le Merde

One of our favorite locals Le Merde just sent out their first newsletter...fancy! Where do they find the time????

Anyways March 15th they release The NEW Burgerbuns figure @ 5pm on their website. They will be in an edition of 20. He will be Clear with a visible dayglo brain! To see some sneak peeks visit here

UNKL Brand

The fine folks over at UNKL Brand are looking for an intern. Here is the info:

We're looking for a whip-smart, detail driven, organizational whiz to be the backbone of our sales and shipping department. As our sales intern, you'd be spending your days communicating with our retailers, packing up their orders, shipping them where they need to go and keeping a steady eye on our inventory. You should be a master on the phone, a quick problem solver, a consistent communicator and a fast worker. You'll be traveling once or more per week to Hood River to our warehouse, so you'll have to have a reliable, sturdy set of wheels for this position. A working knowledge of urban vinyl, and how UNKL is a part of that world, is a plus.

We're a small team, but one that gets a lot done and is growing fast. This internship will vary from 25 to 40 hours per week for three months, and we'll pay you $10 per hour. Ideally, if you impress us and can tolerate our steady diet of loud music, dark beer and long hours, we'll consider keeping you around for much longer.

Cover letter and resume can be sent to leah@unklbrand.com or by fax to 503/721.0212 (ATTN: Leah) by 5 pm on March 23, 2007. No phone calls.

leah@unklbrand.com • UNKL Brand

New Toys arriving

Now on sale is the Easter Labbit, another treat from Frank Kozik. Fun labbit treats for him to eat. Only $24.95. Get yours today.


Very limited, very cool...for sale March 8th. I am getting a very small amount of these so I will not be selling them by the case but come get as many as you want then.


From Flying Fortress comes this new 8" Dunny. On sale March 22nd. Taking names of who wants one. Email me if you want to be added.