Only two left

I didn't even put these up on my site and most got snatched up.  I only have two bunny heads left by the talented Nicole Licht.  If you want to stake your claim, email me at kristen(at)schmancytoys(dot)com.

Nicole Licht Interview

I am in love with Nicole Licht's work. The first time I saw it I fell in love and it's been a long affair now. Her work is delicate, thought provoking and simply lovely. It has been wonderful getting to know her and I am sure the world has felt the same. I am honored that she agreed to do an exclusive for Schmancy which will go on sale soon. Until then, enjoy this interview!

S- What was the inspiration behind this exclusive?

NL- I’m just loving this start of spring and wanted to use some bright accent colors. We are inundated with excellent Polish rabbit decorations all over my neighborhood (Greenpoint, Brooklyn); I couldn’t help but be inspired!

S- With all your art skills, what was appealing to you about plush?

NL- Honestly, it started as a kind of ‘maybe this way to help pay some bills’ sort of thing. I’d never been very ambitious with selling or showing my artwork. Crafting and sewing, which I’ve always had as a hobby, just didn’t carry the same burdens or art rhetoric I had wrestled with so it was liberating in all sorts of ways.

S- What does a perfect day sound like to you?

NL- A work, errand, chore free day spent outdoors walking, talking, wandering, discovering, relaxing and eating, drinking along the way.

S- I love all the fabrics you use in your work. What are you favorite places to find fabric?

NL- I’m lucky to live in NYC where there are many places. For silk I head up to the garment district. I have been going to Belraf Fabrics on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (159 Orchard Street between Rivington St & Stanton St) for years and years, since before they moved to their new location. There is a rotating stock and lots of linens plus I think the nice, burly Russian guys who work there recognize me after all this time…maybe? Whenever I leave the city I scour thrift shops for fabric remnants, embroidery floss.

S- What are the top five things you think you need to do to be a successful artist?

NL- That is such a hard question, Kristen! One, I’m not really qualified to answer!

Make sure people can actually see what you are up to.

Don’t be so shy.

Don’t rest on your laurels.

If you feel kind of crappy like you just made something less than great, try and redeem yourself with something stellar the next go around (repeat and repeat).

Keep it personal.
That’s my faulty ongoing plan.
I’m open to another.

S- Top 5 albums on heavy rotation these days?

NL- In the spirit of Lindsay Weir’s A1 Sporting Goods store t-shirt in episode 14 of Freaks and Geeks (we just finished watching the complete series, so excellent!):

Soulo http://www.soulo.net/

The New Feelings http://thenewfeelings.com/cornerfrenzy_listennow.html

Ivory Coasts http://www.myspace.com/ivorycoasts

Bitchneck http://www.myspace.com/bitchneck

Otherwise I really love these songs:

Cults – River

And Akron Family - http://stereogum.com/mp3/Akron%20Family%20-%20River.mp3

" target="_blank">River

Each of these beautiful Rabbit wall busts will be for purchase very soon. Each are $58, if you want to reserve one please contact me and let me know. There are a total of 10.

Art Swap

Awhile ago my friend invited me to take part in an art swap.  It was super fun and I am starting to get goodies in the mail!  I first wanted to let all know that I was NOT the one to start it.  For some reason I thought if I sent the email out with her name you would get confused and so I switched the name.  So I apologize for that, I don't want to take credit for that brilliant idea when it was not mine.  Anyways, I have thus far gotten some awesome stuff!

I got the sweetest bird which I am in love with and immediately hung on my wall from the talented lady, Nicole Licht.  I forgot to take my camera home but it sort of looks like this! (without the branch).  Oh how I love her work!

I also got some of the cutest little ghosties by Follow the White Rabbit

Then I got a really cute lamb and pin which is like a miniature piece of art from Susan Moloney.

There might even be more on the way!  Yay for art swap!

One Lovely blog Award

I just got a lovely (get it?) email from Hana from Supahcute giving me a "One Lovely Blog Award'. I am touched.

In return I am spreading the love by voting for 15 other blogs to receive the 'One Lovely Blog Award'. And those are (in no particular order):

1)Edward and Lilly
2)Inchmark
3)Loobylu
4)Oh, Fransson!
5)Resurrection Fern
6)Love Forever
7)Sew Mama Sew
8)Meet Me at Mikes
9)Lou Lou and Oscar
10)Astulabee
11)Elsie Marley
12)Make Grow Gather
13)Fine Little Day
14)Pica+Pixel
15)Orange You Lucky

Obviously there are many other lovely blogs out there. I just thought I would mention some of my newer favorites.

Have a lovely day. xoxo

Fiber Arctic- Nicole Licht

I was a lucky lady the day I got to meet Nicole Licht. I have admired her work from afar for a long time now so it's always a pleasure to get face time even if it's a quick minute at a crowded art opening. I wish I gave you a hug...next time.

S- You do a wide range of fiber work which is all so stunning. Have a favorite?

NL- Thank you! I think I spread out my fiber works so much because I'm still sort of searching for my favorite thing. I find the construction mechanics of soft sculpture difficult thus engaging and I love making wearable things for friends and family but I guess what's most exciting for me to work on are things that have no other obvious functionality than to exist as singular objects; so embroidery/textile collages are my favorite thing to work on right now.



S- What was one of the greatest lessons learned at the famous Cooper Union?

NL- Ha, that's funny. I was 18 new to New York and a bit naive of the famed cooper union, therefore entirely rebellious and more than a little ignorant and dismissive of my spot there...but I learned most importantly, not to be incomplete, that you must back up your work, not in a business sense but as the maker of something you'd best be able to talk about it, claim it and stand by it if questioned. So then, I guess I learned to be more invested, productively neurotic.

S- What have you been up to? Any special announcements you would like to make? From the looks of your blog, you got a lot going on!

NL- Yikes, if I can juggle it or be better at replying to emails or scrounge up enough for entrance fees...I've been asked by some really stellar stores about wholesale/consignment orders. I believe I have a show scheduled at Quirk Gallery in Sept...um a piece that's going up in a Japanese gallery within a department store, I'll be at this year's Renegade in Brooklyn, a craft fair in upstate New York in August... I'm super excited to be teaching a soft sculpture multi day workshop summer '10 at an artists residency. I'm lucky to be included in an awesome Fiber Arctic embroidery show... uh. um?! I just built a (beginning) astulabee website with my boyfriend. I am so grateful for my recent craft opportunities, the support I've received from new friends, family and even kind strangers. I'm excited for the future but in the mean time, like many, I'm also needing to get busy looking for a job as my current one is winding down, in order to keep all this good fortune afloat.

Fiber Arctic

Here are a few more images for this June's show at Schmancy to wet your palette.

By Aimee Ray



By Astulabee

Here are a few of my favorite things

Things are tough folks. I have so much going on and no time. Well it's been super slow here at the store so that's a bit on the depressing side. I just keep hearing more and more stories about people getting laid off, etc. It's so scary. I am so happy that Obama won by a landslide but he has a tough job ahead of him. Granted I believe he is the best man for the job but MAN OH MAN, I am really really scared.

Anyways, here are somethings that caught my fancy today.

From Noosed Kitty



From Weird Bug Lady



From Astulabee



From Freelance Monster



From Chocolatenpoudres's



From Rebel Muffin

Favorite Finds for the day

Here some of my new favorite things this week.

From Effunia



From Jupey Krusho



From Paint Granny



From Mochimochi Land



From Knitalatte



From Astulabee

Ready for Red

Sorry for no post yesterday. We had an art opening last night for Ashley Goldberg and Mark Hundley and it was just too busy. Today I am posting on one of my favorite colors. Red.

I really like this red Amigurumi Alien



This red birdy is real cute.




I also really liked this guy



Look at this huge project Kup, Kup is working on.



This little lady is really sweet.



These pin cushions sure are lovely!



This little guy is trying to fly away.




This plush owl is amazing!



I love this sweet little elephant