Setting up and hanging out

Day two of set up was a lot better.  I felt a little bit more rested than I had the day before and was excited to see it all coming together.  Gabe from Gallery Hanahou is a genius and I learned a lot from him about hanging art work.  He is so detail oriented and thinks of things that would never occur to me.  I think I will stick to curating and hope that someone, like Gabe, is always there to help hang!  Here he is doing his thing. 

We had some visitors as well including Sayuri who came to hang her work. 

And Jenny Harada came to hang her cute and colorful Planktons.

Soon after, Anna came by to meet us for a hang out date.

Once we were done hanging Jenny, Anna and myself left to go get some dinner and beer.  I was excited to sit down and relax after a long day!  Anna showed us her advance copy of her new book that hits bookstores in June!  More to come about that closer to the date but until then, here is Anna and her book!

Becky Stern met us after her class was done and fun was had by all.  Now all I had to do was sit back and relax and wait for the opening!

Jenny Harada Interview

Looking at Jenny Harada Jenny Harada's work is like eye candy.  The colorful, delicious kind that you could look at forever because it makes you feel all warm and FUZZY inside.  I have had the great pleasure of knowing Jenny for awhile now and I am so happy to say that she is our next up Plush Exclusive.  We are doing them back to back this month because of Valentine's Day.  So get your lover something fuzzy and cuddly to keep them warm on the nights you might not be around.  Here is an interview about her and her release which will be out this Wed, the 10th.

S- What was your inspiration for this exclusive?

JH- I make a bunch of silly huge masks and many people write to me about how much they like them. That makes me so happy! Sometimes they express interest in getting one for themselves but since many hours of work go in to each one, folks often just get sticker shock instead. I wanted to do something with my mask designs but on a smaller scale so that they could be more accessible. I think the idea of the mask hiding something is exciting. There's secret love hiding under there!

S- What are your plans for 2010? 

JH- I'd like to make lots and lots of monsters with no specific purpose in mind. I want to freeform it and follow my whims. I haven't done that in a long time because there are always shows to make things for, and specific plans for this or that, that are made far in advance. By the time I get to making things, the spontaneity is often starting to fade. I want to make lots of monsters, but make them one at a time and introduce them to the world as soon as they are created and not have to wait weeks or months to do so. I want to make smaller masks that fit on people's heads too, following the more accessible thing I mentioned above. I'd also like to make myself a new wardrobe. I have a dream that one day everything in my closet will be made by myself or other independent makers. I probably won't accomplish that in 2010, but I'd like to get a good head start.

S- Any cool shows you are participating in this new year?

JH- Right now my creatures are in a three person plush show with the work of Heidi Kenney and Spooky Daddy at Art Star in Philadelphia called "Sea Party." It will be up until February 14. There are a few other group shows coming up but not too many things on the calendar this year. I hope to keep it that way and not get tempted to follow every opportunity that comes my way, as I often do. I want to say "no" more so I can follow my plan as described in the previous question. My book about monster crafts is coming out in September. Ok that's not a show, but it's the biggest event I am looking forward to this year.

S- How do you feel about the upcoming holiday that is known as Valentine's Day?

JH- I LOVE Valentine's Day! I've gone through many stages of love and hate for the holiday in my life. When I was a young adult I wanted to pretend it wasn't cool for some reason. That was most likely because I didn't have a love of my own at the time. I always secretly wished I would be surprised by a secret admirer. Valentine's day is especially fun now that I have kids. My current stance is that if there is a reason to celebrate, then why not celebrate? What better thing is there to celebrate than love? I still sympathize with the grumpypusses, though. Go punch a black heart shaped pillow, and then hug it. I love you.

Feel like makin' plush

I just realized that perhaps there are folks out there that don't know how to make plushies, want to expand their skills and whatnot. So here are some kits that might be of interest to you!

If you have ever thought, geez I really wish I could crochet my own happy ice cream cone, well now is your chance.



For the little more skilled sewer this adorable Japanese anime rabbit pattern and kit would make a perfect addition!



Jenny Harada makes some awesome monsters and you can too!



Make sure you check in often with Moxie as she always has awesome kits sure to bring a smile to anyone you love.



I have recently been talking with Jamie from Mary Jane's Attic who has some fantastic kits for sale including this pom pom kit!



Lastly, I am going to order these awesome sock monkey kits for Schmancy soon!

Jenny Harada Interview

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Jenny Harada then you know how awesome she is. I finally got to meet her last summer at Renegade Craft Fair and then was lucky enough to hang out with her at the Etsy Labs this past December. And as cheesy as this might sound, Jenny is seriously like a ray of sunshine. She's passionate about her work, her family and helping Plush You to be a success. I think Jenny kicks ass and I think you will too. At the end of the interview are the details of her awesome giveaway! Don't forget to leave a comment.



S- Were toys the thing that got you into sewing or had you mastered the art of sewing before?

JH- I wouldn't say I have mastered sewing yet, even though I have been sewing for 28 years. The first things I ever sewed were clothes for my dolls. Stuffed toys soon followed because my dolls (and me) needed little friends. I pretty much started sewing because my mom was doing it and I wanted to do whatever she was doing. It was fun, so I stuck with it.

S- What drew you to making toys in the first place?

JH- I was a kid when I started making them, so it was just natural that I wanted more toys! What better way to get more toys than to make them yourself? I never really stopped since then. I don't want to grow up. Then I studied toy design in college but decided to persue animation instead of toy making. Is wasn't until years later that I began seriously making lots and lots of my own toys all the time.

Read here for the full interview.

Giveaway details are:
Jenny will make a custom plush for the winner based on their two favorite colors and two favorite animals, so leave your choices in the comments! The rest is up to her. It will be a surprise! Please leave a comment on the full interview. Winner will be chosen on April 30th

Play with Jenny

The awesome lady Jenny Harada is teaching a class and you are invited. If you live in NYC or will be visiting, you should sign up! It is being held at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Jenny is a super lady whom I am sure will be a really amazing teacher. And her monsters are really fantastic.

Here is more information on the event:

Class: PLUSH CLASS Design and Sew Your Own Huggable Plush Creature

Date: Saturday, March 1, 2008
Time: 1pm -5pm
Location: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Create a loveable plush creature to give as a gift or keep for yourself. Learn lots of tips on working with faux fur and making plushie creatures. If you've always wanted to work with plush but were too intimidated, you will now see how easy it can be! Students will take home printed instructions and patterns to jump start plush making at home.

There are only 8 spaces available in total so sign up quickly!

Class fee is $35 + $15 materials fee.

Jenny Harada has been making original plushies since she was ten years old. That's a quarter of a century. Wowzers. This will be her fourth plush workshop. Her patterns have been published in a handful of books including Plush You! Learn more about Jenny and the stuff she makes at jennyharada.com. Her Etsy shop is http://pomly.etsy.com.



***NOTE*** Class cancellations made by students 4 days prior to class will not be refunded. You will also be required to sign a brief safety waiver upon arrival at the Etsy Labs.


Don't delay, sign up here