New Site!

This is the last post here.  I will now be blogging and doing all other business including Plush You! info on my NEW WEBSITE!!!!.  The first plush exclusive of the year is now for sale there!

Schmancy

Soon Schmancy will be getting a new website!  I am so excited.  It will also mean that this blog will move over to there and I will stop using blogger.  I will leave this here as a point of reference (i did a lot of blogging here over the years) and will continue to blog...just on my new site.  I will let you know when the switch over will happen but in the meantime, check out these awesome margarita key chain's coming soon to Schmancy by Yummy Pancake.  It looks like these will be exclusive to my shop.  I will be putting them on the site as well if you wanna get your hands on one! 

PLUSH YOU! Apply Today!

You can now apply for Plush You! 2010!  This year's show will be more competitive as sadly Nancy has closed.  I will be accepting 65 artists for the show.  The show is October 14th.  You do not need to attend to be accepted. 

Here is how to apply:

Please send an email to: pysea2011(at)gmail(dot)com

Include the following information:
Name of business
Where you live
Website link or blog link
3 images of your work (this does NOT need to be the actual items you send, just a good representation of your work)

Then send $10 application fee to kristen(at)schmancytoys(dot)com via paypal.

I will review the applications once or twice a week and send confirmation emails when all information is received.

Applications are DUE MARCH 1st!  You will receive an acceptance or rejection letter on March 8th.  There will be some restrictions this year for size...I can't take super big stuff anymore for lack of room so please consider this when applying.

Happy plushing!

Speaking of Moxie...

She's having her FIRST solo show at Schmancy this FRIDAY!  You should come!  You would be a fool not to.

Plush You Recap

Oh man, this year's show was so much fun!  There was a nice crowd that flowed in and out the entire night and I was able to see some old faces and meet some new.  Setting up went really smoothly as I decided to just start earlier in the day.  Shelly was upstairs tagging everything during the day while I rearranged the shop and packed up stuff that would need to be in storage for the month.  I was able to almost one whole area before 6:00 when volunteers began to arrive.  I can't believe it but I set up, went out to dinner and was home before 10pm!  AWESOME! 

The next morning I met a few plush makers along with husbands at Le Pichet.  We had a nice brunch before I opened up shop.  Those there were Jessica Puckett, Anne Claire of Hibou Cards and Jessie Mae Petrick.  Fun times were had by all. 

THEN it was the opening.  Sales were made, people laughed, people hugged and people took LOT'S of pictures!  After we all went out for drinks.  I was so happy with the show and think it looks fantastic.  I got lot's of comments about how it was the best one yet!  So congrats to you all! 

As for sales now, I will not be putting them up online.  WHY?  Because last year I did and not too many sold and it seemed like a waste of time and money.  So if you have a fan, direct them to me.  I am happy to take orders over the phone, etc.  I am allowing people to take their items now as they sell simply for a lack of room.  I have a lot of stuff from LA here and needs to go out not to mention merchandise that wants to come back...so no reason to sit on sold merchandise.  That's how we will roll this time around.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. 

I am slowly getting more pictures up on my flickr account

Plush You!

InSeattle Magazine

Six year's ago today...

Today is the day Schmancy opened it's doors officially to the public.  I am kind of in awe.  It has gone so fast!  It has been great and hard and life changing.  If you had said to me 7 year's ago that I would own a store in downtown Seattle, that I would be working on my 4th book and life would be full of stuffed awesomeness I would have probably smacked you across the face and told you to snap out of it.  But here we are.  When I opened these doors I had NO CLUE what the heck I was doing.  I had always fantasized about owning a store but after working for a few small business owners I decided it was better to just have a reliable paycheck....and insurance!  BUT then I met Sally who just happened to catch me on one of those "i hate everything i'm doing day's" and convinced me to open up shop.  Three days later while sitting at a job, I was not into, I got an email from Sally who said the landlords said I could have a lease.  HOLY CRAP!  WHAT?  I quickly started applying for credit cards (yes Schmancy started on credit cards), ordering toys and looking online for artists.  I was so naive that I just asked all sorts of established artists to either have an art show at the shop or sell things.  Shockingly a lot of them said yes!  I think that was one of my first life lessons from Schmancy.  You can always ask because the worst thing that will happen is people say no. 

It takes awhile to build up a customer base and feel like things are working out.  Of course as soon as things started feeling good the whole economy thing happened.  That really put a cramp in my style to say the least.  It was sad to see so many shops closing and then to think that your ship is sinking is the saddest thing ever.  There have been some bleak moments but you just gotta keep fighting the good fight.  After a major freak out one day I realized the only thing I could do is to keep fighting and that I wasn't going out without kicking and screaming first.  I also imagined myself applying for jobs and having a boss and well...I went into serious action. 

It's funny to think back to what I thought having a store meant.  I thought I would have tons of time to read, make stuff at the shop, watch movies on gross days, etc.  It just ain't so.  But that's okay.  I have learned so much, have really appreciated all the things that have happened to me because of this little place.  Mostly I am so glad that this little place has brought me to people like you.  Customers, fans of Plush You!, etc. has been more than I would have ever imagined.  Thank you!  Here's to at least 6 more years!

Multiply

Anna Chamber's show, Multiply opens up today at Schmancy.  All work will be up on my site soon. 

Cutesy but Not Cutesy- Plush Exclusive and Interview

Last year at Plush You! I had the pleasure of meeting Diane of Cutesy But Not Cutesy fame.  She's sweet and nice and adventurous and so are her creations.  We will be releasing her plush exclusive on Aug. 18th.  Until then, read a little interview I did with her here.


S- What was your inspiration behind this exclusive?

CBNC- A huge part of my life as a plush designer has been traveling to knew places, meeting new people, and facing new adventures of all kinds.  My work has taken me to places and cities I never thought I'd have a chance to visit and I am incredibly grateful for this.  This has been the inspiration behind this plush exclusive.  Each piece is designed for a city that my monsters and I have had the good fortune to travel to.  Each piece holds a special meaning to me as it represents where my hard work has taken me, the amazing people I have met along the way, the lessons I've learned, and what the future may hold for myself and my creations.
 

S- Since summer is coming to a wind down...did you do anything fun this summer or have any vacation plans still?

CBNC- My summer has been filled with travel and excitement with good friends and the monsters along for most of the rides.  I was able to fly out to San Francisco for Makerfaire and got to meet many fellow members of the Etsy Plush Team and then set out for some good hiking in Yosemite.  The monsters and I also traveled all up and down the east coast to various craft shows from Philly to Brooklyn, Boston, Providence, DC, Baltimore, and Asheville, NC!  I don't have any vacations planned in the immediate future since I have to start getting ready for the fall/holiday shows with trips to Chicago, DC, and possibly back to the west coast in the works.  I am, however, planning a trip for the winter months as a sweet reward for all of my hard work… possibly somewhere in South America? ;)

S- You are apart of the Etsy Plush Team, how has that experience been for you?  Any suggestions for newbie plush
makers?

CBNC- The Etsy Plush Team has been a huge support for me in my journey as a full time plush designer.  I have been so lucky to be part of such an amazing group of artists who are always willing to lend a helping hand.  Most importantly we all pick each other up when we are down and push each other along when we need a bit of motivation and encouragement.  I am very thankful to have been able to meet so many of the members of the team in person throughout my travels, they are all just as sweet and inspirational in person as they are on the internet!

If I had to give one suggestion to a new plush maker it would be to work hard to come up with something original and something that is unique to you as the artist.  It's a wonderful thing to draw inspiration from other designers but the most important thing is to take that inspiration and use it has reference to make something entirely new and different.  That is where the true artistic gratification lies. And definitely apply to the Plush Team when you think you're ready, it will only make you a stronger artist and designer and the inspirations are endless.
 

S- What's your favorite ice cream?

CBNC- My favorite ice cream is probably twist soft serve in a cup with rainbow sprinkles but if I had to fancy my choice up a bit it might be cookies and cream or something pistachio related.
 

S- What is your studio space like?

CBNC- My studio space is basically my entire apartment.  I recently realized that I no longer live in an apartment but I live in a monster warehouse which I am oddly entirely o.k. with.  I have two bedrooms, one of which is designated as my "studio" but has really become my fur storage and cutting room.  I work in my living room where I have access to my laptop, t.v., stereo, and everything else I might need.  I also have my packaging and shipping station in my living room, as well.  I'm hoping that someday in the near future I will expand to a separate studio or shared space with some like-minded people, then I can reclaim my apartment as a living space.  But living in this "monster warehouse" more than works for me right now!

Scrumptious Delight Art Show @ Schmancy!

This Friday, Aug. 13th, the talented, Scrumptious Delight will be showing new work for her show Scrumdiddlyumptious at Schmancy!  The opening reception is on Aug. 13th from 6:00 to 9:00.  After we will put all work up online for your viewing pleasure.

My First Etsy Treasury

I made my first Etsy Treasury over the weekend.  Please check it out.  It was a lot of fun but a little time consuming as I hit the wrong button SEVERAL times and had to start over...again and again.  ERRRRR.  Anyways, check it out here.

Now at Schmancy

Get one today! Latest plush exclusive with Cotton Monster

Softlife Plush Exclusive

Is now online for you to view and love. 

Perfect Forecast

I am so so so excited for this show!  If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, send me an email today!  kristen(at)schmancytoys(dot)com.  Then you will also be able to preview all the work before the show!  I saw Jesse LeDoux's work a few year's ago in NYC at Giant Robot and fell in love.  I can't wait!

Chickenpants Interview and Plush Exclusive

Claire Chambers of Chickenpants is a sweet sweet lady who makes really funny, cute plush chickens and other creatures with pants on.  She is our latest plush exclusive!  Here is a little interview I did with her recently.  And check out her fan page!  Her plush exclusive will be released tomorrow, June 9th!

S- What was the inspiration behind this project?

CP- I've been really obsessed with bunnies lately. I blame my own house bunny, Finnegan for this. I'm also obsessed with summer hurrying up and getting here already. Somewhere in all this obsessive thought, bunnies in swimsuits bounced onto my sketchbook pages.

S- How was Maker Faire this year?  What were some of the highlights?

CP- Maker Faire was amazing this year! It's always fun, but it was extra special for me this time because I manned a huge booth with the Plush Team. It was fantastic to meet so many plushiers I admire in real life...not to mention see in person so many plushies I had only seen from afar. I was star struck by inanimate objects!

S- How did Chickenpants come about in the first place?

CP- I used to be a temp, and my husband Dan and I would commute to work together. We share a demented sense of humor, and we think words are funny. Somehow we make up words, and Chickenpants was one of those. The word gave me a very strong idea. I remember racing into my cubicle to draw it. I still have that sketchbook page.

S- Summer is almost here (it's totally raining here and gross).  Any big plans for this summer?

CP- Agh! Actually, it's been cold and rainy where I live, too. (Northern California foothills) My big plans were to grow and then eat THE BEST TOMATOES EVER! (I live a very, very exciting life.) But if the sun doesn't cooperate...well, I will kick it's big golden butt.
Oh, and in real life plans, I'm working hard on a new Chickenpants comic project that I hope to launch in July. Stay tuned!  Chickenpants will be looking very different soon.

S- Top 5 blogs you are following these days?

CP- I've been really enjoying Hyperbole and a Half lately. (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/)
I met David Malki at Maker Faire, and since then, I've been catching up on Wondermark. (http://wondermark.com/) Very funny stuff.
Michael Nobbs' wonderful blog about getting creative work done (even with limited energy) is always an inspiration. (http://blog.michaelnobbs.com/

And of course, Regretsy and Dooce are always in my reader.

Plush You! Update.

I have been told by several folks about concerns about Plush You!  Here is an explanation.  I first had applicants trickling in and all was manageable.  When I left for NYC for the opening of Lost at Sea, I began to get a huge influx in applicants and had no time in front of the computer which was a bit unexpected.  So I did not get a confirmation email out to everyone and I apologize.  Then I have been sick and kinda miserable.  So I am beginning to send acceptance letters or sadly, rejection ones now.  I should be done by tomorrow evening at the latest.  If by tomorrow night you have not gotten one word or another please let me know and I can look into it for you.  Nancy has agreed to host Plush You! as well so please read over your email carefully so you know where you will be.

As for Fancy.  They are now taking applicants for plush jewelry.  How to apply?  Send an email to howdy(at)fancyjewels(dot)com.  In the subject line put Plush You! and include your name, where you live along with three images that represent your work.

Thank you for your patience.  I do apologize for my delay.  I wish I could clone myself so I could be at home sleeping and the well Kristen could be here working.

Mutant Bunnies Invade Schmancy

Our latest plush exclusive is now online for your purchasing.  Made exclusively for Schmancy by Moon's Creations.  Get one today!

Leeanna Butcher Interview

 Seeing Leeanna Butcher is always a treat.  It really is a testament to the awesomeness that is the internet because I might not know her otherwise.  She has participated in Plush You!, she has attended many of the shows here and in SF and is just an overall nice lady to talk to.  She is releasing her plush exclusive through Schmancy on May 5th HOWEVER I just want to give you a heads up that I will not be in Seattle.  So if you make a purchase, they will not go out until after May 10th.  Until then, read and enjoy.

S- What was the inspiration behind this exclusive?

LB- I used your suggestion of maybe doing something Cinco De Mayo themed as a springboard. I did a lot of research online and in books, looking at a lot of images. I knew that I wanted to do pieces that were Mexican in nature, but not stereotypically Mexican. I love looking at all the ancient Mayan, Toltec, etc carvings- there's something fascinating and beautiful about them that kept drawing me back. Going to Mexico as a kid and visiting some of the ancient ruined cities left a big impression on me- and started a lifelong love affair with Mexican food! :) I wanted to somehow incorporate some of those ancient symbols into plush pieces that were also fun and playful. When I remembered Mexican Jumping Beans, it all sort of fell into place, and my Ancient Mexican Jumping Beans were the result.  

S- Recently I have gotten several "fan letters" from an 11 year old.  It makes my day.  It makes me think of my favorite store when I was a kid in DC.  We went there a lot as a kid as I would have to go to the hospital a lot.  As a treat after a long few hospital days my parents would take us to The Red Balloon in Georgetown.  They just had a bunch of little tiny toys and I LOVED it!  Especially the jumping beans!  What were some of your favorite toys as a kid?  How do you think that influenced you as an adult making toys? 

LB- Wow- where to start? I could write a list as long as my arm, but I will try to narrow it down... I remember being hugely into Tinker Toys, Lego's, etch-a-sketch, Tonka trucks (growing up with boy cousins as my constant playmates- my sister and I got introduced to a lot of "boy" toys that we might not have, otherwise), Lite Brite, Barbies, Star Wars, Nintendo, Transformers... if it had a cartoon on Saturday mornings, I was into it. :D

I loved anything that you could use to create your own things/ideas with, and it goes without saying that I loved stuffed animals, too. I had a Woodstock plush that I loved to death- my parents had to take him away from me after he started hemorrhaging beans out of more holes than they could fix. I distinctly remember saying to my mom when I was little that when I grew up I "would have a room in my house that was just for stuffed animals"- and the fact that I am living up to that promise to myself by making my own plush and filling my studio with plush from fellow artists is sometimes still a little hard to believe.   

S- What is your favorite thing about making plush and being in the plush community?

LB- I get a huge creative rush when I see a sketch of mine transformed into something three-dimensional and huggable- it's an amazing feeling that I hadn't gotten from any of the more traditional art mediums that I was doing before I tried making my first plush.  Being part of an art community that is so welcoming and diverse is so much fun and constantly inspiring! There is so much amazing stuff being made around the world, and being able to see it online everyday is fantastic. I love seeing how many people are making art that is so wonderfully accessible to people of all ages. Plus, the artists are so nice- it's great when I get to meet fellow plush-makers and plush enthusiasts at shows and craft fairs- I think it must be impossible for artists who make plush to be grouchy or mean people. :)  

S- Since you seem to be a prominent member of the Etsy Plush Team, can you tell us more about it?  How one would join?  The benefits of being part of this amazing group?

LB- Well, I don't know about prominent- I'd say I'm just enthusiastic and involved. :D  Being a member of the Team is really wonderful- it's a group of artists from all over the world, with so many different styles, techniques, and points of view. That makes it a diverse group with all sorts of different experience to draw on- and they are always there to offer support or advice to help you grow as an artist as well as a business person. I've learned a lot, that's for sure.  As for how to join, here are the official guidelines:

"The Team considers new members at the beginning of each quarter (Jan 1, April 1, July 1, October 1); potential members should be plush makers who champion high quality original designs in their work.  They should sell on etsy, with more than 60% of their shop devoted to plush art.  Potential new members are reviewed by a committee of members and either approved or encouraged to further develop.  Plush Team members also commit to actively participating in Team activities and discussions. The Annual fee is $20."

The quarterly Challenges (like the current Mythology Challenge that we have going over on the PT blog) are totally fun, and really make you stretch as an artist. I know that for myself I don't want the rest of the Team thinking that I just "phoned it in" and made something less than my best- there are too many good artists on the Team to make me comfortable with that! It's that sort of creative boost that makes you want to continually get better as an artist. We also do a volunteer critique of member's etsy shops to help each other get the most out of them that we can. The Team gets involved in fundraising and charity work, and tries to have one Team showing at a Craft Fair every year- this May we will be at Maker Faire in San Mateo, and there will be ten of us from all over the country flying in to be there, which will be so fun! If you are in the area, come on by our booth and say hi. :D  

S- What plans do you have for the summer?

LB- Besides making more plush? ;) I am excited to be going back to Canada in July for a few weeks to celebrate my little sister's first baby being born! I'm doing a bunch of sewing for that, of course. It will be a fun break, but with no sewing machine up there, I will be very happy to get home after my visit and get started on the next batch of projects and commissions that I have lined up. I get sewing withdrawal when I'm on vacation, so I just have to draw all the ideas that pop into my head in my sketchbook, and jump right into making them when I get back. I also hope to get caught up on all my reading- I have a pile of books just waiting for me to have the time to open them up and dive in!

Laura Berger Tonight at Schmancy

Tonight is our opening reception for 'Friends Like These' featuring affordable and adorable art by Laura Berger.  Laura has been selling her prints here for a few months now and they sell like hot cakes.  Please join us from 6-8.

And the winners are...

Opening Ceremonies:

GOLD: Cutesy but not Cutesy

Silver: Bebe Babies

Bronze: AbbyDid

Figure Skating:

GOLD: Love and a Sandwich

Silver: Scrumptious Delight

Bronze: Shannah O'Meara

Skiing:

GOLD: Felt Mistress

Silver: Plants and Animals

Bronze: Annette Morrison

Made Up Sport:

GOLD: Knot by Gran'ma

Silver: Ellen Ault

Bronze: Vera

Bobsleigh:

GOLD: Herbert and Friends

Silver: Hannah Rames

Bronze:Danae West

If you are a winner please send me your address to kristen(at)schmancytoys(dot)com so we can send out your medal.  I would like to give a big thanks to all the judges: Leeanna Butcher, Robert Mahar, Christen Olivarez and Becky Stern.  I would like to give a HUGE thanks to Jennifer for not only MAKING the medals but also volunteering to send them!  You have made my life so much easier! xoxo