Some (now old) New Guys

I've been so bad about posting about what I've been making. I'm trying to play a little catch up. Unfortunately, I made a number of the things for gifts in the past couple of months that I didn't get a chance to take photos of before I sent them off (a baby quilt, two watercolor paintings and some stuffed animals).

But here is a group of mini animals that I made before Christmas and sold to Fabrika. They are all about 3 inches tall so could be used as tree ornaments or just little decorative toys. Also includes a new pattern that I worked out for some owls. I'll post close-ups of those next.

Thrifted Inspiration

Before the holidays, I went junk store shopping out in the boonies. I've come to realize that out in the middle of nowhere (and that means YOU Brooklet, Georgia) there are the best antique stores, flea markets, junk shops and yard sales. Here's some of the goodies that I found on a random day in December.

As I look around my studio, I'm realizing just how much I'm inspired by vintage illustrations for children and toys. The simplified designs, the colorful palettes, the naive subject matter. I'm not sure if it's based out of my own memories or an unwillingness to fully "grow up" or an unsophisticated aesthetic. They allow me to connect to my own imagination in a way that's much less judgmental than when I try to produce things for adults (though I think that's probably who actually buys my things when I sell them.)