Skunk Boy Creatures.

The world of plush has really popped over the past few years and many a fabulous plush artists have emerged. The possibilities of this art form are endless and some of the creations have really taken my breath away and have left me in awe. Crafters of plush are really pushing the envelope and bringing us one of a kind pieces over and over again and leaving me with a need to try and whip up some of my own.
I am super delighted to bring you the following interview of one highly creative girl who sews up some very unique plush that I just admire oh so much and I am sure you will as well!

1. So Katie, lets start off with a little intro, the girl behind all of the plush creations:

Well, my name is Katie, I love music on vinyl, I take pictures in my off time, I play in two bands, and I'm totally enamored with my six year-old daughter.

2. Skunk Boy Creatures is a rather interesting name. How in the world did this name come into play?

When I was just beginning, my best friend Amy was moving across the country and I wanted to make her something special. I really wanted it to be a hedgehog, but I really wasn't all that good at the time, so I quickly changed directions and created a cute little skunk. She named him "Skunkboy" and the rest is history. I felt like I was paying a bit of homage to her, since she is the one who really pushed me to get my stuff out there.

3. Tell us the story of how you started sewing, particularly, sewing up all of these unique hand sewn creatures:

When I started sewing a little over a year ago, it was only because I was looking for a creative outlet. I was making a lot of clothing, but I have a very old sewing machine that kept breaking so I switched to hand stitching. My first creature was a little brown owl that I carried around for weeks. I soon began making different animals, mostly as gifts for friends and family.

4. How do you come up with so many designs? Is there anything out there that really helps to inspire you and lead you down the path of new ideas?

These two questions really have the same answers. Sometimes an animal will pop into my mind and I automatically have an idea of the way it should look. Alchemy is a bit more challenging, but an awesome way to create something new. It's so great to have a different perspective coming in, since (obviously) I can't escape my own. It can be difficult when I can't see the finished product in my head, or I'm unsure of a color palette that I've used, but all of my alchemy animals have turned out to be pretty satisfying. Monkey, the sweetheart owls, Karl the Koala, sleepy Lamb, Betty the Giraffe... all of these were other people's visions.

5. If you have a work space or studio, share with us what might be surrounding you to help get you into that creative mode.

I'm in the process of putting my studio together, so right now it's in pieces, but lovely pieces. I have a lot of things from other plush artists that I really respect, such as: a swan from Lapomme, a woodland creature from Astulabee, a sleepy Sam from the Black Apple, and my latest addition which is a little white lion with antlers and a bow tie from Fern. I also love vintage furniture and I've acquired some GREAT

6. Your creatures are made up of so many different elements. So much thought and detail go into all of them. What sort of fabrics and embellishments do you usually use when sewing these up? Where would you typically go and get all of the bits and pieces that bring your owls, bears and even Narwhal's to life?

I do tend to use a lot of felt as a base. I don't always, but a lot of my owls and such are started with felt. I love to accent with vintage fabric, or, if I think the fabric is strong enough and I have enough of it, I'll use it for the whole thing. My favorite places to get my supplies are flea markets. I adore buttons and unique fabrics, so it's perfect for me.

7. What other things keep you interested besides sewing such amazing plush? Do you have any other interests that tend to keep you busy and creating?

I always answer the "what else are you interested in" question the same way. It's music. I keep very busy playing in bands and searching out new (to me) music on vinyl. I also take pictures, but I'm less inspired by that these days, at least as a profession. I still love photography as a recreation, though. We just got a LOAD of Polaroid film from this elderly couple on Craig's List, so of course I'm very excited about that.

9. It appears that you have quite a response to your creatures. How does it feel? What has it been like running your own Etsy shop? What would be some advice you would give others looking to get into the world of promoting their art form online?

If you could see me right now, you'd see that I can't even begin to contain my grin. It's amazing that people love my creatures. Really. It's wonderful. I never would've imagined in my wildest dreams running my own shop and having my own blog. It's surreal. On, the other hand, having my own shop has been a bit stressful at times. The fear of shipping to the wrong person accidentally, or slow times... or busy times. This holiday season was INSANE. It was my first, and I wasn't the slightest bit prepared for the volume of animals I'd be sewing. I just barely made my deadline, which was super stressful and really didn't give me proper time to do enough family things before Christmas. I'm a really terrible person to give promotion advice. I've traded with some other sellers and bought two showcases, but the best thing that can happen is to have a popular blogger feature you. I'm too ashamed to push my stuff on people, I've just gotten really lucky to get a bit of attention. Also, a blog of your own never hurt anyone.

10. Five things you just couldn't, not one bit, live without:

My Wurlitzer, Vox Jaguar, CP-70, VK-1, and Rhodes. Hee, hee... no, those are all pianos... really: flea markets, tea, records, a piano, and my family (cheesy, I know, but if you met my daughter Hope...).