sara kirkpatrick softies & prints: miniview

i think serious looking animals are whimsical, and since i like to laugh, there is something about lighthearted anthropomorphic imagery that i highly enjoy. it’s probably because i am convinced that my beloved pets are talking, reading the paper and doing card and circus tricks to pass the time when i am not around. when i look at the plush and paint work of sara kirkpatrick i know i’m not alone in my ways of thinking. sara creates imaginative felt animals and very funny and expressive portraits of bunnies, bears and other animals. there is a pleasing story behind each worried, innocent or gruff-but-loveable character and it makes me want to know more! so i asked…

q: where do you live and where do you make your art?
a: i live in a little house in athens, ga with my husband and our very sneaky cat. i share a tiny studio room with my hubby’s guitars and keyboards, but i usually end up working on projects in my living room (often listening to this american life archives or an old friend of a movie that i’ve seen dozens of times.) my couch is perpetually covered in glitter and felt scraps and lost sewing needles! (be careful where you sit if you ever come over…)

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i am inspired by dreams, music, stories, film, dogs with beards, cats with one eye, the sound of the wind through the trees, other people’s amazing creations… inspiration is a bit tricky and usually visits me in random spurts. sometimes i feel very uninspired for weeks at a time, and then i’m flooded with ideas. i keep a sketchbook on my bedside table and usually reach for it when i’m very sleepy. when i look back, i find i’m most attached to the little doodles that i barely even remember drawing.

q: who is your favorite in your shop right now (we won’t tell the others)?
a: hmmm… i think my favorite in my shop right now would have to be sunny (below). i love the way the colors came together, though i am thinking of making a little birdie friend to sit on sunny’s head. i get very attached to every creature (or painting) that i make. sending them off to their new homes can be difficult. i actually cried when i sold olive (below, second photo)… i was thiiis close to keeping her for myself!

q: who exactly is the blueberry bandit?
a: i guess you could say the blueberry bandit is me, or maybe my alter-ego. i once made a little softie (it’s my etsy and blog avatar), he was very simple and kind of sad, and i instantly felt like i had made a self-portrait in the form of a softie. the blueberry bandit is shy and timid on the outside, but secretly a bit mischievous and fierce, a quiet little creature that steals blueberries when no one is looking! (i’m not sure i’ve ever actually stolen a blueberry, but you know what i mean…)

purchase these pieces at sara’s etsy shop (and make sure you take advantage of her two year etsy-versary (now through june 28th!) and be sure to cruise over to her blog to say hello too.

thank you sara!

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twins and doubles art (round up)

so i’m minding my own business driving in the car and then a song comes on the radio that rattles around in my head for hours. does this ever happen to you?

today’s song was a tasty treat by beloved 70’s rock band foreigner. and it stuck around in my dome and that’s when i got this idea (perhaps a way to exorcise that demon song out of my brain?)

fill my eyes with that double vision…

the double-sided vivienne print from matte stephens

hand hammered sterling double bubble earrings from brooke medlin

double lolly tote bag from charlie and sarah

handprinted double bunny card (with carrot heart) from floating palace

double mint lip balm from cavendish soap works

the unappreciated gift print from sunny buick

two peas in a pod crocheted plushie from the yummy pancake

vintage lovely ladies figurines from racheltrouble

twin chairs pincushion from rabbits moon

twin pop print from anna tillett designs

ahhhh… it’s out of my head now. thanks for the help, etsy!

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dan goodsell art

i am extremely fond of the work of prolific california artist dan goodsell and his food themed motley crew of characters that have sprung from his fount of imagination. this happy roving gang features the irrepressible mr. toast and his homies, like shaky bacon, lemonhead and joe the egg. they join each other and support each other as friends do, together at milestone moments or just chilling out.

warning! love fest: i love his sense of humor and the super smiley color palette. the simplicity of his drawings evokes a lot of joy. i love how kids and adults alike can have a shared laugh when viewing his artwork. i love seeing food as everyday people in unexpected places. i love how he has made these art pieces available in all types of ways - original paintings, online comics, plush toys, buttons, books and cards. and i love being a collector of his work.

this kind of whimsical imagination is like a giant magnet to me. i can’t help but put myself right alongside these instantly beloved characters and be part of the gang. i’m thinking i’m an eggplant. or something else purple. maybe a fig?

right now my mr. toast doll is looking at me and winking.

be sure to check out dan’s flickr stream, blog and etsy shop - there is so much quality content that you’ll be quickly immersed! and don’t miss the archive of vintage photos and advertising too!

you can also find select merchandise of dan’s at mahar dry goods.

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a trip to kup kup land and beyond

look at the happy, magical pincushions, brooches and more that have flown out of the mind of talented spanish artist kima and into her kup kup land. the vignettes are a wee 19 cm x 14 cm (7.5″ x 5.5″).

i frequently daydream about being a fairy or a gnome and living under a tall flower in the forest, and this is one of those times…

wait - hold on a minute - i’m snapping out of it to show you her slightly melancholic and disturbing acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations!

well, now i don’t know where i’m at in my head. this is all really great art.

check out this etsy shop to go to kup kup land, that etsy shop to see the lil’ butcher girl illustrations, and afterwards her blog too!

via craft via plush you

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fun felt crafts from lupin

i like most everything that uk artist lupin makes, but i think these birds and mobiles are super sweet. i’m really responding to her well executed color combinations, especially now, since we slowly but surely will become devoid of them with the change of the seasons…

i have had a fantasy (okay, so i daydream a bit) for a while about having a holiday tabletop tree and only placing bird ornaments on it, so these things are making me go slightly nutty. ooh! if i got a funky modern metal tree i could keep this up year round…

anyway, i digress. take a peek into her etsy shop to see her broad and lovely selection, and be sure to see her great blog too (where she uses great words like “chuffed” and “witter”)!

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plush emoticons

aren’t the happy colors and expressive faces of these little plush emoticons fun? this ridibundus set is comprised of six pieces, and each one is 13.5 cm (5.3″) wide.

i love the idea of placing these little guys all in a row across the bridge of my computer desk.

find them for about us $25 at art lebedev.

via swissmiss

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plush cat pillows

do you have a cherished childhood (or adulthood) pet that is no longer with us? my beloved cat toonces was 17 when she passed away 2 years ago. the whole family still misses her, especially mr. lucky, her loyal tabby brother/friend. i think i’m going to write to electric luna of ploesiepoesie in the netherlands to see if she can make me a lookalike plush cat! she does custom work in addition to her large inventory of kitties that are available for “adoption.” for her custom work she reviews the photos that you send and then creates a soft kitty clone. check out these examples:

she has a nice gallery of her custom work. i think i like the finished pieces as much as the feline photos that people have sent to her!

see for yourself and smile some.

via one floor up

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renegade craft shop chicago: now open!

i was minding my own business driving down division last week and nearly crashed when i saw a papered up storefront and the words “renegade craft” on it. after further nancy drew investigation, i found out that sue and kathleen have a new, permanent shop which features some of their favorite craft artists. hurrah!

the shop is done in very soothing colors of cream and silvery sagey blue, and it has a heavy textile emphasis. at the moment, they’re showcasing vintage clothing, silkscreened tees, stationery, prints, journals, jewelry, plush items, and other wearable art.

it’s great that we have another fine locale that highlights indie craft. viva renegade!

the shop is located at 1924 w. division. read all about the fair and jump on their mailing list on their website.

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