Showing posts with label favorite artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label favorite artists. Show all posts

Jul 10, 2013

Lu & Ed's got swag!

Have you heard the latest news? Now every order from luanded.com comes with a free swag bag to reward my monstrously awesome customers! Each bag is filled with samples, coupons and goodies from handmade businesses I believe in, so you get to experience their epic customer service first hand and discover amazing new crafty businesses to support!


I think it's going to be a really fun way to connect people + handmade businesses. I'm excited to see what people think of the swag bags! The first couple of swag bags are on their way to the first recipients and I just can't wait to hear what they have to say!

If you order + receive a swag bag from me, please send me some feedback about the products in the bags and let me know what type of shops you would like to see participating, also I'd love to know if you ordered anything from any of the participating shops that contributed to the swag bags, which item in the swag bag was your favorite, etc - this is all very important for me to know as this is a new program and I am doing it for YOU - my loyal, loving, epic monster adopting friends! :) All of the information you provide will be used to improve this swag program! :) 

And if you have a handmade shop and would like to get in on the fun, apply here! The Swag Bags will go in with orders from my monster shop. They will have very concentrated swag that jives with the products my customers love – cute, whimsy, handmade, eco, colorful and fun products for kids and parents! If you think your shop fits the bill, please apply! The second wave of swag bags will be going out soon! :) It is only $5 to participate, and you get to send twenty-five (25!!!) swag goodies (coupons, samples or promo materials like stickers, pin back buttons, mini art prints, etc paired with a coupon) - that means for just $5, you get direct-marketed to 25 people who love products just like yours. Unlike an online ad, it's a guaranteed eyes-on-you experience for your shop, marketed directly to your target audience.*

* Due to the highly targeted audience, I am only accepting shops that I know my customers will love based on years of market research. As is such, there is an application process and I will only select the most fitting applicants to participate!

Jan 19, 2013

Let's hear it for Little Green Guy!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may recognize this. My friend Brittany of Little Green Guy made it for me as a super sweet gift a few months ago! ♥



Super cute, right!? I love it! It has a very special place in my studio sitting on the shelf with my stuffed monsters! Brittany is totally rad and I absolutely LOVE her products!

Which leads me to my exciting news for you guys! I'm so happy to say that Brittany took the leap and opened her Storenvy shop yesterday! I am so excited for her - Brittany is a fellow monster maker (you may remember her from the Spooktacular Giveaway I hosted in October) and she makes adorable prints, sculptures and plushes based off her book, Little Green Guy Finds a Friend.



Brittany still has her Etsy shop open, but is branching out and growing her brand by opening up her shop on Storenvy! I am so excited for her! Check out some of her cute work!



LOVE this print!
Be sure to follow Little Green Guy's art on Facebook as well "watch" her store on Storenvy and take a peek around! Brittany has some super duper adorable Valentine's Day sculptures available! Snag one before she sells out!

Another quick note of awesomeness that is supremely exciting...

Brittany is joining Team Lu & Ed! Woop woop! I am SO excited to announce this! I cannot wait to give you guys more details and show off the collaboration pieces - they are going to be so adorable! ♥ I am so excited to combine my Mon-stors with Brittany's talents and share the result with you all! ♥ Stay tuned for more details soon! :)

Oct 7, 2012

Stuff it!

That is what you can do with this prize from Rebel a la Mode! It is a 12" Skeleton Sock Monkey, Macabre. It's packaged in Vellum and comes ready to stuff and assemble. You don't need a sewing machine, just a needle, heavy duty thread, and stuffing, and bam! You have an adorable skeleton sock monkey!

The creative genius behind Rebel a la mode is Stacey Jean! Stacey started Rebel a la Mode in 2006, and has been creating fun DIY kits, accessories and sock monkeys like you have never seen before since then! She is switching things up a little to focus primarily on characters she has created and creating new characters, and giving each a  line of accessories including clothing, jewelry, hand bags and home decor!



It's obvious that Stacey's style sets her apart from other sock monkey makers, but her DIY kits are pretty unique too!

~
"I offer DIY kits in lots of styles and colors
throughout the year. My DIY Kits have been around for years and were
the very first ready-to-assemble sock monkey kits. People were always
asking me for a kit, and I decided that I wanted to set myself
apart...  I know that most of my customers don't own a sewing machine,
and aren't going to buy one just to make a plush toy. So, I did all
the sewing machine work. I handle all that and you receive a kit
that's ready for you to stuff and sew together by hand to finish. The
arms and legs are also interlocked [on my serger] in order to make
them stronger."
~



I had a lot of fun interviewing Stacey for this feature - I have been a huge fan of her work since I saw her featured on Storenvy.com's home page, and am honored she is gracing my giveaway with such a radical donation! I know you guys will love her stuff, too! So have fun getting to know Stacey Jean, and if you have any more questions for her feel free to hit her up via Twitter or Facebook!

Do you have any special seasonal items in your shop?
Yes. Most of my monkeys are based on holidays (with the exception of the Best Friend Monkeys). I design most of my characters around holidays.



 
 
What is your favorite thing about Autumn?

My favorite thing about Autumn is the colors and that it means
Halloween is coming!


What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How about your kids (if you
have them)?


We are still deciding. My youngest is 5 and he says he wants to be a different character every other day. I'm hoping he narrows it down to one really soon. He hasn't much more time to decide. Last year he was Shaggy and carried around a Scooby plush. My oldest will most likely pick the grossest costume he can find. Last year he was a zombie punk rocker.


Do you decorate for Autumn/Halloween? How?

I pull out all of my decor I've collected over the years and spooky the house up. I cover the front yard in cobwebs and spiders and I make a scary window display. My oldest and I made tombstones out of wood about 6 years ago and we set them out front on Halloween.

What was your most epic Halloween costume?
Zombie Vampire Queen of Hearts. I made most of the costume myself. I wish I had some pictures of it. It was a lot of fun. I created a giant tulle and lace skirt.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

EVERY THING! I love Halloween. I love everything scary and spooky. Horror movies, monsters, everything. The decor. The skulls. The bats. If you told me I could only celebrate one holiday a year, I'd pick Halloween. I'd keep my house decorated for Halloween every day, all year long, if I could get away with it. My neighbors might not be impressed.



 What is your favorite Halloween candy?

ooooh. This is a tricky question. As much as I love Halloween, I'm not a really big candy fan. I love chocolate. My favorite candy is dark chocolate nonpareils, which are commonly called snocaps... and thought of as more of a Christmas candy, or a movie theater candy.
 

 
What about Autumn/Halloween inspires you in your crafty business?

Monsters! Skeletons, Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, Ghosts. Horror movie Characters! All of it. I'd like to petition that every day be Halloween. As I convert my business over to my own characters, I'd like to always have one typical holiday character, and it's counterpart scary character. Skeleton Easter Sock Bunnies, anyone? Zombie Sock Bunnies? ... In dirty pastels.

~

Aren't you getting excited for the big rainbow giveaway!? Just 5 days until the giveaway is open for entries! :D Be sure to check out the other features to get to know every sponsor in the giveaway! There's a showcase list on the right hand side of the blog, near the top! :D 

Did you ever own a sock monkey as a toy?

Oct 4, 2012

Feeling a little Witchy today...



Now THIS is Spooktacular - this 5" mini sparkly Witchy Boots clock is from Eighty Acres Art, the vinyl art revolution created by Desiree Warren! She makes one of a kind vinyl art clocks, wall art and greeting cards using reclaimed and recycled materials. I have never seen another artist use the materials that Desiree does, and love that she never shies away from color! Being so small, this clock is a great little item to add to a vignette of other holiday themed stuff, AND it's functional! (Personally, I would leave this out year round! It's so cute!)

Visit her website to learn more about her business story and art methods, and read on to learn Desiree's favorite things about Halloween!
 

Do you decorate for Autumn/Halloween? How? 
 
I like to keep it simple by putting out unusually colored and textured pumpkins and gourds.  (My husband and I call them "cancer melons" because they have giant growths on them.)

What was your most epic Halloween costume?
 
I was a gypsy in 3rd grade and ended up integrating most of my jingly costume into my everyday outfits.  And I was a genie once, which I enjoyed because it was shimmery and I got to wear a cool hat.
 
 
What is your favorite Halloween candy?
 
Peanut butter taffy...which is good, because everyone else hates that candy, so I get their throwaways.  It's also the only time of year I get Sixlets.
 
 
 Be sure to visit Desiree's Facebook page to get glimpses of her new art pieces, a heads up about Midwest shows she will be at, and shops you can buy her wonderful works of art from!

How many clocks do you have in your house?

Oct 3, 2012

Talk About a Harry Situation.



Heart Felt Designs is donating this hugely cute wizard pillow for our Spooktacular Giveaway! Look like someone you know? ;) 
If you haven't checked out Telah's Facebook page, you should! She makes amazing quality plush toys and home decor for kids (and adults who are kids at heart!) and can custom make pretty much anything you can think up! In this shop of Telah's, you will find adorable owls and woodland creature plushes! And in this one, cute stuffed monsters, Halloween themed plushes, and more!

Let's dive into a virtual pile of leaves and chat about fall with Telah!

What is your favorite thing about Autumn?

I love taking walks in the mountains with my family.  Its so beautiful with the trees changing colors and a cool breeze blowing. 
What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How about your kids (if you have them)?

We try to pick a theme every year and dress up to match it.  Last year we were all characters from the Wizzard of Oz, this year I think we are all dressing up as Lord of the Rings characters.  Our kids will be hobbits, my hubby gandalf, and I think they want me to be a troll. :P  
Do you decorate for Autumn/Halloween? How? 

We love decorating for fall with pumpkins, pine cones, leaves, acorns etc.  Basically everything we find on our nature walks ends up on display in out house.  I love it.  We also burn lots of fall scented candles and scentsy. 


What was your most epic Halloween costume?

Oh gosh.  Um, I never really dressed up as a kid although I did have a pair of wonder woman underoos that I insisted wearing as a Halloween costume one year.  

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

That's an easy one, it's my first little spook's birthday.  He will be 13 this year and he gives us many reasons to celebrate. 


What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Anything chocolate that I can sneak out of the kiddo's bag without them noticing. :)  


What about Autumn/Halloween inspires you in your crafty business?

I love this time of year, from the cooler weather, fall colors, yummy cinnamon scent candles and pumpkin cookies to the shorter days and wood burning fireplaces.  It gives me an overall sense of comfort and well being.  I am less stressed and spend a lot more time out doors.  I think just feeling alive and seeing all the beauty around me inspires me to translate those good feelings into my craft.  I'm not sure that even makes sense. 
 {it totally makes sense}

Oct 2, 2012

Have you Ever Saw a Cuter (Green) Guy?





How cute are these little Halloween inspired mini sculptures being offered up by Little Green Guy!?
 Winner will receive the pumpkin, witch, superhero and little devil! Each stands at just under 1" high and is hand sculpted. And sits upon a hand painted wooden base! Artist Brittany says: I hope you love them as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

If you have never heard of Little Green Guy, you are missing out! You can pop over to their Facebook page and check out albums of Brittany's quirky and super cute creations of Little Green Guy and his friends. She does everything from illustrations to plush toys! Be sure to check out her shop, too! Every little kid needs a little green guy in their life! ;)

Do you have any special seasonal items in your shop? 
Right now I am always adding new Halloween themed mini sculptures! These little guys stand at just about an inch high! And re hand sculpted, with hand painted details. These little minis seem to go fast!


What is your favorite thing about Autumn?
APPLE PIE! (Oh I am sorry did I yell that? ;) I love apple pie, I make mine from scratch, we always start at the local orchard, picking our own apples, then head into the kitchen with my two children to peel and bake!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How about your kids (if you have them)?
We do family themed costumes (last year we were all crayons :) This year I am thinking we will be the 4 seasons! (whew I better get to work sewing those costumes!)
Do you decorate for Autumn/Halloween? How?

Sure do! I am very excited, this year I have a jigsaw so I will be cutting out some graves for outside! We are having a halloween party for my children this year so the inside will be all decked out as well! Nothing to spooky as they are still young!
What was your most epic Halloween costume?

My mom always made my costume with my grandma for me every year. I think the best was probably when I was a unicorn! It was a pretty fabulous costume :)

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Making the  costumes. Even though it does always seem to be a mad dash at the end to finish in time!
What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Candy corn!!!

What about Autumn/Halloween inspires you in your crafty business?

Of course a ton of people love halloween, so making items that will be a part of their halloween decor excites me! My minis are relatively new and have been a big hit so far! I have had many customers tell me they are keeping them out all year!

Question for the readers - What is color says Halloween to YOU? Purple? Orange? Black? Green? A different color? Leave us a comment and let us know!

I be Franken out!



Bandtail Boutique is donating this radical Frankenstein hat for our giveaway!

How cool is that!? Pair it with a grey suit and some green face paint and you got yourself a costume! Check out Bandtail Boutique's Facebook page to keep up with all of Shannon's work - everything from crocheted hats and amigurumis (crocheted toys) to tutus, hair bows, headbands, to nature and soothing bath and body products!

Shannon has several Halloween and Autumn inspired hats, tutus, hair accessories and body products available this season, so be sure to check out her shop!


Now, let's get in the mood for Autumn! I asked all of our sponsors a few questions about Autumn and Halloween to help kickstart the festive fall spirit!
 

What is your favorite thing about Autumn? 
The cooler days, the leaves changing, apple picking at local apple orchards, and of course- HALLOWEEN!
 
What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How about your kids (if you have them)? 
I usually don't dress up anymore unless I'm going to a costume party.  I have a cute homemade t-shirt I wear and my Mickey Mouse candy corn mouse ears when I go out trick-or-treating with the kids.  My 5-almost-6-year-old daughter is having me make her a witch's tutu dress for her this year.  She fell in love with the crocheted witch's hat I made, and wanted to be a witch, instantly.  My husband and I are still deciding on what our 2-year-old will dress up as.

Do you decorate for Autumn/Halloween? How? 

Yes, but it is very minimal.  We live out in the country, so no trick-or-treaters come to our house.  I have autumn garlands I wrap around the bannister of the stairs and out on our front porch.  I have cute, bouncy pumpkin lights I place along the driveway for Halloween.  When we lived in the city, I used to go all out for Halloween including handmade headstones and fog machine.

What was your most epic Halloween costume? 

Oh, gosh, I don't know.  My mom made my costume every year, and they were always amazing! One year I was a dinosaur.  Another year, I was a cheerleader.  Another year, my sister and I were matching M & M's.  My favorite costume would have to be my Snow White costume.  I wore it several years in a row, and it made me feel so magical. :)
What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

 When I was younger, it was definitely the candy haul I got every year.  Now as an adult, it's seeing my kids dress up, and having fun.  I also like seeing all the Halloween decorations people put up- from cute to scary.  Oh, and carving jack-o-lanterns, and toasting the pumpkin seeds.  I love it all!

What is your favorite Halloween candy? 

Snickers are my ultimate favorite, but I'm one of the rare people that actually like candy corn, too.

What about Autumn/Halloween inspires you in your crafty business? 

Any one of my tutus can be incorporated into a costume, so I try to create different styles that I think would be good as costumes or just every day fun.  The cooler weather also inspires me to get my yarn out more often to create cute and functional hats and scarves to stay warm while raking leaves or picking out that perfect pumpkin.  


Now, a question for you! Are you a fan of horror movies?

Sep 23, 2012

Well, I'll be dog-gone!

Did you know that September 24th-30th is National Dog Week?

I didn't, until my friend Danielle of Squshies brought it to my attention! She was tweeting about the line of dog Squshies she was launching for National Dog Week, which piqued my interest since (you know me) I am a total animal lover!

(and ironically I think I adopted our second dog, Lucy, the same day we were talking about her new line of dog themed products on Twitter, haha!) 

I know Lu & Ed fans are animal lovers too, so I wanted to introduce you all to Danielle and her Squshies, especially her brand new line of dog Squshies, which are super cute!

You are probably wondering, "What is a Squshie?" Squshies are fun animal characters made out of felt. They are a combination of Danielle's love for animals, cartoons and plushies. They are mostly in the form of ornaments currently, but there are all kinds of ideas bouncing around in her head about other fun things the Squshies could be! There are even a few pillow versions of Squshies available in her shop!


I asked Danielle a bunch of questions for you guys so you can get to know her and learn about her awesome Squshies!


Tell us about your special dog line you are releasing - 
What breeds are you creating? 
Can people custom order them to look like their dog?

I had been working on designing a lot of different animals and thinking about how I should really make some dog ornaments. At about the same time people I knew started to ask if I had any dog Squshies. I decided I should design specific dog breeds since people might like an ornament of their dog, not just a generic dog. I spent a few days doodling dogs and by the end I had about 28 breeds that I liked how their design turned out.


I've been working on turning the doodles into felt off and on for months and realized I really need to pick a time to aim for to release them. Then I found out National Dog Week was just a few weeks away and that just seemed perfect so the last few weeks I've been working like crazy on making dog ornaments. At least 8 breeds will be available for National Dog Week and more will be released over the coming months.

All the dogs come with a tag with their name and Squshies story on it which are always included in the item listing. If people provided us with a dog's name and story, the tag can be easily customized for their dog. The stories have a character limit of 700 characters.

Custom orders are more than welcome. Dogs can be made with specific colors and/or markings or even a completely custom dog. Prices will vary based on the complexity of the request.









 



How many pets do you own, if any?

I have a cat named Hazel. I'm pretty sure she's the best cat ever, but I may be biased. Her meow sounds more like a duck quacking than a cat meowing.

When did you learn to sew?

I had a class in middle school where I learned how to use a sewing machine and then promptly forgot it all. I tried to learn how to use a sewing machine again last September, but I didn't enjoy it. I'm always scared I'm going to hurt myself or somehow break the machine if I'm not closely supervised. Due to this, last October I gave hand sewing a try and haven't stopped.

You've come so far with Squshies since October - care to tell us how you got started?

Last year I tried to learn how to use a sewing machine because I thought making my own plushies could be a fun hobby and stuffed animals are one of the many things I collect. The sewing machine didn't really work out so I tried hand sewing. The felt happened because it was inexpensive to work with and comes in so many fun colors. Felt was a perfect combination with the hand sewing.

I also moved to California last year, and spent months and months applying for all kinds of jobs with no success. When I finally managed to find a job it wasn't a very good job and it made me absolutely miserable. It seemed ridiculous to have spent so much effort trying to get this job that made me so unhappy. Friends and family finally convinced me to quit as it just wasn't worth it.
With the frustration of my job search and the encouragement of those around me I was convinced maybe I should try something new and give the job search a break. I'd always toyed with the idea of working for myself. I've always wanted to do something creative and thought it would be fun to just make things I enjoyed for sale. I never knew what, but my new hobby of making felt animals seemed like it might be just the thing.

I don't have a picture of my first felt creation, which was a dinosaur that I could never get the proportions the way I wanted. He didn't really look like a Squshie either. These cats I made as Christmas gifts came right after the dinosaur attempt. They were the first serious attempt at hand sewing and where the look of the Squshies really started to come together.

What is your favorite animal? 


I can't pick just one! There are way too many too choose from. I seem to have a soft spot for unusual animals , especially ones that lots of people don't find very cute, like Elephant Seals. I especially have a soft spot for less loved birds like Turkey Vultures. I think Turkey Vultures are just adorable.





Have you always been such a huge animal lover? 

Always. When I was a kid I only wanted to read books about animals. My favorite movie and cartoon characters were always animals. One of my dream jobs as a kid was to work at Sea World.


What is the most exotic animal you have ever met?

This is also a tough one! I've been fortunate enough to get to meet a lot of awesome animals. I've been able to pet a koala, a wombat and a tawny frog mouth. I've fed kangaroos, a crocodile, and a cassowary. I even held a baby crocodile once! Most recently I got my picture taken with a cheetah and got to feed a rock hyrax that climbed all over my shoulders.





What is your favorite Squshie to make?  

Reginald the Rhino is probably my favorite. He was one of the earliest Squshies and I seem to have a soft spot for him. Reginald and his friend Beauregard the Hippo are where the Squshies look really seemed to hit its stride.


What is your best selling Squshie in your shop? 


No one actually is a best seller yet. They are all pretty evenly matched. Roxy the Skunk was the quickest to be sold though. She was bought within an hour the first time she was listed on Etsy!



You can find Squshies in a ton of places on the web - Check the links!



For National Dog week (Sept 24th-Sept 28th) Squshies is going to donate $2 for every Squshie sold to Maxfund. Maxfund is a No Kill shelter in Denver, Colorado that also provides low cost veterinarian care. Maxfund is the animal shelter where Danielle adopted her cat Hazel from. :)

So, how are you going to celebrate National Dog Week? Here are some ideas! 

  • Adopt a shelter dog, and get a friend for life!
  • If you can't commit long term, ask about fostering short term! It helps free up shelter space and socialize dogs in a home environment!
  • Donate dog food, blankets, toys or "piddle papers" for puppies to your local shelter!
  • Make a monetary donation to help your location shelter with daily operation costs!
  • Make a monetary donation to your vet's office to be set aside to cover when a pet owner cannot afford the services for their dog (or cat)!
  • Volunteer to walk, socialize and play with dogs at your local shelter!

Thanks for reading! :) Be sure to visit Squshies this week and show your support!♥ 

Danielle wants to know - who is your favorite fictional dog character?
 {Mine is Dug from the movie Up!}

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