Last Unicorn by MeSmithy

GORGEOUS custom Unicornasaurus by MeSmithy.  I love the details and the patchwork.  This custom was done for the Last Unicorn Art show that happened just last month in Chicago.   Like what you see?  Follow MeSmithy on TWITTER and see more of her art on her WEBSITE.

Art & Craft Fair Owl

Art & Craft Fair Owl
Originally uploaded by Claire Mojher

What an awesome and adorable owl by Clair Mojher. I found this on flickr while looking at owl art.

Love and a Sandwich drawings

Doodle of the Day 1/13!
Originally uploaded by loveandasandwich

You may know Love and a Sandwich for her amazingly awesome plush toys, but did you know she also does fantastical drawings?! Check out her FLICKR http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveandasandwich/sets/72157602809331239/ for more of these outstanding pieces of art.

Argyle Owl Pillow Release Day

A bit of self promo here.  That's what blogs are good for.  :)

Tomorrow at 2pm EST I'm putting my Argyle Owl Pillows up for sale in my ETSY shop.


These cute Argyle Owl pillows are great for snuggling but also great for decoration.
They're 12 inches tall by 10 inches wide and made of a Linen-Cotton blend on custom printed fabric. *Not that cheap iron on stuff ;)
This first batch is entirely hand sewn. There are only a few of them so don't be disappointed if you can't snag one tomorrow.
The rest will be up for sale within a week or two (have to re-order the fabric) and are hand/machine sewn by me.

Both the Hand sewn and the Hand/Machine sewn ones will retail at $30 each.

Argyle Owl Mini Print Giveaway Winner

The 500 twitter follower goal was finally reached and twitter ReTweeter @philipjreed is the lucky winner of the Argyle Owl mini print.  This mini print has a cute doodle on the back!  Keep your eyes open for the next great contest by following us on TWITTER.

Etsy Find: Bolts and Bots

My etsy find this week is Bolts and Bots shop.  Soo many cute little robots here.  She even makes some awesome little chibi/chubby characters, like the Mad Hatter from the new Alice in Wonderland movie and TMNT!!!  

Like what you see?  Be sure to check out her ETSY.

Miss Monster Resin Toys

Miss Monster is always making something new and awesome, this time she is making her own toys.  This monster sculpt is impressive and to top it off she recently posted sneak peek pics of the painted figures on her flickr!  There even will be 5 DIY so you can customize your own!

Like what you see?  Follow Miss Monster on TWITTER and see more of her work on FLICKR.

Time Lapse Totoro

 

This is my entry to Gallery Nucleus's blog for their Inspired by Studio Ghibli event. + the time lapse video of me painting it.

My Top 3 Fave Painters

So today I decided to share my top five fave painters with you, of all the artists I follow on twitter/blogs/etc... there are 3 that I just can't wait to see new work from.

3.) Johnny Yanok



I'm such a Nerd for Johnny Yanok's art, I even go to the lengths of buying his gift card designs from Target, and saving the package because of the beautiful illustrations on it.  I have yet to buy a painting from him, but you can be sure I will!  Johnny's work is full of cute characters, textures and colors.  I always love to see what he is coming out with next, it could be something as awesome as original art to hang on your walls, a card game, or even cute kids stuff from Leapster.  Funny story, my 3 year old niece wanted to play with me, she brought me over a puzzle that she had, it was some leapster thing and I was like ok, kids toy, whatever, but then I looked and it was Johnny's art on the toy and I was like, "Oh wow (insert name of niece here) That's Johnny Yanok's art!" and she said to me (because it was an elephant), "It's a Johnny-Phunt?" and we laughed and I said yes it's a Johnny-Phunt.  She asked me all sorts of questions about who he was and what is art.  I love 3 year olds!  Anyways... I'm going to be in a show with Mr. Yanok and Mr. Ketner this June at Rivet Gallery.  Be sure to check it out!  P.S. Johnny you need to post more of your art online, I'm going through withdrawal!!!

Check out more of his work on his WEBSITE and follow him on TWITTER

2.) Jeremiah Ketner



Definitely can't deny the skill this guy has, the colors and the character designs are through the roof amazing.   My favorite of all of his characters would have to be the little dew drop spirit guys in the middle painting (the blue ones) they're such a simple design but so adorable and awesome.  Also!  I'm going to be in a show with Mr. Ketner and Mr. Yanok this June at Rivet Gallery.  Be sure to check it out!

Check out more of his work on FLICKR his shop on BIGCARTEL and be sure to follow him on TWITTER

1.) Krista Huot



Krista was like a gateway drug for me to the world of painting.  If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be a painter at all.  I found her on MySpace 2-3 years ago and asked her for tips/help on how to get into galleries and at the time I was doing only digital art.  She suggested to me that I start painting, just like Gary Baseman had suggested to her.  So I took her advice.  She's not only an awesome painter but also an awesome person.   Gah!  I'm going into fan girl mode.  I love Krista Huot's work, she creates ethereal ladies and creatures with her paint and brushes and they never cease to fill my heart with wonder, her work is so very magical to me.

Check out more of her work on FLICKR and be sure to follow her on TWITTER

~Kat

Rip Van Winkle with Birds

Rip Van Winkle with Birds

Originally uploaded by kedowning

I love Kathryn Downing's Rip Van Winkle series of paintings. They're all so wonderful! Sleepy beardy men with things living in their beards, what could be better!
You can click the photo to go to her flickr & see more, or you can check out her shop here!

Pyknic Toy by Gregg Abbot

Pyknic Toy, originally uploaded by Greg Abbott.

Gregg Abbot just released images of his toy he designed for Pyknic. The colors are fantastic and some of my all time favorites, and the bear has a real creepy/cute vibe going on. :)

He says, "The toy I designed for Pyknic has just been released!

This is a limited one of a kind item, and there will be only 500 made."

Like what you see?  Check out more of Greg's art on FLICKR.

Samantha Whitten's Puddle Bunny

Samantha Whitten aka Celesse on DeviantArt has been making drawings of her adorable puddle bunnies for years, and now she's having plush toys produced!  I want a million of them to swim around in,  so cute!   Hehe a puddle of Puddle bunnies.  (I'm such a girl.)

She says "Puddle bunnies are round, fat and squishy blobs of bunny! And now you can have your very own! Professionally manufactured with embroidered features and made with super soft material for ultra cuddle-ability. Plush is approximately 6 inches in height.

All pre-orders will receive a free matching button!"

You can pre-order one now for only $15 dollars!  They'll be for sale for the regular price of $18.

Like what you see?  Check out her shop SUGAR BUNNY SHOP and her DEVIANTART for more awesome art!

Two Time Lapse Videos

Chelsea and I have done some videos of us doing our thing.

Check it out!

Chelsea's video

Kat's video [blip.tv ?posts_id=3278209&dest=-1]

Paintings by Pocket Owl

I get so excited to share new artists on here, and I've been a fan of Becky Dreistadt for a long while now.  Becky Dreistadt aka Pocket Owl makes Beautiful art that looks like it stepped out of a vintage children's story book.  She uses gouache paints to create fantastical pictures of owls and tigers and dragons, OH MY!

Like what you see?  Check Becky out on DEVIANTART, her WEBCOMIC and BLOG!

Rocket Kiddie Ride by Feltmates

Feltmates work is fantastic!  I love her sculptural needlefelt characters.  This guy is one of my favorites!
Feltmates says: "A Feltmates Kiddie Ride of a yellow rocket. The feltmate rider inside is having a swell time. Zoom to Outer Space! Ride the Yellow Rocket!

This Feltmates Kiddie Ride is one of the larger and more detailed artworks from Feltmates. It is needle-felted with 100% wool and is connected to a hand painted MDF base with a wooden rod covered in metal tubing."
You can check out more of Feltmates work on her Etsy, or on her Flickr!!

Feltidermy by Girlsavage

A plush artist I have admired since I started making plush myself, has been Girlsavage.  Her work is so wonderfully made!  Her feltidermies are made all of wool felt, handsewn, and she stains the wooden plaques herself.  She's made so many different feltidermy (felt taxidermy!) creatures, but my personal favorites are the jackabunnies (This one plus a few others available in her shop!) & her feltidermy squid below (sold).
Check out more of Girlsavage's work on her Etsy, Blog, or Twitter!

Bonjour Mon Amour by Talkproof

Bonjour, Mon amor is a mini print made by Talkproof!  It's 4" by 5" & modeled after on of her plush toys (Geoffrey!), printed on Epson Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper Glossy photo paper!  The plush is sold, but the print is available on her shop!  I just love the way they look together. :D


You can also find Talkproof on Twitter, and Etsy. She takes custom orders!

Zodiac Custom House of Lui Mei Mei and Di Di

MeSmithy has a knack for encasing vinyl toys completely in fabric, she's always made fantastic customs and has just sent me her photos of her latest, she says, "They are the House of Lui: Mei Mei and Di Di that I changed to be animals of the chinese Zodiac!"  The combination of paint and costumes on these guys are fantastic!  I just love that tiger's fluffy tail and the horns on the Ram are really superb.

Like what you see?  Follow MeSmithy on TWITTER and check out more of her art on her BLOGSPOT.

The Forest of Crows Shirt

A little self promo here, My crow shirt design is up for voting on Threadless, you will have to create an account, however it only takes a moment to sign up.  Please vote for it and help it win :) VOTE HERE. I kinda need to rock this in my husband's hometown, "Crow Town".

Lunabee's Custom Arcas for Iksentrik's Knuckle Sandwich Show

Just spied this on Lunabee's Flickr page, I'm really digging the way she incorporates a character AND a scene into her toys.   Everyone know's I love a good night time scene and I really love that little town painted on his belly and his long wispy beard. :)

Like what you see? Check out more of Lunabee's art on FLICKR and follow her on TWITTER.

New Customs by Fshizz

Alexander Gürlich aka Fshizz is a toy customizer from Prague, Czech republic.  He makes really cool, creative customs.  These are just a few of my favorites that he has done.  I especially like the Monster Hangover custom, that is probably the coolest barf I've ever seen, I kind of wish it was painted in rainbow colors lol.

Like what you see?  Check out more of his work on FLICKR and be sure to follow him on TWITTER.

Stump Plush by SteffBomb

Someone's work I've really been admiring lately is Steffbomb.  Her creatures are simple, but really unique.  Each plush she makes you can tell came from her, because of their distinct little lips.  Which is my favorite part about these stump plushes!
So clever!  The rest of her shop is occupied by cute delicious food plush, like cotton candy & ice cream sandwiches.  All with her distinctive, wonderful faces.

You should really check out more of her work at her Etsy, or her website!

Muju Water Guardian

I've been a HUGE fan of Muju for a while now, and hadn't looked at their work recently.  So today I logged onto their ETSY shop to see what new and amazing plush creations they have been coming up with.

And just to get this out there, if it wasn't obvious enough already from my paintings, I love blue and purple everything, especially when placed against white or black .  So when I saw this I HAD to post about it, even though it's normally Chelsea's job to post about plush.  The detail in this plush is ridiculous, it's so immaculate.  I could just go on and on, so I'll stop and let you make your own opinions of how awesome this toy is.

Muji says, "This is Handmade by muju in 2009, the giant Muju Elemental Guardians are a series of Plush soft sculptures exhibited in Holland as part of the MOMA festival in Arnhem.
Now they are available to buy here.

The Muju Water Guardian stands approx 30cm tall and is made from recycled felt. Each felt shape was hand cut & assembled in the Muju studio.

This Muju plush is free standing, but also has a loop on the back, so it can be hung on the wall too.

Earth, Fire & Water are the biggest felt toys produced by mrs muju so far.


*Please note this is an Art object & not a toy for young children*"

Like what you see?  Check out Muju's Etsy Shop to see more of their awesome toys.

Abstinence is Key by Jade Nellans

Abstinence is key is the name of this ridiculously awesome, creepy and hilarious print by Jade Nellans!  I stumbled across her work on Etsy & fell in love with everything she does.  Most of my favorites by her seem to center around cats, like this one as well titled "Greed"
Her prints come in large 8 x 10 Gilcee prints, small ACEO's or in 5 packs of notecards.

Her Etsy shop can be found here, or you can check out her website here!

Wigby by Love and a Sandwich

Chelsea Bloxom aka Love and a Sandwich makes some of the most creative, cute, and just down right awesome plush toys I have ever seen.  She recently has branched out into custom toys, and paintings. (which you can see in her Etsy Shop)  No one can resist the coolness that is Love and a Sandwich.

Here's what Chelsea has to say about Wigby, "Monster octopuses, or the Monstroctopi, are some of the most friendly and cuddly creatures in the ocean. Upon researching these creatures strange behavior, it was discovered that the babies of the Monstroctopi were so loving that they enjoyed floating around the ocean floors, not to find food, but to find other creatures to hug. At first glance it may look like an attack, but the baby monstroctopi wraps its tentacles around the creature in a loving, gentle way."


Wigby is about 6 1/2 inches tall
12 inch antlerspan
3.5 inch long tentacles
Handsewn & Machinesewn!

Like what you see?  Follow Love and a Sandwich on Twitter and be sure to check out more of her art on Flickr.

Detective Sam Spade by Kevin Gosselin

Ok,  I'm floored by this guys talent, Kevin Gosselin has completely transformed this mini munny, I almost thought it was a from scratch figurine BUUUT the ears gave it away.  What really does it for me is that tiny hand sculpted revolver (I love revolvers!) check out how the pistol grip has been beautifully etched. And don't forget the tiny police badge.  Everything about this custom is top of the line, great job Kevin, looking forward to seeing more work from you.

He says, "Following my two recent commissions, the vampire and the artist series suffocating piece, I was asked by the same private collector to create a custom munny with the police officer theme. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of police officers especially after my recent experience with jury duty. But after mulling this concept over I did remember one detective that has always arrested my attention. That would be one Sam Spade. Sam Spade is the legendary character from the 1941 film classic, The Maltese Falcon, portraited by one of Hollywood's best, Humphrey Bogart. Now in the film, Bogie plays a private detective and not a police officer, but I took some liberty with the character and suggested a Sam Spade from his years prior to his private practice.

The custom was created using a 4" Mini Munny, wire, polymer clay and acrylic paint."

Like what you see?  Check out more of Kevin's awesome art Here.