Meet this sweet gal, Emily, the artist behind everything- is-cute shop: Fuzzy Muffins.Read on to learn more about what makes her happy and successful at the same time.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?
I'm a third year communication design student at the University of North Texas with a passion for typography and 1970's color palettes. I started sewing plushies as a stress release in the summer of 2008 and realized soon thereafter that I did NOT have enough space to keep them all forever. Fuzzy Muffins started out lacking any sort of cohesion, but I think I've finally discovered my style and a definable Fuzzy Muffin style. I've also discovered that fleece is absolutely magical.
What is your favourite item in your shop?
My favourite items have to be my elephant plushies. I've never considered myself a sucker for elephants, but those little guys captured my heart with their floppy ears. The first elephant I ever made actually sold was a little hard to part with, but a little boy fell in love with him at a craft show and I knew he would give my plushie a great home.
What is your best seller?
My owls seem to be a big hit lately. I've gotten a lot of requests for custom order owls locally, and I haven't quite figured out if there's a correlation between the love of the animal and being a Texan.
How does your day go in general?
After being awakened by a hungry cat, I'm usually pretty swamped between design classes and my design internship. Early mornings and late nights are my trademark, unfortunately. However, the times I manage to set aside for sewing are normally my favorite. Unlike a design project, I can begin and finish a plushie within a few hours! It's such a great feeling to have a tactile finished product.
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by 1960's and 1970's graphic design and color palettes. Of course, most of my creatures are inspired by real life animals; there's no need to reinvent the wheel, right? As a child, I always hated dolls and loved my stuffed animals, so I suppose I've always had a love for plushies!
What is your favourite tool that you cannot live without?
I absolutely cannot live without my seam ripper. Surprisingly, it makes an awesome safety eye hole-maker, and of course, helps me get my fabric tags into an animal when I've completely forgotten! Seam rippers are the perfect tool for the forgetful.
How do you promote your shop?
I am active in a few forums and blogs, maintain a facebook and twitter page, and, my favorite, take part in local craft shows! The best way to get your name out there is to actually get OUT there! If you're in the DFW area, keep a lookout for me.
Any advice for a newbie running his or her on-line shop?
Just keep on creating! Post your new items one at a time, divided by a few hours to a day to be sure your creations are showing up on top! If you post in a big clump, they get buried pretty quickly.
Anything else you would like to share?
Follow your dreams. I never thought I would end up doing everything I love — graphic design and crafting, and surviving off of it! It really is possible. Next step: east coast.
Now....don't you love them or love them? :-)
Stayed-tuned for tomorrow's giveaway cause Emily is generous that she will send one of her plushies to the lucky one.
