1 post tagged “toys”
DIY
Gleeful Things
Amigurumi designs
Julie and her brand of amigurumi toys, Gleeful Things, are amazing. They are so cute and within reach for anyone interested in DIY. I contacted Julie and asked a few questions about her ideas to Make Something Real.
EL CAMINO: All of your designs are fun and happy, have you ever considered making dark and creepy animals from pop comic books or would that mean changing your brand name?
Julie: I don't know about dark and
creepy but I definitely have some crazy characters in mind that aren't cute and
happy, just a little twisted. Gleeful Things is actually sort of an ironic
name, so to me, these designs would fit perfectly. I have a strange sense of
humor that so far, I've had a hard time getting to show through my work but I
think it'll eventually become more obvious. You can see it starting to emerge
with a couple of my designs like the Nut Sacks and the Moldy Cupcake. I have a
hard time getting away from cute things though. Sometimes I'll make something
with the intention of it looking scary and people will still think it's cute.
So I guess it's just something that comes naturally.
EL CAMINO: How long does it take you to make a Berry the elephant? How long should it take a newbie?
Julie: It's really hard to say how long it takes me to make any particular thing. I have a really sort attention span so I never finish anything in one sitting. I also usually have multiple projects going at once. I bounce back and forth between them as the inspiration strikes. The Elefoof is probably one of my more time consuming patterns though. I don't recommend it for a newbie, it's too advanced for someone who's new to crocheting.
EL CAMINO: What would you like to make that you have not figured
out the pattern yet?
Julie: So many things! I have a huge list written down and a mental list that I'm always adding to. My head is constantly bubbling over with ideas. I'm really into the idea of large scale amigurumi! I'm really excited to give that a try at some point but have no idea what I want it to be.
EL CAMINO: What is your favorite my little pony?
Julie: My favorite pony that I've made into a plushie? Probably Galaxy. She's one of the simpler ones that I've made but also one of my favorite ponies in general. I haven't had a chance to make any of my all time favorites into plushies yet. All of the ones I've made so far were done as custom orders. Some of my all time favorites are Bowtie, Cocoberry, Barnacle, Tex, Honeysuckle.. to name a few! Hopefully they'll all get turned into plushies at some point!
EL CAMINO: You sell instructions for anyone to make your designs at home, but you don't want anyone to sell what they make. Why is this so important to you?
Julie: I don't like the idea of anyone profiting off of someone else's idea/design. I think it's important for people to come up with their own ideas when they want to sell something. I encourage originality and I think your customers will appreciate your work more if you can say that it's your own design, not someone else's.
EL CAMINO: You have a music player on your blog, I think, with all Green Day songs. If you could hang out with the guys in Green Day, what would you do or talk about?
Julie: I'd never have to guts to approach them but if I did, I'd probably start raving about how much I loved them back in Jr. High in the days of Dookie & Insomniac! Then I'd probably beg them to play for me since I've never had the chance to see them live.
EL CAMINO: If I want to make amigurumi but I'm afraid of screwing it up, or maybe I do screw it up, what would you tell me to do?
Julie:Just give it a try and keep trying even if you screw up! Everyone has to start somewhere. Your first ones might not be perfect (mine weren't!), but practice makes perfect in this case.
EL CAMINO: You have a cool idea, you make cute amigurumi stuff, it's a real business, what else would you like people to know or think about?
Julie: I'll also be selling plushie patterns in the near future! :)
Please check out Julie's designs on her website or etsy.
Website: gleefulthings.com
SHOP: glee.etsy.com
Email: NocturnalCreative@gmail.com
I hope you like my M.S.R. conversation with Julie and her gleeful things.
You can also find me on www.MySpace.com/msrpelcamino
In the future I plan to make more time for interviews with people that Make Something Real so check up on me at least once a month.
