Maddabling: Western Australia Street Team on Etsy

Friday, July 20, 2012

Friday Friends, Western Australian Street Team on Etsy, The Little Humbugs

Ewan and his Red Truck © The Little Humbugs

Happy Friday dear readers !What a busy week it has been. I have felt a little lost not following a photo challenge every day........So ! Maddabling has decided to create a photo challenge to be hosted on the Maddabling Blog. The 22 Day Challenge is due to commence on the 10th August and runs for 22 days. Stay tuned for further details !

This week it is my great pleasure to introduce the super talented Louise of The Little Humbugs ! Louise is a fellow sandgroper (West Australian) and a fellow member of the Western Australia Street Team on Etsy !

The Little Humbugs feature brings to a close a special 4 part series on Handmade for Children from four talented artisans from the Western Australia Street Team on Etsy. I have a feeling that I may have said this before but I will say it again, one of the BEST things about writing a Friday Friends series on the Maddabling Blog is that I get to have a really good look around online stores and facebook pages to see what my featured artists have to offer you the readers ! Here are a few of my personal favourites ....... please remember that these images have been supplied for this blog post with permission from ©The Little Humbugs and the copyright remains with The Little Humbugs. Please do not use or reproduce these images without Louise's written permission.

Stella and her Red Balloon © The Little Humbugs

Gone Fishing © The Little Humbugs

A Girl in Red © The Little Humbugs

Time dear readers, to let your imagination run wild for a little while, and return to those carefree childhood days of yesteryear, as you turn the virtual pages of a Vintage Visual Adventure with The Little Humbugs.Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend xo

A Vintage Visual Adventure with The Little Humbugs
Who is the little humbugs ?
The Little Humbugs is my own little artistic venture - I create children's wall art and party stationery. All of my illustrations begin as a pencil sketch, and are digitally coloured. My work has a vintage, whimsical, yet innocent feel to it - I like to try and celebrate the innocence of childhood.

Captivated © The Little Humbugs

How and When did your handmade/artistic journey begin ?
I have always loved to draw, however my art took a back seat in my teens and early twenties, it wasn't until my first daughter Molly was born that I started to draw again. After hunting for unique artwork for her bedroom, (that wasn't heavily branded) I created a series of sweet ballerinas for her wall. I screen printed one onto a t-shirt that she wore to Kindy one day and the orders started coming in from other mothers, also looking for unique designs for their children and as gifts. The rest is history...!

What inspires you ?
My three children and their innocence is my main form of inspiration. I especially love watching how they play and interact with one another. I am also inspired by the great children's illustrators of the last century, such as JH Dowd, Frances Tipton Hunter, Eloise Wilkin, Corinne Malvern, who all worked purely by hand and with no digital influence whatsoever. Pure talent! (I have a large collection of vintage children's books!)

Storytime © The Little Humbugs

What mediums do you work with - do you have a favourite ?

My favourite medium is simply a good drawing pencil and beautiful quality paper! But I do love watercolours when I have time, particularly prismacolor.

Pondering © The Little Humbugs

What kind of things do you make/create ?
I create children's wall art and party stationery - using my own illustrations.

I also do a lot of custom work and more recently have been creating business logos for clients who are interested in vintage inspired, whimsical images.

Miss-Mollys-Couture-Cakes Griffins Laundry

Do you have a favourite piece that you have made/created ?
Personally I love my ballerina series, however 'Friendship' and 'Archie + His Kite' are my best sellers.

What are your future plans/dreams/aspirations ?
Having three young children I am a little time poor! However, next year my youngest goes to Kindy so I am hoping that having a few days to myself will give me time to further develop my business. To begin with, I would love to create wall stickers, larger prints, more greeting cards, and spend time developing my website!

The Aviator © The Little Humbugs

Dear readers, do you want to see more of these gorgeous works ? Here is where you can connect :
Buy lovely things on Etsy here : http://www.thelittlehumbugs.etsy.com and
become a follower on Facebook here : http://www.facebook.com/thelittlehumbugs

Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday Friends - Western Australia Street Team on Etsy - BananaMonkeyLove

Happy Friday the 13th Everyone ! Are you staying warm ? Geez it's been cold in my part of the world. It is winter after all I guess. I had a lovely week, I chose the perfect postcard to send to melanie in the DUST Team Great Postcard Swap, my wonderful giveaway prize from Rie of Zakka81 arrived all the way from Japan (more about this on Saturday) and it was with a twinge of sadness that I realised the Savage Kitten Photo Challenge is nearly at an end.

Now readers, are you ready for a cuteness overload ? This week it is my great pleasure to introduce the wonderful Cat of Banana Monkey Love ! Cat is the third WA Artist to be featured in my special 4 part Handmade for Children series this month !

Cat is a fellow sandgroper and member of the Western Australia Street Team on Etsy. Cat creates the cutest critters in the form of dollies, koala's, sock monkeys and cuddlebots ! I have my own collection of handmade soft toys and dolls (maybe it's because I never grew up - call it Peter Pan syndrome if you will *wink*) and totally adore these gorgeous creatures - here are some of my faves ! If you can find it in your heart to adopt any of these lovelies, I am sure Cat would be super thrilled ! Firstly I want you to meet this plush Koala in green - he is looking for a home with lots of trees.

Then there is Jacob the Pirate who is seeking a new mate to sail the high seas with.......................

and lastly these cheeky cuddlebots who are super cute, super soft and just ready to share cuddles !

Have a wonderful weekend lovely likers - enjoy yourself, dance like there is no one watching - and enjoy the colourful tune that is Hey Hey It's Banana Monkey Love ! Don't forget to check back on Sunday for the final instalment in my Savage Kitten 30 Day Photo Challenge series showcasing photos from days 22 - 28. See you all next time :D

Hey Hey It's Banana Monkey Love !
Who is Banana Monkey Love?
Banana Monkey Love is just me, a lot of socks, a vintage Janome sewing machine and a passion for creating something special that brings a smile to people of all ages.

How did your handmade journey begin?
It all started with a string of baby showers. It seemed that 2010 was the year of the babies in my circle of friends. One by one the invitations rolled in, I knew I wanted to give each child a one of a kind gift, a keepsake, as individual as the child itself. I started my research, what would appeal to a child but also an adult? Then I found them…Sock Monkeys! Somewhat unheard of in Australia, they have been made by loving mothers in America for over 100 years. This was exactly what I had searched for, an item I could create with my own hands, adding my own personal touches. A gift that would be made with love, not cold, mass produced.

What inspires you?
Children inspire me most they have such wonderful imaginations. My nieces happily tell me what I should name the monkeys, what colours I should mix together and what the monkeys would eat. I admire their honesty they provide me with great feedback.

What kind of things do you make?
I started by making Sock Monkeys, my mother taught me to sew at a young age but I had been out of practice for a long time. Once I got back into the swing of things I started adding cloth dolls, robots, owls and koalas into my range of plush toys.

Do you have a favourite piece that you have made?
Every item I make is my new favourite! Sometimes it’s hard to part with my little buddies but I know they are going to good homes. At the moment I am making a pink koala, she is so cute, I want to keep her!

What are your plans/dreams/aspirations?
I would love to have more time on my hands to attend different markets. I like meeting new people, hearing their stories, indulging in the local food, the music, every aspect of the market. It doesn’t seem like work when it is something that you enjoy so much. Really I just want what everyone does, to be happy and my little business provides me with a great deal of joy.

Dear readers, want some more BananaMonkeyLove goodness ? Here are some links for you to explore...

Buy lovely things on Etsy here :
http://www.etsy.com/bananamonkeylove

or on Madeit here :
http://www.madeit.com.au/bananamonkey

Connect and become a fan on Facebook here :
http://www.facebook.com/bananamonkeylove