Ashley Anna Brown / Fern Animals

Mabel

She's in the shop now!

Louise...

I spent the better part of today trying to sort out my ideas for these new birds. I have been thinking about switching from Etsy to Big Cartel for quite some time now (probably over a year!) and these new birds are a great way to make the move. I love Etsy, and I definitely don't want to leave completely, so, I have decided that these new birds will live at Big Cartel, along with any Limited Edition creation, and all the regulars, whether they're duplicates, made-to-order animals, or one-of-a-kind, will remain over at Etsy. This is sort of a test. Honestly, the core of this switch is financial. Big Cartel offers good once-a-month rates, instead of a charge for every sale. But, Etsy has such an amazing community and following. They are, after all, the reason I was able to make Fern Animals full time in the first place! I'm just sort of testing the waters. I want to see how Big Cartel works. I've had a lot of fun today designing my shop and posting my first couple of items. I think the shop looks nice. It seems closer to how I would make my shop look if I had the commitment to create my own on my website. 

Anyways... the real reason for this post: I have listed my first in this new series of birds in my new shop and her name is Louise! Obviously I am using these birds as an excuse to try out a lot of firsts, including naming my animals. I have been interested in doing this for a long time, and have had many people over the years ask if I do, and why I don't. Well, really the only reason I have never assigned names to my Fern Animals is purely for consistency. I didn't name any of the ones I made in the first year, and it seemed strange to start after having let so many go nameless. Instead I figured I would leave that job up to each animals new owner. But, now with these new birds, I am giving them names, and it's so fun!! It's funny how each name just sort of comes to you. Like the bird is telling me what her name is (I know, I am such a dork). But I'm excited to present each bird with a tag featuring his or her name, the date of creation, her number, and my signature. These are each individual works of art and I'm excited about presenting them this way. 

Today when I was thinking about how I wanted the little tags to look, I kept coming up with ideas that would cause me to order supplies, and therefore have to wait to get them finished up and listed. But then I remembered that I have all these little button cards that are perfect! For the past couple of weeks at Reprodepot we have been sorting boxes and boxes and boxes of vintage buttons (a job I actually really love!) and many of the boxes had little tags with information about the different styles and colors. I started making a small pile for myself instead of throwing them out, and before I knew it, I had a whole box full. I was originally thinking I would make tiny drawings on the cards (which I still may do because there are so many of them), but they are the perfect size for the bird tags! And I love that I can reuse these for the tags instead of buying new paper. So the back of each tag has information about different buttons, originating from a different country, though most appear to be from Japan and Italy. And some are white, some are pink. 

Here is a photo of the back of Louise's tag:

Well, I want to shoot a couple more photographs before the sun goes down, then I need to run to the post office. But please be sure to check out my new shop and let me know what you think. Louise is there now! I'm hoping to have another bird up tomorrow. Bye for now!

For Holly

Custom Order / Completed February 2009

New for spring!

Lately I have been reworking my bird body pattern - something I have constantly been doing since I first began making birds because I am never quite satisfied with the shape. But this weekend, I think I finally got it just abut right. I am using the same pattern as I have for my previous birds, the nice and plump round ones, but I lengthened the body a bit, and turned it on its side. Seeing the first bird come to life, I realize that I actually began making this exact shape last spring, only I didn't feel confident about it. I wasn't able to add the other elements needed to make it work, so I loped off the extended tail and sat the birdie up right. Well, somehow it all came together this weekend. I think it was a combination of viewing Abigail Brown's beautiful birds again, and rediscovering some beautiful yellow vintage fabric in my stash that I had forgotten about. Then yesterday I took a trip with Lillie to Osgood's and found a couple more beautiful vintage and wool fabrics to work with (as if I don't already have enough material!). I feel like I have finally created the animal I have been trying to make for years. And it feels so natural. Here are a couple more birds in the works:

Is it okay that I am completely in love with these new birdies? I don't know if I will be able to part with them. 

Small Magazine

Found one of my little birdies on a page of Small Magazine this morning! Thanks to Loopy Dolls for letting me know! I actually didn't even see it at first - I looked through all of the following pages with my heart racing in excitement, and there he was, right here with all his pink friends! I feel honored to be in such good company. Be sure to check out the whole issue - there's a lot of great stuff in this one, including a feature with Abigail Brown. She's amazing. 

New animals up today!

In my Etsy shop here.

Just some rambling here, and not about what I promised to fill you in on either.

I have had such a bad case of spring fever lately! It has been so sunny, with clear blue skies every morning, I just want to pull on my shorts and run outdoors. But then I remind myself that it is still February, and it is still freezing outside. It snowed today. That was actually kind of nice because this morning was really gray and cloudy, and the snow falling ended up lifting my spirits. I am completely in love with the winter when it's pretty and snowing outside. It's just the end of winter, when it drags on and on and won't let go, and the snow is mostly melted except for the muddy trash-laden lumps beside the road. I don't like that part of winter. 

I have spring on the brain so bad. I am constantly thinking about yard sales and opening all the windows and riding my bike. And I think I have officially exhausted sewing with pink and red for a while. I want to move on to bright colors and patterns and bring a little more variation to my shop again. I've been thinking a lot about my shop and how to deal with it. I want to make some changes, but I can't seem to really stick with anything. I am thinking about having more made-to-order animals available in the shop at all times, and then special updates for limited editions and special one-of-a-kind animals. I think I just need to make one of each of the little made-to-order animals first so I have some fresh ones to photograph and breathe some new life into my shop. While I still try to work out these details I will have occasional updates, including one this Friday. The new little animal shown above will be there, along with a couple fawns I think, and hopefully one or two hooded animals. 

Is there any special kind of animal that I haven't made in a while that you have been waiting for?? Please let me know and I'll see what I can come up with. I know lately I have mostly only been offering the regular little cats. More lions with big manes? I haven't made any of those in a while. Or antlers? Hmmm....

I have also been thinking a lot this week about craft fairs, and whether or not I am going to apply to Renegade this year. I am completely torn. I felt pretty sure, after the craziness of two big craft fairs during the holiday season, that taking the summer off would be really good for me. It would give me more time to focus on my online orders and to just enjoy the outdoors, without stressing about craft fair prep... for months. 

But then I went and saw Handmade Nation, and it reminded me that I am a part of this really amazing thing and there was footage of crafters setting up their tables and booths and I couldn't help but think about how good it feels to walk into a venue, lugging all your goods behind you, and spotting familiar faces from the internet and past shows, and feeling, "Yes! I am here! I am so lucky to be a part of this!" Really I need to sit down a make a serious Pro/Con list. One thing that came up when first talking about not attending Renegade this year was that, instead of spending $300 on the booth, I could put that money into advertising, which is a great idea. But then on the bus to New York with Elise (a four and a half hour ride from Boston during which we talked non-stop, literally), she mentioned that she had just applied, and I found myself saying how just being on the Renegade Vendors List makes the whole event worthwhile because it's up all year and people are constantly using it. That website it THE NUMBER ONE referrer to FernAnimals.com. Number one. Maybe that reason alone means I should at least apply. I mean, $300 for that kind of advertising, AND a weekend show to sell my goods? How could I not? Plus this year I could at least share the space with Justin, if not one or two other friends to make it even more affordable.....

Oh, things to decide! Well, I have until March 27th to figure out what makes the most sense for me right now. I would just really hate to decide not to do it, and then regret the decision. 

I'll leave you with this cute photo of Elise, excited about her milk shake at the Brooklyn Diner before the film premier: 

For Melanie

Little Valentines / Custom Order / Completed February 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had so many plans for today: vegan gluten-free lemon poppy seed cookies, sewing new little animals, blog posts about my NYC trip and some current Etsy favorites, and then a date with Justin: dinner and a movie. Well, now it's 5:30, and I made some cookies (which are tasty, but a little crispier than I would like them to be), sewed a tiny bit (one animal body, to be exact!), and, here I am, finally making my blog post, with very little time to do it in (because we're going to see The Reader in town at 7:00 and want to get dinner first. We should be putting our shoes on right now.) 

So I think I am going to do a follow up post tonight or tomorrow morning, about New York, and the film (I loved it, by the way!!)

Right now I would like to introduce you to an old college friend of mine, Nicole, who finally got a website up and running again: FINKLEBOUDIT. I used to check in on her drawings all the time, and one day her site just disappeared. It was very sad. But, now she's back! AND she has an Etsy shop! Yay! (There's nothing in it yet - let's all pester her to put something up! I want one of her drawings. Or two. Or three.)

I've always admired Nicole's work. I love her character's, how they look a bit sad sometimes, but still sweet and sincere. She's currently making one drawing a day and posting them here. Someday I would like to grow more confident about drawing and do something like this. This is actually on my 2009 To Do List: draw more. Specifically faces. I have never felt good at this, but I would like to be. Very much. 

Nicole has also always been very good at having a very nice looking website. All the hand drawn links and labels, the colors. I am constantly in awe. I am so glad she is on the internet again so I can secretly stalk her and fall in love with every drawing. I'm waiting for my other friends to do the same so I can follow them on the internet too (Rhea!). 

Oh! Justin just brought in a surprise V. Day gift! A drawing and box of vegan chocolates and tickets to see the Great Lake Swimmers when they come to town in April. Boy, I feel pretty special to always be the recipient of these wonderful drawings. This guy looks like he may be running off with a secret. A good secret that he feels giddy about. Take a look (sorry about the bad scan!):

I would very much love to own a pair of those boots. 

Okay - We're officially running late! Have a great evening!

(All of the drawings featured in this post were made by Nicole MacNeill, with the exception of the last one, which was made by Justin Durand.)

Day Trippers...

My old friend Elise and I are heading to New York tomorrow, to wander around and visit some galleries, but more specifically to see the embroidery show Forget Me-Not, and the premier of Handmade Nation. This is a much needed trip and I'm very excited! Time for bed!