Hibou Interview

Say hello to Hibou Cards!

What is your favorite part about working in this medium?

I mostly work with felt (100% wool or wool blend felt) and vintage buttons and fabrics from France.

I love felt because it is very versatile, the possibilities are endless. The fact that it comes in so many colors never cease to amaze to me and this is what makes me most happy in my creating process, to just sit there on the floor surrounded with all my felt and try to find a good color combo for a new plush!

The second thing that makes me happy is to forage into my vintage button stash. They were all given to me by my mom and my grandmas back in France and I love them dearly because they all have a story…. I can spend a lot of time just looking at them and think about what type of a second life they will have.

Finally my dearest treasure and most favorite thing to use when I have the opportunity is the big box of vintage lace, ribbon and fabric my grandma Paulette gave me last year. Some of it is really old and came from great aunts… I feel really lucky to be able to use it today in my designs.

What is your background?

I went to the Ecole du Louvre in Paris where I majored in Art History and Egyptian Archeology. I then moved to New York where I did a Master degree on the "business" side of Art at the FIT. I worked in contemporary art galleries for a while and in an amazing Decorative Arts Gallery before I moved to Boston. That is not going to sound very original but I had always loved Art, design and anything creative in general. I was always making things from clothes for my dolls when I was little to greeting cards for my friends and family later… (told you it wasn't original ;) There finally came a time when I decided to give it a shot and actually create full time… Plush making is my life now :)

All boring things aside though I really think my background helped me fuel my creativity. Also let's not forget I'm French (nobody's perfect!) so that adds a touch of kookiness to the mix :)

Favorite crafty tool?

My favorite pair of sharp scissors and my favorite needle (the one I use all the time and cannot live without)!

Favorite fall activity?

Going all out decorating the house for Halloween and sipping a cup of hot tea watching the foliage at my in-laws house in Ipswich MA…. oh and of course jump in a mountain of fallen leaves with my son!

Did you have any inspiration behind the toys you are submitting for Plush You!?

I am a member of the amazing Plushteam (an Etsy Street team) and I had made these circus freak dolls for a plush challenge we recently organized with the team. I thought they would be perfect for Plush You! Having been at the opening of the show last year in this little room filled with all sorts of crazy and beautiful plush in a rainbow of colors I thought it really felt like a giant Circus… The best Circus that could exist with enough weirdness, beauty and magic to fill up the world…. I know it's corny but hey I can get a little corny at times ;)