Meet Plush You! artist: Darkland Creations

They may be dark but they sure are fun!  Meet the maker behind Darkland Creations. 

Tell my readers a bit about yourself
I grew up near Orlando, FL and currently live in Denver, CO with my wife and daughter.  I've long held a special place in my heart for all things spooky and never lost my love of stuffed animals from when I was a kid.  I made my first plush toy about six years ago after I got John Murphy's Stupid Sock Creatures and eventually got into amigurumi with Christen Haden's book Creepy Cute Crochet.   My initial line of original toys was of zombie/monster pillow heads but it wasn't until I came up with my crocheted designs that I felt like I found my true creative style.  

What do you love most about making plush toys?
I really enjoy seeing my ideas come to life from the initial sketch to the final product.  Coming up with crochet patterns can sometimes be a frustrating process as I usually have a very specific look in mind.  If something seems off from what I envisioned, I'll take it apart and do it over and over until I'm happy with it.  It can be annoying crocheting round after round without making any real progress but knowing that once I've nailed it that I can easily repeat it makes me want to keep going until I get it right.  I also love the subtle inconsistencies that come with handmade toys.  I've made quite a few zombie heads and even apart from the different hair/skin colors, a slight variation in the size, shape, and placement of the facial features makes each of them look like unique individuals.

Is this your full time job?
Not yet, but I would definitely like for it to be.  I take care of my daughter during the day and work most nights so I don't have as much time as I'd like.  I feel like this has been a successful year in terms of creativity, however, as I've come up with several new designs that I'm really excited about.

What sites do you look at for inspiration?
There's always a wealth of creativity on Etsy but I think most of my inspiration has come from spooky books, movies, cartoons, video games, etc.  My characters, Victor and Clara, are named after two of the kids from Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies.  My "Mortling" toys were inspired by an illustration from one of my daughter's books as well as vintage Halloween decorations.  I also love the magazine Stuffed.  I've collected every issue and am amazed by the talented plush artists they've published.  I'm hoping to see some of my toys in the next issue.

Did you do anything fun for the summer?
My family spent a few days at Grand Lake, CO for my wife's birthday.  It was nice escaping to the mountains and lakes for a little while.  We saw two herds of elk and a moose!  We also recently saw an amazing traveling circus that's been around for six generations.  My daughter loved seeing the animals and acrobats.  If anyone has a chance to see the Zoppé Family Circus, I highly recommend it.