Meet Plush You! artist: Hibou Designs

Meet Anne from Hibou Designs.  It was great meeting her a few years ago when she came out for the show.  Such a nice lady and such lovely things.

Tell my readers a bit about yourself
My name is Anne-Claire but I’m also known as Boops, AC, Hibou, Super pink dork, Clairette and last but not least Bikette… it depends on who among family and friends is addressing me. I’m a French native but have been in the US for about 13 years, first in NYC and then in Boston where I now live with my husband Brion, a musician and French food lover, and our son Jack who is soon to be turning 6!  As far as I can remember I have always felt the need to make things with my hands, it always felt good and relieved potential grumpiness.  Sewing and working with textiles came pretty naturally to me since all the women in my family were good at it. I have very fond memories of my mom making me princess dresses and my great grandma making little embroidered pillows for my dollhouse’s miniature sofa!  I experimented with a few crafting medium, starting with making greeting cards but
felt right at home when I discovered plush making with felt and vintage fabric and buttons.  I’m still experimenting with felt and other fabrics and constantly try to push the boundaries of Plush Art.  I believe people are starting to catch on to this and really appreciate this fairly new artistic niche, this is very exciting!

What do you love most about making plush toys?
I love thinking about making a new plush. That moment where I’m thinking “wouldn’t it be cool if I made this…” as well as the construction of it when I make a sort of 3D puzzle in my mind to put all the pieces together.  Choosing the colors that will suit or dictate the plush’s personality is probably my favorite part. Working with colors truly makes me happy. I like thinking of interesting felt color combos that I can match or accent with different color thread.  Finally the best part for me is to see people’s reaction when they see the finished product. If I see a smile and sparkly eyes, my work is done!

Is this your full time job?
It still is a full time job for now but it may change this coming year.

What sites do you look at for inspiration?
There are too many talented people out there to site them all but I can say I look for inspiration pretty much everywhere, from my kitchen closets to my son’s great imagination, Nature, art books, tattoos, music…etc

Did you do anything fun for the summer?
I did! I was fortunate enough to take my son to my grandma’s summer house on the Atlantic shore in Vendee, France. This place is very special to me as I have spent many Summers there when I was little… so many great memories! I was glad to be
able to “give him” the gift of this place.  We also did a couple fun road trips in New England… we stayed in a “tree house” in
Provincetown for a few days, that was fun!