Meet Plush You! artist: Cutesy but not Cutesy

Say hello to Diane from Cutesy but not Cutesy...

Tell my readers a bit about yourself
My name is Diane Koss and I am the owner, designer, and artist behind the one woman army of plush monsters that is Cutesy but not Cutesy.  With a burning need to make use of my idle hands, my love of all things fuzzy, and my mild obsession with antlers, the first monster was born in 2007.

When not burning the midnight oil in the monster warehouse (my two bedroom apartment) just outside of Philadelphia, I can be found traveling the country with my monster army close behind to various craft shows and galleries. I've since expanded her line to include monster hoodies, t-shirts, baby onesies, dishware, and more.

What do you love most about making plush toys?
I love that creating plush is like creating little huggable pieces of art that people can hold on to.  It makes art tangible and tactile when traditionally 'art' is not something that can or should be touched.  There's something incredibly comforting about plush toys and I like being a small part of providing that for people, as well.

Is this your full time job?
Yes, I am a full time monster maker!  I sell online, travel all over the country to arts and crafts shows, sell wholesale and on consignment to boutiques, and have work in various galleries throughout the year.  Not everyone can say they make monsters for a living so while it sometimes feels like I have 5 full-time jobs, at the end of the day it's all more than worth it to be doing what I love.

What sites do you look at for inspiration?
I find that Pinterest has been a huge inspiration for me: http://pinterest.com/dkoss2/  As a visual person it's nice to be able to bookmark my favorite things all in one place and to be able to see them whenever I want.

I also find inspiration on twitter and from all of the people I follow there: https://twitter.com/dkoss2

Heidi Kenney of MyPaperCrane has always had one of my favorite blogs to visit. How she finds the time to do it all is beyond me. Truly an inspiration! http://www.mypapercrane.com/blog/?cat=2

Did you do anything fun for the summer?
Gosh, it seems that summer has just flown by!  I generally have a very busy schedule in the summer traveling to various craft shows but if there's anything I've learned over the years it's to take time for myself and to enjoy the adventure.  This summer, I traveled out to the west coast for shows in Seattle and San Francisco and I went on a solo road trip down the western coast through Oregon and into Northern California.  I had never really gone on a road trip alone for longer than just a few days so I was a bit hesitant but it was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on.  I am so glad I took the time to do it.  Hopefully I'll be able to get back there again very soon!