Do you still play with dolls and stuffed animals? Well, should someone ever give me one of these darling creations from artist and doll maker Jhoanna Aranez of One Red Robin, I would surely be on cloud nine! Jhoannas pieces are overflowing with color, pattern, patchwork, and most of all her pieces carry their own unique character that just comes to life. I was stoked to have Jhoanna chat with us a bit about her creative inspiration and the story behind One Red Robin. So sit back and soak up the creative inspiration of One “creative” Red Robin…Jhoanna Aranez:
JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?
Jhoanna: Needing to exercise creativity has always been a part of me. My earliest childhood memories are of taking scrap pieces of paper, any pencils I could find, and spending hours drawing things. I also remember spending my days sticking discarded household objects together with glue & sticky tape to make a ‘gizmo’ of some sort, and using whatever I had to make something I needed. I always felt (and still do feel) a great sense of satisfaction and joy upon seeing my completed projects. Being creative with my hands not only kept me out of trouble, but helped my self-esteem, and exercised my mind to think in new ways and to take different approaches to daily life. I do believe that everyone has a creative side but it needs to be exercised often as it certainly contributes to making life fun, balanced and beautiful.
JuBella: What do you love most about designing and crafting plush toys?
Jhoanna: The possibilities with plush toys are just endless! I love the fact that I can create each one to have a unique character, quirks, and look-and-feel. There is the freedom to create conventional versus unconventional soft toys and dolls. There is much scope to play with fabrics – combining clashing or complimentary colours, prints & textures. For example, my quilted patchwork soft toys include a variety of different types of fabric, colours and fabric prints, with some quilting for added texture. I don’t spend hours figuring out what colours or prints should go together – when I start a patchwork, I just sit down with my stash, pick out what I think will work and just go with it. My favourite part is after I’ve sewn the toy together and turning it out to see what the finished product looks like (before it gets stuffed). I love the surprise element. The great thing about soft toys is that both adults and kids enjoy them.
JuBella: How did you come up with the name of your company?
Jhoanna: Robins are my favourite type of bird. I remember reading somewhere that one of the behaviours that characterize a robin is that they run then stop, then run then stop, and admittedly, that pretty much sums up how I approach life at the moment! ‘Red’ is a little reference to my birthmark, which, over many years, I’ve come to accept is really a part of who I am, a unique stamp that God has included in His creation of me.
JuBella: Where do you like to find your fabrics and embellishments for your toys, and what other artists inspire you to stay creative?
Jhoanna: My fabrics & embellishments are sourced from the local fabric store, my 2 favourite online fabric shops (Cia’s Palette & Reprodepot ), and the local thrift store. I have also been blessed with some wonderful fabric and notions from generous blog buddies! In terms of soft toys, my greatest inspirations are fellow bloggers:
1) Dawn of Look What I Can Do , she has an amazing eye for transforming fabric into the perfect little Love Creatures.
2) Abby of While She Naps: I love the way she experiments with different animal/doll forms and fabric/yarn/buttons
3) Ricardo of Wishes & Heros: I adore the way he uses colour and embellishment in his little pocket dolls, cat-lover dolls, and his illustrations
4) Hillary of Wee Wonderfuls: she is simply prolific; incredible vision and imagination
I would have to add that my 2 girls remain my greatest inspiration. If it weren’t for them, I would never had had the urge to make soft toys to begin with, and their great response to what I create certainly motivates me to keep creating.
JuBella: Favorite Craft magazines or shows?
Jhoanna: I find inspiration and ideas in a number of magazines and craft books. Anything from quilt & patchwork magazines to home decor magazines. My favourite Aussie magazine is InsideOut. Like much of the craft community, I adore Japanese Craft books and magazines. Although they are written in Japanese, I pick-up a lot of ideas on colour, fabric combinations, themes and form. Plus I adore the way they photograph the items.
JuBella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere & the character of your studio/design space?
Jhoanna: I am most creative after I’ve had a good cup of coffee, my 2 girls are tucked into their beds and sleeping peacefully, the dishes have been done, and I have my favourite CDs in the player!
My ’studio’ occupies a small corner in my home. At the moment, it really is just organized chaos! I use a small computer desk to house my sewing machine and notions. On a narrow wall hang a few bits and pieces of inspiration and favourite things. Against another wall, I’ve got a few of my earlier pieces of work on display to remind me of where I have come from and to inspire me to keep trying new things or to try something different with existing patterns. I’ve got a small stack of craft books on a side table. My most-used fabrics are stacked on the floor, which is where I do all my fabric-cutting. I find it very relaxing to sit on the floor and cut fabric, trying different combinations for some of my patchwork. I also have a beanbag nearby where I do my hand-sewing. It’s a small studio – cozy and intimate – but I always look forward to spending some ‘me’ time there, whenever I have a chance.
JuBella: Do you have any favorite books on soft toys?
Jhoanna: I adore all my Japanese craft books – I have learned so much from trying to decode their diagrams! I also recently picked up “The Complete Doll Maker” by Alice Weiner. It’s proven to be an invaluable resource on doll-making techniques, from the basic to the advanced. I haven’t had the chance to take classes in doll/soft toy-making (or any sewing classes for that matter) so I highly value craft books.
JuBella: What crafting tools could you not live without?
Jhoanna: I love my sewing machine! It’s a Janome and it’s been extremely reliable and easy to use. I definitely couldn’t live without it. A good pair of fabric scissors also make a huge difference! I don’t think I could survive without my handy sketchbook and an always-sharp pencil, so that I can jot down ideas and sketch patterns whenever and wherever inspiration hits. And finally, I’d have to say my laptop – not a crafting tool per se but it keeps me linked to the crafting community.
JuBella: Most unique gift that you have given to someone?
Jhoanna: This was a tough question to find an answer for – I’ve given many handmade gifts and most are unique in the sense that they are one-of-a-kind, but I’m going to go with my gut reaction and say that my 2 girls are the most unique gift I’ve had the privilege of ‘giving’ to my family.
. Okay, so here is my little collage. I started out going after a black clutch to keep in line with the black and gold, but…well..I just couldn’t resist this purple clutch! Thank you Ez for the invite…such a glowing party it is..filled with some pretty creative people & I can’t wait to see who all arrives!
