Finally with the gocco
Finally I have thrown myself into a print gocco frenzy and it is possibly the easiest most enjoyable thing I have done in ages. I have covered every surface in the house with drying envelopes ready to stuff orders into next week when my Christmas cards go on sale.
The cards came back from the printers this morning (I am cutting it a bit fine this year) and they are totally fine. I was in a little panic about them not appearing/not working/not happening generally but finally all my envelopes, cards and print gocco-ed postage envelopes are all ready to go… now we just need to finish the web page.
Did I mention that this year 10% of the proceeds of the card sales will be donated to Oxfam Community Aid Abroad?
I have had a few more thoughts – or re-thoughts – about the soft toy / craft project I mentioned on Monday. I would love to start in November (despite a dramatic clash with Nanowrimo! Go you Nano writers!) so come November 1, get your machines whirring and your scissors snipping.
I had a thought in the middle of the night on Wednesday that although it would be great to auction the results of our crafting for charity, it might add a kind of weird competitive nature to the project. I wouldn’t want people to feel intimidated by this at all… I want to create a kind of atmosphere that is supportive so that even the least experienced crafter will feel compelled to get involved and not have to worry that it might not break the $2 mark (or whatever) on ebay. I might still auction my item at the end of the month and donate the money to charity and would encourage anyone else to do the same but I think it would be better to keep it out of the official “game”.
Secondly, it would be great if people who don’t have blogs or websites could also take part so I will try and work out some kind of gallery thing where I can host pictures here on loobylu.
Does anyone strongly object to the first theme being “Elephant on Roller skates”? I know it’s pretty specific, but I thought it might make a good start and then next month make them more open ended for wider interpretation.. please email me any theme ideas you may have.
I love the envelopes too!! Oooh..you exude creative flair, Claire! 😀
Hmm..”elephants on rollerskates” would be a challenge for me, as I’ve just started sewing again for the first time in 9 years. I’d love to see the various interpretations of it though, and I’ll give it a shot if I’m not too busy with my other projects.
Please help-Just found this site-what do the nanos do?… and what are goccos?Sounds like fun- I like to do artsy-fartsy stuff-wish I could draw-Love your Christmas cards.
Take Care, Cynthia
I lurve the design, your illustrations and art really rock.
Elephants on roller skates sounds a little challenging, but fun and hopefully I’ll have time to participate this month (doing nano). 🙂
OMG Claire!!!! I absolutely love the look of the Gocco envelopes, they could be sold as a whole seperate item! *L* If you could make a cloth doll just like that I would buy it and love it forever*L* Make it a doll, please????
PS glad its all working out with the cards too, just got carried away by the cuteness*L*
Maybe instead of auctioning off–which also seems to involve a lot of additional work–people could just donate the doll/toy/item to a shelter or hospital near them. Those places are always looking for toys for the youngest.
The envelopes look great. I’m a bit jealous of the gocco and really tempted to buy one which would be insane as I have the artistic skills of an “Elephant on roller skates”, which luckily I’ll desits from entering and subjecting everyone to the results as I am doing Nano along with about ten other things-too-much……But congratulations on mastering the gocco! Can’t wait for the cards!
the envelopes looks wonderful…uhg…..I wish I could draw damnit….I will admire everyone else’s then….count me in on the elephant on rollerskates project……:)
sounds good – I have ti admit the ebay bit put me off a bit. and I dont’ have my own site either…I like the elephant on wheels idea – but I am in Nanowrimo too, so I may not get there…. I’ll be watching all the other entries with interest though.
Claire, hello! I love your blog & would love to join in the fun of the elephant on skates, if I may? I don’t have a site, so it’d be kinda odd, but I’d love to send you a picture when I’m finished…ps-your gocco printing is inspiring!
ooooo, I LOVE your illustrations with the print gocco!! Now I want one. Is it really easy to use? That’s amazing. Every copy is crisp and clean. So lovely 🙂
Claire, the Gocco-ed stuff looks awesome. Nice work…
yes! I too would buy envelopes! would save me decorating plain ones when I send postcards!
I’ve been a big fan of your work for while now Claire, and I love the idea of the soft toy challenge.
I’m a beginner-intermediate quilter, but have never done any toys, so this should be a fun challenge. I don’t have a blog, but I do have some photo hosting room, so I should be all set there. Elephant on Roller Skates sounds neat!
Also, your gocco envelopes are amazing! I want to get one of the fabric printing goccos for t-shirting!
Claire!Love the gocco-ed envelopes! You are so talented and inspiring to me! 🙂
Can’t wait to see your elephant on skates!
The envelopes look great. Is the Gocco really easy to use? I’ve been toying with the idea of getting one but it seems a bit intimidating and I’m afraid I’ll find myself in the middle of a project and completely frustrated.
Can’t wait to see your cards.
I am in for the elephant on roller skates! Have my pattern ready and fabric picked out… now to find the time! I’d love to do a fish one month. Or, perhaps a rooster for Chinese New Year.
I think I have to agree with Christina, if the charity thing is an issue, why not just donate the toys? I’m sure there are children out there who would absolutely love to have handmade elephants on rollerstakes, and it’s usually not too hard to donate… There are battered women’s shelters, hospitals, and all sorts of other things. I’m not sure about Australia, but over here, we have a program during the holidays called Toys for Tots, where people donate toys for distribution to children who might otherwise not have any christmas presents at all. Just a thought!
i LOVE the little gocco guy!now i want one!
🙂
t
As one who is trying to nano… at the sames time i think I’m going to break my brain.But I’m still in!
Those envelopes look ace!
Your idea for the theme-related toy-along is fantastic. It will be so much fun to see a gallery of what people come up with. I don’t like the idea of auctioning on ebay, because some people (like me) are not into online auctions at all, let alone setting up an account, putting something up for bids with a picture, and waiting to see if anyone wants it. If you don’t have name recognition like Loobylu, a lot of handmade stuff just doesn’t sell on ebay. Donating a toy to a worthy cause in your area is a sweet idea.
Better and better. The envelopes look fantastic!
Wow, I’ve never been here before but I’m glad I made my way over. This is neat stuff. The little girl on the envelope is just beautiful. I wish I understood better the things you’re talking about but I’ll check around her eand see if I can’t figure them out myself : )
I’m pretty sure that I would like to join in the elephant making. I need to come up with a doll design for an upcoming Xmas sale so this could be a prototype. I would then turn it into a silkscreened doll. Your envelopes look really great by the way!
The elephant bit sounds doable, but I’m a crafting disaster so roller skates sounds a bit hard. But I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else does and perhaps joining in at a later date.
Love the envelopes! You’re a true creative inspiration!
This has nothing to do with your post, but I wanted to say that I can only hope to conjur up the same sort of following you seem to have with your space. I love the fact that you seem to touch so many people with your words and your site. It’s wonderful, and if I’m half as successful as you, I’ll be a happy little girl.
First, I love this idea! I think it’s great that there is now a trend to challenge each other as a community of artists. Go Loobylu and Penelope!
My gut instinct is that an elephant on rollerskates is a bit limiting. And especially for the first challenge it should be fairly open. So, in order to allow you to make an elephant on rollerskates or those who are interested…you could do many other themes. You could do an animal theme, a rollerskate theme, a wild life theme a “things you would never see on an African safari” theme or really any number of things.
Also, I love the envelopes!
I think it would be really helpful to just know that the first project is being donated to a child in need, but those who want to do eBay could if they wish. Just a thought.
Thank you for all the comments and helpful suggestions that have come in regarding the softy craft project.