An interview with Tim of Fantastic Toys

I discovered Tim's etsy shop some time ago and originally wrote a little blog feature about him on Paper*Cakes. There are a LOT of plush sellers out there but I think Tim is the best of the best.. the quality of his workmanship and the details in his designs are amazing! Tim is also not limited to the "cutesy" style, making lots of fine art toys as well.



I was lucky enough to win a limited edition reindeer plush from Tim's blog last Christmas and after Chrstmas was over I couldn't put him away so he lives in my studio now! (you can see the little white reindeer in the photo above) Tim sells his plushes on etsy, and he also has a blog where you can get updates on what is going on in the world of Fantastic Toys. Please be sure to visit him!



1. So tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from and what you do aside from making softies.
I live and work in Minneapolis MN. Besides making toys I enjoy watching movies and walking around the local lakes during the warm months.



2. How did you get started sewing super cute plushes? Was there any one event in your life that lead up to your career now or was it by accident?
A few years ago I fell upon the world of plush and decided to give it a try. I grew up wanting to be a children's book illustrator so it complemented my drawing skills perfectly. I was starting to lean to the 3-d art rather than 2-d so making plush and paper toys was inevitable.



3. What inspires you to come up with new designs and characters?
I look to the past for my ideas. I usually do a lot of research before diving into a project. I like finding something old and giving it a modern spin for a new generation.



4. What is your favorite thing to create?
The toy I'm creating at the moment. I like having a variety of things to do weather it be paper toys or plush.



5. Where do you do all of your creating? Do you have a studio, or a little corner of your home? Is it an inspiring place to spend time?
I have turned my 1 bedroom apartment into a studio/apt. More studio than anything. As long as I keep it organized I find it inspiring. It has good light and there is usually a few projects sitting around waiting to be finished.



6. Tell us about a goal or a new skill that you would like to learn in the future, related to your craft or otherwise.
Screen printing is something I would like to learn. I have some project ideas which would require me to learn screen printing before I could finish them.



Tim is also currently offering a few freebies (patterns, and PDFs) on his website so be sure to check those out as well.