Rewarding in Many Ways

Sometimes they put your piece on the front cover of the program. Sometimes you feel teary, surrounded by artists and people who appreciate the effort, because it feels like home the way few places ever have.

Sometimes you win Best of Show. Sometimes you have no idea what to think and are surprised you were able to put together coherent sentences as responses because you can't believe what's happening because when your name wasn't called in the group you were in you figured that was it.

Sometimes one of the judges says asks to buy your work. He appreciates your attention to detail that you thought no one would notice but that you had to do so that the piece would FEEL RIGHT.

Sometimes you see your parents smiling so hard their faces may split because they know...they know...they know.

- Dorothy & Friends -

I finished it!

This is by far my largest piece to date. I started work on this late last year. I finished the Tin Man in November-ish (I've gotta work on putting dates on things better.) Then I saw a Call for Artists and worked day and night to get it done by the January 17th deadline. I just squeaked in. I finished Toto that morning and did final placement that morning. I wisked it down to the show so fast I barely got to take pictures of it. Now that I'm done I don't know what to do with the brain space this project (which I had codenamed ProjectFBaum) had taken up. I'll relax for a little bit with making before I dive into a new idea.

Dorothy and Friends will be on display at Capital Community College in Hartford, CT for the National Arts Program from January 19th-February 4th, 2017.

You can see more pictures of this in progress and completed on Flickr.

-New in Town- The Player

A photo posted by Becca J (@minifolk_art) on Dec 2, 2016 at 11:37am PST

I've been working for the last few months of a few new minis. I completed a graduate and a tiny Stacey Rebecca. This is the latest:
The basketball player (as yet unnamed). Did I intention for him to kinda look like a UConn player? No, but when you live in CT your entire life the teams are a part of life. He's been a WIP for months (MONTHS) and I finally finished him last night. Lots of details and figuring went on with this (honestly, that happens on every one.) I had to make the basketball twice because the first one rolled off my table at some point and I haven't seen it since. His shoes were a feat (eh, eh) of engineering. Figuring out his arms nearly broke my brain. However, like always, when all the pieces at last came together...I smiled and danced in my chair.

Edit- 2/3/17 His name is Anthony.

Get more minifolk!

Minifolk is on now instagram!

There you'll find in-progress pics, things that inspire and other bits and bobs of the journey of these paper people. If you're there, give us a follow!

-in the works- puddlejumper

new mini, a photo by becca.elpy on Flickr.

A new little girl.

She's been in my head for a while. She presented her own challenges, as each piece does. How do you get paper to look floppy? How do you get a bent-knee look with little tubes of paper? Will the hat fit?

Thanks to graph paper and so ingenuity I got it all to work. I just had to get a picture of her when she was done because I was so happy with how cute she is. So this is taken with my webcam. Now to finish her base...and decide on a name.

-Show Off- CURATE THIS!

Minifolk has been selected to be in the CURATE THIS! 2010 exhibit. I'm pretty excited about this. I'll be in it for a year and have to chance to be contacted by galleries around the country to exhibit in their CURATE THIS! shows.

Also, I hope you'll take a spare second or two to check out the other artists and designers in the exhibit. I'm so honored to be included.
There will also be a chance to vote up Minifolk's popularity in a bit. I'll post when I get details.

Ideas

Have some ideas rolling around in my head. A little kid, a drummer boy, an old president. Have some time to bring them to life.

Happy July!

- In The Works - Cake Toppers

For the last couple of weeks I've been hard at work making a prototype cake topper for the Minifolk shop. The groom I finished in a couple of days. He's sort of like >Captain Jonas, so I had a pattern to work with. The bride is more original and more intense...of course. She has a lot of detailing, for her bouquet to her hair and dress. I did a lot of tinkering, groaning and near hair-pulling and discovered that this desire to create has a strong hold on me. They're beautiful together, though. Soon, I'll have up some better pics on Flickr and a listing will be in the shop.

:)

PRESS - All Things Paper

Minifolk has received a glowing review from Ann of All Things Paper. She's a Twitter friend and approached me about a feature after seeing my tweets about my little people. She gave the story of how Minifolk came to be better than I do!

You can read the feature, leave a comment, add her to your reader. She's a gem and the finds she features are incredible.

- Brogan -

Seeing Brogan by chance is slim
He dashes 'round on a whim
his pot of gold
would yield riches untold
if only you could catch him.

The latest Minifolk art piece is Brogan the Leprechaun, complete with his pot of gold and rainbow. He is available now on Etsy.

That Thing I Do

So I'd mentioned in the 'Why' of the 5 W's series that I have always loved paper-crafting. But there are so many forms of paper-crafting...how did I come to quill?

I was in Etsy chat back in the day (circa 2007), talking about the angel ornaments I was selling at the moment. One of the fellow chatters mentioned they were very unique...were they quilled? I didn't know what quilling was. She linked me to the Wikipedia entry. Quilling wasn't exactly what I was doing, but it was similar and I was intrigued.

I stopped making the angel ornaments a short time after that. They just didn't get the response I was hoping for. I had incorporated quilling into the design of a few of them. But put it all aside until last summer, when I needed to make some people for the Etsy video and though...I'll try making them out of paper.

That's my story. I think it shows how the art/craft/design community can influence each other, expand the ways we do our work. Who knows? Maybe the ornaments will make a comeback one day.

- In the Works - Leprechaun

Art pieces like Captain Jonas take quite a while to design and complete. So many little bits of paper and hidden details. I love working on them as piecework is so cathartic to me, but I find I have to work on some single folk as well so I can feel like I'm getting things done.

The little guy in the post picture is the figurine for a new art piece. I really love his hat. I like making hats. They really, er, top off an outfit. He's a leprechaun and the plan is to add a pot of gold and hopefully a rainbow. The rainbow will be a little tricky, but I have a few ideas. I hope to get him done before St. Patrick's day.

So I have a question for you:
What should I name him? Leave a comment if you have a suggestion.

PRESS!!!

Minifolk and I got our first feature here in Yoboseiyo's Craft Ninja Series! The little people are gaining a following. It's so exciting. Yay!

Photo courtesy of Yoboseiyo.

- Captain Jonas and Sammy the Parrot -

Avast, here be a scallywag
a pirating buccaneer.
Captain Jonas's name is well-known
and never fails to inspire fear.
ARGH!

I was calling him 'project argh-some'. I don't like to give everything away at once. He's a larger piece, mounted to a chunky 4" wooden base. His vest is made from one of the papers I got from a local paper shop. It's a little touch that I'm proud of. (go, indies!) There is a process a piece goes through for me. When he made the final turn into a real finished piece, I did a little happy dance in my chair.

Captain Jonas on Etsy

A Note

I enjoyed writing the 5 Ws series here at Minifolk Lore. I hope you enjoyed reading it. This is just a short post to let you know that it was inspired by Tara of Scoutie Girl's ebook called Blogging Your Passion. It's a 52-week guide to crafting blog posts with some effectiveness and/or focus. At first the idea seemed very restricted to me, but focused posting is actually kind of liberating. You know what your writing about and can use your creativity to present it in interesting ways.

- The 5 Ws of Minifolk | How -

The final installment of the 5 Ws of Minifolk series, Yes, this is a 6th question that actually starts with an 'h'. I like you so much, I'm giving you a bonus.
Enjoy!

>How?

• do you make Minifolk?


• do I order custom figurines?


• do I keep in touch with the happenings of you and the little people...er, Minifolk?


• did you stop watching Lost?

Without getting too specific, I will say that I design each doll and create them using a technique called quilling. I slice strips of acid-free paper and roll them while watching TV or listening to podcasts. I try to add a little detail or two to each one, to give them a sort of personality.

You can convo me through Etsy, send me an email, or tweet me. When considering ordering a custom Minifolk, please have the following information handy: gender, hair color, skin color and outfit idea. If you have a picture, that would be grand.

As far as keeping in touch, you can subscribe to this blog, there's a 'follow' box in the sidebar if you use Google Reader. Or you follow me on Twitter. You can also become a fan of Minifolk on Facebook. As the ideas become more of a reality, I will also be setting up an email newsletter. An announcement will be posted here, Facebook and on Twitter when the time comes.

My brothers and I stopped watching Lost after season 4...completely. cold. turkey. I'm kinda proud of this. If it ends well, I may go back and watch the seasons I skipped.

Thanks so much for reading through this series of posts. I hope you now have a better understanding of Minifolk and me, Rebecca.
:)

- The 5 Ws of Minifolk | Why -

Continuing the 5 Ws series answering the Why of Minifolk. Included are three questions relevant to the figurines...and one about me. Enjoy!

Why?

• use paper?


• make people?


• are the figurines faceless?


• don't you like Keanu Reeves?

This one is tricky. Hmm...because they're CUTE! And a little bad...as in wicked good.
Paper is my first love as far as crafty supplies are concerned. Once upon a time I made angel ornaments. I love trying to form 3-d items out of paper because it such a flat thing to begin with but has such nearly limitless potential.

Why make people? This one is tricky. Hmm...because they're CUTE! And a little bad...as in wicked good. And I guess because I always notice things about people. I like to make up names. I have an imagination grounded in realism, though...being the child of math majors. People have just enough boundaries for me to tinker with hair or skin tones, clothing ideas and such but stay true to what is.

I was gonna give them faces initially. But, well, my drawing skills are a little limited. I think faceless that it fits with the style of Minifolk, too. Sort of astutely elementary.

And about Keanu Reeves...have you seen Sweet November? 'Nuff said.

- The 5 Ws of Minifolk | Where -

Continuing the 5 Ws of Minifolk series, answering the question, where?
Enjoy!

Where?

• are Minifolk created?


• can I purchase them?


• do you see yourself in 10 years?

I do all of my slicing, rolling and gluing in my home. I don't really have a studio...I do have a TV tray or two. I claim a corner of a room and work until my back hurts. It's love, I say.

Minifolk figurines will be available on Etsy. You can also see photos of figurines past and present on Flickr.

In ten years I see myself...being 33, hehe. I laugh, but it also freaks me the heck out. I hope I'm able to find a place for my art, for such is Minifolk to me. One thing that is pressing on me the more involved I get in the indie craft movement is how much representation of it is lacking in my area. Crafting is embraced, we have our share of craft stores and knitting groups. But younger crafters/artists/designers whose work isn't 'traditional' leave the area for the cities. I'd love to give the people of CT a place to check out those cool works.

---
Tomorrow, find out about the 'Why' of Minifolk.

- The 5 Ws of Minifolk | When -

When?

• Did the idea start?


• Did you start crafting?


• Can I buy a bunch of them?

The idea started in the summer of 2009. I was making a video for a Etsy contest. (Minifolk are famous, you know?) I needed people to put in that video. So I spent much of the weeks of the Tour de France slicing and rolling paper into people. The video was a hit. It placed 5th in the contest.

Etsy friend (and puppeteer extraordinaire) Staceyrebecca suggested that I offer them to the public. After much thought, product sourcing and trying to come up with perfect name...here they are!

As to getting a bunch of them...check out the Minifolk Etsy shop now! I'm having a lot of fun creating these. I hope you enjoy watching the collection grow as well.

Check back tomorrow to find out the 'Where' of Minifolk.