{Everyday Inspiration} Nostalgic Palettes

Anyone that knows me well, can tell you that I am a HUGE Muppet Show Fan. Actually, I can broaden that a bit by saying that I adore all puppets. My dream job has always been to work for the Muppet Show. Sayer had a large bin of puppets and the whole vintage collection of the Muppet Show on dvd before he was even born. So, it is no surprise to say that there are elements of my favorite Jim Henson characters in the klt:works plush that I make today. Kermit, Fozzie, & Big Bird are top characters on my list & also serve as my biggest color inspiration. 

I became ultra aware of this when Sayer and I started watching Sesame Street together in the mornings. I remember loving Big Bird when I was young, but as an adult I was struck by how happy the yellow, hot pinks, oranges, and reds made me feel. We also started really getting into vintage Muppet Show episodes at this time and I started sketching and making notes everytime I watched it. I have always loved the palette of the show. The velvet curtains have been an image that has popped up in my art for years. But when I saw Fozzie's polka dot bow, I realized that I really wanted to make a few plush that incorporated all of these things that I loved as a kid. So, I made the "Joy Birdie" plush with the idea of Big Bird's colors and Fozzie's bow. This plush makes me just as happy as Big Bird does, so I think it worked.

Oh, and then there is Kermit. He is my ALL time favorite. When I went to NYC for graduate school, I didn't know anyone, hadn't lived in a city before and was a little overwhelmed by the experience right off the bat. The first time my mom came to visit me, we went to FAO Schwarz and she bought me a Kermit puppet to keep me company (I believe she brought me some pepper spray that trip too). Sayer now has this puppet and brings it out every time we watch the Muppet Show together.  I love Kermit's colors as well. The colors inside of his mouth against that great, green body is wonderful and I guess a little comforting to me. Here is my "Dottie Slug" that I made with Kermit and a little bit of Fozzie's bow again, as inspiration. 

I could go on and on with examples of how these childhood characters inspire me daily, but these two are my favorites and the most deliberate. I just read this awesome post over at Modern Kiddo this week about the Muppets and so it was on the top of my brain. I thought it would be a nice time to share this with you. If you are a Jim Henson fan, drop on over to Modern Kiddo - they are fans too, along with design & vintage lovin' mommas!

What sort of childhood memories inspire you in your daily creating?