Funky Friday Favorites: Michelle Last

Hello, and happy Friday! This week's favorite artist is Michelle Last. She's an illustrator and a new softie creator!

Hi, I'm Michelle, an illustrator/artist based in the UK. i draw fun pictures and make felt soft toys and  love it! I'm also a vintage clothes addict and I love drinking tea. Please stop by my shop www.shop.michellelast.com if you like what you see and get yourself a little something! 

Visit her: Portfolio ♥ Blog ♥ Shop ♥ Facebook ♥ Twitter

 

Tell us more about what you make!

 

Michelle: I'm mostly an illustrator, working on paper, but just recently I've started being more serious about making felt softies (soft toys), and other sewn products. The felt work is very much taken from the illustrations I do! My illustrations are available as prints and greetings cards.

How did your crafty business come about? What made you want to start it?

Michelle: I used to just draw for fun until I realized you could make some money from it, so I tried hard to get people interested in my work. It's still hard, but I'm getting there...! I have such a passion for drawing and making my softies that I really want to make something of it. It feels good when people appreciate your art and work, that's what keeps me going!

What inspires you to create? What supplies do you use?

Michelle: A lot of the time I feel like I don't have any inspiration for my illustrations... then I think of things I like or funny stories I've heard and it just comes from that! My softies and felt products are inspired directly from the animal illustrations I create - mostly chickens! I use a lot of felt for my softies, and try to use traditional media for my illustrations, as I'm not too keen on digital work as I used to be for those.

Aside from crafting, what do you do for fun?

Michelle: I love to take photos and bake, but mostly I think my illustration and my crafting is really a hobby as well as a source of income!

What are your favorite blogs or websites that everyone should check out?

Michelle: I have so many, it's too hard to narrow it down! Here are just two of my absolute favourites:
www.sandrajuto.blogspot.com - Sandra Juto is an amazing artist and I love her photos!
www.presentandcorrect.com - An amazing webshop full of stationery and vintage paper goods!

I  have to ask a totally random question, so here goes. If you won millions of dollars tomorrow, what would you do with your little business?

Michelle: I would be able to buy a little shop that would hold my prints, cards, softies and other products for people to buy. I'd have a flat above the shop with a separate huge room as my studio. My dream come true!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Michelle! You can find more of her and her plush and illustrations here:  Portfolio ♥ Blog ♥ Shop ♥ Facebook ♥ Twitter