Frequently Asked Questions
What are UgLees made out of?
Muslin, polyfill, floss, acrylic paint, dimensional paint, and a protective sealer create every UgLee. Sometimes I add things like colorful wire, colored floss, felt, glitter, wool, fur trim, and anything else I can get my hands on.
How long does it take to make an Uglee?
The quick and dirty answer to this question is a freakin' long time!
In general, it takes me 12 - 18 hours complete each character. This number does not include everything that happens afterward, like writing their story, taking photos and videos, and uploading the listing to my Etsy shop, BuTT UgLee website, and Instagram. This part of the process can add anywhere from 2-4 hours to the whole enchilada.
Here is a simplified breakdown of the process:
One of the most incredible things about creating my characters is that I choose every day which part of the process I want to work on. For example, I spent almost five days just sewing and stuffing eyeballs. YES! You heard me! Eyeballs! The thing with eyeballs is that you must have tons to choose from. You can't just have a couple. When my supply gets too low, I start to panic. Plus, you need all different sizes and shapes. Noses and fangs also fit into this category. Oh! I almost forgot all of the ears and tails. I try to have a few extra floating around for horses, deer, moose, bears, camels, pigs, and unicorns. Unicorns need wings AND a horn. The list goes on and on. Somedays are spent creating all of the extra body parts.
There are times when all I want to do is paint. So that is what I do!
Other times I want to sketch, sew, build bodies, or take and edit photos. It is my choice. I LOVE that! I have also spent hours researching my characters' names and jobs- this is sooooo much fun!!
I wonder what I'll choose to do today!
*** Okay ... here is the fine print or the absolute truth if you want to call a spade a spade. THEY tell me what is going down. UgLees are pretty powerful when they're in groups. Sometimes they're unhappy with my color choice, eye shape, or length of any particular body part. They yammer away at me the entire time I'm in the studio, and sometimes, it's hard to tune them out. Having a sweet headset and sound system helps lower my stress level. Maybe I should consider adding their mouth until the last minute.
MORE TO COME!
Muslin, polyfill, floss, acrylic paint, dimensional paint, and a protective sealer create every UgLee. Sometimes I add things like colorful wire, colored floss, felt, glitter, wool, fur trim, and anything else I can get my hands on.
How long does it take to make an Uglee?
The quick and dirty answer to this question is a freakin' long time!
In general, it takes me 12 - 18 hours complete each character. This number does not include everything that happens afterward, like writing their story, taking photos and videos, and uploading the listing to my Etsy shop, BuTT UgLee website, and Instagram. This part of the process can add anywhere from 2-4 hours to the whole enchilada.
Here is a simplified breakdown of the process:
- Sketch the design on muslin, cut out, sew, trim, flip, and stuff each piece. Arms, legs, fins, noses, wings, ears, tails, etc., are all stuffed separately and then attached.
- Time to paint! Each UgLee has an average of three layers of paint. First, you have your base layer, then all the detail work. Dimensional paint is added once the detail work is complete.
- Sign and seaL time! I give the paint 24-48 hours to dry completely, sign the back and then add a thin protective sealer.
- Gather details for Etsy, such as name, story, and dimensions. Then, add a BuTT UgLee tag and prepare for a quick photo and video session.
- Add the new Listing to My Etsy Shop, BuTTUgLee.com, Instagram, and Pinterest!
One of the most incredible things about creating my characters is that I choose every day which part of the process I want to work on. For example, I spent almost five days just sewing and stuffing eyeballs. YES! You heard me! Eyeballs! The thing with eyeballs is that you must have tons to choose from. You can't just have a couple. When my supply gets too low, I start to panic. Plus, you need all different sizes and shapes. Noses and fangs also fit into this category. Oh! I almost forgot all of the ears and tails. I try to have a few extra floating around for horses, deer, moose, bears, camels, pigs, and unicorns. Unicorns need wings AND a horn. The list goes on and on. Somedays are spent creating all of the extra body parts.
There are times when all I want to do is paint. So that is what I do!
Other times I want to sketch, sew, build bodies, or take and edit photos. It is my choice. I LOVE that! I have also spent hours researching my characters' names and jobs- this is sooooo much fun!!
I wonder what I'll choose to do today!
*** Okay ... here is the fine print or the absolute truth if you want to call a spade a spade. THEY tell me what is going down. UgLees are pretty powerful when they're in groups. Sometimes they're unhappy with my color choice, eye shape, or length of any particular body part. They yammer away at me the entire time I'm in the studio, and sometimes, it's hard to tune them out. Having a sweet headset and sound system helps lower my stress level. Maybe I should consider adding their mouth until the last minute.
MORE TO COME!