Cats! Meow!

This category is ironic to me simply because Eric (thermies designer) is highly allergic to cats. Eek! However, he said they were very entertaining to make even though he can never officially be around them. Here are a few sketches. Meow!

My favorite thing about cats is that everyone has a cat story. Even if it isn't their own cat they have a story to tell about a naughty cat that did something funny, strange or mean! I know you are thinking of it right now! Share your story in our comments, we would love to hear it!

A bit mischievous I do think!

I was just talking to a friend the other day who is ordering our set of four cats for her boss as a personalized gift who has 'cat' everything! It's not officially a personalized gift in the way that it has her name on it but it is a personalized gift in that she loves cats. A great gift idea in that sense!

Thermies (our Etsy shop) is getting closer and closer to opening! We have heard for a long time....oh, you should just open an Etsy shop. There are many more steps involved then I expected but we're getting there!

Thermies Inspiration

I can do a lot of crafty things well, but I can't draw. It's as simple as that. I simply can't translate what's in my head to what I want on paper so I'm always amazed and extremely impressed when I ask my husband, Eric, to draw something specific and...BOOM!...it's on the paper in a matter of seconds! Just from memory. 

Here is a sampling of some of the sketches Eric has done from the Woodland Creature category. Keep reading to find out a brief history of Eric!

Eric started drawing when he was very small and from many stories I've heard found himself frequently lost in his sketchbook for hours on end. He knew early on that he wanted to be an artist (of some kind) and gained more interest and technique from his grandmother who loved to paint with him. In my opinion it's a gift to be talented like this but Eric would probably say that he has been moved by comics, graphic novels and art historical movements that inspires his creative output.

Eric did eventually become an 'artist'. He majored in painting and minored in graphic design at the University of Arizona (Go Wildcats!), quickly started a career as a graphic designer and ended up owning his own business for many years. Later he decided to go back for his MFA in graphic design at the UW Madison (Go Badgers! He doesn't know which side he's on anymore!) to become a professor of graphic design which he is today. This is in fact his 'dream job'.

The photos you see are a sampling of some of the pages in Eric's sketchbook for thermies! We are starting with fun categories including: woodland creatures, bugs & insects, mischievous cats, ninja & lucha libre, beautiful birds and personalized gift thermies. We will be adding more creatures in the near future when I get the Etsy shop open.

These sketches are just a starting point for the final designs of thermies. Drawings are scanned and drawn over in Illustrator, made into layers and pieces and eventually filled with color. That makes it sound fast and easy, doesn't it? From watching, I can tell you that Eric makes it look easy but the process certainly isn't fast. There is much care and consideration that goes into each thermie design. We want to put only a unique and thoughtful handcrafted item in a customer's hands that will use and love their thermie on a regular basis!

We are very much enjoying the process and fabrication of thermies and hope you enjoy hearing and learning about it too!