In case you wondered...
Why are you called Rainbow Glade Designs?
The short answer: Rainbow Glade is the neighborhood where Skip and Pip, my two little bunnies in love, have their adventures.
The longer answer? Even as a kid I loved rainbows - they were such a beautiful example of combining all the colors I was obsessed with while using my Crayola 64 Crayon Box. Seeing one in the sky was incredibly magical. Growing up in stormy Florida, we’d see many. They never failed to enthrall me.
Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community just makes them that much more special!
Do you actually make everything you sell?
Sure do! I have a studio with a myriad of tools that help me produce everything I sell, including quality photo printers, die cut machines and two different embroidery sewing machines. Creating magic with paper, vinyl and fabric is my passion (or addiction - they might be the same).
Even the Grumblecritters?
Absolutely. I plan out a pattern for whatever crazy animal has struck my interest. Believe me, there are many hits and misses while the design is finalized. I draw the pieces of the critter that the embroidery machine will sew and have specialized digitizing software that can convert the drawing into a file the machine can read. Next I pick the felt and cotton fabric combinations that appeal to me and it's time to sew on the machines. The remainder is pieced together and sewn by hand. Adding the side eye is the final step.
But why the Grumblecritters?
In late summer 2020, I found myself with a myriad of fabric scraps from making face masks for friends and family. Wondering what to do with them, they became part of the hobby I'd pass time on while watching nightly television. Sewing small plushes was a fun way to be creative and I rediscovered my childhood love of felt. As a kid I adored making creatures out of felt and checked out every craft book from the local library. With needle and thread and some imagination, little creatures were born. It wasn't intentional at first for them to look so grumpy but they were my mood at the time - and apparently everyone else's! I've been selling these disgruntled critters ever since. Every six weeks or so I imagine something different so inventory changes constantly.
Some people knit or crochet in front of the television at night. I can't do either of those crafts to save my life - assembling felt and fabric it is for me!
What are you planning to make next?
Say hello to the Legendary Smols! The Jackalope is the first creature in this new collection debuting in April 2022. I'll be bouncing back and forth between the cute and grumpy for the foreseeable future.