We collaborated over the holiday season last year to turn her adorable mascot into a felt ornament. There are a couple of these cuties left so if you didn't get one yet, now's your chance!
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| Gabos, Lu & Ed's Mascot |
That's enough from me! Let's meet Cody!
Who are you? and where can we find your amazing work?Hi guys! I'm Cody, a monster making mom from the midwest. I have been making Mon-stors for four and a half years and selling on Storenvy for four years (my Envyversary was April 10th!). My shop is Lu & Ed and can be found at luanded.com.
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| Cody the monster maker |
I moved my small family to Kansas City from the East Coast in 2009 and downsized majorly - from a three bedroom home to a one bedroom finished basement. Desperate for some storage that wouldn't take up much of our precious floor space, but discouraged with how cheaply made many children's storage solutions were, I dreamed up toy storage for my son that we could hang on the back of the doors for him to put his toys in, in the form of a monster he could "feed". The next day, I drafted the pattern and with the help of my mother-in-law, learned to use a sewing machine, and several hours and many laughs later, the very first Mon-stor ever was born.
After I posted photos of the first few Mon-stors for my son on social media, I began to get requests for them. I started making them at the cost of supplies for friends. A few weeks later I had so many requests I could barely keep up with them and I had to increase the price a bit to account for the time I was spending on them. A friend sent me a photo of their children "feeding" their Mon-stors. Knowing that something these hands created brought children so much joy and wonder filled my heart with a happiness I had never felt before. In that moment, I knew this: monster making was my calling. Another couple of weeks and I had a queue for custom orders that filled several pages in a notebook, and within three months of making the first ever Mon-stor I dropped my day job to pursue monster making full time. It was the best decision I ever made.
What's your workplace like?
I have a studio in the spare bedroom at the very back of our cozy little home. It's a great space with lots of natural light and a view of the backyard, so I can watch my son play while I work and enjoy a view of our garden when I am pausing to gaze out the window and daydream.
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| Cody's Workspace |
All kinds of upcycled fabrics! Each Mon-stor is made from upcycled fabrics either purchased from thrift stores or salvaged from donated clothing and fabrics. Scraps from large Mon-stors are used to make smaller Mon-stors, and scraps from those are used to make stuffed monsters, Gadget Mon-stors and totes. And the itty bitty scraps left over from those is diced up and blended with poly-fil - meaning there is absolutely no landfill waste from the production of Lu & Ed products.It's super important to me to run a small business that is ecofriendly - I am saving the world, one monster at a time!
Where do you find your inspiration too create?
My son! I am so inspired by his colorful and funny personality and sweetness, and his own creativity. Kids in general make this job so worth while - I love working with kids and seeing how much they love their monsters!
I also get a lot of inspiration from music - when I am creating, I have the music all the way up and I am off in my dream land - I barely even think about what I am doing so when I finish a Mon-stor I am always so excited to see them completed and it's usually a surprise!
Those were the serious questions! On to the fun ones!
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| Pink Monster Plush |
Right now they are a light cream color. I want to paint them white and fill the room with fun pops of color!
What animal do you fear?
I'm afraid of deep sea creatures, but that mostly stems from my absolute terror of water that covers my head!
If you could be a wild animal for a day, what animal would it be?
I'd like to be a jelly fish. I've always been curious how they communicate and interact with others and what the world is like to them.
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| Pink storage monster |
What kind of pet person are you?
I'm a crazy cat lady but love pretty much all animals except chickens and ducks. I don't DISlike them, but I've been attacked by them more times than I can count so I just avoid them.
Jeans, Khakis, or skirts?
I have a huge collection of skirts. I wear them all. the. time.
If you could live in a fictional world, which one would it be?
Hahahaha - Nerd Alert! I would be a Turk from the game Final Fantasy 7.
If you could go back in time and witness one historical event, what would it be? and why?
Rose Parks taking a stand on the bus. I have so much admiration for her courage and bravery. ♥
If you have a box of popsicles which color do you eat first? Why?
I don't like popsicles actually - my teeth are super sensitive so I steer away from cold stuff.
Sock, sock, shoe shoe or sock, shoe, sock shoe?
Sock, sock, shoe, shoe. :)
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| Stripey Large Storage Monster |
What's one of your guilty pleasures?
This surprises a lot of people but Sons of Anarchy is my most favorite show ever, and I watch it a LOT. My bestie saw an episode and texted me "I am shocked you like this show, it is so insanely violent!"
But.. yup, that's it. I have seen the entire series multiple times and know the timeline/story by heart. I would say I've rewatched all six seasons five or six times.
Do you have any superstitions?
I believe what you put out you get back threefold, but that's not really so much a superstition, I suppose.
What's your favorite snack while working?
Hershey Kisses or Nerds Jelly Beans!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would love to move back home to the East Coast and live near my family.
Be sure to visit Cody at her website: luanded.com.