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Babiekins Magazine

A Trendsetting Magazine & Online Community For The Trendsetting Child + Parent

Momkins//Art & Motherhood: Chloe Fleury

By Leslie Schor, Senior Fashion Editor 1 Comment

We are talking art and motherhood with Chloe Fleury, an illustrator and set and prop stylist out of San Francisco. Chloe has a young daughter named Lula and another little one on the way, but that hasn’t stopped the French artist from creating. Chloe has found a niche in creating magical sets, whimsical animals and décor out of paper.

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

When did you start creating?
I grew up in a very colorful home. My parents love art, my grandfather had a gallery, my grandmother was a painter and both of my parents draw very well. I have been making things (paper boxes, origami, paintings…) for as long as
I can remember. Very early, I think around the age of 5, one of my teachers told my mum that I had a talent for art and I should be taking classes. So I did, for about 10 years. I went to an art class every Wednesday.
I never tried music, which I regret. And I was never into sports. My interest was mostly in drawing. I would spend my weekends and holidays making cards to sell to the neighbors, making paper boxes, I was already obsessed with paper and textures. I don’t know how many hours my mother and I spent at the art store. I had a little studio in our garage! Then, I graduated from high school and went to ECV, a visual communication school in Aix-en-Provence,
south of France for 4 years.

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

What does “Art” mean to you?
Expressing myself creatively and visually. Making pretty things using my hands.

What is your medium of choice?
Paper for the last 4-5 years. I love creating little worlds, working on set decors and props. I am more and more interested in trying new techniques and incorporating new medium into my work. I just need to find the
time to experiment!

cfleury_desk

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

Has motherhood altered your creative process? If so, in what ways?
I have never been as inspired as when I was pregnant with Lula (and now with my second). Lula sure inspires me a lot. Regarding the process, the most remarkable change is that now I have a studio outside of our home. Lula’s bedroom was my studio, but I had to move because I needed more space and she needed her own space as well. When she is with the nanny, I have to be more organized and really focus on my work and productivity. That way, when I come home, I can focus on her. Before becoming a mum, I worked a lot at night and on the weekends. That isn’t the case anymore as I like to enjoy our family time together. We like to be outside, explore nature, etc. This also inspires me. At night, I am too exhausted and just need to relax and have some quiet time for myself.

Do you involve Lula in your process, or is it a personal experience for you?
Not really. My work involves a cutter, scissors, glue and these are dangerous tools for her. That is also one of the reasons that I have a studio now. Otherwise, I would have to make sure the door is closed all of the time. She has so much energy and likes to touch and climb on everything, so I think it’s a little too early for her to be with me in the studio. It would be very stressful for me. However, I definitely can’t wait for her to be a little older so we can work on little craft projects together. For now, she is obsessed with stickers and drawing on her desk! Although she is currently not directly involved in the creative process, she serves as inspiration in creating new products for my shop. She has a few trophy animals in her bedroom and I loved creating her birth announcement, 1st birthday invitation and party décor. It is just amazing to be a mum and rediscover the little things in life with her. The colors, the words, the animals, the sounds…everything! She amazes me every day. I aspired to be a children’s book illustrator when I was in art school and collected many books. I love reading them to Lula.

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

What do you do when you encounter a creative block?
I take a break! Sometimes when I start on a project, if it doesn’t work the way I want the first time, it feels like I will never make it right. That is so frustrating! I ask myself so many questions and doubt my work and talent. I’m like “Ok, I’m done, I am not good enough”. At that point, I just take a little break for a few days or work on a different project. When I come back to it, I feel much more inspired and have a fresh perspective on it.

If you could give creative mothers any piece of advice, what would that
be?

It is hard to find the balance between work and being a mother. If making art is your passion, I would say to never give up. It took a long time for me to find my own style and have my first client. However, all of
the questions and moments of doubt are so worth it when you finally are able to live from your passion.

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

Babiekins Magazine|Chloe Fleury

Chloe Fleury|Website|Blog|Shop

Photo Credits//Photo of Chloe in workspace: Maria Del Rio| Photos of Chloe and Lula in Lula’s bedroom: Sabrina Bot

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Art, artist, chloe fleury, creativity, leslie schor, motherhood, paper art, prop design, set design Posted By: Leslie Schor, Senior Fashion Editor

Craftykins // Food Art with Buggie and Jellybean

By Dixie, Former Contributor 3 Comments

Isn’t instagram amazing?  I love that we can support other moms that we have never even met halfway around the world and get inspired by their creativity one squared photo at a time.  I think all mom’s have this soft spot that resonates in us when we see something super awesome for kids whether it’s a playground, or a kiddie corner tucked away in a cafe or a bank, and worse if you’re on a romantic getaway that leaves you going “Aww honey we should’ve brought the kids!”  It’s a sense that assures us we love being parents and that we would not give it up for the world.  So you can understand why I couldn’t resist following this woman, @bugbeansmomma, on instagram after a photo she put up of an edible wave and surfboard popped up on my feed.  Her blog is an embodiment of how creative and fun motherhood can be!  Here she is to share with Babiekins, some of her favorite work along with some tips!

 

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“Cowabunga” – Kitchen scissors will be your best friend, I find it easier to cut the bread first then add the inside ingredients, like this surf board.

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“Frankenwhich”- Holidays make for an easy way to use and introduce fun plates

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Banana Sushi – Remember a fun plate does not need to be a cool design, but making it fun and re imagining it. Banana, almond butter, raw honey and whole wheat.

 

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“Angry Birds”- Try to use items that you normally wouldn’t put on your kids plates.  Almonds and edamame  might not usually appear  on them but makes for a  perfect healthy addition.

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Mater – Try not to let “requests” stump you up. 

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Kissie Fish – Buy exotic items for added fun, star fruit for instance make great star fish!
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How did you get started? 
A fellow Momma blogger/IGer/IRL friend Lindsay Hopkins of Pen and Paint started a fun hashtag on IG called #weplaywithourfood. I was intrigued right away.  I love the idea of taking food and making it fun. I will be honest in that I have never had an issue with picky eaters, yes there are a few things each will not eat but overall, they eat a good variety of food.  So for me it was a creative outlet, a way to introduce new foods, and get my kids talking about food in a healthy way.
What inspires you to create?
9 time out of 10, I get inspiration from the food I have on hand.  I like pulling fruits and veggies out, which is usually my base and start from there.  Its fun to look at a apple and think what I can turn it into, like the top of an umbrella, rays of the sun, or teeth on Frankenstein. But there are times I am stumped and ask the kids for input and then go from there.  But mostly the ideas live in a crazy little corner in my head.
Any advice for other mommas?
ALWAYS REMEMBER ITS FUN!! If it’s starting to be stressful, stop and just throw together a ham and cheese, if they never knew you were making it fun it will not hurt them to not get it that day. Remember we are making memories. So even if its just a little banana palm tree, its a banana palm tree they will remember and look back on fondly. To make it that more memorable, sit down with them and make up a story with the plate.  Maybe that little banana palm tree sits on a little island, which a little monkey lives on…you get the idea.
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Hope this inspires you to get in the kitchen and think beyond the plate!
Amy
Official Memory Maker for Buggie and Jellybean
_________________________________________
by
Dixie x x

Filed Under: Fun Tagged With: #craftykins, Art, blogger, creativity, DIY, Food, food art Posted By: Dixie, Former Contributor


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Copyright © 2023 · Babiekins Magazine | A Trendsetting Kids' Fashion Magazine and Online Community for Parents and Children Alike · Since the Southern California birth of Babiekins in 2010, the magazine has grown from into an internationally-recognized print publication with a global circulation and now a thriving online community. We are more than a kids’ fashion magazine. We search everywhere for inspiration, and go beyond trends to bring you fashion, style, decor, design, books, DIY, parties, and playthings. Our readers look to us to keep up with the best and most up-to-date concepts in the children’s market worldwide. We have an eye for quirk. We’re high-fashion, but we value whimsy over tradition. Playful childhood is more important to us than making kids into copycat adults. We believe life is beautiful, life is valuable, and life changes when you see it through the eyes of a child. We seek to transcend skin color, language and zip codes and bring out the real, wild, magical creativity inherent in every child. And behind Babiekins is an optimistic team of mothers-turned-editors, working from home, often with our own little babiekins climbing on, under and around the desks. We want to encourage you, and challenge you to see something different — something special — in yourself and in this world we all share. Welcome to Babiekins!

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