About the Art & Artist
Say hello to Taneko!
Taneko Says Hello is for anyone who is a child at heart. It’s for kids who want to deck out their things with cute, silly stickers; parents who share their kids’ sense of curiosity, wonder, and amusement at the whimsical; gift-givers looking for unique, handmade items to bring their recipients joy; and adults who appreciate wordplay and love the cleverness of a good pun.
What is Taneko?
A cute hybrid between tako (octopus) and neko (cat), Taneko is an “octo-puss,” capturing an octopus’ talent for camouflage and mimicry, and a cat’s fuzzy cuteness. Because of this, she likes changing her colors, and trying different patterns. She also likes to mimic pop culture characters—cosplay is easy when you’re part octopus!
Taneko is a warm-hearted and soft critter, who enjoys befriending others. She would love to say hello and be your friend too! ☺
Who’s behind all this?
Hello~ I’m Sophia, the creator of Taneko and her fellow soft friends. What started as simple wordplay nerdery—inspired by my own neko named Tako (who loves saying hi to my neighbors)—has become a full-fledged project that keeps growing everyday!
I guess this was inevitable: I’m a designer who loves both visual and tactile creativity, and I have a soft spot for plushies, puns, and graphic design. Because of this, my plush characters have become an opportunity to create a business for myself doing all the things I love.
This is Jordan: you may have seen him with me at Taneko’s art and craft fairs. Not only does he help me at these events, but he is also in charge of my product photography. He’s the reason why my shop photos are so nice and profesh 🏆 Sometimes, we have Taneko collaborations together too—which is mostly just me hiding plushies around our garden, and him finding and taking nice photos of them :'D
You can check out his photography work here! He provides tailored images to businesses, big and small, throughout Michigan and the Midwest.
How are all these plush friends made?
I can honestly and happily say that all my plush toys and soft creations are completely handmade with care and love ♥
I enjoy inventing and designing my characters, as well as the act of making something with my own hands. So there’s no manufacturing plant here—just a person with a sewing machine and her imagination.
Each character’s sewing template and details are personally designed and made, and their faces are all hand-embroidered or hand-sewn. Because of this, each plush friend is unique and has its own personal touch—no two are entirely identical.
Most of my characters are made from soft polyester fleece, sewing & embroidery thread, and squishy fiber fill made from recycled polyester. Specialty characters, such as Cosplay Tanekos, may also include faux fur or felt. Eco-friendly Friends use a variety of upcycled fabrics and textiles—you can learn more about them here.
Where—and when—can I find these plush friends?
In Person
There are occasions when I attend local, Midwest craft & art fairs with a mountain of plushies! The easiest way to find out when and where these events are is to join my mailing list ♥
Online
Although you’re already at Taneko’s official online home, you can also find her elsewhere on Ye Olde Web:
Taneko’s Shop
If you’d like to adopt a Taneko or any of her friends, but can’t make it in-person to an event, you can visit Taneko’s online shop anytime!
Social Media
If you’d like to see cute and colorful moments in my journey of plush pun-ing, I invite you to follow
Taneko’s Instagram!
My posts range from Taneko’s travels to-and-from (and at) events, to work-in-progress, to cute illustrations and experiments in animation. It is all very colorful~ 🌈
If TikTok is more your jam, you can also check out Taneko’s TikTok.
Stockists
Select collections of my plush friends and art can also be found at these brick & mortar shops:
- The Ann Arbor Art Center in Ann Arbor, MI
- Booksweet in Ann Arbor, MI
- Matty J’s Bakery & Café in Saline, MI
- McPherson Local in Saline, MI
- P B and Jay’s Café in Fletcher, NC
- UMMA Gift Shop in Ann Arbor, MI
- Unicorn Feed & Supply in Ypsilanti, MI
- Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor, MI
If you have a shop and are interested in purchasing my plush friends and art wholesale, please check out my wholesale info.
Moar Art!
Lastly, if you like my art and graphic design work outside of Taneko (or are simply curious) you can visit my:
- Redbubble shop for merchandise that features both Taneko-related and other art
- Spoonflower shop for pattern art and surface designs printed on fabric-by-the-yard and home decor
- Portfolio for fine art, photography, and design work
- Etsy shop for fine art prints
- Facebook for my official Artist FB Page
Thanks for stopping by!
If you have any questions or need to get in touch, send me an email ☺
