Franceil was born in Coral Gables, Florida. Her great-grandfather and aunt were artists. At an early age she expressed herself through the visual arts and writing. She used to sit for hours and color in coloring books, build toys and Lego-structures, and create new objects. Her great-grandmother was supportive of her art and critiqued each of her pieces. In high school, Franceil was offered a full scholarship to Rhode Island School of Design but turned it down to major in Creative Writing at USC. During Franceil’s last semester in college, she discovered her natural ability to paint. Her sketches and paintings gave Franceil the freedom to be expressive with the use of line, tone, and techniques. She began to show at galleries and sold her paintings.
In 2001, Franceil started teaching with LAUSD. She also began to write and illustrate children’s stories. One day Franceil was working on one of her children’s books, Kilkenny Cats, and she came up with the idea to design a small plush toy of the cat. Hence, the first doll was created.
In 2011, Franceil showed her creations to the parents of one of her students at Coeur d’Alene Elementary and they were so impressed that they suggested they all join in a business partnership. On October 1, 2012 Indy Plush™ was born. The partnership gained the accounts of Whole Foods nationwide and Room & Board, as well as the Ritz Carlton. Indy Plsuh has been collected by Mark Zuckerberg, Owen Wilson, and Jimmy Kimmel and featured in UCLA Magazine. In 2016, Franceil left Indy Plush to propel her son’s art career and to start her environmental clothing line, Conscientious Clothing.
Come see what she’s made at the ENC Artisan Marketplace this Sunday, December 3 from 11AM to 4PM!