max-bailey Archives - Page 72 of 79 - Ruffing’s Artist Dolls and Toys

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Jazzie the Siamese Ballerina, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Cat Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

They named her Jasmine, after the sweet smelling flower, but everyone calls her “Jazzie.”

Jazzie is a little kitten with a big dream. Someday, she wants to be a prima ballerina.

She has the jumping thing down, and the leaping thing. Her somersaults are outstanding, and she’s trying to think of a way to work them into her first ballet recital.

The only really disappointing thing to Jazzie is that her little limbs are not yet long enough for her to put her paws together above her head in that graceful ballerina arch. Her ears always get in the way.

Today, Jazzie is twirling around the dining room table.

“Jazzie, you really are very weird,” her brother says, looking up from his violin practice.

Jazzie ignores him. She has just discovered that if she concentrates really hard on trying to catch the tip of her tail in her mouth, she can spin even faster. Depending on where her tail is at the moment, she can spin to the right or spin to the left!

When Jazzie is too dizzy to continue, she stretches out on the floor and watches the ceiling go around. She imagines she can hear the audience loudly applauding. The curtains part for the fourth curtain call. There is Jazzie, the prima ballerina, at center stage, her paws extended high above her ears in that graceful ballerina pose. Bouquets of roses are strewn all about the stage. Jazzie looks down at the orchestra and sees her brother, playing first violin. He looks so proud of his little sister!

Jazzie’s lovely blue eyes look earnestly out from her dark face. Her dress is orchid pink, highlighted with shades of lighter pink. The dress is set off by a white rose at the front, and a darker pink bow at the back. Below her hemline, you can see her ruffled petticoats, one dark pink to match the bow, and the others white.

I hand sculpted Jazzie from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.

Jazzie is completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She rests firmly on a wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and she stands 7 ¾ inches tall.

Update: Jazzie has already been adopted. thank you!

Posted on February 21, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Princess Anna, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

I am pleased to introduce the very royal Princess Anna.

While palace life is really quite nice in many ways, Princess Anna has found that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. She eats the finest kitty food and wears the finest kitty dresses, yet sometimes she longs to sample just a tiny bit of the world outside.

On this particular morning, Princess Anna looks out from her window at the white shapes that dot the distant hillside.

“They can’t be snow,” she thinks aloud, “for winter has come and gone, and the sun has warmed the earth.”

While the palace guards are looking the other way, Princess Anna heads for the hills. She brushes aside the tall grasses that grow in the meadow, and forges ahead.

She feels the soft breezes blowing in her hair, and the sun’s rays warming her lovely and determined little face.

She is gone for a long time.

The palace guards are the first to see her return, triumphantly holding a bouquet of white daisies. They smile at each other and pretend not to see her sneaking back through the side entrance of the palace.

“The Princess is happy,” the guards pronounce, and nothing further is said about the matter.

Lovely Princess Anna is as white as the daisies she carries. Her eyes are a soft blue, and her nose is a delicate shade of pink. Anna’s flowered red dress has a gold band around the neckline and sleeves, and is adorned with a deep blue ruffle and matching sash that ties neatly in a bow at the back. Her pale gold petticoats can be seen below her hemline.

I sculpted Princess Anna and her daisy bouquet from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her royal kitty whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.

The Princess is completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She rests firmly on a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and she stands 9 and 1/2 inches tall.

Update: Princess Anna has already been adopted. Thank you!

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Isadora, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

This is Isadora, a Siamese cat. Isadora is as slender and as elegant and as regal as the long-stemmed roses she loves.

Isadora once heard that if you talk to your plants, they will flourish and grow to be hardy and strong, and so she talked to her roses, in her strange Siamese voice, for hours on end. She thought the roses seemed to lean toward her when she spoke.

“Perhaps if I sing to them, they will become even more beautiful,” she thought.

Out in her backyard rose garden, Isadora sang, loudly and frequently. Neighbors as far as a block away heard her, for her voice was impossible to ignore, and came to see what all the commotion was about. They peeked over the garden fence to see the lovely Isadora gliding through the garden, singing her heart out.

Not one of them had the heart to tell Isadora that her voice might be less than inspiring for the roses, as they could plainly see how sincere and well-meaning she was. They feared the roses might wilt. But as they watched, the roses bent toward her, their buds opened, and fragrance filled the air.

“Now that is truly amazing,” they whispered, in awe.

Within a short time, Isadora was invited to all the neighborhood gardens, where she shared her gift. The neighbors sometimes hid when she sang, so she wouldn’t see them covering their ears. They loved her dearly, and it is said that they had the most exquisite flowers ever to be seen anywhere!

Isadora’s old-fashioned dress is a beautiful shade of periwinkle blue that sets off her sapphire-blue eyes. It has a dramatic dark blue yoke with a wide ruffle that falls just below her shoulders, and matching dark blue lower sleeves. Both yoke and sleeves are trimmed with a band of gold. Ruffled gold petticoats can be seen below her dress, from which her long tapering Siamese tail emerges.

I hand sculpted Isadora and her rose from paperclay, and she is a one-of-a-kind work of art. No molds are ever used in my work.

She is completely hand painted using acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. Her whiskers are made from stiffened cotton thread.

Isadora rests firmly upon a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak. She is 9 and 1/2 inches tall and she is meant for display only.

Update: Isadora has already been adopted. Thank you!

Isadora’s ginger tabby cat friend is Ginnie.

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 1 Comment

Ginnie, Original One-of-a-kind Ginger Tabby Cat Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

Every Saturday morning Tony the Baker takes a batch of freshly baked gingerbread kitties from the oven, and decorates them with colored frosting, currant eyes, and candy buttons. They are his specialty. He sets them on trays and proudly places them on display in the bakery window.

Tony knows that shy little Ginnie, the ginger tabby cat with the sweet face, will stop on the sidewalk to admire them. She always does.

She will look wistfully at the cookies, her head tilted slightly to one side, then sigh softly and continue on her way. Tony will gaze at Ginnie through the window, admiring her beautiful coloring, her amber eyes, and her graceful ways.

Ginnie has two loves in this world so far………the color green, and gingerbread kitties.

On this particular Saturday, Tony the Baker appears suddenly in the doorway, holding two gingerkitty masterpieces he has just made especially for Ginnie.

“I made these for you,” Tony manages to say as he holds them out to her.

“Oh, I couldn’t, Mr. Baker,” Ginnie tells him, and only she knows that she is blushing. “I have to watch my waistline.”

“There could be no harm in a little nibble now and then,” answers Tony. “Here is one for you, and one to give to a friend.”

Ginnie thinks how pleased her friend will be when she gives her the gingerkitty with the green shirt. She takes it and puts it in her pocket, for she is generous of heart. She extends her paw for the other.

“Thank you kindly, Mr. Baker,” she tells him, and holding her gingerkitty somewhat near her heart, Ginnie continues down the sidewalk, glancing back at Tony the Baker only once, or maybe twice.

Ginnie now has three loves in this world so far.

Ginnie’s dress is her favorite color green, with a darker green sash that ties in the back in a very pretty bow, and a stripe of darker green across the pocket and around the hem. Antique white ruffles set off the dress at the neckline and at the bottom of the sleeves. Below her dress, you can see her many petticoats, one white, then each a different shade of green.

I hand sculpted Ginnie (and her cookies) from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her long graceful whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.

Ginnie is completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She rests firmly on a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and she stands 9 1/2 inches tall.

Update: Ginnie has already been adopted. Thank you!

Ginnie’s friends are Belinda and BoBo (above right).