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Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max Bailey

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley is a calico cat, with a dramatic contrast of orange, black, and white fur set off by her pale yellow-green eyes. Haley’s little doll peeks out of the pocket of her pinafore. Haley calls her Boo.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyUntil Boo came along, Haley sometimes felt lonely. She longed for a doll to be her companion, to share all her small adventures and big dreams.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley and Boo are now inseparable. They go everywhere together during the day, and Haley makes sure Boo is tucked in next to her at night.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyToday, Haley is wearing her pretty gold pinafore with red hearts and sprays of green leaves. It has a ruffled bib, yellow buttons, and straps that cross in the back.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHer soft yellow shirt is decorated with bands of gold edged in green. Her pantaloons are golden ivory, and from them emerges her black and orange tail.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyShe’s wearing green tights and two-tone dark brown and sienna brown high-button shoes.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyBoo is wearing a green pinafore with gold buttons over her yellow shirt. Like Haley, she’s a calico cat with yellow- green eyes. She is 1 and 3/4 inches tall, and is sculpted from paperclay and painted with acrylic paints. She is one-of-a-kind.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley is also an original one-of-a-kind work of art, created from my own design and pattern. She is made from 100% cotton fabric which has been sewn, stuffed, and completely hand-painted with acrylic paint.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley’s paws are needle-sculpted, and her arms are button-jointed so that she can pose. Her face was sculpted from paperclay smoothed into her fabric head, and her whiskers are made from stiffened cotton thread.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley’s curled tail enables her to sit prettily all by herself on a shelf or on a table, or in a cabinet. She can also sit on a chair or stand with a doll stand. (Chair and doll stand not included.) Haley and Boo are made for display only.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyHaley and Boo are signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. Haley is 8 and 1/2 inches tall.

Haley and Boo, Original One-of-a-kind Calico Cat and Kitten Art Dolls by Max BaileyUpdate: Haley and Boo have been adopted. Thank you!

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Bugs, slugs, and toads in progress

Rainbow of Hug Me Slugs and Bugs in progress, original art toys by Elizabeth RuffingI’m closing in the the sixty-five or so toys I had in all stages in my workroom. These have their features pinned on and ready to sew.

Hug Me Sock Toads in progress, original art toys by Elizabeth RuffingI’ve had some requests for more sock toads, and I’m working on some of those too. I got a lot done on these, while waiting at the dentist for my mom. I sat in the car stuffing them.

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyWe have lots of cute kitten dolls up over on our Ruffing’s blog. They keep multiplying faster than I get them photographed and posted. I still have lots of photos to edit, and Max Bailey has five new kittens still to photograph. The kittens above are, from left to right, Brandy, Pepper, Catherine, Lucy, and Emily.

White duck with a mallard duck, photo by Elizabeth RuffingOur duck friend was all alone for a few months, after a loose dog killed the rest of the flock. She was all by herself on the pond, quacking loudly. We bring her cracked corn and she appears to appreciate the company as well as the corn. A couple of weeks ago, we showed up with our duck snacks, and found two ducks waiting. This handsome mallard must have heard her call. He’s very loyal to her, and they come visit us together. We are so happy she isn’t alone anymore, and hope they’ll be safe.

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Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max Bailey

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyLucy is a pretty miniature tabby and white kitten with yellow-green eyes.

She is wearing a red dress with a ruffle around the neck that is edged in gold.

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyLucy comes with a mahogany-stained dollhouse spindle cradle. The mattress, pillow, and coverlet are red plaid. Red is Lucy’s favorite color, and she can’t wait to jump into her cradle at night.

Lucy is a one-of-a-kind work of art, and is meant for display only.

She was sculpted from paperclay in multiple stages, to allow for drying and detailing.

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyLucy was painted under a magnifying light, with tiny brushes, one hair at a time.

She is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyLucy and her cradle are 1:12 scale. (One inch equals one foot.)

Lucy stands 1 and 3/4 inches tall.

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyUpdate: Lucy has been adopted. Thank you!

Lucy, Original One-of-a-kind Dollhouse-sized Tabby-and-white Kitten by Max BaileyHappy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! These five kittens are (from left to right) Brandy, Pepper, Catherine, Lucy, and Emily.

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Festival photos

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCI borrowed these photos from Alley Cats and Angels rescue of NC, to show you my toys at the festivals this past weekend. They visited Peak Fest in Apex, Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, and OutRaleigh in Raleigh. Thanks very much to everyone at Alley Cats and Angels for taking them along and spending so much time and effort.

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCThe rescue also had cat beds and catnip toys there, which are still available from them. They use potent catnip. Our cats love the toys they got. They are all handmade by volunteers.

Mint green Hug Me Slug, original art toy by Elizabeth RuffingI currently have some more toys with portion going to animal charities as well. I will be posting new toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCMost of these are from Meet in the Street, in Wake Forest. The one below is from OutRaleigh. The banner says “A cat’s love knows no gender or color.” As most have probably heard, North Carolina has been engaged in a heated debate over Amendment One, which is an embarrassment to a great many of us, including me. I wish people would learn to leave each other alone. Why is that so hard? It’s something I’ve never understood. I find it so upsetting.

OutRaleigh May 5, 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCI admire people who spend their lives trying to help other people and animals and the world around them. I don’t have tolerance for those who try to inflict harm. Just think how much better everything would be if people spent their time thinking of ways to help, and acting on those ideas, rather than spending their time attacking and hurting each other. I wish there were more kindness being expressed. All the hate and anger sickens me.

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCI try to surround myself with positive, supportive people. And I try to recognize the negative, poisonous ones and get away from them as fast as possible. A friend gave some valuable advice saying it isn’t worth spending any time thinking about people who treat you in an uncaring way; just get away from them and don’t look back. I think that goes for people who treat others in an uncaring way too.

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NCThankfully, there are people who do care, and do spend their time doing positive, generous things. I’d rather focus on them.

Meet in the Street in Wake Forest, NC, May 5 2012, Alley Cats and Angels of NC