Author: Elizabeth Ruffing

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Mini Giclee Art Prints, Kitties

I’m on my fourth try of a medication that doesn’t agree with me, but is hopefully knocking out this infection I’ve had the past couple of months. So, I’ll try not to say too much, lest I say something dopey, literally. I’ve been saying things like “bathroom” when I mean “background”. Yesterday, when asked what Andy Griffith’s real-life hometown was, I actually suggested, “Mayberry?” Good thing I was in the privacy of my own home. I might have gotten thrown out of North Carolina for that.

I’ve decided to introduce mini versions of my prints. I’m not sure how long I’ll offer them, but I thought it might be a good way to gauge interest. I’ve been struggling a lot lately, trying to decide what to paint. That may sound odd, since I usually have too many ideas, but that is the problem. I’ve been too caught up in what I see is popular as well. I think, “I could do that…but I don’t want to.” I was trying to come up with something whimsical, cute, simple, but it just didn’t suit me. In fact, it was making me quite cranky, which was the reverse of what I was hoping for.

I’m going to stick with the often-offered advice, “Paint what you like to paint.” For me, that tends to be fantasy art, florals, cats, and other animals.

These cat paintings are available as mini prints in my Etsy shop, or on our Ruffing’s website. They are printed on nice heavy-weight, 100% cotton art paper, using archival-quality, pigment-based Epson inks, and are signed below the image in pencil. They come in a protective cello sleeve. From top to bottom, they are “The Guardian“, “Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils“, and “Something Stirring“.
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Big Cookie, Little Cookies

Someone’s birthday is near and so it was time for a big cookie. Hopefully that someone does not read this blog 🙂

These were made using the Nestlé Toll House cookie recipe on the back of their bag of semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Once you make up the cookie dough, divide it in half. One half goes in a buttered 9 inch round spring form pan and bakes at a slightly lower temperature, 350 instead of 375 degrees, for a longer period of time, about 25 to 30 minutes. I found this suggestion in The Family Baker by Susan G Purdy. It’s a fun cookbook full of traditional treats.
The other half of the cookie dough is baked according to the package directions. This way, even though the big cookie is leaving for a far away place, we still have a plate of chocolate chip cookies to enjoy here.
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You know you’re a nerd when…

…you spend the better part of a perfectly beautiful morning inside at the computer, making animated GIFs for no better purpose than to decorate your MySpace page. But, hey, aren’t they cool? I never tried making one before. It’s kind of hypnotic. Yes, I am a bit of a nerd 🙂

Okay, actually, according to this test, I am 69% nerd:

“Your Score: Pure Nerd

69 % Nerd, 13% Geek, 26% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendencies associated with the “dork.” No-longer. Being smart isn’t as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

Thanks Again! — THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST “

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Clara One-of-a-kind Original Izannah Walker-inspired Folk Art Doll by Elizabeth Ruffing

This is Clara, my new original folk art doll! I designed both her body pattern and her dress pattern myself. Her design was inspired by Izannah Walker dolls, and her face is a Jumeau-style antique reproduction. She is one-of-a-kind. There are no others like her.

Her body and her dress are both 100% cotton fabric. Her dress is a beautiful pink quilter’s cotton scattered with pale pink chrysanthemums, a symbol of innocence, hope, and cheerfulness. I sewed two pin tucks and a three inch hem at the bottom of the dress, to make it stand out nicely. A sash ties in a pretty bow at the back. All the seams are carefully finished.

I made her head using a combination of Creative Paperclay and Li-Qua-Ché pourable papier mâché. She is entirely hand painted first with a layer of gesso, then finely detailed with acrylic paint, and then sealed with matte varnish for protection.

She is jointed at her shoulders, hips and knees, and her bottom is weighted with Poly-Pellets so she can sit nicely. Her hands and arms are lightly wired to allow her fingers to have a more realistic curl, and to allow her elbows to bend slightly.

Her hand-sculpted ringlets go all the way around her head, and little pin curls cover the top of her head.

Her antique-style lace-trimmed undergarments are hand-painted and detailed with painted white lace trim and tiny buttons.

Her hand-painted boots have little painted gold buttons on their sides. I named her Clara after the character of that name in The Nutcracker. Lots of hours went into making Clara an heirloom-quality doll. She is meant for display, and would make a lovely addition to a young, or a young-at-heart, girl’s room.

Update: Clara has been adopted. Thank you!