Elizabeth Ruffing, Author at Ruffing’s Artist Dolls and Toys

Posted on April 24, 2011August 1, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 4 Comments

Alley Cat Angel, handmade stuffed animal sock cat

Happy Easter, everyone! As I promised yesterday, I am posting a special Alley Cat Angel sock kitten today. All the proceeds from the sale of this kitty will go to a local cat and kitten rescue group, Alley Cats and Angels of NC, less the shipping amount. Update: This Alley Cat Angel has been adopted! Thank you! I will be posting my new handmade stuffed animal toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

My Alley Cat Angel is approximately 16 inches tall from the top of her pointy ears to the bottom of her paws, and approximately 11 inches tall when seated. She is a lovely light blue, with a red fleece heart. All her details are sewn on by hand with embroidery floss.

She has a very sweet expression, fitting an angel.

Her puffy white wings are made from socks too! They are also attached by hand.

Being a kitty, of course she likes to climb trees, but unlike regular kitties, she can fly back down when she wants to.

She comes with a hang tag that can be personalized as you wish. I can add a name for her or “For + a recipient’s name” if she is a gift. Her hang tag comes tied to her with a ribbon. I am happy to include a gift card for anyone wishing to send her as a gift to a separate address.

I plan to make more Alley Cat Angel sock kittens. If you are on Facebook, please “like” our Ruffing’s Facebook page. The proceeds from this first angel will be entirely for the rescue, and a portion of the proceeds for the next couple of Alley Cat Angels will go to animal charities as well. They (and you, if you adopt one) will be helping animals in need.

As you know, if you’ve been reading my blog, our little Josephine was rescued by and came from a cat rescue, and she is a very good girl indeed! Please consider adopting a pet, and please spay and neuter your pets.

Posted on April 23, 2011August 1, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 4 Comments

New Fleece Hug Me Kitten

I finished a new fleece Hug Me Kitten handmade stuffed animal cat. She (or he) is cream-colored with a magenta heart and cornflower blue eyes.

She bears a bit of resemblance to Josephine, and even had her funny smile.

She has a tail that sticks straight out in back.

I love the back view.

She comes with a hang tag that can be personalized with a name or “For + a recipient’s name”. I plan to make more, in different colors. I will be posting my new handmade stuffed animal toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

We had a surprise yesterday. Mama duck left her nest and came to visit us in the pouring rain, with eleven ducklings! She greeted me with a big quack when I came outside. She is taking such good care of them.

They were tired from their long walk up the hill from the pond, and all piled together for nap while she watched over them.

Babies get tired. They stayed like this for a long time, foraged some more, and then made their way back to the pond.

This baby gets tired too. She’s discovered windowsills and loves napping in them when she is not busy helping me or running around with her friends. She came from a local cat rescue, and tomorrow, for Easter, I’m going to have a special Alley Cat Angel sock doll. The proceeds of this first angel will go to that rescue, and then I will made some more, with a portion of each sale going to a local cat rescue. So, I hope you’ll come back to see tomorrow.

Posted on April 20, 2011August 1, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 2 Comments

Mini slug-shop update

I have a few new ready-made Hug Me Slugs, and have more to post once I finish a few more details. In the midst of this small crowd is my new fleece Hug Me Kitten design. I will show you more photos of her once I draw her hang tag picture, and I then will get her posted too. I will be posting my new handmade stuffed animal toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

I couldn’t resist running next door to photograph this mauve-pink slug in my neighbors’ azaleas.

I think this is purple salvia, from our flowerbed, with this dark purple slug.

My mom took a photo of the grass-green slug with me holding him, because the wind was making my photos out of focus.

I held this olive-green slug steady too.

I managed to balance this orange slug on the deck railing, and this gray slug held his own.

This red slug is posing in front of our pink dogwood tree. He’s already found a new home and has been sent on his way there.

I had a doll skirt to make also, for one of Max Bailey‘s kitty dolls.

This is Minnie the Tabby Cat, original one-of-a-kind anthropomorphic cat art doll by Max Bailey.

Josephine has been very busy helping me. She loves the computer, and takes all my pens. Every single one. She was very excited over the fleece kitty photos I have coming up, and threw herself at the screen, batting at them with her paws.

I’ve been taking my fleece scraps and making catnip knots with them. They are for a local cat rescue, for fundraising, but someone keeps trying to take the whole bag. I let him choose a couple of his own.

The knots are very easy to make. I made them following the instructions in this video, if anyone else would like to give them a try. No sewing required.

Posted on April 19, 2011June 2, 2011 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 2 Comments

Minnie, Original One-of-a-kind Tabby Cat Art Doll by Max Bailey

When she was born, her mother gave her the name Minerva, but only her mother ever called her that. Everyone else called her Minnie.

Minnie grew up to be a lovely tabby. Her fur is a mix of tabby colors…silver gray, buff, ivory, gold, and black.

Minnie extends a warm welcome to everyone who comes calling. In the afternoon, she sits on her porch and waits for the children to walk home from school.

They wave to her as they pass by, and she lifts her paw to greet them. Sometimes they stop by to visit with her, which makes Minnie very happy. She purrs loudly.

Today, Minnie is wearing a tan blouse patterned with blue flowers with red centers. It has a blue collar and blue cuffs.

Her tights have matching tan and blue stripes. The high-button shoes she wears have red buttons down the sides.

Minnie’s tan skirt has delicate white lace around the hemline.

Her blue apron is decorated with a line of red ribbon. Her skirt and apron were designed and created by artist Elizabeth Ruffing.

Minnie is 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 paints. Her whiskers are made from stiffened cotton thread.

Minnie’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. Her curled tail enables her to sit by herself on a shelf or 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.) Minnie is meant for display only.

Minnie is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She is 8 and 1/2 inches tall.

Update: Minnie has been adopted. Thank you!