Posted on 1 Comment

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max Bailey

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyAmy rises with the sun. She opens her eyes, and they are as blue as the sky on this perfect morning.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyShe dresses herself in her favorite pink blouse and buttons on her ivory pinafore with polka dots in two shades of pink. She carefully selects the striped tights that exactly match, then pulls on her little brown boots with the gold buttons.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyAmy tiptoes out to the kitchen to see if breakfast is being served. If not, she sits herself prettily in front of the computer and checks the Yahoo kitty news, the weather forecast, and latest fashion updates. Amy prides herself on being well-informed.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyAmy 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.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyAmy’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.) Amy is meant for display only.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyAmy is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She is 8 and 1/2 inches tall.

Amy, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyUpdate: Amy has been adopted. Thank you!

Posted on 1 Comment

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max Bailey

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyMelody is a beautiful Siamese cat whose sapphire blue eyes, sweet expression, and loving nature make her dear to everyone who knows her.

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyMelody can almost always be found sitting in high places, where she can see everyone and everything around her, and where, most importantly, she can be seen.

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyWhile Melody is not known for her singing voice, she is always ready for a conversation. She’ll discuss any topic at great length.

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyToday, Melody is wearing her favorite blue blouse and tights, with her pinwheel patterned skirt. Her fancy gold boots match the buttons on her blouse.

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyMelody 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.

Melody, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Art Doll by Max BaileyMelody’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.) Melody is meant for display only.

Melody is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She is a petite 7 and 1/2 inches tall.

Update: Melody has been adopted. Thank you!
Posted on

Catnip toys, catnip aliens?

Fleece catnip toys by Elizabeth RuffingI’m not sure exactly what they are or what they should be named, but they were pretty popular here today.

My cat playing with fleece catnip toys by Elizabeth RuffingSomeone was nuzzling them while I was tying to sew them closed, and tried to be good and wait, while I photographed them. When I said it was okay, he dove in.

My cat yawns as he is playing with fleece catnip toys by Elizabeth RuffingNot that playing doesn’t make him sleepy. It was a nice sunny day after all, perfect for napping.

Santana the Peeping Tom Cat shows up at my window to see what I am sewingI’ve been sewing more slugs and bunnies over the past couple of days too. Santana the Peeping Tom Cat surprised me, when I looked up from my machine. He must have wanted to know what I was making. I think he’s taking notes. He may even have a sewing machine at his house, where he is sewing up his own toys. I wonder what his would look like.

Santana the Peeping Tom Cat shows up at my window to see what I am sewing and looks around

Posted on

Camo Bunny! Camouflage Hug Me Bunny stuffed animal rabbit toy

Hug Me Camo Bunny, Original Art Toy by Elizabeth Ruffing, in camouflage fleeceFriends have been encouraging me to make camouflage Hug Me Slugs. My friend Marie suggested they would make great gifts for people in the military and their families, who could use an extra hug, and everyone who was chatting about the Camo Slug idea agreed. I was working on them today. Suddenly, I had to take a detour. It may be Saint Patrick’s Day today, but that only made me think of Easter, my favorite holiday. And Easter made think of bunnies. I stopped sewing, drew a little picture, and then drafted a pattern. Within an hour or two, Camo Bunny was born!

Hug Me Camo Bunny, Original Art Toy by Elizabeth Ruffing, in camouflage fleeceCamo Slug will join Camo Bunny. I am making some custom Hug Me Bunny stuffed toy animals too. I can make them in any other fleece color that I have on hand as well. I’ll be adding more ready-made toys. I have a pile of them that I am working on. I will be adding my new handmade stuffed animal toys to our Ruffing’s shop.

cat sitting on my camouflage fleeceCamouflage fleece makes a great cat bed, apparently. My assistant settled right in while my back was turned for a few minutes. Perhaps he was hoping I wouldn’t see him, surrounded by camouflage. He was cooperative about getting back into his own bed, but the fleece won the cuddly contest.

duck sitting on eggs in her nestOne of the ducks was missing this weekend, and I was very worried until my mom found her…sitting on about twelve eggs! She built her nest, hidden behind a group of trees. I’m so glad she is okay. I was certain she was a he, and so that was an extra surprise. The other boy ducks tried to chase her off last year, when she was less than a year old. The one that is the dad used to snap at her when they came for corn snacks. He’s the big duck we brought to the vet, to have a fish hook removed. They are both survivors, and so we all hope their ducklings will be too.

Frosty the white kittenSpeaking of survivors, and hiding, this is Frosty. Frosty came from a feral colony and is very shy. She is staying with Marie, but she has to have one of her canine teeth removed. One is growing straight out. That’s what gives her lip a slight curl in the corner of her mouth. We’re going to visit with her for a little while after her dental, while she recovers, before Marie gets back home from work. She is such a beautiful girl.

Gypsy goes for a car rideI tagged along with Marie again, on a trip back to Rochelle’s house, to pick up some more cats to be neutered/spayed and vaccinated. This time it was Gypsy’s turn. He is tame and the others are feral. He stayed with us, in a carrier, so he wouldn’t go eat all the food in the safety traps. We took him to Kentucky Fried Chicken with us, to pick up some smelly chicken. The cats went right in the traps, once the chicken arrived. Gypsy seemed to enjoy the car ride, and the chicken…of course.

Gypsy plays with a feather toyThe cats stayed in their traps at Marie’s house, the night before their surgeries, and then they went back to Rochelle’s house. Gypsy enjoyed being in the house. The feather toy was new to him. He may stay with Rochelle, or, if someone would like to adopt him, he may go to his own home. He may need a little potty training, since that may be unfamiliar to him too. So, that is a wait-and-see situation. We had a cat who was outside in his early months, who was successfully potty trained, after not knowing about litter boxes, and Gypsy seems like a smart boy. He may take right to the idea, since he’s been neutered, without any training. No one knows yet. I added the rest of my photos to a photo-documentary, if anyone would like to read the rest of the story.

woodsPlease join Ruffing’s on Facebook, if you haven’t already, and visit our Ruffing’s shop blog. We will be posting our new creations there.

And Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone! As you now know, I am thinking about Easter instead. I am thinking about Christmas also, stocking up on toys, but I don’t want to miss spring either. Everything is starting to look very pretty.

forsythiaI took my camera with me on a walk recently. Here is a spectacular forsythia bush, and a yard full of little purple flowers in the grass.

purple flowers in the grassOur peach tree is full of blooms.

peach tree flowersThe trees are getting their leaves.

birch treeAnd I even saw a dandelion! I don’t care what people say about them. I’m happy to see their bright yellow heads popping up.

dandelionI have so much to do. I hope to have more to show you soon.