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Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Bailey

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie is a handmade miniature original, one-of-a-kind silver tabby American Shorthair cat art doll, hand painted and hand sculpted in paperclay by artist Max Bailey.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie would stop to say hello to you today, but she just doesn’t have the time. She’s just left the soda fountain at the corner store and is clutching a wonderful vanilla ice cream cone that the nice man at the counter made for her.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyIt would be a catastrophe if her ice cream melted before she could finish it. She is off to find a big shade tree where she can savor every lick.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie is a silver tabby American Shorthair kitten with yellow-green eyes. She is wearing a soft gold jumper with straps that cross in the back. She wears it over a nice blue shirt.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie 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.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie was painted under a magnifying light, with tiny brushes, one hair at a time, using acrylic paint. She is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Jodie, miniature American Shorthair cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyJodie is 1:12 scale. (One inch equals one foot.) She is 2 inches tall.

Update: Jodie has been adopted. Thank you!

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Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Bailey

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyPinky is a handmade miniature original, one-of-a-kind tabby-and-white Norwegian Forest cat art doll, hand painted and hand sculpted in paperclay by artist Max Bailey.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyPinky is a Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten who lives in a world where everything is her favorite color,

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Baileyby her own design.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe wears a two-tone pink dress, with gold edging around the collar.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyHer favorite chair has mauve-pink tufted upholstery, and suits her perfectly.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyIn fact, her entire wardrobe and all the furnishings in her room are some shade of pink.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyNobody ever asks Pinky what her favorite color is.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyPinky 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.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyPinky was painted under a magnifying light, with tiny brushes, one hair at a time, using acrylic paint.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe is signed and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyPinky is 1:12 scale. (One inch equals one foot.) She is 1 and 5/8 inches tall.

Pinky, miniature Norwegian Forest Cat tabby-and-white kitten art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyUpdate: Pinky has been adopted. Thank you!

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Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its way, with a happy Hug Me Bunny or two.

Hug Me Bunny stuffed animal bunny rabbits in an Easter basket with a big ribbon, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingHappy spring and happy Easter! To celebrate, I have a whole colony, or fluffle, of Hug Me Bunny stuffed animal bunny rabbits! I have Hug Me Bunny and Wonder Bunny plush toys in lots of colors. You can hop on over to adopt one or two in our Ruffing’s shop.

Hug Me Bunny Easter basket ideas are further down in this post.

I love bunnies. They are sweet, intelligent, lovely animals. Please don’t give real bunnies as gifts for Easter! Having a rabbit as a pet is a big commitment and a lot of work. They are definitely not “starter pets.” They need lots of love and attention, like Oliver Bunny does.

The House Rabbit Society is a great resource for information about their needs and care.

Hug Me Bunny stuffed toy bunnies, however, are very easy to take care of, in addition to being cuddly.

Hug Me Bunnies in spring colors, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingI brought some Hug Me Bunny plush toys to Rabbit Day this year, and two of them were adopted by Louise and Arthur, two real bunnies.

Hug Me Bunnies with their bunny friends Louise and Arthur, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me Bunnies stuffed animal bunny rabbits come in all colors, even apple green. They have hand-stitched fleece hearts in pretty colors. I love combining colors. I like to use my custom-printed colored eyes on them to make them even more colorful.

Apple Green Hug Me Bunny, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingI started an Instagram page, for our stuffed animal art toys and original art dolls, if you would like to follow me there. I’m on Pinterest too. I started a Ruffing’s mailing list as well, so I can send out updates when we have something new.

Hug Me Bunnies in spring colors, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me Bunny Easter basket ideas.

If you would like to make an Easter or a spring basket, like the one I made, shown at the top of this post, here are some instructions.

I got package of floral foam, which you can find in a craft store, or craft department, or online. I happened to get “wet foam”, because it was the best size for my basket, but that wasn’t necessary because I used pretend flowers. It’s called wet foam, because it is used for fresh flower arrangements, to keep them hydrated, but I didn’t wet it!

I set my basket on top of the foam, for size, and carved away the excess with a knife. It was very easy to cut. Then I put the block into a leftover plastic shopping bag, so the bits wouldn’t get everywhere, and I sealed the bag.

Wet foam, floral foam, for flower arrangingI cut my flowers away from their central stem. Silk flowers are wired, and so you will need a tool that cuts wire, like a pair of side-cutting pliers or wire cutters. I tried to cut them at an angle, to make it easier to insert them into the foam.

Pretend flowers, snipped away from their central stemI put my bag of floral foam into my basket, and poked my flowers right into the foam through the bag. If you need to pull them out to reposition them, just poke a new hole.

Flowers stuck into floral foam which is inside a plastic bagI left some space in front of the flowers for my stuffed animal bunnies. The bow is made from wired ribbon that was made into big even-sized loops, and then pinched together in the center with a big pipe cleaner. The ribbon could be wrapped around a big tube or jar to get the loops even, with the tails hanging free. The loops are pulled into shape and arranged as desired.

I added a bunny ribbon around the rim of the basket. I set two Hug Me Bunny plush rabbits in the basket, and I was all ready for Easter.

Aqua Hug Me Bunny, plush toys by Elizabeth RuffingPlease join our Ruffing’s mailing list for updates when we have something new to share.

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Down At the Station, A Soldier’s Farewell, and Miss Doughty’s Latest Creation, Original Historical Watercolor Paintings by A E Ruffing

Down At The Station, Poughkeepsie Train Station Historical Original Watercolor by A E RuffingThese are the original watercolor historical paintings that were done by artist A E Ruffing of the Poughkeepsie, NY Train Station and Main Street in Poughkeepise, NY.

Down At The Station, Poughkeepsie Train Station Original Watercolor by A E Ruffing story“Down at the Station” is set in the 1920’s, and depicts a scene at the Poughkeepsie, NY Train Station.

A Soldier's Farewell, Poughkeepsie Civil War Era Historical Original Watercolor by A E Ruffing“A Soldier’s Farewell” and “Miss Doughty’s Latest Creation” are both set in the Civil War era on Main Street in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Miss Doughty's Latest Creation, Poughkeepsie Civil War Era Historical Original Watercolor by A E RuffingThey were each made into signed limited edition prints of 1000, which have since sold out.

A Soldier's Farewell and Miss Doughty's Latest Creation, Poughkeepsie Civil War Era Historical Original Watercolor by A E Ruffing storiesThese are the stories that accompanied the prints, along with the artist’s biography. Please click on the images to make them larger.

A E Ruffing artist's biography