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Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Bailey

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyDakota is a handmade miniature original, one-of-a-kind tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, hand painted and hand sculpted in paperclay by artist Max Bailey.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyEverybody knows Dakota.

Dakota and friends, miniature cat art dolls, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe’s the family meeter and greeter. (Dakota’s friends above, from left to right, are Naomi the American Shorthair tabby, Victoria the white kitten, Poppy the tuxedo kitten, and Paula the Ragdoll kitten.)

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe welcomes all guests and newcomers.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileySitting on the porch in her white wooden rocking chair, Dakota is always ready for company.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe wears a country red pinafore, with bib and straps edged in gold.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyHer periwinkle blue blouse has a white collar and dark blue polka dots.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyDakota is a one-of-a-kind work of art, and is meant for display only.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyShe was sculpted from paperclay in multiple stages, to allow for drying and detailing.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyDakota was painted under a magnifying light, with tiny brushes, one hair at a time.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat 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.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyDakota and her chair are 1:12 scale. (One inch equals one foot.) She is 1 and 5/8 inches tall.

Dakota, miniature tabby Maine Coon cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyUpdate: Dakota has been adopted. Thank you!

Her friend below is Poppy the tuxedo kitten.

Poppy and Dakota, miniature tuxedo and tabby Maine Coon cat art dolls, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Bailey

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Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max Bailey

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria is a handmade miniature original, one-of-a-kind cat art doll, hand painted and hand sculpted in paperclay by artist Max Bailey.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyThis is Victoria. She is as white as the snow, and her eyes are as blue as the summer sky.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria doesn’t know that she will grow up to be an elegant and beautiful cat who will be much admired.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria’s dress is forest green. It has a pale green ruffle around the neck, edged in gold.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyFor now, Victoria is quite content to sit in her charming Victorian armchair, upholstered in dark fabric with a gold and pale turquoise woven design.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria 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.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria 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.

Victoria, miniature white cat art doll, handmade original, one-of-a-kind kitten by artist Max BaileyVictoria and her chair are 1:12 scale. (One inch equals one foot.) She is 1 and 3/8 inches tall.

Update: Victoria has been adopted. Thank you!

Happy Easter!

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Slugs and bunnies for equality

Hug Me Slugs equality symbol, pink fleece banana slug stuffed animal toys on a red background by artist Elizabeth Ruffing

Hug Me Slugs equality symbol, pink fleece banana slug stuffed animal toys on a red background by artist Elizabeth RuffingThese are my interpretations of the equality signs that are all over Facebook today. My two stuffed toy slugs are equal, even if they don’t quite form an equal sign.

Hug Me Bunny equality symbol, pink fleece rabbit stuffed animal toy on a red background by artist Elizabeth RuffingMy bunny ears are more like it.

Here’s to equality for everyone, and compassion for all living beings.

Bindi and Jojo, black mama cat curled up in a cat bed with her daughter Jojo, black-and-white tuxedo cat, Elizabeth Ruffing

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Hearts, butterflies, and pinwheels

Grass green Hug Me Slug stuffed animal art toy by artist Elizabeth Ruffing with pink butterfly gift bag and personalized hang tag

Red and green pinwheel with shadow on the ground, Elizabeth RuffingI finally got to the cardiologist, and had some tests done. It was sure stressful waiting for the two weeks for my appointment, but it turned out okay. My heart is beating irregularly, but it is structurally normal, which means the improvising it is doing is mostly just an annoyance. It is something I’ll have to get used to, even though it feels weird. It can be set off by anything that throws your body off, like fatigue or stress. Unfortunately, even normal amounts of tension can get it going. I have to work on getting more rest. The cardiologist said if it acts up, doing some exercise and getting my heart rate up can help.

I’m just waiting for some blood work to come back, to make sure I’m not anemic, that my electrolytes and magnesium are in balance, and that my thyroid is fine. I don’t expect any problems with that. The lab technician gave me this pinwheel on my way out. I was so relieved at the time. I’m keeping it as a memento on my desk as a reminder.

Grass green Hug Me Slug stuffed animal art toy by artist Elizabeth RuffingI got to see my heart beating on the echo-cardiogram, which I thought was the coolest thing. I wish I had a video. I really do. The valves clap together like little hands, so precisely. They look like the furry hands of Dr Seuss’ characters. It’s amazing to watch. There is something very reassuring about seeing that and thinking about it.

I still feel stressed over the whole thing, which is giving me pins and needles, something else that acts up when I feel tension. Hopefully I will calm down more as the days go by and I’ll get used to the idea.

Grass green Hug Me Slug stuffed animal art toy by artist Elizabeth Ruffing with pink butterfly gift bag and personalized hang tagI tried to get some Easter bunnies made, but people keep adopting Hug Me Slugs for Easter. So, I guess it is okay that I didn’t get my stuffed animal Hug Me Bunnies posted yet. I do have Hug Me Bunnies, if anyone is looking for one. This slug is a gift and the customer asked if I could gift wrap her. I have lots of gift bags. I seem to favor the ones with butterflies on them.

I have plans to make a lot of different toys, but I end up making slugs because people ask for them. I’m glad people enjoy them. I think I forgot to mention before that I passed my 500th toy sale.

Multicolored quilting fabrics in a pile waiting to be washed, Elizabeth RuffingI’m trying to rest more when I need to, but I’m also trying to get things done. I pre-washed more fabrics today, and I have stacks of fleece to sew into stuffed animals.

Pile of pink and lavender fleece cut out, waiting to be sewn into toys, Elizabeth RuffingI, at long last, potted my poor African violet leaf that has been waiting in a coffee cup on my desk. I have more violets to re-pot.

African violet rooted with new leaf growth, Elizabeth RuffingI hope to get around to cleaning out the flower bed in front of the porch, before more flowers poke through, but that seems like a lot right now. I have some catching up to do, with rest and with projects both.

Pink camellia flower in my hand, Elizabeth RuffingThe camellias are in bloom. They are so pretty. I picked this bloom up from the ground on our way back from a walk recently.

Cuddling sleeping black and tabby cats curled up together on my bed, Elizabeth RuffingFor the past couple of days, the weather has been dreary. The kitties responded by piling together on my bed for napping. I thought it was so cute the way they lined up in a cuddle chain. That is Phoebe, the shyest of the group, sandwiching herself between two friends.