Every Saturday morning Tony the Baker takes a batch of freshly baked gingerbread kitties from the oven, and decorates them with colored frosting, currant eyes, and candy buttons. They are his specialty. He sets them on trays and proudly places them on display in the bakery window.
Tony knows that shy little Ginnie, the ginger tabby cat with the sweet face, will stop on the sidewalk to admire them. She always does.
She will look wistfully at the cookies, her head tilted slightly to one side, then sigh softly and continue on her way. Tony will gaze at Ginnie through the window, admiring her beautiful coloring, her amber eyes, and her graceful ways.
Ginnie has two loves in this world so far………the color green, and gingerbread kitties.
On this particular Saturday, Tony the Baker appears suddenly in the doorway, holding two gingerkitty masterpieces he has just made especially for Ginnie.
“I made these for you,” Tony manages to say as he holds them out to her.
“Oh, I couldn’t, Mr. Baker,” Ginnie tells him, and only she knows that she is blushing. “I have to watch my waistline.”
“There could be no harm in a little nibble now and then,” answers Tony. “Here is one for you, and one to give to a friend.”
Ginnie thinks how pleased her friend will be when she gives her the gingerkitty with the green shirt. She takes it and puts it in her pocket, for she is generous of heart. She extends her paw for the other.
“Thank you kindly, Mr. Baker,” she tells him, and holding her gingerkitty somewhat near her heart, Ginnie continues down the sidewalk, glancing back at Tony the Baker only once, or maybe twice.
Ginnie now has three loves in this world so far.
Ginnie’s dress is her favorite color green, with a darker green sash that ties in the back in a very pretty bow, and a stripe of darker green across the pocket and around the hem. Antique white ruffles set off the dress at the neckline and at the bottom of the sleeves. Below her dress, you can see her many petticoats, one white, then each a different shade of green.
I hand sculpted Ginnie (and her cookies) from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her long graceful whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.
Ginnie is completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. She rests firmly on a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and she stands 9 1/2 inches tall.
Update: Ginnie has already been adopted. Thank you!
Ginnie’s friends are Belinda and BoBo (above right).
I got my first kitten doll body sewn, stuffed, and assembled. She is made from my own original design and pattern. I have a good feeling about this one. I think she is going to be really cute.
I think I’ll stuff and assemble the other kitten and the bunny dolls I have ready before I start my sculpting lessons. I think this is going to be fun.
I used tube turners to turn my doll parts right side out today, and they made it so much easier. I got mine at the Hancock Fabrics store (I can’t seem to find them on their site, but Joann’s has them on theirs).
My assistant thought they made great toys too.
