Tag: handmade

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Himalayan Kitten Art Doll Figurine, Pocket Kitten in Progress

Himalayan kitten art doll figurine the palm of the artist's hand

It’s baby kitty time. My mom is painting the dress on her little Himalayan kitten art doll figurine.

Artist Anne Ruffing painting at her desk with her calico cat sitting nearby
Artist Anne Ruffing painting at her desk with Ruby

Ruby, our calico cat, helped herself to a drink out of her water pitcher, while my mom was painting. The water was clean at the time! Here is a video showing my mom, artist Anne Ruffing, painting her kitten: https://youtube.com/shorts/FIOv8eSGTNA

This tiny Himalayan kitten will sit in the skirt pocket of the Himalayan cat art doll she just finished painting. I need to design and sew a pinafore with a pocket that will be just he right size for the Himalayan kitten.

Himalayan cat art doll in a deep blue painted blouse with a pink flower at the neck, and pink painted bloomers with striped blue socks.
Himalayan cat art doll in progress

My mom sculpted this kitten from paperclay. She and her mama are both original, one-of-kind artist dolls and will be together as a set.

Himalayan kitten art doll figurine in a mauve painted pinafore and yellow blouse
Himalayan kitten art doll figurine

I have been working on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/elizabethruffing

YouTube main page with a logo saying Ruffing's Artist Dolls and Toys and The Little House of Cats
Ruffing’s Artist Dolls and Toys and The Little House of Cats YouTube channel

In addition to making videos of our art dolls, I want to design and make sewing patterns for doll clothing, and make some sewing instruction videos. I first learned to sew by making doll clothing, and I would like to pass that knowledge on to other people. I eventually made my own clothing through high school and college. I think people may find sewing, especially garment sewing, somewhat intimidating, and I think doll clothes are a great place to start, even if you don’t have a sewing machine. I started sewing by hand, and I still like sewing by hand!

While we have been hard at work, the cats are lounging around on this very nice day. Chester says hello from the porch. steps

Chester, a buffy orange and white cat, lounging on gray wooden steps
Chester lounging on the porch steps
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Himalayan Cat Art Doll with a Pocket Kitten, part two, three, and four

Ruby the calico cat sniffs my mom’s Himalayan cat art doll in progress

My mom is painting again! She is making progress on her mama Himalayan cat art doll. I have been taking video of her painting, while trying not to get in the way. Our calico cats, Ruby and Emily, like to help.

First my mom painted her cat doll’s lace cuffs and collar. Then she painted her blouse a deep blue. She added some pale pink kitty “knickers” and then striped socks, in two shades of blue.

Himalayan cat art doll with pink bloomers and blue striped socks

Here is the video of her painting the lace cuffs: https://youtube.com/shorts/_oeGiyBrQ6A

This the video of my mom painting her blouse: https://youtube.com/shorts/-GRqKqvpYUg

And the video of her painting her blue striped socks: https://youtube.com/shorts/lOX0XZvPRFA

It takes a steady hand to paint those stripes with one hand, while holding her doll in the other hand.

I mailed off these two custom fleece Hug Me Slug stuffed animal art toys. They were made to celebrate an eleventh birthday and their recipient picked out the colors he wanted, including the colors for the eyes, which were custom printed on fleece. I hand stitched them on with a blanket stitch.

Light green and dark purple Hug Me Slug stuffed animal art toys by Elizabeth Ruffing

I’ve also been puttering around with vintage dolls and their clothing. My favorites are my Ideal Toni dolls, American Character Sweet Sue dolls, and Effanbee Honey dolls, from the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Vintage P-91 Ideal Toni doll in a pink cotton pinafore with cotton voile top

I’ve been washing their clothing and working on making sewing patterns for them. I’ve also been cleaning the dolls and need to restring some of them.

Vintage Toni doll clothing, air drying after hand washing

My goal is to make some handmade doll clothing to sell, along with sewing patterns for doll clothes.

My handmade bodice pattern from an original Toni doll dress

I added a doll from this century to my doll clothing models. I think she is my first doll from the 2000’s! She is a Ruby Red Fashion Friends doll named Sara, and she is very sweet. I even made an “unboxing video” because I always see those and thought it might be fun to record my reaction. Here is my unboxing video: https://youtu.be/jIaRhIDIEDM

Ruby Red Fashion Friends Doll, Sara, Dianna Effner Sculpt, Unboxing and Review

I think she is quite charming and she has already made friends with Lila Lovebunny and Chelsea the Maine Coon cat.

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Himalayan Cat Art Doll with a Pocket Kitten, part one

Himalayan cat and kitten art dolls in progress

My mom is getting back to making our cat art dolls after a long break. These are a mama Himalayan cat with her little baby pocket kitten. She sculpted them years ago, and had them in a box. I have been encouraging her to get back to her art. She is going to finish painting these kitties.

Mom picked out the floral fabric she liked the best from my stash, and I will be sewing up a pinafore for her cat art doll. It will have a pocket in it to hold the kitten.

We are excited to have new dolls after this long break. Emily, one of our calico cats, loves to watch everything my mom does. She is excited too.

Himalayan Cat Art Doll with a Pocket Kitten, part one

We got out of the house today and took a walk, before making this short video of the dolls. It was a pretty spring day here, and we got back before the rain.

Anne Ruffing sits on a park bench with tall pine trees behind her.
Mom sitting on a park bench, enjoying the spring weather
Pale lavender flowered Chinaberry Tree/Persian Lilac in bloom
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Jefferson, tan bunny rabbit miniature figurine by artist Elizabeth Ruffing, original, one-of-a-kind handmade art doll

A tan bunny figurine with blue polka dots, a blue collar, and a red tie with yellow polka dots, on a pedestal in front of coral-red flowers.
A tan bunny figurine with blue polka dots, a blue collar, and a red tie with yellow polka dots, on a pedestal in front of coral-red flowers.
“Jefferson” Hug Me Bunny Figurine by Elizabeth Ruffing

Jefferson is an original, one-of-kind tan bunny rabbit miniature art doll figurine, handmade, hand sculpted in paperclay, and hand painted by artist Elizabeth Ruffing.

A tan bunny figurine with blue polka dots, a blue collar, and a red tie with yellow polka dots.
“Jefferson” Hug Me Bunny Figurine by Elizabeth Ruffing

Jefferson looks wide awake with his golden-brown eyes that have soft yellow rings toward their centers. He is tan with blue polka dots, and wears a red tie with tiny gold polka dots under his blue shirt collar.

Jefferson’s personal mission is to find the famous “bunny trail” from the Easter song…the one that Peter Cottontail comes “hoppin’ down.” He researched giant volumes in the library and combed the Internet for information.

Thinking he found a lead, Jefferson took a picnic lunch to his neighbor’s yard, so he could spend the entire day looking along a path that goes into the woods behind his house, but there was no sign of that “Bunny Trail.”

A tan bunny figurine with blue polka dots, a blue collar, and a red tie with yellow polka dots, in the palm of a hand.
“Jefferson” Hug Me Bunny Figurine by Elizabeth Ruffing

Weary of searching, Jefferson sat on a log, unpacked his brown paper bag, and ate his carrots and lettuce. Then he sighed, yawned, and vowed to set out on his quest again tomorrow.

Jefferson is a handmade miniature original one-of-a-kind rabbit art doll figurine. I hand sculpted him from paperclay over wood, in multiple stages, to allow for drying and detailing. I painted him by hand, under a magnifying light, with tiny brushes, using acrylic paints. Jefferson is signed and sealed with gloss varnish for protection and preservation.

A tan bunny figurine with blue polka dots, a blue collar, and a red tie with yellow polka dots.
“Jefferson” Hug Me Bunny Figurine by Elizabeth Ruffing

He is a work of art meant for display only, and not for play. I am including a certificate of authenticity with him.

Jefferson  is 3 inches tall.

Please click here to visit Jefferson’s adoption page.

Four bunny figurines, one tan with blue polka dots and a red tie, one mauve-ink with flowers, one peach and white with flowers, and one peach with flowers.
“Jefferson,” “Maisie Maybunny,” “Jeanina Jingles,” and “Buttons Bunnyton” Hug Me Bunny Figurines by Elizabeth Ruffing