hug-me-bunnies Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Ruffing’s Artist Dolls and Toys

Posted on May 17, 2013July 5, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Toy shop update, more stuffed animal bunnies and slugs

Hug Me Bunnies handmade stuffed animal rabbits by artist Elizabeth Ruffing

Here are the stuffed toy Hug Me Bunnies I meant to post for Easter. They are now spring bunnies instead.

I used a few shades of pastel rabbit colors. Yes, bunnies do come in pastel colors.

Here is a picture of my pretty Easter flowers as well. Happy belated Easter!

Oh, and here are mommy and baby slugs wishing you a belated happy Mother’s Day! I missed a couple of holidays.

I have some new fleece Hug Me Slugs, like this banana slug, along with some camouflage, turquoise, teal, light blue, and hot pink slugs. You can find my art toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

In the background of this photo, under the camouflage slugs, is one of the boxes I got to hold my sewing supplies. Miss Bertie, below, stole a needle with upholstery thread, and swallowed it before I could get her. Now I keep everything I’m using in a box with a latch, so I can close it if she comes snooping around. String and thread are very dangerous for cats, and can cause serious problems.

Thankfully, the upholstery thread passed without harming her. We were very worried. I was in the same room at the time, but she sneaked in without my seeing her poking around my pincushion. I keep the box closed whenever I get up and walk around too. If you sew, please remember to keep your supplies safely away from your pets. I keep mine in a separate room, except when I am hand sewing, but cats can be stealthy when they want to steal something that looks like fun.

I have been doing okay, a little up and down with the PVC’s, and some chest pain. I’m still waiting for the results of another test, but I still don’t expect anything unusual to show up. I am trying to sleep later, which seems to help. I was feeling shabby after being worn out for a while, and so I gave myself a haircut. That makes me feel better too.

Santana the Peeping Tom Cat wakes me up sometimes. He likes to show up and look in the window early in the morning now. He’s discovered he can climb the settee and rest his paws on the sill. No matter who wakes me up, I try to stay in bed longer, so I won’t get fatigued.

Exercise is helping too. I like to go for walks. We had a string of storms, and now it is getting hot. I am considering joining a gym for the summer, when it is too hot to go walking. I’m not sure I’ll make it there. I don’t often feel that sociable, and I like peace and quiet. I should probably try it at least.

I have been doing custom orders, and have yet to finish the sock cat skirts I have partly done so I can photograph them. They are really cute. I have been going to a block-of-the-month quilting group, but I barely have the time to get the blocks ready each month. That is Jojo, diving over my quilting packet. She thought she was being pretty stealthy herself. My kitty helpers are very silly.

Posted on March 26, 2013July 5, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

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

These 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.

My bunny ears are more like it.

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

Posted on March 13, 2013July 5, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing — 2 Comments

New stuffed animal bunnies, Hug Me Slugs, and an EKG for me

Daffodil yellow Hug Me Slugs handmade stuffed animal banana slug art toys by artist Elizabeth Ruffing

It’s been a long time since I updated my blog. I have a few new fleece stuffed animal toys, three coral Hug Me Bunnies and two sunny daffodil yellow Hug Me Slugs.

I’ve gotten some very sweet photos of my toys in their new homes. This sock kitten was a first birthday present from a little girl to her baby sister. There were little ones at the party passing the kitten around and hugging her.

This real kitty loves to cuddle with the Hug Me Slug her mom adopted. She takes naps with him.

I’ve been trying to get some Easter bunny toys ready, in pretty pastel colors. I’m not sure I’ll have them posted by then, but if anyone would like one of the colors below for Easter, let me know. We will put them up in our Ruffing’s shop. I’ll add more as I get them sewn and photographed.

I’ve been struggling with fatigue lately, which makes me feel so slow. I try to keep up a steady pace, and rest when I need to. Over the past two years, I’ve felt slower, and in the past couple of months, I started noticing I had an irregular heartbeat. I didn’t want to make too much of it, and kept hoping it would pass. It mostly bothered me in the evening, and when I was lying down.

I was at sewing and quilting club, on Friday morning last week, and my heart started acting up more than usual, which is probably a good thing, because I was able to get over to a nearby Urgent Care office to have an EKG while it was misbehaving, and they were able to record it. I was having a lot of PVC’s in succession. I have to wait a little while for an appointment with a cardiologist, but hopefully, there won’t be any underlying issues.

It takes some adjusting to. I try to remember to practice breathing more deeply to relax, and I try to stay more propped up when I lie down so it doesn’t bother me as much. I’m watching my diet more, and taking supplements again. I’m trying to take it easy, while I wait for more information. It’s on my mind a lot, which is distracting. My aunt send me a link to a site where people share their experiences with PVC’s, and it helped to read what other people were feeling. It’s kind of like having a bullfrog in my chest who comes out with a random, “Ribbit!” at any time. If I can feel it beating, it gives the impression of pausing frequently, although it is really just the ventricle beating at the wrong time. So, I’m kind of plodding along for now, and feeling somewhat tense.

I have my kitty assistants always offering to help my get my sewing done, which reminds me, I need to make some more catnip toys.

Posted on February 11, 2012July 29, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Slug, bunny, bunny, bunny, slug, bunny, bunny, bunny

I finished some Hug Me Bunnies, and a couple of Hug Me Slugs this week. I will be posting my new handmade stuffed animal toys in our Ruffing’s shop.

I had a stack of mostly twin-sized sheets in assorted colors, and I cut a yard of fabric off the bottom of each of them to use as backdrops for my toy photos.

The bright colors help the tiny thumbnail photos pop, and I know I can see them better.

I rephotographed some of my Hug Me Bugs too. I haven’t rephotographed all of my toys, but I will continue with more. Ironing each sheet is extra work, but I’m hoping it will be worth doing.

I have been sitting in front of the television, watching movies, while I do my hand sewing, or while I stuff toys.

I am reading my way through a book on digital photography, and finished another on Photoshop Elements. I was happy to find I was familiar with most of the information on Elements, because I realized I’ve learned a lot so far, but the photography book has been much too basic to be useful.

Last night, I was looking for my small stamp collection, having seen pretty stamps at the Post Office yesterday afternoon. I found them, and in the same box, I found a box of drawings from a children’s book I had been working on, years ago. I found other drawings I didn’t remember well. I will have to scan them and start organizing them on the computer. I am still hoping to save up for a second computer to put in my workroom, so I can experiment with digital art and writing in a quiet, undisturbed place.

I have been so tired lately. I hope to sleep better and to get a burst of energy.

This super-adorable tabby-and-white kitten doll is by Max Bailey. Her name is Millie. Millie’s story is here on our Ruffing’s blog today.