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The slug-a-thon goes on and on

Fleece Hug Me! Slugs and Hug Me Sock Toads by Elizabeth RuffingThese are some of my toys that have been sent on their way to their new homes this week. I have been holed up in the house, sewing in front of the TV, watching movie after movie. Yesterday, I watched William Shatner battle tarantulas, a hearse chase a deceased lady’s niece, and walls melt before the eyes of a woman with a fear of space. I hope to have some time to leave the house again soon.

Green and Red Fleece Hug Me! Slugs by Elizabeth RuffingI still have a bit of an overwhelming crowd to finish and mail. Below is this morning’s crowd. Some have left and others have joined, since then. I made my two-hundredth sale on Etsy last night, to one of my favorite customers. I think her family has a small army of Hug Me Slugs. She wrote to me this morning, “[Grandma] is giving the gift of slugs this year!!!” That made me smile. Update: I’ll be posting my new toys on this website, in our Ruffing’s shop.

Fleece Hug Me! Slugs in progress by Elizabeth RuffingIf you haven’t already, please “like” our Ruffing’s page on Facebook.

Bright Light Green and Olive Fleece Hug Me! Slugs by Elizabeth RuffingIn the meantime, I’ll be watching movies and sewing sewing sewing.

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Toy riot

Fleece Hug Me! Slugs in progress and Hug Me Sock Kittens by Elizabeth RuffingThis is a glimpse into my workroom, showing how it has looked over the past few days. I’ve been in a whirl of fabric and thread and stuffing, surrounded by toys in all stages of completeness.

Fleece Hug Me! Slugs in progress and Hug Me Sock Kittens by Elizabeth RuffingAll my little sock kittens went off to new homes, all but one kitty angel that I will show you later.

Orange and Red Striped Hug Me Sock Kitten by Elizabeth RuffingI miss them and need to make some more. My Hug Me Toads are hopping off too. And, there has been an onslaught of slugs.

14 inch Fleece Hug Me! Slug by Elizabeth RuffingThis fourteen-inch slug is on his way to Australia. I have a big bunch more, in all shapes and sizes, that I’ll be working on this week, so they can be off before for Christmas.

Fleece Hug Me! Slug and hang tags in progress by Elizabeth RuffingPiles of personalized hang tags are accumulating, and more toys keep joining the ranks. I am sewing all day, each day, for the most part. I’m still on schedule, and every toy that has been ordered as of this morning, is either all done, or in progress. I’m currently on about a two-week turnaround time for making the custom toys. Almost all of my ready-made toy animals have been adopted, but I will try to add a couple more to my Etsy shop, if I can, before Christmas. I have some things I have to do this weekend, along with celebrating my birthday, and so I may run out of time.

Fleece Hug Me! Slug and hang tags in progress by Elizabeth Ruffing

My toys and prints have made it into quite a few Etsy treasuries over the past couple of weeks, and this one below made it to the Etsy front page. I saw the number of views rushing up on that listing, along with the number of hearts on it, and thought something must be up. I missed seeing it on the front page, but the curator told me about it later. I appreciate everyone who features my work. It’s a very nice compliment. I put the recent treasuries in a set on my Flickr page.

Etsy treasury featuring Fleece Hug Me! Slugs by Elizabeth Ruffing, made it to the Etsy front pageIt seems like weeks now that I, at long last, got myself a Wacom tablet. I haven’t yet had the time to plug it in. I picked up a bundle with Corel Painter, which I have hardly tested out yet either. I tried the tablet during Apple class, but I haven’t had time to get to one of those lately either! I was thoroughly uncoordinated with the pen and tablet. I am going to need a lot of practice, once the holidays have passed.

My new Wacom Intuos 4 tabletI think one of my first projects will be to play with my hang tags for my toys. I am wishing I’d made up some kind of gift certificates or e-gift cards to send out for people who are shopping late for the holidays too, so they could pre-order slugs for gift recipients. Those are small projects, but I’m not stepping away from the sewing long enough to do them at the moment. I wish I’d been a little more on top of things this season, but I am more prepared than I was last year. The holiday panic is subsiding, and being replaced by fatigue. My mom is giving me a hand, cutting out eyeballs, and doing this and that. I’d be panicked and fatigued at the same time, without her help. Thanks, Mom!

My kitty helper with two sock kittensAs always, I have my kitty helper too. He is also invaluable.

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Holiday poll

I was wishing out loud today, that I had more of an idea of what people might like to see from us for the holidays. I have a few weeks ahead where I will be busy, but I’m never quite sure where exactly to best direct my attention.

Pixie Kittens, Original One-of-a-kind Cat Fairy Art Dolls by Max Bailey and Elizabeth RuffingPixie Kittens

Of course, most of my attention will go toward projects I am already working on, but I always find myself short on something someone wishes he or she could have when the holidays come near. A friend suggested I try a poll, and so I am leaving one at the end of this post.

Hug Me! Slugs, Original Art Toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me! Slugs

If you are considering doing some holiday shopping with us, please take a moment to let me know where your interests may be. I will try to have some of everything, but I never can predict. Of course, if you are here just to read and look at what I’m up to, that is great too. This is just to give me an idea of what I might want to have more of by holiday time.

Hug Me! Sock Kittens, Original Art Toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me! Sock Kittens

I am bound to throw in some things not on the list too, if I have the time. Last year I got in a crunch where I was barely leaving the house for a couple of weeks. So, I’d like to try to be a little more prepared, if I can.

Hug Me! Toads, Original Art Toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me! Toads

If there is something else you’ve been hoping to see more of, please feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email. I received a very nice email today asking if I’ll be coming out with more paintings, and the answer is yes, I will. I’ve got a bunch in various stages, although I’m not sure when I’ll have them ready to post. I tend to start so many projects that sometimes it takes me a while to circle back around and finish them.

Hug Me! Hippo, Original Art Toys by Elizabeth RuffingHug Me! Hippo

So, here it is…my first poll. Thanks for the input!

[poll id=”2″]

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Cleaning and rearranging

Kitty on my deskI’ve been knocking myself out, cleaning and organizing my workspaces. I’m still working on it. My kitties are competing with each other over who gets to sit on the new shelves, or on my old desk that I moved into my bedroom so I can sew while I watch, or at least listen to, TV. I’ve got lots of aches from hauling things around, and I feel a bit like I’m living in a storage facility. Still, the new arrangement sure beats having to lift eight boxes to get to the right color fleece!

Sewing supply shelf with fabric in boxesThat’s a good thing, because, in spite of my new organization, I still couldn’t find my light pink fleece this week. I pulled a few boxes off my new shelf, only to discover the pink was hiding in a bag on my table. But don’t worry…I went out and got more boxes! I should have supplies floor-to-ceiling, everywhere, soon.

Pink Hug Me! Slug by Elizabeth RuffingAs you can see, I turned my pink fleece into a pink fleece Hug Me! Slug. She left for her new home this morning, along with this cheerful pink polka dotted Hug Me! Toad, who is on her way to Australia.

Pink Polka Dot Hug Me! Toad by elizabeth RuffingLately, I seem to be attracted to this pink color. When I was five, I think that was probably my idea of the best color there was. I had a fuzzy toy box that color. I picked up some more pink fabric, which is sitting on my ironing board, since I prewashed it. The fabric with the stars is fleece. I thought that was a good find.

I have some interesting information about my sewing machine, but I’m just waiting for confirmation about where to send it first, before I give an update about it.