max-bailey Archives - Page 72 of 79 - Ruffing’s Art Dolls and Toys

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Fluffy, Original One-of-a-kind Persian Tabby Kitten Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

My Name is “Fluffy”. It’s not a very original name, but I didn’t pick it, did I?

I would have picked a fancy name like “Floradora”, or maybe an exotic name like “Esmeralda”. But not “Fluffy”. No way.

At least I wasn’t named “Puffy”. I wouldn’t like that one bit.

From now on, maybe I just won’t come when I’m called.

I have a red velvet cushion that has “Fluffy” embroidered on it in gold. It has real gold tassels on it too. I like the way the tassels bounce up and down when I swat at them. If I wasn’t named “Fluffy”, it wouldn’t be my cushion anymore, would it?

I also like my pink flowered bowl. It says “Fluffy” on the side of it. It’s my bowl. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

I hope you understand that underneath all this fur is a tiny little kitten who needs a lot to eat.

Someone just called “Fluffy”. It must be dinner time. Maybe “Fluffy” is a pretty nice name after all.

I wonder what’s for dinner? I think I’ll go see.

I’m back. I ate, and I feel much better. As I was saying, my name is Fluffy. I’m a Persian tabby kitten, and I’m just a baby, so my eyes are kind of blue. I’m wearing a really pretty dress. It’s mauve, and has pale gold flowers with wine-colored centers. It’s got a white collar and ruffled cuffs, and lots of swirly white petticoats. I’m wearing a pale turquoise jumper over it. Best of all, I like the big yellow-gold bow at the front.

Max Bailey hand sculpted me from paperclay. (He’s the one who named me Fluffy.) My whiskers are made from stiffened cotton thread. I’m a one-of-a-kind original work of art, and meant for display only. No molds are ever used in Max’s work, so nobody else looks like me and never will!

I was completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. I rest firmly on a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and I am 7 and 1/8 inches tall.

Update: Fluffy has already been adopted. Thank you!

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Jazzie the Siamese Ballerina, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Cat Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

They named her Jasmine, after the sweet smelling flower, but everyone calls her “Jazzie.”

Jazzie is a little kitten with a big dream. Someday, she wants to be a prima ballerina.

She has the jumping thing down, and the leaping thing. Her somersaults are outstanding, and she’s trying to think of a way to work them into her first ballet recital.

The only really disappointing thing to Jazzie is that her little limbs are not yet long enough for her to put her paws together above her head in that graceful ballerina arch. Her ears always get in the way.

Today, Jazzie is twirling around the dining room table.

“Jazzie, you really are very weird,” her brother says, looking up from his violin practice.

Jazzie ignores him. She has just discovered that if she concentrates really hard on trying to catch the tip of her tail in her mouth, she can spin even faster. Depending on where her tail is at the moment, she can spin to the right or spin to the left!

When Jazzie is too dizzy to continue, she stretches out on the floor and watches the ceiling go around. She imagines she can hear the audience loudly applauding. The curtains part for the fourth curtain call. There is Jazzie, the prima ballerina, at center stage, her paws extended high above her ears in that graceful ballerina pose. Bouquets of roses are strewn all about the stage. Jazzie looks down at the orchestra and sees her brother, playing first violin. He looks so proud of his little sister!

Jazzie’s lovely blue eyes look earnestly out from her dark face. Her dress is orchid pink, highlighted with shades of lighter pink. The dress is set off by a white rose at the front, and a darker pink bow at the back. Below her hemline, you can see her ruffled petticoats, one dark pink to match the bow, and the others white.

I hand sculpted Jazzie from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.

Jazzie 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 wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak, and she stands 7 ¾ inches tall.

Update: Jazzie has already been adopted. thank you!

Posted on February 21, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Princess Anna, Original One-of-a-kind White Cat Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

I am pleased to introduce the very royal Princess Anna.

While palace life is really quite nice in many ways, Princess Anna has found that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. She eats the finest kitty food and wears the finest kitty dresses, yet sometimes she longs to sample just a tiny bit of the world outside.

On this particular morning, Princess Anna looks out from her window at the white shapes that dot the distant hillside.

“They can’t be snow,” she thinks aloud, “for winter has come and gone, and the sun has warmed the earth.”

While the palace guards are looking the other way, Princess Anna heads for the hills. She brushes aside the tall grasses that grow in the meadow, and forges ahead.

She feels the soft breezes blowing in her hair, and the sun’s rays warming her lovely and determined little face.

She is gone for a long time.

The palace guards are the first to see her return, triumphantly holding a bouquet of white daisies. They smile at each other and pretend not to see her sneaking back through the side entrance of the palace.

“The Princess is happy,” the guards pronounce, and nothing further is said about the matter.

Lovely Princess Anna is as white as the daisies she carries. Her eyes are a soft blue, and her nose is a delicate shade of pink. Anna’s flowered red dress has a gold band around the neckline and sleeves, and is adorned with a deep blue ruffle and matching sash that ties neatly in a bow at the back. Her pale gold petticoats can be seen below her hemline.

I sculpted Princess Anna and her daisy bouquet from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for her royal kitty whiskers. She is an original one-of-a-kind work of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work.

The Princess 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 and 1/2 inches tall.

Update: Princess Anna has already been adopted. Thank you!

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Isadora, Original One-of-a-kind Siamese Cat Folk Art Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

This is Isadora, a Siamese cat. Isadora is as slender and as elegant and as regal as the long-stemmed roses she loves.

Isadora once heard that if you talk to your plants, they will flourish and grow to be hardy and strong, and so she talked to her roses, in her strange Siamese voice, for hours on end. She thought the roses seemed to lean toward her when she spoke.

“Perhaps if I sing to them, they will become even more beautiful,” she thought.

Out in her backyard rose garden, Isadora sang, loudly and frequently. Neighbors as far as a block away heard her, for her voice was impossible to ignore, and came to see what all the commotion was about. They peeked over the garden fence to see the lovely Isadora gliding through the garden, singing her heart out.

Not one of them had the heart to tell Isadora that her voice might be less than inspiring for the roses, as they could plainly see how sincere and well-meaning she was. They feared the roses might wilt. But as they watched, the roses bent toward her, their buds opened, and fragrance filled the air.

“Now that is truly amazing,” they whispered, in awe.

Within a short time, Isadora was invited to all the neighborhood gardens, where she shared her gift. The neighbors sometimes hid when she sang, so she wouldn’t see them covering their ears. They loved her dearly, and it is said that they had the most exquisite flowers ever to be seen anywhere!

Isadora’s old-fashioned dress is a beautiful shade of periwinkle blue that sets off her sapphire-blue eyes. It has a dramatic dark blue yoke with a wide ruffle that falls just below her shoulders, and matching dark blue lower sleeves. Both yoke and sleeves are trimmed with a band of gold. Ruffled gold petticoats can be seen below her dress, from which her long tapering Siamese tail emerges.

I hand sculpted Isadora and her rose from paperclay, and she is a one-of-a-kind work of art. No molds are ever used in my work.

She is completely hand painted using acrylic paints, then signed and dated and sealed with matte varnish for protection and preservation. Her whiskers are made from stiffened cotton thread.

Isadora rests firmly upon a turned wooden base that is stained and sealed in golden oak. She is 9 and 1/2 inches tall and she is meant for display only.

Update: Isadora has already been adopted. Thank you!

Isadora’s ginger tabby cat friend is Ginnie.