Knit Blue Kangaroo now available at CreativeCritters

Over the last few years I've knit several different blue kangaroos for a variety of customers, but haven't had one listed in my shop as a regular item.  Most customers learned about my blue kangaroos from my Gallery of past work.  The last knit kangaroo I created was headed all the way to Australia!  I developed my own knitting pattern for these kangaroos and have adapted it several times over as I found new ways to improve the design.  I just listed this cute kangaroo in CreativeCritters today.  I'm not sure how long she'll last- they seem to sell pretty quickly!

I used soft and silky Homespun yarn in Montana Sky Blue for the body and Waterfall for the belly.  I really love Homespun yarn because it's so soft and has such a nice texture when you knit with it.  Anyone who does a lot of knitting or crocheting knows that it's a real pleasure to work with a good quality yarn, and of course it creates a very soft and cuddly stuffed animal.

For this particular kangaroo I completely revamped my old pattern and got pretty creative as I knit.  This is one of the reasons most of the items in my shop are one of a kind creations- I always seem to end up changing how I make them, even if I start out following a pattern.  I guess it's just the artist in me- LOL. 

This particular kangaroo ended up with a lot of personality!  Sometimes these things just sort of seem to happen on their own.  I had a general idea of how I wanted her to look, but really didn't know how she would turn out until I had most of the parts sewn on.  And as always, the true personality really came out once I added her eyes, nose, and ears. 

I used gray fleece fabric for the nose, which is lightly stuffed and securely sewn on.  I used the same fleece behind the eyes, which are black plastic safety eyes, making this safe for children.  I stuffed the kangaroo softly with polyester fiberfill, with the goal of keeping her very soft and cuddly.  Adults and children will both love giving this cute stuffed animal a big hug!  I may be all grown up myself, but I still love to cuddle up with a soft stuffed animal.  I think there are some things we just never grow out of!
If you're interested in purchasing this blue kangaroo just click on any of the pictures to be taken to the listing in my shop.  And if you're looking for something in a different size or color combination, just email me at macreativecritters@gmail.com with your request.  I can also create a variety of other stuffed animals.  If fact, I'm currently working on a knit dragon right now (and this is definitely a challenging project!).
Thanks for sharing the creative cuteness once again!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Celebrate your pet with Personalized Pet Jars from CreativeCritters

 
Although I've been creating custom pet sculptures for years now it took a suggestion from my boyfriend to make me think beyond just a figurine and make the leap to personalized pet jars.  Above is a picture of my own Ginko kitty with the pet jar I made featuring him.  He was very helpful and more than willing to pose for me during the sculpting process ;)
I can sculpt any type of animal you have (cat, dog, bird, skunk, ferret, fish, etc.) once you send me several good pictures of your pet.  The animal is sculpted by hand from Premo polymer clay without the use of any molds and each is a unique, one of a kind creation.  I pay close attention to all the little details that make your pet special.
 
I carefully texture the fur and after the animal is cured I paint the details of their coat with acrylic paint.  I attach the sculpture very securely to a metal mason jar lid and further personalize the glass jar by covering it with polymer clay and adding a plaque with your pet's name stamped into it.
 
I can also stamp paw prints and other decorations into the clay.  For Ginko's jar I used a cavorting cat stamp framed by swirls and stars since that just matched his personality.
 
I used a half pint mason jar with a wide mouth lid for this pet jar, but I can use any size mason jar you like.  This cat sculpture measures four inches tall and the overall height of the entire piece is 6 1/4" tall.  These jars make great storage for pet treats, office or art supplies, or snacks.  The jars can be hand washed and are food safe.  These can also be used as memorial urns for pets that have passed on.  You can use them to keep your pet's ashes, a tuft of fur, their tags or collar, or anything else you want to remember them by.
Our pets are special, and if you're like me you consider them part of your family.  I think this is a wonderful way to celebrate those special animals in your life.  And what cat or dog doesn't want a treat jar that's completely personalized? ;)
You can click on any of the pictures above to be directed to the custom order listing in my shop.  If you have any questions you can contact me at macreativecritters@gmail.com. 
I truly am passionate about pets, and I understand the connection people have with their cats, dogs, ferrets, and other furry friends.  These jars would make a unique and special gift as well. :-)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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My new kitten

Well I finally got a kitten!  I've been wanting to adopt a kitten for some time now.  Since Cedric passed away Calcifer has been very lonely, and the house just hasn't been the same without two cats running around.  So I went up to PetSmart last weekend where they had the local shelters offering cats and kittens for adoption.  Of course I saw lots of adorable kitties, but this little gray and white cutie really caught my eye.

 

We named him Ginko, after Ginko, the Mushi Master in the Japanese anime show, Mushi- Shi.  At first he was pretty shy and skittish, but this is a very loving, cat friendly household.  It didn't take Ginko long to realize that no one in this house was going to hurt him.  This new kitten was a Christmas/ birthday present for Calcifer, and he certainly seems to approve!  From the moment we brought the kitten home Calcifer has been keeping a watchful eye on him.  I think he likes being a big brother, and he's so gentle and careful when they play.

 

 

Of course being a kitten, he's curious about everything and has thoroughly investigated every room in the house, including my craft room.  I made sure to kitten proof the place, because I know they like to get into everything!  Calcifer is only two years old, so it hasn't been  too long since a kitten was roaming the house.  I still have to watch him when I'm sculpting to make sure he doesn't steal my tools!

 

 

I think Ginko's taking inventory here ;-)

Of course I have plenty of toys that the cats CAN play with.  Ginko has thrashed on all of them already- LOL!  The first thing he found, within an hour of being in the house, was Calcifer's catnip sack.  Ginko definitely likes catnip- he wrestled with that thing for about 20 minutes!  Luckily Calcifer doesn't seem to mind sharing his catnip toys, pipe cleaners, and various balls with his little brother. 

 

 

And the best gift for me?  Seeing the two of them like this.

 

It didn't take Ginko long at all to warm up to his big brother.  And how could anyone not love a creature as sweet as Calcifer?  Ginko has a very healthy appetite (look how big he is at only 3 1/2  months old!), loves to play (with both Calcifer and me), and purrs like a motorboat when I pet him.  And he does love getting petted!  He stretches out as long as he can so I'll be sure to get every spot- LOL.  He's still learning his boundaries (couches, chairs, and the bed are OK, dressers and tables aren't), but I can tell that he's smart, and it won't take him long to figure out where he's allowed and where he's not.  And Calcifer will help teach him as well.  That's another benefit to having two cats- the older one will help teach the younger one the rules (and what he can get away with).

And so I have two happy kitties once more, which of course makes me very happy as well.  You can be sure I'll be sharing more about both Calcifer and Ginko!  There will be pictures, blogs and videos filled with adorable felines- LOL!  Thank you for helping me welcome the newest member of my furry family! =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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The Custom Dog Sculpture is Complete!

For those of you who have been following my latest work in progress, you know that I've been working on Rudy the Irish Wolfhound/ Collie mix sculpture for quite some time now.  At the end of my last post he was ready to be painted.  Rudy has a very unique coat and it took many layers of paint to achieve the right look.  After two months of work I'm happy to say that Rudy the dog sculpture is finally complete!  He sits 7" tall and I protected the painted surface with matte glaze.
  

It wasn't easy getting the different colors to blend smoothly, but by using a combination of washes and dry brushing I achieved the right effect. The white blends into the tan, and the tan into the black gradually, with grayish white hairs showing through the black and tan fur.  The painting alone took several days.  I wanted to recreate Rudy the dog as close to the real thing as possible.  Since this will be part of a memorial display it has very special meaning.
 
Rudy was a much loved member of the family with a great deal of personality and I tried very hard to capture that in polymer clay.  He's been very carefully packed up and will head off to his new home tomorrow.
After spending so much time on this piece, I'm not exactly sure what I'll make next.  It will almost seem strange not to be working on Rudy.  I hope the customer will be as happy with the real thing as he was with pictures.  Thanks for following this creative journey through to the end with me!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Progress on my Steampunk Pirate Cat sculpture

I've been adding layers and sculpting and shaping my latest piece (which is turning out bigger than I expected).  The proportions are working out right though.  This is what he looked like going into the oven for his first bake.  Propping is very important.  As the polymer clay warms, it becomes very soft and will break or crack if not properly supported.  This sculpture has a foil core with heavy gauge wire in the legs and a wire and foil core for the tail.  I try to make my pieces as sturdy as possible, especially the large ones like this.
  
Even though I'll be adding more clay over most of this, I still textured the fur.  This, along with a thin coating of tacky glue, will help the raw clay adhere to the baked clay.  After baking for an hour and letting the piece cool completely, this is how he came out.  No cracks, no sagging, no shifting- everything stayed right where it was supposed to.
  
This is basically just a form for me to build upon.  Now that it's baked, it's much easier to handle, and I don't have to worry about accidentally squishing the fine details of his face.  Next comes a layer of "fur" for his tail and hind legs.  I'm modeling this guy after Calcifer, and he's got what I call fuzzy breeches.  His legs and butt are very fluffy, and I like that effect and the way it looks.  His tail is very furry and sort of feathery.  I did my best to capture that in clay. 
 
I used 3 different sized aluminum knitting needles to get this furry look.  There's a lot of texture to Calcifer's fur, and I'll end up spending hours on just adding fur texture to this piece (not to mention all the time spent conditioning clay- lol).  His arms come next.  I made wire armatures, bent them in the right pose, and covered them with tacky glue.  Once the glue was dry I shaped the arms, but made them smaller than the final size I want them to be.  Once again, I'll be adding more clay after the arms are baked.  You may notice that my clay isn't all the same color.  That's OK for a few reasons.  First, Calcifer has lots of different colors in his fur, and second, I'll actually be painting this one after he's finished.  I learned some pretty cool painting technique from Katherine Dewey, and it's sometimes easier to paint an animal's color variations than it is to try to make clay in those exact colors and patterns.
This is a complex piece, which I'm figuring out as I go.  Thanks for sharing the journey with me!  Stay tuned to see how it turns out! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Don't forget Fluffy or Fido this Christmas!

They've been good (or TRIED, at least) all year long.  Don't your pets deserve a special gift (or 2) for all that effort?  That's why I put together this collection of handmade toys and treats for cats and dogs.  Perfect for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, or any other occasion, your pets will love getting any of these special treats!

Handmade Christmas Stocking Stuffers for...

   Curated By: CreativeCritt...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Featuring the polymer clay work of Tamed

Tamed, on ArtFire.com, creates cute, unique creations for animal lovers and specializes in one of a kind scale miniature replicas of your pet in polymer clay.  Not only is she a fellow animal lover, but she's a fellow Polymer Clay Smooshers guild member.  Dee has always loved animals and always enjoyed crafty and creative things. She discovered polymer clay about two years ago and found that she adored trying to replicate a living creature in clay, watching it gradually come to life. The joy she could give to the owner through her interpretation of their pet was an added bonus. Her main art is recreating beloved pets in polymer clay and "plushing" them with fibre. She also likes to dabble in other things based around polymer clay such as making fun critters, or more cartoony things, all animal based.
  Dee's work is unique and adorable.  Who wouldn't want their pet immortalized in polymer clay?  Tamed can also be found online at timetamed.blogspot.com and  www.tamed.me.uk.  Below is just a sample of what you can find in her shop. Be sure to check out everything she has to offer!


Could these critters be any cuter?!  If you love animals, or know somebody who does, this is the shop for you!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Cute pictures of my Calcifer Kitten

Today I thought I'd share some pictures of Calcifer. I know, I've been holding out on you. I've been taking plenty of pictures (thank goodness for digital cameras!), it just took a while for me to download and edit them all. Calicifer's growing like a fluffy weed and is a happy and very active six month old kitten. Not to mention the fact that he's very intelligent. He even taught himself how to play guitar! Seriously, I heard "someone" playing around with the guitar, turned around, and there was Calcifer plucking the strings with his teeth and claws! He's so curious, he just has to check everything out! It wasn't a one time trick either. He still likes to "play" every so often, and I've never had to train him in any way. Most of his "tricks" are ones he comes up with himself.

My kitten the rockstar!
This is Calcifer impersonating a mink stole- LOL! He loves sitting on my shoulders, and even riding along as I go about my daily chores. He's got incredible balance and enjoys laying across my shoulders while I'm sculpting. He wants to be involved in everything I do!
Calcifer just adores his big brother Cedric (sometimes a little too much). Cedric is a VERY patient cat, even putting up with a kitten draped across him like a blanket! They love looking out the window together. I can almost hear Calcifer saying "Did you see that?"

And this is just Calcifer being too cute for words! Sometimes he wakes up, bathes briefly, then falls back asleep before his tongue is back in his mouth. Luckily he doesn't seem to get offended when I laugh at him.
I hope you all enjoyed my adorable kitten and his very silly antics. Never fear, there will be plenty more pictures as my little fire demon grows into a big fire demon- LOL! Thanks for visiting CreativeCritters and sharing a smile!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters