New Colorful Knit Dragon Joins the Menagerie at CreativeCritters

This colorful knit dragon is the latest addition to the menagerie of critters available from CreativeCritters.

I challenged myself to create a knitting pattern from scratch for a cute and brightly colored dragon.  I made it up as I went along, writing down what worked, and trying again when something didn't turn out quite as I wanted.  I learned how to follow a sewing pattern many years ago, and using that knowledge (and a lot of trial and error) I figured out how to make my own original patterns.  That's essentially how I made this guy.  I thought of the shapes I would need if I were to create a sewing pattern for a creature like this, then I figured out how to knit those shapes and sew them together.  It wasn't easy- that's for sure!  But I do enjoy a challenge, and I like testing and improving my artistic skills, so although it took a lot of time, I really had fun bringing this fantasy dragon to life,  I used bright purple (my favorite color) for his body, which I knit in a garter stitch.  I used a stockinette stitch and bright yellow yarn for the dragon's belly and the underside of his tail.

I gave him triangular spikes that were knit in bright red yarn.  I sewed all the various parts onto the dragon very securely and stuffed him with polyester fiberfill.  The wings were a bit of a challenge.  I considered creating knit wings, but really wanted them to be more lightweight.  I didn't want to have to use wires to help them hold their shape, as I've done with plush dragons in the past.  I wanted this to be a toy that kids could hugs and cuddle, without any sharp or hard parts.  So I decided to use red and purple felt (I just happened to have exactly the right colors in my fabric stash).  I drew out a wing pattern on paper and used that as my guide.  Then I sewed veins into the wings to give them more stability.

This cute stuffed animal measures about 15 inches long and 15 inches tall.  This guy's pretty special, and I hope when he sells he goes to a loving home.  Until then he can hang out here and make me smile =)  If you want to purchase this dragon, or read more details about him, just click on any of the pictures to be taken to the listing in my shop.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Animals inspire the artwork of CreativeCritters

A quick browse through my studio will be enough to tell you that I love animals.  My Maine Coone, Calcifer was kind enough to pose as my avatar.  And although they've both passed away, my cats Ozzy and Cedric inspired many of my creations and were the original testers of my catnip toys.  Calcifer has since taken up the role as Catnip Product Tester. The picture above shows my fluffy kitty after a hard day of work ;)  I've had pets ever since I was a young child, and simply can't imagine life without animals. I've shared my heart and my home with everything from dogs and cats to ferrets, turtles, bunnies, and more.
  It wasn't until I got Katherine Dewey's "Creating Lifelike Animals in Polymer Clay" that I felt I could sculpt a truly realistic animal though. You'll find many animal sculptures in my studio that were created with guidance from that book.

  I now am confident enough with my skills to sculpt many different types of animals, and have created several custom pet sculptures for customers.  The sculpture below is Rudy, a Collie/ Irish Wolfhound mix.  This sculpture became an integral part of Rudy's memorial.

  I also enjoy creating whimsical and fantasy animals- I have several dragon sculptures, a unicorn, a griffin, and more available.

  Animals have also found their way into my jewelry.  I offer several one of a kind dragon necklaces and bunny rabbits and cats can be found in jewelry sets, earrings, and necklaces.

And then there are stuffed animals, which I never really grew out of.  Once I learned how to sew and follow a pattern I made all sorts of stuffed animals, some to keep for myself and some to give as gifts.  I love being able to make my own teddy bears and share their cuddliness with my customers!

  When I (finally) figured out how to knit, and consequently found some books on knitting stuffed toys, I found a new avenue for my creativity.  I'm now able to create my own sewing and knitting patterns, making many of my stuffed animals one of a kind original creations. 
 

And I'm always adding more, so be sure to check back often!  Thanks for looking!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Handmade Plush World of Warcraft Murlocs with SOUND!

I've been making plush World of Warcraft Murlocs for some time now, and have several listed in my shop.  They're really funny mosters, and I have a blast making them.  In a recent conversation with Mother (she and my brother play WoW) she was musing if it would be possible to make Murlocs with sound.  If you play the game, I'm sure you know what they sound like.  I recalled seeing recordable buttons in the craft store on my last visit.  I told Mother that if she could find a good Murloc sound wave file and email it to me, I should be able to record it on the button, then sew that into some part of the Murloc.  Mother's been playing the game for years, so she knows a good Murloc sound from a corny reproduction.  She sent me the file, I got the button and recorded the sound, then I tried to figure out where to put the button in the Murloc.  I thought about the mouth, but it wouldn't have fit right, so I settled on placing it in his left thigh.  I kept accidentally pressing the button while sewing the Murloc, scaring myself and the cats- LOL!  Not only is this creation soft and cuddly (yeah, I know, Murlocs aren't usually considered "cuddly"), but he makes those hysterical sounds.  This would be the ultimate Christmas present for any WoW fan.  Once I can get more supplies I'll be buying more of those buttons and making more "talking" Murlocs.  Be sure to make your purchases in time for Christmas- it's creeping up faster than I want to realize!  Check out my entire Plush World of Warcraft category to see all I have to offer for WoW fans.  Thanks for looking!

OOAK Plush World of Warcraft Murloc with Sound

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How losing my brother got me started making World of Warcraft plush

I wasn't sure if I was going to write this- wasn't sure if I could.  But this has a lot to do with some of my creations, and I think I owe my brother the recognition for his part in their making.  My older brother, Jeff died 1 year ago on Oct. 28th.  He was only 39 and his passing was sudden and unexpected.  It hit me hard, and I still have a hard time believing that he's gone.  His passing caused my mother and I to reconnect after many years, and through her I learned about a side of Jeff he didn't always share.  I knew about Jeff's love of fantasy, of course, that went back to the days of Dungeons and Dragons, but I didn't know that he had traded D&D for the World of Warcraft.  My mother and younger brother played too, and through them I learned about some of the different characters and their roles in the game.  Jeff had a Tauren character.  When Mother saw some of the work I was doing, she brought up the idea of making plush World of Warcraft characters.  She's also the one who found ArtFire and sent me the link (THANK YOU Mommy!).  As a way to honor Jeff, I decided the first characters I would make would be Taurens.  It took weeks of study about Taurens, and even longer testing out patterns, changing, adapting, and trying again before I came up with a Tauren I was willing to put up for sale.  These patterns are created completely by me, and each character is one of a kind.  The Taurens measure between 14" and 18" and are stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  They're dressed in leather and carry polylmer clay (sculpted by hand) weapons.  I think Jeff would be proud of them.  Recently I've started making Murlocs.  So far I've created 3 different patterns, with options to customize each one.  These monsters measure between 12" and 17" tall and are stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  They have jointed arms and legs, and I use pipe cleaners in their fingers, making them completely poseable.  If Jeff were here, I'd give him one for a pet.  He always liked my comical fantasy sculptures- my Christmas presents always made him laugh.  As I get time, I'll be creating new characters, and delving deeper into Jeff's World of Warcraft.  These are the plushies I have available at the time of this post, however, I'm working on another Murloc right now, and will be listing new characters as I complete them.  Thanks for reading and browsing.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters