Been smooshing some clay

Lately I've been doing a lot of sculpting and have been inspired by Boris and Dinko Tilov.  I've created several fun pieces, and have really been in a good creative groove.  The Dragons I sculpted for Mother for Christmas were made with guidance from the Tilov's book Sculpting Mythical Creatures in Polymer Clay.  The projects in this book are so much fun, and the possibilities for variations are limitless.

My Griffin sculpture was created as an entry in the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild Mythology Challenge.  This was another whimsical project from the same book.  He was also the first griffin I've sculpted, but certainly not the  last!  I like the way he came out.  I think he's got a lot of character!

My best friend's birthday is coming up, so I sculpted a lighted Mushroom Gnome house for her.  I included a funny gnome based on Tilov's gnomes.  I've sculpted several lighted houses, but this was the first lighted mushroom house in my repertoire.  Right now I'm putting the finishing touches on another lighted mushroom house.  The first turned out so well, I just had to make another.  This one will have a gnome and a halfling sharing his garden vegetables.  That would represent my longing to get back out in the garden- LOL!  My next sculpture will be another project from Tilov's book.  I'm sure I'll create several versions of just about all of the projects in this book.  They're so much fun to create, and while I'm sculpting the story of the piece plays itself out in my mind.
So that's what I've been up to lately. ;)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Another fun Alice in Wonderland inspired creation

My latest addition to CreativeCritters is this whimsical plush Doormouse in a teapot, measuring 7 inches tall and 8 inches wide. The hand sewn teapot was sewn from bright red felt and is decorated with yellow and orange felt flowers. The flowers, which have contrasting centers, are glued and sewn to the teapot. The whimsical Doormouse was sewn by hand from gray felt and has the lid of the teapot perched on his head as a hat. The mouse is securely sewn to the top of the teapot and both are firmly stuffed with polyester fiberfill. The base of the teapot is firm, so it sits level. This would be a great addition to any Alice in Wonderland collection!






Thanks for stopping by to check out my newest creation!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Morumoto- adorable handmade plush guinea pigs

This was one of the first shops I checked out after joining ArtFire, and I've been a fan ever since.  Morumoto (which means guinea pig in Japanese) creates plush guinea pigs and mice that are just too cute!  She uses soft faux fur to create these adorable critters and manages to give them each their own personality.  She makes her own patterns, so you know you're purchasing a unique handcrafted critter.  In her biography she says "Although I picked up the needle and thread when I was young, making plushies is something I began doing somewhat recently. It began with my fondness for guinea pigs; simply put, I've only ever found so few cavy items such as figurines and plushies that I decided to make some of my own. I craft my plush critters carefully by hand, creating a life-like portrayal that captures the feel as well as the appearance of my subjects. My crafting endeavors have already turned towards other rodents, such as mice, rats, hamsters, and and I won't be satisfied until I have made a plushie of most if not all rodents. I'm constantly searching for more materials and ideas."

She can also be found on deviantArt, her blog, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.  Below is sample of some of the adorable plushies you can find in her shop.  Be sure to stop in to see everything she has to offer!

They look so real!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Gifts for animal lovers

As you can probably tell from my shop name, CreativeCritters, I'm a real animal lover, and have been all my life.  From my first lump of Play Doh I was sculpting crude cats and dogs, as well as attempting to sew my own stuffed animals.  My skills have improved just a bit since then- LOL!  In ceramics class in high school I was always getting in trouble for sculpting animals, rather than the bowls and cups we were supposed to be making.  Now, of course I can make whatever I want, and my inventory certainly reflects that.  I have animal Christmas ornaments, animal sculptures, animal pen sets, animal jewelry, knit stuffed animals, and catnip toys stuffed with my own organic catnip.  So if you're an animal lover yourself, or have one on your Christmas gift list, stop in and see some of my unique handcrafted items that are sure to bring a smile to anyone's face.  You can click on the pictures below to go directly to the listing, or click on the categories to view everything available.

And there's a lot more where these came from!  I've got critters wandering all over my studio, with more being adding regularly.  Thanks for stopping by!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Adventures in Catnip!

The picture above shows what happens when my Ozzy gets his catnip!  I've been making catnip toys for many years, for my own cats, as well as my friends and relative's cats.  I grow the catnip in my garden and use no chemicals or pesticides.  Catnip is a pretty tough plant and is in the mint family.  It benefits from frequent harvesting.  Bees and other beneficial insects flock to the tiny white flowers in the summer.  Bright yellow finches and other birds love the tiny seeds, and help to spread the plant around.  I had a good season this year and just brought in my final harvest for the season.  I should be able to create quite a few toys with what I've harvested since summer.  Many people have told me I should sell my catnip toys, so I finally decided to do so.  I have plenty of proof that cats love these toys!  My best friend says her cats are still playing with the toys I gave them 4 years ago.  My boys still play with their toys as well.  My cousin's cats actually ripped through the rest of the Christmas presents to get at theirs!  I told her to give them the toys when she got home, but she forgot and left them with the rest of the presents.  When she went downstairs the next morning, the place was trashed and each cat had one of the toys (luckily nothing got broken).  So cats definitely like these toys!  The knit ones are usually made holding 2 strands of yarn together and are knit in a tight garter stitch, then stuffed with at least 1/3 of the body filled with catnip and the rest filled with fleece scraps.  These toys are very tough and durable, and can take a serious thrashing.  My Cedric is especially vicious, but his toys are still in one piece.  I also make felt toys which are securely sewn together and filled in the same manner.  Many of the toys have braided yarn tails, or knit tentacles, like the octopus.  I've had many years to figure out just what different cats like, and I design these toys with that in mind.  All of these are created with my own patterns.  I'll make as many as I can until I run out of catnip.  I'll only use my own catnip because I know that it was organically grown and I also know it's very potent!  Below are some of the toys available right now, but I'll be adding more as I complete them, so be sure to check back often!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters