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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Pastels in Polymer Clay

Spring is the time for pretty pastel colors- soft daffodil yellow, pale pink flowers peeking through the leaves in the flower bed, soft lilac purples bursting into bloom.  And the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on ArtFire does pastel so well!

This Yellow Heart Pendant from DreamWeaversDesigns makes me think of all the pretty yellow daffodils nodding their heads in the spring breeze.  These are some of the first flowers to bloom in my yard and I welcome their sunny color!

 

And this beautiful tile from Harrison Hollow Designs has all sorts of pretty pastels.  And it would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day too ;-)

I love all the different colors and textures on this piece- the more I look at it, the more I like it!

And I am absolutely in love with this lavender flower pendant from Life Art Designs!

Pastel perfection!  I love flowers, and any shade of purple, so you can see why this beauty caught my eye! ;-)

And here's a lovely polymer clay cane in shades of peach, purple, and teal.  My Polymer Clay Canes has all sorts of intricate and pretty canes available.

I love the way the colors soften and blur slightly.  I don't make many canes myself, and these pretty designs always impress me. 

Although it's been a gray and wet Spring so far, all these pretty colors give me a bit of hope for better weather and brighter blooms in the near future!  I hope you enjoyed my pastel picks from a few of the very talented members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Handmade items in pretty Spring pastels

Another spring inspired collection.  I love the beautiful pastel colors of Spring flowers and have found those colors in a wide variety of handmade items on ArtFire.

Pretty Pastels for Spring

   Curated By: CreativeCritt...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

Click on any of the pictures to view the listing and find out more about these beautiful items.
Wishing you a sunny spring day!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Free gifts can equal future sales

Sometimes people wonder if it's worth it to give free gifts with their orders.  I now have definite proof that it is indeed worth it to give customers free gifts with their orders!  Several months ago I got an order from Alisun's on ArtFire.  Her shop banner and avatar have a sun in them, so I figured she would like a polymer clay sun magnet as a free gift.  Whenever I can I like to suit my free gifts to the person receiving them.  Alisun remembered that free gift and recently asked if I could make a bulk order of those suns, without the magnet.

Of course I was more than happy to fill this order!  With all the rain and snow we've had lately, I needed a bit of sunshine- LOL!  This is my first bulk order, but hopefully not my last.  Something like these suns would make a great promotional gift for any business.  They can be made into magnets or pins, and will make customers remember your shop.  So if anyone else is interested in a few (or many) polymer clay shapes like this, just use the Contact Artisan button at CreativeCritters to send me a request.  Thanks for stopping by!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Gardening Halflings and Gnomes

It all started with a gift for my friend's birthday.  I made her a sculpture of a dwarf standing in front of his lighted mushroom house.  It was so much fun to create, I decided to make another version.  The mushroom house itself is really cool.  I wrapped clay around a glass votive holder for the stem and living area of the mushroom and cut out the door and windows so the light could shine through.  Inside is an electric tea light.


Pretty flowers grow up the stem of the mushroom and around the base of the house.  I decorated the cap of the mushroom with glow in the dark leaves and stars.
 
Then of course there are the main characters of this piece, Gnor the Gnome and Henry the Halfling.  As I was sculpting these two I remembered our neighbor and Grampa exchanging fresh garden vegetables during the summer.  They were good friends and always willing to share whatever they had grown that season.  I still remember Mr. Wednt bringing Gramma bouquets of dill- LOL!  In this sculpture Henry is bringing over a basket of tomatoes, corn, lettuce, and carrots.  The more I look at Henry, the more I see Mr. Wednt in him- he even used to wear a straw gardening hat.  This all came through subconsciously, and I didn't even see the connection until after the piece was finished.  The Gnome and Halfling were inspired by Boris and Dinko Tilov.  I've been doing a lot of the projects in their Sculpting Mythical Creatures in Polymer Clay, and having a great deal of fun with them.  Their characters are always fun and whimsical, and full of personality.  I'm currently working on another project from that book, and should be listing that one in the next week or so (all depending on how complex I make it).
Thanks for stopping by and sharing the creativity!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters