HAPPY HOLIDAY SALE AT CREATIVECRITTERS!!

I'm offering 10% off everything in my shop November 19 through December 3, giving you plenty of time to find some wonderful handcrafted Christmas gifts.  My sale covers Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and then some.  Below is a sample of what can be found in my shop, including Christmas Themed Gifts, Fantasy Sculptures, Polymer Clay Sculptures, Miniature Houses, Pen Sets, Plush World of Warcraft, Animal Sculptures, Cloth Dolls, Knit Toys, Jewelry and Magnets, Catnip Toys, and Erasers and Pencil Toppers.  I've got something for everyone- even the cat!  You can click the links to view the categories, or click on the pictures below to go directly to their listing.  Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle of CreativeCritters

Yesterday I reorganized my studio categories a bit in order to add a Christmas Themed Gifts section.  I hope this will make it easier for customers to find Christmas themed gifts in my studio.  I have cute pins and magnets, dolls in winter outfits, earrings, sculptures, pen sets, and  I've also started listing Christmas ornaments in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.  I plan to continue listing Christmas themed items throughout the next few months, as well as a variety of other items that would also make wonderful gifts.  And if you have a special request, be sure to contact me while there's still time to fill your order!  During the fall and winter months I feel like one of Santa's elves!  This has always been a very creative time for me though, and I hope to add new products daily (or nightly,as time allows).  Below is a sample of what can be found in my Christmas Themed Gifts category.  Click on the picture to go directly to the listing, or the link to view the entire category.  Be sure to check back often for new items!  Thanks for looking!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

I've loved dragons since I was about 12 years old.  I find the variety of different types of dragons just fascinating.  Some can be silly and whimsical, some wise and well educated, some ferocious killers.  I've created a lot of dragons, some as sculptures, some as jewelry, and a few as stuffed animals.  For me, there really are no rules when creating dragons.  They can come in any color imaginaginable, and be as big as a house, or small enough for a tiny fairy to ride.  Some have smooth skin, some have textured skin, and some have thousands of individual scales.  Dragons always take quite a bit of time to create, as I try to add as much detail as possible.  Scorch the Rockin Dragon took more than a month to complete, and is the most complicated project I've attempted yet.  I've even got an idea hatching for a knit dragon.  I think I'll probably wait until after the holidays to try that one.  Creating my own knitting patterns takes time and concentration, two things I'm pretty short of during the holiday season!  Many of my dragons are inspired by fantasy stories by authors such as Mercedes Lackey, Piers Anthony, JK Rowling, and Terry Brooks, to name just a few.  All of my dragons are one of a kind creations, and they each seem to have their own personality.  Below are some of the different dragons available in my studio.  You can click on the picture to go directly to the listing.  And be sure to check back often- I add new items quite frequently.  Thanks for stopping by!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Happy Halloween everyone!  I love this time of year- the colors of the leaves and fall flowers, the crisp smell of the breeze, and the sound of leaves crunching with every step.  When I was a kid I always had so much fun dressing up for Halloween.  I've been a cat, rabbit, frog, gypsy, and fairy, among other things.  This is where the idea for my Halloween Costume dolls came from.  My younger brother, Mike, and my older brother, Jeff and I would take to the dark streets, feeling so brave to be out in the dark with no adults.  As the oldest, Jeff decided the route we would take, making sure we'd get plenty of candy before Mike got too tired.  For this post I wanted to share some of my Halloween and Autumn inspired pieces.  Enjoy!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

My love of the world of fantasy can easily be seen in much of my work.  I'm inspired by artists like Boris Valejo and Julie Bell (among many others), as well as by the fantasy books I read from authors like Piers Anthony, Jack Chalker, Mercedes Lackey, and Terry Brooks.  As I read I can see the characters and scenes unfolding in my mind.  There are times when I MUST sculpt a particular character or scene.  I just love the thought of magic, talking animals, fierce (or friendly) dragons, brave knights, powerful magical women- fantasy allows anything to become possible.  Most of my fantasy pieces are quite time consuming and labor intensive, but it's a labor of love.  A lot goes into them and I try very hard to get them to convey the right feeling.  Some are comical, like Mohawk the Troll (in the picture above), some are more serious, or even downright scary.  You can find fantasy pieces in my jewelry and magnet category, my pen category, and of course, my fantasy sculpture category.  These are also all one of a kind pieces, and of course sculpted by hand in polymer clay.  The clay itself has a certain magic to it, which lends itself nicely to fantasy sculptures.  You take this pretty colored lump of clay, smoosh it, smash it, smooth it, and voila!- an amazing sculpture emerges, sometimes as if by itself.  This is certainly my favorite medium to work with.  There are just limitless possibilities for what I can create.  Below is a sample of the pieces you'll find in my shop, with more being added regularly.  Just click on the picture to go directly to the listing, or click on one of the category links above to browse.  Thanks for stopping by and looking!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters