Fur, Fins and Feathers

I've been making ornaments of people for years, because the clothing is interesting to design.  But when it comes down to making an ornament that is just plain fun to make, it tends to be something cute and fuzzy (and occasionally scaly).  Animal ornaments can take just as much research as my human ones.  However, the work tends to go a bit faster once I know what I want to construct.  They don't have the intricacies of miniature clothing.  They also tend to be a bit more whimsical (like the pig, sheep and bunny on a toboggan) than their human counterparts.

My first ornaments were mostly bears and penguins.  Later, I branched into sheep and unicorns.  I've done a few exotic and mythical animals, like zebras, leopards, gryphons and a Pegasus.  I even delved into the aquatic, with clownfish, seals and a shark (by request).  I've made many guinea pigs, but they tend to be a bit more difficult than one might think.  They have tiny feet.  Those ruffly little ears are hard to stick on.  And I have problems creating the sticky-uppy hair of abyssinians.  I once sculpted a set of guinea pig wine charms that took forever to complete.

I made several guinea pig ornaments (like the one above, in the lower left corner) as Secret Santa gifts for other guinea pig owners over the years.  I'd try to find photos of the person's herd of pigs, and match the pigs in the ornament.  One year I lucked out, and my Secret Santa owned rabbits as well as guinea pigs, so I incorporated her two buns into the wreath, with their big fat floppy feet.  Much easier than little piggie toes!