Strange Stuff Saturdays - The Lovable Uglies

There is a large segment of the general populace that finds cute in the ugly, and I am one of those people. It's almost a "runt of the litter" complex, we want to rescue the irregular, the odd, the strange, and the left behind. These items make us want to take them and give them a home. There was a recent attempt at creating an upscale and widely-marketed "Ugly" stuffed toy, you know the ones I am talking about. For me, the product missed the mark because it broke the rules of the Ugly Cute. The items were not unique, they were meant to appeal to children and create a collector frenzy, and they were quite expensive for something so mass produced. Today's Strange Stuff post is dedicated to the truly Ugly Cute handmade Art Dolls and Plushies that hit the mark, and maybe even go a bit beyond it. You may like them, you may not, but you may just fall in love with Ugly Cute.

Valentine Creepy OOAK Art Doll- Monica- Valentine Heart Balloon - Lilac Linen by Sandy Mastroni, Art by Sandy Mastroni on Etsy.

PAX - 9IN Strange Artist Mohair Bear by Emma Nicholson, Emma's Bears on Etsy.

Aberdeen the monster Art Doll Plush By ThEm DoLLz by Jen Musatto, ThEm DoLLz on Etsy.

5-inch Nebulous Bunny - GREEN by Brittany U., Nebulous Frog on Etsy.

Art Doll Soft Sculpture Handmade Oddling Dax by Elizabeth Matlack, Oddball Art Co. by Lizzy Love on Etsy.

Sgt Snickers The Plush Pug Dog Tan and Brown Stuffed Animal by The Jae Bird on Etsy.

Have you fallen for one of these Ugly Cute creatures yet? I have a few on my "To Adopt" list. What's great about this kind of item on Etsy is that the prices range vastly from under $20 to over $100 USD. That makes Art Dolls so accessible to just about everyone, and you can build a collection of special dolls for very little cost. Many of these dolls are not meant to be played with or handled excessively, but others are durable and make nice toys, it is very important to find out that information from the creator if you are buying for the little people in your life.

Rainboid - Plushie with Rainbow - Small by Sezen UYGUR, yumusakseyler Soft Sculptures and More on Etsy.

Martin, Soft Art Toy, Bear Probably by Eve Leitch, orangeni Soft Cuddles on Etsy.

Plush Toy Little Critter - Rocket by Little Critter Plushies on Etsy.

Alvin the Llittle Owl OOAK Pose-able Art Doll by Misty Currie, Amidst My Imagination on Etsy.

Buddy and Pal- A Custom Creepy Cute Plush WonkyDoll by Kelly and Joe, Jellykoe on Etsy.

Handmade Plush, Primitive, OOAK, Softie Doll with Button Eyes and Daisy Ways by Shawn Lee Jennings, Ribbons and Rust on Etsy.

By now I am sure "you are picking up what I'm putting down" [how hip is my lingo?]. What I mean is, you get my point. There is an undeniable charm to these handmade OOAK dolls, and you are likely to see at least one in this very tiny tip of the Etsy Art Doll iceberg that you respond to. It made you giggle, it made you smile, maybe it made you want to click that link below the image and see more. And that is the point for me, the purpose of this blog really. To present a sample of amazing and inspiring items that you may not have even known you would like. Maybe you didn't even realize that these items were so easily accessible outside of a gallery or studio. The dolls I have selected to highlight appeal to my personal taste, and many other people's I suspect, but there are many more to be found that might be more to your liking, so don't be shy, head over to Etsy and take a look around.