In one of last month’s blog articles I introduced you to Irene of Nenas Puppet Pals Shop on Etsy. The article highlighted her puppet sets that bring to life the characters in a few classic story books. The puppets she created for these story book sets are made using my patterns with her creative minor adjustments to give each puppet a unique look and personality.

Meet Some of Irene’s Custom Puppets

Now I want to showcase how imaginative and creative she is by showing you just a few of the custom puppets she’s made. She starts by customizing my patterns to create a one of kind puppet for her customers. They are always thrilled with the puppet she creates. Her puppets are finished works of art in addition to being easy to use. Her customers range from those in the entertainment industry to family and friends.

This charming dragon was created for a comedian to be used for marketing purposes. Irene customized my Dragon puppet pattern by adding a body with a tail and feet! That takes talent to do that. She also added her imaginative touch to give this dragon a unique personality.

The same comedian also had her create an eel for marketing purposes. This time Irene used that same Dragon puppet pattern and created a slithery tail. I love the teeth and the use of shimmery fabric. Needless to say this customer was thrilled with how she was able to interpret what he wanted.

By following her customer’s specifications, she adapted my Lion puppet pattern into this one of a kind tiger. For this puppet, she only used the head part of the lion pattern and added the neck, body, arms and legs (and a tail that is hidden). The fur on this guy is what makes the character. She told me that the fur fuzz from cutting and sewing this puppet was all over her and her house. It took two weeks of vacuuming to get all of the fur cleaned up but it was worth the praise from her customer.

Another adaptation of the Lion puppet pattern. She used orange fleece to make the body and made the stripes out of black felt. Adding the white fur to the ears muzzle and chest really makes this puppet come alive!

Vultures usually aren’t thought of as being cute but this one sure is! She used my Vulture puppet pattern and added the body and legs. What adorable legs and feet! The addition of the feathers for wings, topknot, and tail adds another dimension to this character. The glitter in the fur around the neck is the crowning point! The vulture was to play a part in a play. I’m sure it stole the show when it went on stage.

What the fox say? Yes, I know that is really outdated but I couldn’t resist saying it. Since I don’t have a fox pattern, she was able to adapt my Skunk puppet pattern into this cutie who was going to be used in a play. So if you need a fox, you can definitely use the skunk pattern to make one. She used orange fleece (since foxes are orange colored) and added the all important fur to the strategic areas that identify a fox – ears, muzzle and chest. She also added her own arms and legs.

All of these shaggy neon creations are from my Goose puppet pattern. When I look at my goose pattern, I see a goose. When Irene looks at the goose pattern, she sees a whole new world peopled with colorful, charismatic and cheerful puppets.

To follow a customer’s ideas of what kind of camel she envisioned, Irene used my Giraffe puppet pattern instead of the camel pattern. And what an adorable camel! Irene didn’t adapt the original pattern much but added fur to enhance the cuteness. Irene hand made the hat and backpack. She is versatile and is able to create any accessories that a customer might need to complete the look they are looking for.

My puppet sewing pattern business was inspired from the Muppets’ creator, Jim Henson. When I learned that he thought chickens were the most humorous of animals (you’ll notice chickens are used extensively in his works) I had to make a chicken pattern. I always giggle when I see one of Irene’s chickens. It is one of her most popular selling items in her Etsy store. When I look at any of her completed creations using one of my patterns I’m always in awe of how she can take such a simple pattern and create a work of art. Check out those eyelashes!

How We Met

As you can tell I’m a huge fan of Irene. We met many years on line when she purchased her first puppet sewing pattern. Over the years our relationship has grown from her being a loyal customer to a dear friend. I’m always impressed with quality, attention to detail, sense of humor, her devotion to customer relations, fast turn around and determination to create a puppet that not only looks professional but is easy to operate in any type of performance — in front of friends or family or to large audiences in a show performance.

If you need a custom puppet contact her at Etsy store Nenas Puppet Pals Shop with your questions and ideas and she’ll do her utmost to create a puppet to fit your needs. To get your creative juices flowing check out what she has available for immediate delivery at her Etsy store.