{"id":1,"date":"2025-04-26T09:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T09:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/?p=1"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:01:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:01:12","slug":"celebrate-small-joys-with-endearing-pet-portraits-from-winking-cat-clay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/celebrate-small-joys-with-endearing-pet-portraits-from-winking-cat-clay\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Small Joys With Endearing Pet Portraits From Winking Cat Clay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Each intricately painted and sculpted vessel, figurine, and charm in this whimsical gift shop is a tiny tribute to our furry friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Porcelain
Photo by: Cara Robbins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In our Featured Shop<\/a> series, we shine a light on a standout shop from Etsy\u2019s talented seller community, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at their process and story. This month, it’s all about whimsical feline sculptures and adorable pet portraits from Winking Cat Clay<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Winking<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Artist<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Any doting pet parent will attest: Life with our animal companions is the most precious gift. From the familiar nudge of a wet nose requesting a belly rub to the curious paw clawing under a closed door, it\u2019s the little things they do (and the adorable shenanigans they pull) that give us a thousand daily reasons to smile. It\u2019s only fitting then that whenever Los Angeles-based ceramicist and cat enthusiast Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut sets out to sculpt a tiny feline figurine<\/a>, hand-build a puppy candle holder<\/a>, or paint a pet portrait pendant<\/a> for her shop Winking Cat Clay<\/strong><\/a>, she has a singular goal: to properly capture each creature\u2019s special quirks in clay, transforming their essence into collectible and giftable keepsakes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve always been an animal lover and pet owner, so making sculptures of cats<\/a> and dogs<\/a> felt natural to me,\u201d Nicky explains. Alongside her collection of charm jewelry<\/a>, mugs<\/a> and butter dishes<\/a>, and dioramas<\/a>, she crafts expressive custom pet portraits<\/a>\u2014including memorial pet urns<\/a> and sculptures<\/a>\u2014that capture a furry loved one\u2019s likeness and personality. Perfect as an extra-special gift<\/a>, each precious piece is handmade to bring outsized delight to its owner for years to come. \u201cI love that my pieces are a way to connect with other people who appreciate the playfulness and humor that pets bring to our everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to discover the sentimental stories behind some of Nicky\u2019s favorite creations, and shop the whimsical Winking Cat Clay collection<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Cat teacups<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, $75<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Porcelain charm bracelet<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $65<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Handmade dish with “laptop cat” figurine<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $50<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Golden doodle dog figurine<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, $44<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bookshelf<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\u201cMy<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Custom cat urn<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $250<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Handmade butter dish<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $250<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> “Goodnight, Cat\u201d diorama<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, $275<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Dancing cat figurines<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $95<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Winking Cat Clay should be on your radar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a signature storybook quality to each of Nicky\u2019s playfully posed clay critters. Sly smiles, curious head tilts, and the occasional snappy bowtie<\/a> offer hints that each animal has its own unique tale to tell. That charming, quirky aesthetic combined with Nicky\u2019s dutiful attention to detail lends itself well to her popular pet-inspired pieces<\/a>. \u201cI work from customer photos to replicate their pet’s facial details, fur patterns, and other distinguishing marks,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve made cross-eyed Siamese cats, droopy-eyed dogs<\/a> with a wistful look, cats flying<\/a> with arms outstretched and lots of other endearing animals that I want to make recognizable to their owners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, you need not be a current dog or cat owner to take home a mini memento from Nicky\u2019s shop. Whether you\u2019re an aspiring pet parent or simply an enthusiastic animal lover<\/a>, there\u2019s a range of one-of-a-kind, ready-made jewelry<\/a> and decor<\/a> to choose from, from painterly owl earrings<\/a> and petite porcelain bracelet charms<\/a> to whimsical whale candle holders<\/a> and cat-shaped chopstick rests<\/a>. \u201cI hand-build and hand-paint each figure,\u201d Nicky says. \u201cSo they really are like little pieces of artwork to display in your home or to give as a surprising gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Goth cat figurine<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, $85<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Ceramic cat charms<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $58<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Ceramic star charm necklace<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Charm jewelry<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $22<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Cuddling cats sculpture<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $55<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best Winking Cat Clay pieces for memorable gifting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find a thoughtful, animal-themed gift for every occasion in the Winking Cat Clay collection<\/a>, whether it\u2019s a pretty kitty ring dish<\/a> for a cat-loving couple on their wedding day or a prancing pig cake topper<\/a> for your bestie\u2019s big barbecue birthday bash. With Mother\u2019s Day<\/a> coming up, Nicky recommends one of her figurines of a mother and kitten<\/a> sleeping together or a custom pendant<\/a> of Mom\u2019s cherished pet. \u201cThe portraits<\/a> of dogs and cats are memorable gifts,\u201d she says. \u201cI often make them for customers to give as keepsakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a present that\u2019s particularly poignant, a custom urn<\/a> for a pet who has passed can be a joyful reminder of all the happy times spent together in life. In fact, it\u2019s this sentiment that inspired some of Nicky\u2019s earliest ceramic creations. \u201cI began making cat-shaped vessels as a way to remember my first quirky rescue cat, Kimchi,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI designed a memory urn in the shape of a cat\u2019s silhouette with a focus on painting large, soulful eyes\u2014similar to how Egyptian cats look dignified in the afterlife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Custom dog urn<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $250<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Custom cat sculpture<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $150<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\u201cMy<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Dancing cats wedding cake topper<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $110<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nicky<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Charm necklace<\/a> (from $22) and parrots butter dish<\/a> ($140) from Winking Cat Clay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love that I’ve been able to appeal to people’s interests and curiosity with the animals I make out of clay\u2014it’s a balance of my own expression and the aesthetic of others,\u201d Nicky says. \u201cIt\u2019s also really meaningful to receive notes and reviews<\/a> from people who cry or are overjoyed by one of my ceramic pieces<\/a>. It makes it worth all the labor that goes into my work, because the end result is to make people happy and fulfilled seeing one of their animals come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Sleeping cat mug<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, $70<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Cat mugs and teacups<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $55<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Greyhound pup candle holder<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $50<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>SHOP:<\/strong> Miniature dog sculpture<\/a> from Winking Cat Clay, from $44<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Studio<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Closeup<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nicky<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"With<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Follow Winking Cat Clay on Instagram<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portraits and workspace photos by Cara Robbins. Product photography courtesy of Winking Cat Clay<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop the Winking Cat Clay collection<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each intricately painted and sculpted vessel, figurine, and charm in this whimsical gift shop is a tiny tribute to our furry friends. In our Featured Shop series, we shine a light on a standout shop from Etsy\u2019s talented seller community, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at their process and story. This month, it’s all about whimsical feline […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,46,44,1,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-shop","category-gift-ideals","category-shopping-guides","category-uncategorized","category-weddings"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etsy2d.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}