Kayleigh Radcliffe’s work is made for November days, when each afternoon seems to offer just a bit less sunlight than the one before. The illustrator-turned-sculptor and self-described “anthropomorphic artist,” who grew up and still lives in the countryside of northern England, channels her twin obsessions—animals and the macabre—into decorative figurines that are equal parts playful and eerie: tree ornaments for people who consider Edward Scissorhands essential holiday viewing.
Explore the Kayleigh Radcliffe collection
While Kayleigh draws inspiration from unconventional sources—from folk tales to ghost stories, fairgrounds to graveyards—her seasonal decor and illustrations are anything but niche, appealing to a broad range of casual customers and devoted collectors alike. “I try to use colors that can fit comfortably into many homes—they’re not too bold or brash,” Kayleigh explains. “Because of that, my products suit lots of decor schemes, including modern, traditional, and contemporary aesthetics. And all of my figures are designed to be heirloom pieces that you’ll bring out year after year, or even display all year round, for years to come.”
Read on to learn how Kayleigh crafts her animal ornaments and the secret behind their lifelike expressions, then shop the Kayleigh Radcliffe collection.
Your aesthetic is so distinctive. How did you arrive at the style you work in today?
Growing up in the countryside, surrounded by farmland, I loved Beatrix Potter, and I loved Labyrinth, and I loved children’s books with really old-fashioned illustrations, like of an animal in human form. I think as an adult, I’m still a bit childish, and I imagine that other people might be drawn to my work because of that, because it’s childlike but in a grown-up way. The young at heart admire my work—I think it takes them back to their own happy childhoods.
Based on your work, I would also guess that you spend a lot of time around animals.
I do! We have a lot of wildlife—pheasant and owls and bats, and ducks on the pond. I grew up with pets as well: geese, cats, dogs. At the moment, I have a very affectionate cat who likes to sit on my shoulders, especially when I’m working or doing the dishes, and sometimes he’ll come and sleep with me, too. I’ve always been surrounded by animals—I’m obsessed with them.
What’s your process for creating your animal figures?
A lot of it is similar to how vintage German spun-cotton ornaments were made, but because I like clay and sculpting, I make heads for mine out of air-drying or ceramic clay. That’s the part that comes first and takes the longest. I’ve created my own molds for the heads to keep them consistent, but sometimes I’ll hand-sculpt a head from scratch if I’m creating a one-off piece. The heads are attached to simple wire bodies, and then I paint their features and hand-draw the fur detailing.
After protecting the heads with several layers of varnish, I cover the wire body, wrapping it with long strips of cotton wool, which I’ll then paint. My favorite part of the process comes next: dressing the figures with bows, ruffles, skirts, and jackets, all of which I hand-sew and then stitch onto the bodies. I have a collection of vintage and antique laces, fabrics, ribbons, and beads that I like to use on my one-off pieces—if I can bring myself to part with them!
The faces of your figures are so expressive—what’s the secret to putting the soul into them?
I don’t know what the secret is, actually—it just happens naturally. My whole heart goes into making my figures; it must stem from that. To be honest, my brain sort of switches off when I paint—I work from my subconscious. It’s like magic! But for the eyes, I actually work from a photograph of my own eye, so they’re very lifelike—and they each carry a little part of me with them.
In addition to holiday decor and art dolls, you also sell jewelry, illustrated prints, and cards in your shop. Is there one category of items you personally favor?
I connect more with the holiday decor, I think—Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, especially. I want my seasonal figures to become heirlooms, so I put a lot of love into those. Next year I’m hoping to work more on my illustrations, which I’ve neglected a little this year. I want to see what else I can do with those—illustrating a book is one thing I’d love to try.
What are some of your best-selling items?
I think my best-selling item has been my miniature cat mermaid necklace and my rabbit Red Riding Hood Christmas decoration. My moon men prove very popular too, especially at art fairs and in a shop that I stock on the Albert Dock in Liverpool.

Your work seems very collectible. Do you have a lot of repeat customers?
I have a few repeat customers here on Etsy, which is really lovely. One lady in Canada is building up quite a collection of my miniature art dolls, which will be going on her Christmas tree this year; another of my repeat customers always buys a new hanging ornament for her daughter’s tree each Christmas. And there’s a woman in Wales who commissioned me to make a seagull lady in a ball gown last year, and this year she asked me to make a seagull man to dance with her seagull lady. They’re now dancing away happily together in their new home.
What’s next for your shop?
Right now I’m working on 10 or 11 designs for Christmas including a polar bear, a fox, a barn owl, two deer, a moon man, and a candy cane. Some of them will be in velvet suits or waistcoats, and one of the deer will be wearing a rust-colored bow.
Follow Kayleigh Radcliffe on Instagram.
Photographs by Kayleigh Radcliffe.
1 Featured Comment
Oriaku Onuoha-Bean from JewelryByOri said 2 years ago Featured
These are AMAZING. Its like your favorite woodland /fairytale/bedtime story come alive. Great job on the feature!
57 comments
ciaffi from ciaffi said 2 years ago
So sweet!! Congratulations!!! :-) :-)
branda Moreno from branda said 2 years ago
Great work!!! Congratulations Kayleigh!!! :-) :-)
Rachel Bingaman from BingArt said 2 years ago
I love the old fashioned, whimsical feel to these animal ornaments. Each one is its own little piece of art. Nice work!
Ronda from boulevardandbell said 2 years ago
Treasures!! What a wonderful talent! Congratulations!! Best wishes for continued success 👏
Cathy from msbijouxbeads said 2 years ago
Lovely and unique pieces of art, congratulations on a great feature!
Rosita from linentextile said 2 years ago
Wow, amazing works! So many characters! Love all these!
Richard Edgcomb from FunknJunkChristmas said 2 years ago
Beautiful!!! Unique!!! Incredible Craftsmanship. Congrats!!!
Renee from RandMhandmade said 2 years ago
There is so much I can say about this beautiful shop! I love all the creativity, color and hard work that is shown in every piece. Great Job : ) Congratulations on the feature!!
Kashuen Collectibles from Kashuen said 2 years ago
I love these vintage German spun-cotton inspired ornaments. What a beautiful shop.
AnitasPottery.com from potterybyAnita said 2 years ago
What unique items and amazing creativity! Congrats on being Featured! Best Wishes! 🎄🎀🎄
Aria from BirdFeatherNestArts said 2 years ago
These are beautiful and magical!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 2 years ago
Beautiful and creative work!
AnitasPottery.com from potterybyAnita said 2 years ago
What unique and creative items! Congrats on the Feature! Best Wishes! 🎄🎀🎄
Olga Wassupbrothers from wassupbrothers said 2 years ago
Yey!! Congratulations dear Kayleigh :) Well done!! Love your whimsy creatures and beautiful shop to the moon and back! Lots of success your way !
Fields Of Vintage from FieldsOfVintage said 2 years ago
What a fascinating imagination! Love your whimsical creatures. Congrats on the feature.
Holly Elisabet Therriault from HollowtreIllustrator said 2 years ago
The story and your gift, unique and very lovely! Simply gorgeous talent Kaleigh!
Olesya Petrova from OLEANDR said 2 years ago
fairytale shop. Amazing work
ClassicMemories from ClassicMemories said 2 years ago
Very nice shop. Congrats on the feature.
R.M Garrett from ArtisticAcrylics said 2 years ago
These creations are so magical, they seem to have their own character. As if they're alive and only waiting for you to start talking to them. Truly beautiful!!!
IzzyRoo from IzzyRoo said 2 years ago
Beautiful and surreal like lovely dream !!
Earth and Sky Alchemy Christopher and Amy from EarthandSkyAlchemy said 2 years ago
Love your charming, whimsical work, just magical! Congrats on the feature!
maggie from BlossomBouquetStudio said 2 years ago
Different way to decorate the holiday with style and uniqueness! Congratulations on the feature! Have a great holiday season!
Rhonda Stubbs from RhondaCorner said 2 years ago
Oh my gosh! I LOVE your work. I am 58 years old and still kid at heart. Your ornaments are just lovely. Congratulations on your feature and I wish you the very best on your future endeavors.
FiolettaKK from FiolettaKK2 said 2 years ago
These are so wonderful <3
nerdscapecreations from NerdscapeCreations said 2 years ago
Beautiful work! Congratulations!
lpattonkosiba said 2 years ago
I love your ornaments!!!!
Jennifer Tyson from LadyInPurpleBoutique said 2 years ago
Congrats on the feature Kayleigh! Your work is really amazing!
Ana Paula from macraMe said 2 years ago
Congratulation!!! :-) :-)
Karen from KnitPeddler said 2 years ago
Such a lovely whimsical shop! Congrats on being featured. All the best! <3
KraftyWerk from KraftyWerk said 2 years ago
Unique, Lovely and Whimsical! Congratulations!
Julia K Walton from JuliaKWalton said 2 years ago
Superb work! Wonderful heirloom pieces to bring out year after year :o)
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 2 years ago
Wowwwwie ~!~ Beautiful inside and out. Great read, fun visuals ! Cheers to much continued success.
Linda from BlingBoutiquebyLinda said 2 years ago
Your creations are beautiful and obviously have absorbed some of your free spirit and personality. I am very impressed with your creativity and talent. Congratulations on your success and all the best for your future!
Liene from SilkArtbyLiene said 2 years ago
So cute dolls you are so talented. Wish you big success
Poupée Decorative from PoupeeDecorative said 2 years ago
Lovely and unique pieces of art, congratulations on a great feature!
Michael Hawkins from CraftyDad said 2 years ago
Wow! Everything is beautiful! Congrats on the feature. : )
Ritisha from abeautifulprojection said 2 years ago
Your work is simply gorgeous! ♥️
Anna from FairyToysWorld said 2 years ago
Creative design! Unusual and amazing)
Naomi Levitin from NaomiLevitin said 2 years ago
Love the creativity of your products! Congrats on the feature!
elle and belle Forster from elleandbellejewelry said 2 years ago
Ohh such beautiful creations, Kayleigh!! My favorites I think are the pear man, fox, ginger cat and rabbit. All the best!
Bren from bstudio said 2 years ago
Absolutely unique and delightful work!
Oriaku Onuoha-Bean from JewelryByOri said 2 years ago Featured
These are AMAZING. Its like your favorite woodland /fairytale/bedtime story come alive. Great job on the feature!
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 2 years ago
Absolutely unique and beautiful creations! Congratulations on the feature!
Lisa from GloriousGirlJewelry said 2 years ago
The detailed work involved is amazing - true artist here. and I wouldn't even put them away after the holidays, I would hang them or set them somewhere where I could spy them from time to time :)
jean Birz said 2 years ago
Extraordinary! She makes it very difficult to decide which one to choose!
FuchsiaMoon from TheFuchsiaMoon said 2 years ago
Fascinating artistry! I would love to see these figurines come to life in an animated feature. Thank you Kayleigh for sharing your talent and story, and the brilliant photographs of your craft. Thanks too, to Diana for bringing us a glimpse into Kayleigh's world.
denise from yzdszj8u said 2 years ago
fantastique
Sharon from YearsAfter said 2 years ago
Your creatures are so magically enchanting and unique! I love them!
Ana Leka from LekaCreations said 2 years ago
such a creative artist! very original!
Betsy said 2 years ago
Love these, must have one!
Sharon from YearsAfter said 2 years ago
Amazing! These ornaments should have been in the Etsy commmercial!
Jeannie from MysticalRaindrops said 2 years ago
Oh, these are so cute and very unique!
Clau Pandolfi from ClauPandolfi said 2 years ago
Your work is amazing!! Inspiring & touching! Congratulations!
Patricia said 1 year ago
Beautiful work!!
Anastasia Tokareva from tastydolls said 1 year ago
wow!!! how talented! amazing creativity! I will definitely get this decoration for my collection of toys!
Jeannie from MysticalRaindrops said 1 year ago
Love these unique minis, especially the moon man.
Elaine Davis said 83 days ago
The illustrated objects of art are really interersting and the drawings are really done in a very intresting way.Good luck in future things you take on.