Since
the day Heidi Bartruff's Father introduced her to a neighborhood puppy
when she was only 3 years old, she was completely smitten for life.
As she grew up in Los Angeles, CA,she displayed an inherent artistic
ability which won her several awards throughout her school years.
But it wasn't until her own children were born that she discovered
her niche'. Desiring to make her daughter a special plush animal
on her third birthday, Heidi taught herself to sew and then combined
her artistic skills with her love and knowledge of animal conformation.
The results have delighted her family, friends and toy manufacturers
for the past 14 years.
Heidi went on to design "Toto" for The Franklin Mint's
porcelain Dorothy doll and she is the original inventor of the line
of small, magnet-filled toys called"Magneatoes" which
have been manufactured and sold successfully world wide by the Mary
Meyer Toy Co. for several years .
Heidi
says: "I enjoy creating sweeter-than-life, soft, cuddly, tangible
creations that bring comfort and smiles to my customers... to somehow
make magic seem possible during such sad or tense times as we are
experiencing tends to bring hope and joy as the old fairy tales
do... I guess my artworks give me those comforts while I am designing
them so it's really as much a therapy for me as for the client!"
The Heidi & Co. studio is nestled in the tall pines of the
southern California mountains where she and her family, (including
2 dogs of course!) live happily ever after!
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