Playing with dolls makes me happy!

I have been working like a mad woman in the studio,I have been having so much fun painting,sewing,embellishing,drawing and much more,its been a hoot,and I have a lot more time to play for the moment,I am of until two weeks after my op so its exciting that I will be able to create more than I thought that I would.

I have been concentrating on my latest batch of dolls,I tend to have to many on the go at once so I had put them into lots and am determined to do it that way but sometimes I just fancy working on one that catches my eye,anyway hopefully I will be more disciplined and get them all finished before I make a new lot.

I made a fairy doll about six months ago but have felt uninspired to finish her but now I cant get her out of my head,I keep thinking of different ways to bring her to life and how to develop her personality,I have given her some antaners,big eyes and funny wings,she is about three quarters done and I hope to have her on here for show next Sunday.

I am also finishing off my one piece dolls,they are turning out nicely and the cats are looking pretty cool as well,bad bunny is getting some clothing and almost ready to join his girl friends.

I have a few dotee dolls in the wings waiting to be finished,they just need to be embellished so that will happen over the next couple of weeks,also I have some paper clay ornies happening and then when all these are done I can work on some larger dolls that need completing.

Well thats the weeks summery for now,I will be back next Sunday with some pics I hope of completed dolls......................................

Its time for some fun in the studio

I have three glorious weeks ahead of me to just create dolls and art work,so that is exactly what i will be doing,how awesome!

I plan to sew about thirty dolls tomorrow or Tuesday and have them painted and finished to sell,I also want to give some of them their own special little boxes surrounded by the things they love,it will be fun.

I have been mixing different media to create dolls lately,cloth and clay,beads,layered fabric etc,its been interesting but Ive enjoyed most creating a one piece pattern and painting the little characters in acrylic,the just seem to come to life.

Well i hope to add more before the week end since I have time off and tell of my dollie adventures.

New Dolls ...

I have been working on some new dolls made of cloth and paper clay and have completed two so far and hopefully they will be a hit on Etsy.

I have also been working on single piece pattered dolls and using paint to bring life to them,they have worked quite well and I am enjoying the process,I think though I will perhaps explore further with more texture and fibers and see what is born of it all.

Also I have been working on some paper clay figures in a whimsical theme,they are getting there and I'm looking forward to the end result,I want to make some box toppers as I love boxes and dolls,so why not mix them.

Well back to the doll makers studio to see what little beings I can bring to life.....

More dolls and bad bunnies!

I spent most of the day working on the dolls in my studio,I managed to achieve quite a bit but still I want more to happen!
The bad bunnies are coming along nicely and look suitably naughty,I think I will make some more perhaps in my holidays.

The cloth and paper clay dolls are nearing completion, just need to attach the hair,decorate the wings and add a few final blingy touches and they will be done and ready to sell,Im quite pleased with them and look forward to creating some more soon.

I think I have a round thirty dolls in the making at the moment and Im still thinking up more to create and finish,I have to choose which ones will go into the book yet and which ones to sell,mmm some thought is needed for this.

I have been using calico for most of my dolls,I cant seem to break away from it,it is so versatile,still I must experiment more with other types of cloth,perhaps I will try satin next.

More dolls being born!!!!!!!!!!

Ive been inspired and am fired up,I have new designs and lots to do,my studio is now kitted out to work on the dolls as well,so I hope to produce lots of dolls this year and sell them as well as add them to my new book.
I have been working in paper clay and cloth,using glass eyes in ways that i would not normally use them and doing a lot of free sewing on the dolls.
I plan to get much more intricate in my work and add more and more colour,Im very hyped up about it all!!!!!!!!!

dolls eyes.

Ive been working out ways to put acrylic dolls eyes on cloth dolls,mmm not as easy as one would think,well anyway the good ol PVA wood glue has as always come to the rescue for this task.
I'm making some creepy rabbits and the doll eyes are just perfect for these creepy little guys,they just make them so much creepier.
The dolls have been on the back burner a bit lately as Ive been painting a bit more than usual,Ive been approached for an exhibit in the new year so Ive been focusing a bit more on that but the dolls will be 0platyed with this week ands some new little characters shall be born.
I have been thinking about the cloth that I use for my dolls and find that calico is my fave,I love to dye it and paint it,it takes a bashing quite well and I love it hardiness,it is tough and flexible for artists like my self who are rather abusive when working on dolls and other textile works.
SDo tips for the week is,if you want to really experiment and work textile dolls and othe rworks,calico will stand up to a lot of punishment.

from paper to cloth..

I have been designing dolls the past couple of days for the book,I love this side of doll making,it is the beginning and conception of each little character that comes into my world.
I find that a few doodles will get me started and then from there I progress to character forming,then on to what I will use as materials & then the process of putting it all together until completion,very fun and very rewarding....

I use this method for most of my art work from boxes,assemblages,photos,books and paintings.

I recommend that every one keep lots of sketch books and reference books to use for this side of designing,I have around twenty to thirty books that I refer to all with my own designs and references in them.
Also keep mood board books and design board books to keep scraps of cloth,trim,colours,photos and other inspiration handy for the design process.

I photograph each project and keep it journaled for future reference,this way I can build from what I have already done and move forward with designs and characters.

Tip for the week,I find that because of my arthritic condition that stuffing can be a bit of a nightmare so if your have problems in this area you might like to try an old worn down bristle paint brush,use the hairy end to stuff with,it grips the fiber fill nicely and gets it in in half the time,make sure that the bristles are worn down to about half their original size and are stiff and and hard.