Zephyr Dreams Dolls

Aries Revisited

2011-06-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Being that Aries is the first astrological sign of the spring, I decided to crown her head with white floral blooms, and clothe her in a bouquet of flowers. The flowers really compliment her sun-kissed skin, and she seems happier this way-- girly, but still a wild ram at heart. Aries is currently for sale in my Etsy shop here.

ADO Challenge: Framed Art Dolls

2011-04-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

ADO's upcoming challenge asks for art dolls to be "framed," so I thought I would answer the call and see what came of it. My framed art doll is called "A Flower Awakens," and includes a poem by E. E. Cummings, which reads as follows:

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look will easily unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens;
only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

Traveling Doll Project: Progress on My Doll, Ada

2011-04-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the progress of my own ball-jointed doll, Ada, which I created as a participant in ADO's Traveling Doll Project. My teammates, Paula Brinkman and Donna Cooper have continued working on her over the past few months, and I think they are doing a great job. I will be excited when I finally have the chance to see her in person, when she arrives back to me at the end of this month.

Here is what Ada looked like after I finished my portion of work on her. She is sculpted from stone clay over a hollow sawdust armature, and she has inset glass eyes. After my work was complete, I sent her on to Connecticut for Paula to make her contribution. Paula snapped this photo of Ada in the snow.

Paula had a lovely collection of vintage fabric she salvaged from her mother's basement. She made a green dress for Ada with the fabric, along with a romantic, antique lace slip. Here is a photo Paula took of Ada in her new vintage dress:

When Paula was through with her, she sent her on to Donna Cooper in Illinois. Donna painted Ada's face, and added a crackle coat to her entire body to give her an antique look. Wow, what a transformation!

She also added some gorgeous, wavy, red hair:

Finally, she gave her some black stockings, and a pair of matching shoes:

Pretty cool so far!

Traveling Doll Project: My Progress on Paula Brinkman's Doll

2011-04-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

As I explained in my previous blogs, I am currently participating in the Traveling Doll Project, an event hosted by Art Dolls Only (ADO). This project is a collaborative effort of many ADO members from around the world, including myself, who work in teams of either three or six to create dolls as a group effort over the course of several months. I am on a team of three called "The Ladies of Liberty," and my teammates are Paula Brinkman from Connecticut, Donna Cooper from Illinois, and myself. All three of us originated a doll, and an accompanying journal, and all three of us will have a chance to work on that doll and journal until they are complete. Once they are finished, they will be returned to the artist who originated them to keep.

We are now on cycle three of the project, which means I am currently in the process of finishing a doll, Ginny, originated by Paula Brinkman. Ginny arrived to me looking fairly complete, but she needed some finishing touches to make her shine. She also came with a journal, and an interesting story. Paula created the doll after a real person, the journal explains, a beautiful and inspiring lady in her town who owned a dance studio, and continued her passion up to her death at age 94.

Donna had already completed her costume, but she needed some hair. I gave her some blond mohair and a gold sequence band with a black feather to give her a flapper look. I also gave her a beaded choker, a blue and brown maribou boa, and a floral pin on her bodice. That was nearly enough bling, but I decided to go ahead and embellish her skirt as well with some gold sequence. Finally, I sewed her arms and hands in place, and painted her long, ropey legs with metallic paints.

Now for her journal. I was touched by Ginny's real-life story, so decided to pay her a little tribute, which reads like this:

Welcome to Oregon, Ginny!
Take off those traveling clothes,
and unpack your many suitcases
full to the brim with treasures

Of beautiful girly things,
like silk brocade robes
& dress shoes with bows,
of feathered hats. . .

& violet-scented perfumes,
& diamond rings,
& memories
of the glory days. . .

When You were the Belle of every Ball. . .

& the apple
of everyone's eye,
donned with glitter
& glamour
from head to toe

Some Girls Dream. . .
And some Girls Do!

Dance On, Ginny! Dance On!

PASSION
Thank you for teaching us
how to dance. . .
how to love. . .
how to dream. . .

but more importantly,

How to LIVE

Traveling Doll Project: My Progress on Donna Dolci Cooper's Doll

2011-03-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Donna Cooper is one of my team members for ADO's Traveling Doll Project . Our team name is "The Ladies of Liberty", and its members include me, Donna, and a third teammate, Paula Brinkman. Each of us originated a doll, and each team member will make a creative contribution to that doll as it travels across the country from artist to artist. The blog entries of our progress will be posted on ADO's blog within the next few days.

Donna's doll Mia, a cloth doll with movable limbs and a rainbow-colored body, arrived to me a few weeks ago, and I began working on her last week. Donna specializes in cloth dolls which she sells in her online Etsy shop . They are very colorful and cheerful creations, much different from my typically muted color pallette. Since the doll will eventually be returned to Donna for her to keep, I wanted to make sure the costume and journal pages I created for Mia were equally bright and cheerful.

I had a lot of fun working on Mia's costume. I started by painting some white lace with fabric paints and alcohol inks. I then created a hoopskirt frame for her with boning, and attached the lace to it in triangular sections, as you would a lampshade. When the skirt was finished, I created a bodice from some Venice lace, and created straps with blue novelty trim, to match her big, blue eyes. Finally, I gave Mia some wings, since I know Donna likes fairies, and created a little beaded crown for her.

Here are a few photos of Mia, along with her travel journal. As you can see in the photos, she is currently bald and shoeless. Paula, our third teammate, will take care of these details.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Days 11 to 17

2011-03-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been riddled with minor health complications that impeded my progress-- a broken toe followed by a bad cold that just won't quit. With the Traveling Doll Project deadline fast approaching, I had to keep working through the discomfort, even if that meant sculpting while in bed! The resulting BJD is, I'd say, acceptable for my first attempt, but still not quite what I was hoping for.

Overall, this project proved to be quite a challenge for me. I was fascinated by the process from start to finish, but the many hours of sanding and fitting of parts proved to be very tedious, and at times, quite frustrating. I can't say I won't sculpt another BJD; the process opens up so many creative possibilities! But like the much-needed rest a mother needs after birthing a baby, I think I need a rest from BJDs for a while!

Ada is off to Connecticut now with her travel journal in tote to be worked on by fellow team member, Paula Brinkman. I am so excited to see what she will do with her. After Paula is done with her part, she is off to Illinois to be finished by team member number three, Donna Dolci-Cooper.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Days 9 and 10

2011-02-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I managed to pry the doll's head open at the crown with a series of power drill holes, and gouge out eye holes in the same manner. I hollowed out the head, set the eyes, and began sculpting facial details. I also continued sanding all the parts.

Today, I added more facial details, and finished adding caps to all the joints. I can't believe how long it is taking me to finish this project! I want it to be as perfect as I can make it, so I can create molds with it for future dolls. But I'm still not convinced the results I've achieved thus far are good enough that I'd want to duplicate them again and again. Still, with all the time and effort I've invested into this project, it would be pretty silly not to.

I have sanded much of the surface area down to the sawdust core, and I will need to cover this up in some way so the surface is uniformly white. The worn surface looks kind of cool as is, but I'm going for a more finished look.

Here is a photo of my two cats on my studio window sill. They never show each other affection, so I was happy to catch this shot!

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Days 5 thru 8

2011-02-15T16:02:00.001-08:00

The sanding has ended up taking a lot longer than I had anticipated, as I attempt to get all the pieces to fit smoothly together. I have applied a layer of pure stone clay to the torso to create sculptural details, and smoothed out the legs with a layer of clay to make the ball-joints less pronounced. I also hollowed out all the parts, and added clay caps over the joint holes in her torso-- arm holes, leg holes, and neck hole, and carved out half-circle curves at the joint ends so movement will be possible.

I may need to sculpt a new head since the directions call for cutting the top of the head open to rake out the styrofoam. The directions also say to cut out the eye holes with a chisel. This seems nearly impossible to do now since the sawdust layer has dried so strong it is virtually impenetrable. In my opinion, it would have been best to follow this step when the sawdust was stiill drying.

I will also need to lengthen her upper arms, since for whatever reason, they are too short. Next comes sculpting the hands and feet.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Day 4

2011-02-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

I am pleased at how hard the sawdust foundation has become now that it is thoroughly dried. I am now confident that the body parts will be sturdy enough once the floral foam base is hollowed out.

Today, I mixed half powdery sawdust with half stone clay, and thinly applied this mixture over the sawdust-glue foundation on all the parts. I am a little concerned at how the parts are bulking out. The body is beginning to look a little plump, and I worry if I add another layer of stone clay tomorrow as called for in the directions, the finished doll will not look as lean and delicate as I had hoped. The layer I applied today was probably a little too thick. Perhaps, some major sanding of the parts once dry will improve the situation.

Overall, I have enjoyed working with stone clay. The added sawdust gives it a very natural appearance and texture, almost as if I were sculpting with whole-wheat flour. And unlike polymer clay, it is very easy to smooth out imperfections with water. So far this project has been very therapeutic for me-- messy, but enjoyable. I dislike having to wait for the clay to dry each day, but it is probably helpful in building my patience.

Tomorrow, I will add a final layer of pure stone clay, refining the sculptural details in the face and torso. Then come the hands and feet.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Day 3

2011-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Today I created a sawdust paste by mixing white glue with sawdust, and applied the mixture to the foam parts. Once the sawdust hardens, I will apply another layer of sawdust and clay over that. Sawdust is as messy to work with as papier mache, but I like it much more.

I have also been working on the journal that will accompany this doll as she travels to my teammates, Donna Cooper and Paula Brinkman, for the Traveling Doll Project. I gathered a collection of antique photos from the internet and wove a story together based on these photos. The character I created is named Adelaide Dutka, a young Hungarian woman from the Edwardian era who supposedly immigrates to the U.S.. The journal will document her experiences as she travels from Oregon to Illinois to New York and back to Oregon again.

My First Publication!

2011-02-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Doll Collector Magazine has included a photo of my work for their March 2011 issue in a section featuring fantasy dolls. You can see my doll, highlighted in red, in the bottom right corner of the page.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Day 2

2011-01-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today, I sculpted the foundation of the body parts of my BJD. It was surprisingly easy to do, like sculpting in firmly-packed sand, but very, very messy. I am covered from head to toe with a film of floral foam dust now, and in desperate need of a shower!

Here's a photo of my progress thus far. She still needs a foam head. After that is finished, I will apply a coat of sawdust paste to all the parts, minus the joints.

My First Attempt at Making a Ball-Jointed Doll, Day 1

2011-01-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are unfamiliar, a ball-jointed doll, or BJD, as they're commonly known, is a kind of doll with ball-and-socket joints in its body, arms, and legs. The limbs and head are joined together by elastic, making its body fully articulated, and even giving it the ability to stand on its own when well-balanced. I have been interested in BJDs for a while, but the idea of making one myself seemed daunting. After a brief internet search, I came across a very informative tutorial from Japan, called How to Make Noah's Doll .

I am going to try to make my first BJD by following this tutorial to the letter, and will post my successes and failures day by day on this blog. The tutorial uses some traditional Japanese doll-making techniques, including mixing stone clay with sawdust to keep the doll lightweight. I have never worked with sawdust before, but imagine it has some of the same properties as papier mache.

Below is the to-scale sketch of the doll I plan to make, which I will use as a reference to sculpt each body part the correct size. This doll will be named Ada, and she will be 14.5 inches tall.

I bought most of the supplies I need for the project today at Michaels. The tutorial calls for styrofoam to be used as a base, and then scraped out later. I chose floral foam since it is softer than regular styrofoam, and looks easier to work with. I also found some tiny styrofoam balls, which I will use for the joint parts. Most of them are too large in their current state, so I will need to scrape them down to the correct size.

Luckily, Michaels currently carries both La Doll stone clay, and its lighter-weight version, "Premier". I chose Premier for its lighter weight. Hopefully, it will turn out to be as strong and as workable as La Doll. I also bought some sturdy elastic cord for stringing the doll.

If this doll turns out, I may attempt to make molds of the body parts, which I could use to cast resin or porcelain in the future. I have never created or used molds for any of my work before, but think now is a good time to try.

When I have finished sculpting and assembling Ada, I will send her off to two other doll artists, who will finish working on her! I am currently participating in an exciting collaberative effort called The Traveling Doll Project, hosted by Art Dolls Only . In this project, members from around the world are divided into groups of three or six, and given the task of creating three or six dolls, depending on the number of members in the group.

Each team member begins work on a doll and passes it on to the next member after a one month rotation. After three months, or six months in the case of a larger group, the doll is complete, and the originator of the doll gets to keep it! The entire journey of the traveling doll is recorded in a journal that is sent from artist to artist along with the doll. The progress of each doll is also documented on ADO's blog page for all to follow. I'm really excited to be participating in such an interesting project.

Postcards!

2010-11-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

I just created a new line of postcards featuring my dolls! There are 17 different designs, which I plan to offer in my Etsy shop, singly and in sets. The cards measure approximately 4" x 6", and can be displayed in photo books or mailed to friends. The backside is mail-ready, with space to address the postcard, write a note, and place a stamp. The postcards are professionally printed on lightweight cardstock with a glossy finish on the front, and a matte finish on the back for easy writing.

"Bella Circusia" Finished!

2010-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Bella was quite the prima donna to construct. I had to paint her face twice, and sew her purple velvet coat twice since velvet is fussy to work with, and the sleeves simply weren't sitting right on my first attempt. I had originally planned to have her seated with a little marionette friend, but her costuming ending up taking more room than I had anticipated.

The hand wind music box she sits on plays the theme song "Funeral March of a Marionette," and since it is glued to a wooden sounding board, has a pretty nice resonance. The box is decorated with Victorian circus posters, which I decoupaged in place.

Bella's coat and hat are constructed from velvet, and her blouse is silk dupioni. The lacy accents on her hat and underpants, as well as the underpants themselves, are stained with coffee to give them an antique look. Her boots are made of painted leather, accented with a column of hand-sewn bead "buttons.". Her wild, curly hair consists of undyed sheep locks, and her eyes are glass.

Music Box Doll WIP Part II

2010-09-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Costuming "sketch":

WHAT A MESS!

Victorian Music Box Doll WIP

2010-09-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the doll I'm currently working on. She's inspired by a Victorian photograph from my antique photo collection. It's hard to tell in the photos, but I painted her face with grayish tones, so she kind of looks like an antique photo herself. Her body is constructed from flesh-toned microfiber and made from a pattern I developed a few weeks ago. She is currently sitting on a box, which I plan to redecorate and convert into a music box. I bought music box workings that play "Funeral March of a Marionette" (Alfred Hitchcock's theme song) a few months ago, and would like to use it on this project. I'd also like to add a little marionette as a companion to my doll to match with the song's theme.

Glad to be making something new again!

"Not Your Ragdoll" for Sale on Etsy

2010-09-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

I just posted a new doll on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/55795314/not-your-ragdoll-ooak-art-doll-by
Wish me luck that she sells quickly!

New Cloth Doll Body

2010-09-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my own pattern for a new cloth body over the past few weeks. Most of my dolls are constructed from a wire armature with batting wrapped around it, which is then covered with a layer of nylon. I've decided to go back to a soft cloth body as armature for a while to see if I like that better. My hope is to streamline the doll-making process, while achieving more reliable results. A cloth body made with a pattern takes out some of the guesswork when it comes to body shape, and will hopefully save some time.

This mock-up in made of muslin, but I'd like to use a peachy soft, flesh-toned fabric for my actual dolls, perhaps a thin, no-stretch microsuede. I'm still working out the details as to how to attach the limbs and breastplate, but I'm pretty happy with the general shape of the mock-up body so far-- perhaps just a little more tweaking here and there to give it a more tailored look.

I'm the Contest Winner for Artist Yovanka Black's Baby Doll Giveaway!

2010-09-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

This never happens to me, but guess what, I'm the winner of a contest! Check out the beautiful baby doll I received in the mail today, all the way from Greece:

She is just as lovely in real life, so tiny, with a peaceful, sleepy expression. If you'd like to see more of Yovanka's beautiful work, please check out her blog at: http://yovankablack.blogspot.com/ .

"Bitter" Bust Finished!

2010-07-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Making a bust was a new and enjoyable challenge for me. I began this project with the intent of making a pale-faced nun dressed in white lace, but, as is usually the case, my sculpture had other ideas. The resulting bust does have a religious quality to it, but looks nothing like my original vision. I named her "Bitter" because she reminds me of the Virgin Mary, whose name means "bitter" in Hebrew. The glass lilies I added at the bottom of her podium are also a symbol of purity.

Wonderland Blog Event Entry for ADO

2010-06-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to My Blog ADO Members and Guests!

I present to you Miss Alice and her smartly dressed companion, the White Rabbit! I've posted some photos of the construction process below. Here is the White Rabbit in the beginning stages as I begin to felt him from wool:

And here he is, finished.

Alice in her underwear:

And here is Alice in her blue chiffon dress before I added her apron:

Alice finished. Sadly, she lost the bouffant in her hairdo somewhere along the way.

"Not Your Ragdoll" Finished

2010-06-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of artistic dormancy, I have finally managed to create something new! Here is my latest creation, which I've titled "Not Your Ragdoll." She is an experimental doll for me, very different from the others, but I had a lot of fun making her. I hope to make similar "darker" dolls like her in the future.

ADO Art Doll Challenge sign up starts today!

2010-06-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Doll Artists: Be sure to sign up for ADO's upcoming doll-making challenge with the theme of "Alice in Wonderland". Both members and non-members are invited to participate in this fun challenge as a way of sharing our work with each other and making new contacts. For more details, click on the Alice in Wonderland badge located in the righthand column of my blog!

Antiquing Fabric with Coffee and Tea

2010-05-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made my first attempt at antiquing fabric with instant coffee and tea, and I'd like to share my results. I took four cooking pots, and filled them each with 4 cups of water. Then I boiled the water, and removed each pot from the heat. I added 1.5 cups of instant coffee to one pot, half that amount to the second pot, three bags of green tea to the third, and three bags of regular tea to the fourth.

I used all-natural fabrics in my experiment, such as printed and unprinted cotton, cheese cloth, lace, and silk. Coffee and tea will not dye synthetics.

I submerged lighter fabrics into the tea, since the tea dye is not as potent, and darker fabrics into the coffee.

I found that the coffee yielded more of the results I was looking for as the tea only subtley yellowed the fabric. The coffee was a little too brown though, so in the future I would like to experiment to find a tone between the two extremes.

After dying the fabric for a few minutes, I wrung it out a little over the sink. Then I placed the fabric on metal baking trays, and sprinkled it with instant coffee straight from the bottle, along with cinnamon. I rubbed the instant coffee and cinnamon into the moist fabric to create age spots. Then I baked the tray in the oven at 225 to 250 Farenheit for about 15 minutes or so, checking on it periodically, which gave it some fabulous burn marks. I noticed the coffee-stained fabric scorched much more readily than the tea.

The cheese cloth, muslin, and light print cottons worked like a dream with this technique. The dark print cottons did not work very well. The house still wreaks of instant coffee, as does the fabric, and check out the kitchen mess!

But the results were definitely worth the effort.

Application:
Here is an antique-style dress form I constructed from some of the fabric. The shell consists of wrapped duct tape stuffed with newspaper, and is an exact replica of my own body. After stuffing the form, I covered it with some of the fabric I antiqued to give it a more finished look. I mounted it on a wheeled plant stand with a wooden closet hanger dowel, and weighted the plant stand down with a custom-made bag of sand which I tied to the stand with rope to make the base more stable.

I'm not sure if I'll use the dress form for its intended purpose, or simply display it as decoration. Right now, it's wearing my wedding dress in the corner of my studio.

Olwen the Fairy Dancer for Sale on Ebay

2010-04-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please check out my current Ebay listing for "Olwen the Fairy Dancer". The opening bid for her starts at $99, and the auction ends this Sunday: Ebay Listing

Alice in Wonderland "Art Dolls Only Challenge" Complete!

2010-04-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

After literally weeks of labored dedication, I have FINALLY completed my Alice doll for the upcoming ADO challenge. Her entire body is sculpted from polymer clay without the use of any molds, and is completely one-of-a-kind. Her costume is also one-of-a-kind, my own design, created without any patterns.

Her costume consists of a blue chiffon dress, all sewn together-- no cutting corners with glue. She also wears a removable apron, a lacey underskirt, and matching drawers with encased ribbon drawstring.

Alice has hand-applied, blonde mohair wigging with golden hues, and blue, glass eyes. Her face and hands are hand-painted with acrylics.

The White Rabbit Alice is holding is constructed from tightly packed needle-felted wool, and he wears a plaid waistcoat with mock dress shirt and bow tie, which have been glued in place.

Alice is permanently attached to her base with rods. The base is constructed of wood covered with embossed novelty fabric. At her feet sprouts a flower and several mushrooms.

Alice Work in Progress Part II

2010-04-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

After days of sewing her stockings, drawers, underskirt, dress, and pinafore, Alice is almost finished! I just need to attach her arms, make some shoes for her, and get her mounted on a base. What a labor-intensive project this has been! But I really enjoyed experimenting for the first time with Victorian-inspired clothing. Here are some pics of Alice with and without her pinafore.

Alice WIP

2010-04-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Alice and the White Rabbit work in progress for the upcoming Art Dolls Only quarterly challenge. She is constructed from polymer clay over a wire armature. I applied her hair earlier than sensible, but I just couldn't wait to see what she'd look like with hair. I actually think she looks better in real life than the photos capture, but hopefully once her costuming is completed and she's standing in front of a nice backdrop, she'll take a decent photo.

I needle-felted the rabbit from raw wool, except for his jacket, which consists of fabric. I'm not sure if I will continue needle-felting in the future; it is a very time-consuming process, and I'm usually only semi-satisfied with the results.

Flimsy, my black and white darling:

My Newly Redecorated Studio is Finally Finished!

2010-03-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

After seeing so many beautiful studios inhabited by other doll artists, I decided now was the time to transform my own drab and dreary work room into a beautiful studio. It took a couple weeks to get it right, but I must say I am pretty satisfied with the results! Not only is it beautiful, but organized as well.

I bought a new chandelier to brighten up a dark corner, and added some cheer to the whole room with some pink heather and reite blossoms. And thanks to Ross and its lovely and inexpensive selection of home decor, I was able to find quite a few nick-nacks to add that special touch! I also built a new light box with seven backdrops for taking photos of my dolls.

"Little Red Riding Hood" WIP

2010-02-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

In preparation for ADO's upcoming challenge theme, "Grimm's Fairytales," I've decided to try creating a "Little Red Riding Hood" doll, along with a needle-felted wolf dressed in Granny's garb.

I'm currently working on Granny's bed. The bed frame is constructed from wood, and the headboard and footboard from a secondhand picture frame which I painted with acrylics. The quilt consists of an image transfer which I printed on Jacquard's ink printable cotton sheets from my home computer. This is the first time I've tried printing an image on fabric, and I am very pleased with the results! I also sewed two pillows, a cotton blanket, and a bedskirt in folksy fabric to give the bed a storybook look.

“Crossroads Dolls, Teddy Bears, and More” Show at the Portland Armory

2010-02-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

I participated in my first doll show last Saturday, and it was quite an experience. When I first arrived to set up, I realized almost immediately that the show was geared toward antique and mass-produced collector dolls, rather than one-of-a-kind art dolls like mine. Of about 80 to 100 vendors who participated in the show, only five of them produced their own work.

Still, it was a great learning experience for me, and I feel that when I do have the chance to attend a show that is more suited for my work, I will be ready with a professional-looking booth and some experience under my belt.

I did manage to sell one of my items, a fairy chair, and was able to talk to the other OOAK artists at the show, swap business cards, and advice. I also received a lot of positive feedback for my work from the public, and about 15 to 20 people took one of my business cards. I suppose at events like this, the goal isn’t so much to sell your items as it is to present samples of your work to the public to gain a following.

First Doll Show February 13th!

2010-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

In preparation for my first upcoming doll show & sale, February 13th, I have decided to embellish Daleina's costume to give her a more romantic look. She seems to be satisfied with her new outfit, although it's tough to say since she's a fairy of few words.

The show will be held at the National Guard Armory in Portland, Oregon. If you're interested in attending, please let me know, and I can save you $1.00 on admission. I have been busy preparing the details this past week-- making show labels, buying supplies, putting together my first tabletop artist bio. There's a lot to consider, and I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!

Cinderella and Friends

2010-02-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

Cinderella and her friends are finally complete! All the gang is here-- Cinderella, her Fairy Godmother, her pet hound, her two little mousies, and, of course, the all-important pumpkin. While there are definitely a few things I could have done better on this project, I'm pretty pleased with the overall result. I'd like to continue making more fairytale tableaux like this in the future. "Little Red Riding Hood," "Goldlilocks and the Three Bears" and "Rumpelstiltskin" are some fairytales that come to mind.

Fairy Godmother Doll Finished!

2009-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished result for the Fairy Godmother WIP. She wears a white ball gown. Her bodice is constructed from beautiful beaded white lace taken from a wedding dress bodice I had originally designed and sewn for my own wedding dress! I ended up not using the bodice for my own wedding after all, and decided the Fairy Godmother would be the perfect doll with which to sacrifice the beautiful bodice. Her large skirt is constructed of gathered tulle and lace, and she wears large bloomers, stuffed with fiberfill, to add additional fullness to her skirt. She wears a transparent crown covered with iridesecent bubbles, and holds a magic wand. She has blue glass eyes, shiny silvery white mohair, and she wears a pair of matching white beaded lace slippers, which took me about 6 hours to complete!
As a famous character in the Cinderella story, the Fairy Godmother is the most fairytale-oriented doll I have created, and I am excited about the prospect of creating more fairytale dolls in the future. I have always loved fairytales, and would like to make these characters come to life!

Fairy Godmother WIP Part II

2009-12-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of the Fairy Godmother doll before she was costumed. Her polymer clay parts have all been cured and painted, and I have attached her hair. Apparently, it's best to wait until the very end of the doll-making process to attach the hair, but I'm usually not patient enough to wait; plus, the hair helps me envision what the finished doll will look while I'm costuming her.

Baby Unicorn

2009-12-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

I've been experiementing with needle felting animals these last few weeks to accompany my dolls. Here is my second attempt at needle-felting-- a baby unicorn. I took some outdoor photos of him by the pond in our backyard. My next attempt will be an Irish Wolfhound, which I hope to use as Cinderella's scruffy, but loyal companion.

Gothic Chair and Raven Cage

2009-10-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have been devoting most of my hours to marketing these last few days-- revamping my blog, setting up a new Etsy shop, searching USPS.com-- and so haven't had much time lately to work on anything artistic. I did manage to finish a Gothic chair earlier this week I thought I'd share with you. It matches perfectly with the "Raven in a Cage" I made several months ago. A little macabre, but still beautiful in my eyes. Both follow some of the fantastic techniques of artist Jean Bernard.

New Etsy Shop!

2009-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

I've finally decided to take the big leap and try selling my creations on Etsy. I have just opened a new Etsy shop called Zephyr Dreams Dolls.

Now that I have established an Etsy Shop, the next step is to look into joining ADO (Art Dolls Only). I have participated in one of their challenges, the Four Elements, and know they are an alliance of doll artists who help each other with marketing on Etsy. I would love to be a part of this group.

Forest Fairy Finished!

2009-10-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

This little fairy came together relatively easily. She wears a green mini-dress with matching bloomers and slippers, accented with beads, glitter and leaves. She has glittery blue-green butterfly wings covered with micro-beads and pink rose accents at their base, strawberry blonde mohair, and green glass eyes, which match her dress nicely. Her cheeks are a rosy red, and she sits upon a sculpted fairy chair accented with gold paint, microbeads and pools of "water."

Raphael

2009-09-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

Raphael was painted with Genesis heat set paints in subtle rosy hues. His lips, eyebrows fingernails and toenails are all hand-painted. Raphael has beautiful hazel glass eyes and dark brown mohair, hand-applied in locks. Raphael holds a fish on a line and a bowl of healing balm, both symbols of his healing abilities. He wears a chain around his ankle with attached metal cross and heart as a symbol of his divine servitude.

Raphael’s impressive wings are constructed from layers of hand-applied, multi-colored duck feathers in shades of royal blue, turquoise, and brown. The inner wings consist of fuzzy gray down and brown feathers. Raphael’s wings are reinforced for strength with thick bone-like wire and interfacing, and are gently posable.

Raphael wears a light blue silk velvet robe, gathered at the waist with a golden cord. The sleeves of his robe are gently shirred. His robe opens in the front to reveal a golden, iridescent silk shantung underskirt. A cape of peachy pink silk shantung drapes elegantly over his shoulder, and his head is crowned with a halo of German vintage brass findings. Raphael is mounted with the rod and tube method on a mosaic-embellished golden base, with his name stamped on its front in English and Hebrew. Raphael is approximately 22 inches high from the bottom of base to the top of his head.

Eden the Friendly Dragon

2009-08-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve been struggling with artistic burnout since June. While awaiting my new clay, I decided to work on a fun project, a friendly dragon, followed by a Garden of Eden scene inspired by a medieval triptych. I incorporated the two projects together on a whim, and called it “Trouble Brewing in Eden, Part I: the Devil Feeding Apples to her Pet Dragon.”

Thanks to the inspiration of ADO doll artist Nita Collins whose blog I follow, I have also been experimenting with needle-felting for the first time. My first project was a Yorkie terrier, with pretty decent results. I think it might be a great technique for creating animals to accessorize my dolls; I’m really interested in making realistic-looking livestock, especially goats and sheep. These animals are very gentle and sweet, and carry a lot of historical and religious symbolism. It would also be fun to make some baby unicorns to accompany medieval maidens.

Angels

2009-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have been researching angels for the last few days, and plan to sculpt the four archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel for my next project.

Michael, meaning "who is like God" in Hebrew, is the angel of defense, so I will need to make him wearing some kind of armor-- not quite sure how I'm going to do that yet-- and holding a spear and shield. Gabriel, "God is my strength," is the messenger angel, so he will probably hold a scroll and a lily stalk, which he is often shown holding in artists' renderings. Raphael, "God heals," is the angel of healing; he is often seen with a vessel of healing balm and/or a dead fish, which are symbols of healing; I will probably also make him holding a dead fish, although I'm not too excited about that imagery! Lastly, Uriel, "Light of God," will be holding a candle.

Each of these will be mounted on plaques covered with clay, with their names in both English and Hebrew, stamped on the mounts. I've never attempted such a large project before; the challenge, I think, will be making all the angels look like a cohesive group, with a uniform style and composition. If this works out well, there are many more angels to sculpt!

Water Doll for ADO Challenge Finished!

2009-07-06T14:50:00.001-07:00

Here is the completed Water Doll for the ADO Elements Challenge. I tried to capture the calming, serene effect of water in her facial expression, and the liquidic movement of the element in her gently cascading chiffon dress and long, wavy hair. She holds an acrylic-painted water pitcher, which she slowly empties into the pool of water at her feet. She is approximately 13.5 inches tall, seated.

WIP Part III

2009-07-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I encountered some disappointments with this doll when I tried to paint her. Apparently, her face was covered with hairline scratches that didn't show themselves until I started putting on washes with Genesis Heat set paints. I tried painting some "face tattooes" over the scratches, but the effect wasn't working, so I guess I'll just need to use it as a learning experience for future creations. I've been having a lot of similar texture problems while using Fimo Puppen-- small cracks, fissures and scratches that appear in the clay only after I bake it or paint it. It also seems to attract a lot more lint and dust than I'm used to. I think I will go back to Cernit once this batch of Fimo Puppen is done with.

WIP Part II

2009-06-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

The water doll herself is sculpted from a very pale Fimo Puppen, and she has blue glass eyes. I think I will give her strawberry blond mohair to match her pale complexion, and a pale blue chiffon gown should match her eyes nicely.

WIP for Elements Challenge

2009-06-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've decided to pose my water doll sitting on a rock base; as she pours a pitcher of water, it will cascade down the rocks, creating a small waterfall that collects in a pool at her feet. I sculpted the rock base from Apoxie Sculpt over styrofoam, and painted it with acrylics. The water effect is achieved with epoxy.

First Blog

2009-06-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

I just discovered ADO (Art Dolls Only), and want to participate in their doll-making challenges. The current challenge is to create a doll using one, or all, of the four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. I'm debating whether to choose water or fire. Fire could be fun and sensual to experiment with, but I have a pretty clear idea in my head for a water doll-- she'd be wearing an elegant, sweeping light blue gown and holding a water pitcher-- so I'll probably play it safe and start with this one first. Then maybe I'll give fire a try. This should be fun.