who doesn't love a paper doll ?



I love to color the Phee Mcfaddlell's  coloring book
pages ... this is one of the puppet pages

                                                                          

    I love to Color  !  I find it relaxing  and after the local flooding the disaster in Japan and the loss of a friend to cancer this weekend .... I needed some Color therapy  .
   A few years ago I was searching the Internet looking for some coloring book pages to print out for my little friend Sierra ,and through my search I found http://www.pheemcfaddell.com/  she has many  coloring book pages  to print out and some pages that have puppets to color and assemble... I have fallen in LOVE with them !
   This is the first time I made the puppets . I printed them out on card stock ,colored them with prismacolor pencils .cut them out  and adhered them to heavy weight card stock with an acid free glue stick . Then I cut them out again  leaving a little of the black card stock around the edges , I think it made the colors POP ...I added gems and Stickleys glitter glue before assembling them I used some foam dots to attach the legs and wings to the body giving them some dimension  .it was a fun and relaxing project . Here are the two I finished this weekend.


My Favorite color is Orange ! I wish you could see
all the sparkly glitter and gems .but my camera just
doesn't get the glitter good . 



A lovely Gift





Thank You Amber Dawn  I love the wonderful little treasures you sent Me ...





I recyled an electrical tape box to keep the Tiny
Treasures in .... if I Didn't put them in this box I would loose
them


    A few weeks ago I received a package in the Mail ... It was addressed to Me from Amber Dawn ..WooHoo ..Needless to say I was excited to see what she had sent me . Inside was a small  envelope with THREE of the sweetest little cupcakes ever !  Thank you Amber I love the Gift

Look they fit on a Dime ..how cute is that

Faces 101 With Maria



step one.. laying out the features  

                                                                                                      On the third Friday of the month the Doll club meets in Neptune NJ at the public Library . When we get to gether the room is filled with creative energy it is fantastic , Most every month we work on something fun ,This meeting was no exception      
For February we did Face drawing and coloring  ,With the fabulous Maria ... She taught us how to section the face correctly .draw the eyes lips and nose , and then onto the best part Shading  and coloring for a realistic looking face on cloth.. we used prisma colored pencils ,chalks ,ultra fine fabric markers and gel pens. she gave us many good tips for Eyes and lips along with techniques for getting a three dimensional feel from a flat cloth face.
I learned so much ,but still have a long way to go to catch up to Maria ..look how beautiful and realistic her faces are!
What is it they say Practice Practice Practice ,that is what I'll be doing  and hopefully I will put out some outstanding faces like Maria .
                                                                     
     


A little shading done

   

My finished face is the one on the right 





Maria's Faces !!! Fantastic looking   .



WOOOHOOO I Won I Won !!!



Yes I won this Fantastic hand Made Heart Pendant .... I won it from Mary Wiseman on Face Book  ..  She is a Friend I met at a Doll Work shop in Kentucky a couple yrs ago .. I love Marys ART  her sassy spirit  and her generous soul too. THANK YOU MARY I love it !    



Solstice has sleeves

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I hate to say it but I struggle with Sleeves on my polymer clay Dolls and Solstice proved to be No different , the first sleeves were to short and to pouffe ,the second set just didn't thrill me something about the gathers at the shoulder... but on my third attempt I GOT IT !  I'm happy with them .
          I applied  lace to the sleeve that I first Stiffened with " Stiffen Stuff" spray , after the spray dried ( with help from a hot Iron ) I added  some " Stickles" in  frosted lace to parts of the lace...ugh  that stuff took hrs to dry. But gave a nice icy  texture to the lace , a few  tiny dots of golden glitter glue created bead like accents  too . I know that the embellishing of her sleeves has just begun ... check back in a few to see her costume evolve .

Getting Back to Solstice ...

      Wow as Valentine weekend passed I realized it has been a whole month since I took the work shop with Molly Stanton .How Time Flys! I think it is time to get on with finishing my doll.
     I'm never sure the direction a doll will take  me when I start it ,I guess you can say I let it happen . Some times it happens quick and other times I audition many fabrics and Ideas before it all falls into place.
      For Solstice I knew I wanted to Keep her in Blue and white with touches of gold . I tried several combinations before finding just the right icy blue, and winter white .I am still on the hunt for the leather or fabric to make her corset from, Not to mention I haven't begun to pick out findings and jewels
     Check back in a few days and you will get a glimpse of her with some clothes on !
    
     

Valentine Kitty

Sanded polished and ready for paint

      No pink Hearts for this Valentine Kitty ,She is  Mocha and Dark chocolate all the way .
      I started with a recycled Cloth body from a Stephanie Novatski Pattern, and a Styrofoam ball for the head . I used paper clay to sculpt the face,ears ,boots and mittens. Sanded and polished  the paper clay till smooth.. I used acrylic paint to do up her face and paint the leopard on her mittens and boots. I used a little chalk on the cheeks before spraying  with a matt sealer.
      The best part of Doll making for me is creating the costume ,and this doll was no different . City Kitty  has beautiful milk chocolate silk pants and a jacket in dark brown vintage velvet ,all trimmed in fur .She is adorned with a vintage pink broach and Rhinestone collar . when I look at her I think she needs a Hat ,but I haven't come up with one She Loves yet.
     
     



She even has a paper clay tail



I'm so happy with Her leopard Boots and Mittens

I think the City Kitty needs a Hat of some sort But She has not been happy
any of my choices.

" Solstice " the winter Garden Farie




At first I thought the feet Molly
Provided were crazy Big ...But
They look good and The  Doll
Stands on her own

 
    I only name Dolls when I'm going to keep ..I am in love with Solstice ! This is by far the best face sculpt I have ever done . Her Hands Came out beautiful  Too . Thank you Molly .

    I did her face with a verity of mediums .Acrylic paint ,sparkling H2o water color, a little human makeup , chalks and a couple mists of Duncan super matte finish She still needs eye lashes and  shimmer powders  to soften her a little and blend out the tiny imperfections.( a tiny bit of dirt in the clay )

    I don't usually apply the hair before the costume is finished ,but I was looking for her personality. The BIG hair is just what she needed .

   I love the sparkly blue fabric I
chose for her under garment . her shoes  have a coat of paint ,

and need embellishing

    As For Wings.. I have a pair of wings started ,,,I'm not loving them. We will see if I make her a new pair or use the pair I have started , I guess  it All depends on The fabric I choose to create the rest of her costume from

                                                 

                                          




I think she needs more hair on the top of her
Head . she will get a crown of some
sort  , if she needs more hair I'll add it
behind her  head piece

 

A weekend with Molly Stanton

 On January 14th Colleen Athens and I packed up our sculpting Gear and Drove to Quakertown PA , for a fun and educational  2 day  Doll Sculpting workshop on the 16th and17th With Molly Stanton .The Workshop was held  at Molly's Cozy home studio ,about a 20 min drive from our Hotel .We stoped to pick up a light lunch on our way . We arrived a few min before 11 am ,the starting time and were happy to see a fellow sculptor and friend Dea  had already arrived for the workshop . Thank you  Dea for turning us on to Molly and Her work ! 
      Here are a few of the  45 photos I took during the Class .I hope you enjoy them , and that they inspire you to take a workshop with Molly ,she not only teaches doll sculpting but Dragons and creatures too! The Workshop was worth the trip  I know I will be traveling to Quakertown again to sculpt with Molly .



Thanks to Molly I now know How to make Beautiful hands





Look she stands !






<>  This is My Dolls  finished head ready to be attached to the body <> 

Fantastic little hands !

  



I have Fabric , hair and embellishments picked out for her costume ,and have started Jazzing up the wired wings molly provided us with .I have also started to paint slippers on the feet Molly made for all of us .So it shouldn't be too long before I post photos of a finished Doll . 

I learned this Body Suit  for  covering
the wire armature from
Colleen Athens

Half Pint Pixie .. The first in a series



I picked up this  pattern at Day With Dolls 2010
It is an Allison Marano Pattern  it went together beautiful 

      Half Pint Pixie... Pattern By Allison Marano
As you can see my version is not like the doll pictured on the pattern . That is because I usually buy a pattern for the basic body then I do my own thing.   
   This Pattern went together like a dream , from the perfect tiny fingers to the cute little tush . I love the simple body suit Allison put in the pattern  and I'm using it on all the dolls in the series,
   I added eyes and eye lids  to the face and needle sculpted the nose a little more than the pattern called for .
   The Tattoo on her face was Inspired by a tiny hole I put in the face while moving some fiber fill around with a needle . Glitter and some beautiful crystals  did the trick and I think made the doll. this Doll is the first in a series I have two more dolls that are faced up and partly dressed and a forth that is just a body and head  with no face yet .I'll post them as they are finished . Peace and Love Heather.


This is the first Doll  in a series ,I took the photos
the day I packed her up and Mailed her to Germany
To live with My Beautiful Sister Dawn .





I am really Happy with her face if you  look Close
you can see her tiny eyelashes  ,I achieved
the pout  and gloss of her lips by applying several coats  of 3D
 Crystal lacquer

 



The hair is light pink Tibetan lamb ,her body suit is a funky bit of stretch lace . I made petals from chiffon for her little dress and heat sealed the edges  before adding a little glitter to them .I used a little texture glass on the ruffles to add dimension  .She has wings made from lace and wire,  with bicone crystals on the tips.

 

The Cleaning of my craft closet

    Today was a cold and windy day ..A very good day to clean my craft closet .
    Over the holidays the floor totally disappeared under the piles stuff.  My home is a two family built in 1880 .  My hubby Big Ed and I live on the first floor in very nice 1 bedroom apt  and we have tenants in the second floor apt .
     Living in a small place has led me to be creative  in storing my craft stuff.  this closet is approximately 3 ft wide by 10 feet deep it is located in my kitchen , I guess It could have been a pantry .
     I only keep cotton fabrics here .all kinds of .ribbon .All types of glue and spray sealers. a box of  Doll heads and eyes  I even have a big box of unfinished Dolls !  The tower of green bins holds all kinds of Clay ,embossing supplies ,cookie cutters and the big bin on the bottom is stuffed with doll hair .As you can see I have a lot of photo boxes labeled so I know right where to find the things I need,

a little clown ... A pattern by Stephanie Novatski

Some times I start a post then forget to finish and post it ! So here is one of them I did a while ago ... This is My Version of a Stephanie Novatski Pattern. This pattern was published last year  or maybe the year before ... you all know  how time flys . The Doll Club I belong to desided to make it club project , We are lucky enough to have Stephanie as a leading Member  of a group that meets once a month in Neptune NJ.The Doll was a Sweet Valentine Doll But As you can tell I went with what I had and it was Stars and  dots  and it became a clown . I added slippers and a purple glass bead for her nose ... The things  I loved about this pattern .... The Hands and the cute feet were  easy and perfect ....The pattern called for a piece of felt sewn into the flat head .Wow that made all the difference when I started to do her face. The hair I made for this little clown is yarn that I wrapped on knitting needles and heat set in a warm oven .  I was very happy with the results  ..... I donated this doll to a charity soon after I finished her.  

June bugs paper clay Sister



Meet June bugs Sister ..

  My Second  Doll in Paper Clay  .......

      Meet June Bugs sister.. I didn't give her a name because I'm sending her to my Mom in Florida..I'm leaving the naming to her .
    I sculpted this small  doll's  head , legs , feet , arms and Hands from paper clay .she has a cage style wire armature , this gave her  body Dimension .I wrapped the armature with a little batting then I slipped on a cloth body suit made from a cotton lycra , a two way stretch fabric....Her wild hair is a beautiful natural silky Moe hair. I picked up her hair  from Collen Athens ,Colleen sells the most delightful Moe hair for dolls! The paint  I used for her skin was the last of my Hanni Sarris faerie skin tone ..Boohoo I'm going to miss  using  Hannis paints . Her Costume is fashioned from a scrap of mesh fabric I gathered and stiffened , some velvet ribbon . tiny woolen nubs , polymer clay flowers with vintage pink rhinestone crystals . a dash of German glass glitter on her shoes and lace wings . TA DA  she is Done .
   




Her over sized feet 



I didn't have a lot of luck photographing her
But  you can see her  from head to toe  and
even see the tips of her wings.



Doll Club Christmas Swap 2010



This  is the bear I did . I changed the small plastic eyes
 for vintage shoe buttons , and trimmed the fluffy hair down
Added a little polymer clay hat and a bit of vintage lace. .I know
you cant see them but the little dress has white  polymer clay
flowers with peachy pink rhinestone crystals  and pail green
velvet rick rack ribbon . The  beads suspended in the bears paws
are from my stash of goodies .

     

        Ever year the Girls from Neptune doll club do a Christmas Swap this year Stephanie picked up tiny Bear kits from AC moore .I think they were all of a buck fifty
        The challenge was to Re-make  and  Decorate the fuzzy little Bears .Five Girls brought finished  and Gift wrapped Bears for the Swap. We put numbers in a hat  to see who would pick first , I pulled the number 2 .
    .



Miss Margaret created the tiny Christmas angel .she looks
Ready to dance  in her  pink Too Too .

 


Stephanie Put her Bear in a Christmas stocking.
 she used rhinestone buttons for the eyes and I'll bet
she made the fabric the stocking is made from

 



Maria.s Bear  with its amazing needle felted face and paws .the golden outfit she created is lushly layered with poofs and lace.









This is the Bear I picked .A Nutcracker Bear!
Made by Jane .I just love him and get a big smile
every time I look at him. Don't you love the big
Nutcracker teeth



My First Prim Doll .

        I know I know ..... It has been a long time since my last Blog , That is because I have been haveing to much fun  living the Creative life, Taking Doll workshops and Teaching  doll making too ,  Attending bead shows , Quilt shows and Hunting for treasures . To say the least I have been haveing a GRAND time . 
       Over the past  few monthes I have created more than a few Dolls and hope to post them over the next couple  weeks , So please scroll down to check out one of the  Dolls I finished over the summer .  Peace and love Heather.   

 This is my first Prim Style doll and my First paper clay Doll Too...  Her Name is Marion she is only 8 inches tall .  I named her Marion after my Grand Mother  . The tea dyed vintage  doiley used to create her waist coat  once belonged to my  Grand Mother , I am so lucky  to have been given many lacy doiley from her . I finished Marions outfit with pink satin ribbon , tiny pink  beads and a few  tiny  vintage pearls. Her pink Hat is a polymer clay creation of mine .  

 

Marion's Little Prim feet  . Her  shoes are painted bronze  and trimmed with gold  , I gave them a glassy high shine with Triple thick Glaze . Her pants are made from a vintage silk christening gown and  bits of vintage trim.

Marion 's hair is a natural silky goat hair,  a wonderful gift from my dear friend Colleen Athens . She is painted with one of the Hanni Sarris farie skin paints and  crackled with Jo Sonjas  Crackle Mediun , Then antiqued with a wash of brown acrlic paint , a coat or two of Duncan Mat spray  gave her a nice smooth finish

Another Amazing Adventure

    This past weekend My Talented Friend Colleen Athens held a  Tiny Faerie workshop at my favorite Art Studio Purple Petals  in Maspeth Queens NY. I was so lucky to be her helper for this workshop.
     Thank you Colleen ,I will never forget the experience or all the fun and laughs we had on this adventure. You are an inspiration . peace and love to ya.

    Seven Women Attended the work shop, most of whom never made a doll or worked with paperclay . EEEk a workshop full of first timers .. in spite of that I think All the Dolls came out fantastic! Don't you?
   Day One... Sculpting Tiny faces ,simple hands and legs . Most of the dolls made it into the oven  to dry by lunch time...After lunch every one was sanding and assembling. Some of  the ladies stayed late ,The creative energy was flowing  and We were super charged.

    Day Two... Painting the body parts and the Tiny Faces .... after a quick spray of mat sealer it was on to the costuming ....Fabrics Trims jewels and findings... My Favorite part ! Seeing every doll's personality emerge...
   Sunday night I arrived home Tired and Inspired !

                                                                                                 

Andrew Thornton

Check out this ..Andrew Thornton Has a weekly giveaway ..every Thursday he offers up something cool .Beads ... pendants...  books.. ..its always something wonderful this week is a beautiful silver mermaid pendant  you  just have to see it .... I originally started to look in on him on Thursday for the giveaway ..but I am enjoying his way with words too..  Peace and Love to ya Peeps.

child of the forest

What to do with the tiny leaf canes made from polymer clay ?  I remembered I had a small face I made some time ago, I made it using a press mold by Sherry Goshon and polymer clay . I think the molds name is Spring ..Well after I played with it it looked boyish . I baked it and that was that  it just sat on the shelf .... until I went crazy making leaf canes , I do believe making polymer clay canes can be addictive ... OK OK  here is the result when I combined the two.  

A goodie Bag from Miss Tery Favo

Tery Favo is such a special Lady and I'm lucky to call her my friend . MissT as I like to call her  is most generous and is always surprising us with goodie bags, as she calls them. this is just one of many . Some times they have fabric and lace or some chocolates .This one had an interesting assortment of goodies. The vinyl bag is the best  I use it to carry little project to work with me . the blue Shot glass are perfect for water when I'm painting dolls ( or jello Shots HaHa)  the Glitters are just my colors .A Sheet of Tags , Some chip board shapes and a note book ! WOO HOO  Thank you MissT !

Tiny Paper Beads

Last weekend I spun up some Tiny paper Beads , using magazine pages , a glue stick and a tooth pick . Some gold craft paint and DecorArt Texture Glass. The Texture Glass was the Idea of my Friend Colleen Athens And it was a good one !  I really love the way the texture glass made them look .