Saturday, June 29, 2013

Black and Pink and WIP



Well, this doll took a 
completely different direction.

I'd always thought she was a Goth.

A romantic Goth in red.
All brooding and passionate.
 A Heathcliff and Catherine,
Vlad and Mina,
Gomez and Morticia
kind of Goth.

I was so wrong.


In fact, she's a Miss Dior,
 a New Look,
fabulous and fashionable,
Fifties femme fatale


And that wild gothic hair
gets tamed under a hat.




The basic hat,
but she wants a little tulle
and some roses, darling.

She's still a romantic.


That's the pink lace
and those are some 
sharp little stilettos
which are actually a big cheat.
(Tutorial coming.)

She's almost done. 
Almost, almost!

I want the hat to be prettied up
and removeable
so it could be 
displayed separately
or held in her hand
as an accessory .


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Meanwhile...

While I find the images I'm looking for, 
for this week's Dollmaker on Thursday
here's something I'm working on.


You might remember her from this protest group seen here.




She's finally getting some clothes!


And hair!



And this is a random frog in my rosemary nursery this morning.
Isn't he sweet?
 Look at those legs!


Monday, June 24, 2013

International Fairy Day


Today was
International Fairy Day.

Here is a drawing I did
some time ago
of a fairy and a rabbit 
in deep conversation.




I also started sculpting on my
Titania doll
as it's Midsummer's Day
which seemed like a good place to start.

So, between her
the black cat in a red corset
and the doll for the 
I'm quite busy.

Yes please,
I'd love a cup of tea.


Visit Vanessa at
for an invitation to
this year's spectacular
Mad Tea Party 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Dollmakers on Thursday. Nicole West and Titania



So, 23rd of June
is a Supermoon
and it's coming soon.

23rd of June is also
Midsummer's Eve.

It was a night for wild dances in the woods
and a bit of drunkeness and frolicing,
so it's rather a pity
it's been passed over.
If it wasn't for Shakespeare
we'd have forgotten about it completely.

Midsummer's Night Dream. Landseer
 With  albino rabbits. 
And Puck is showing Bottom something.
Yeah...

So, anyway...

...with it being
Midsummer's Eve,
I wanted to show some 
amazing Titania dolls

Like this.


Titania
Night Queen

Her dolls have the most amazing eyes
and gorgeous, sculptural bodies.

By which I mean
they're sexy.

In fact, Nicole West
is a doll artist
Hubby found first.


See?
Glamourous
in the original meaning of the word.

Nicole sculpts all kinds of figures,
fairies, mermaids, angels
and naughty pin-ups.
Her Titanias show a range 
of themes,
from the vampish 
 Night Queen 
(above)
to sylvan sovereigns
guarding fertility and fruitfulness,
like this Harvest Queen.


With her mask, 
(above)
she is exotic and mysterious'

Without it, 
(below)
she is tender and vulnerable.






 Nicole's Titanias can also be
powerful, even dangerous,
like this magnificent monarch
striding through the woodland
vines, arms akimbo
and eyes ablaze.


Or they can be sweet
and ethereal
clad in simple wisps and leaves.


Titania


And  delicate
butterfly mask


I love Nicole's dolls
and her deviantArt site is worth looking at
for exotic beings
who aren't afraid to flaunt themselves
and who reflect Nicole's sure touch with 
poses, with expressions
and with warm, translucent skin.

She makes her fairies and mermaids
entirely believable
and extraordinarily beautiful.





Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Bessie in the Buttercups.


This is my dog, Bessie,
in the buttercups.


And this is a very short post!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Élodie finished and ready for her new home

I have some quick photos to post 
so you can see Élodie all finished.

She's in a box and all ready to go to her new home.


Posing for the camera.

Oh! The fabulous silk ribbon embroidery?
I didn't do that.
It's a vintage piece I've had forever
and never found the right place to use it.




Flowers in the hair.


Bows and daisies.


Frilly, lacy sleeves.


Ribbons and ringlets.


Choker and roses.
(And sunburnt nose.
She's had a busy day,
our Princess Milkmaid.)


The printed skirt.

I had a lot of fun with Élodie.
I learned how to make sculpted toes on a cloth doll,
and painting skin tones on cloth
was easier than I expected.
I loved making and embellishing 
her 18th century clothes.

But now she's done and sold
I need to make another.
Maybe with wild white hair?

Oh!

I have a commission!
A black cat in a red corset! 

Ooooh!

Now shared on
What's it Wednesday
over at the wonderful
Ivy and Elephants

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Dollmakers on Thursday. The MH Repaint Phenomenon


WARNING

This post is going to show 
photographs of 
naked plastic dolls.

If you're offended, 
upset or aroused by
naked plastic dolls
I'm sorry but
I won't be able to
 keep a straight face.

End of Warning

You may be aware of 
They look like this.


They're dolls presented as the 
high school age

It's an interesting idea, 
but I'd never really 
looked at the dolls.

Then I found what
 doll artists were doing
with the basic doll.

This is Draculaura



She's rockin' a whole Steampunk thing here,
but she doesn't really do anything for me.

Now, a bit of acetone and 
some paint and watercolour pencils,
see the same doll transformed.


Angel, by 
Almudena Doncel



by




by

To commission a repaint by
Kamarza, 


Draculaura
by
on Etsy

All different versions of the 
basic Draculaura doll,
rewigged and repainted.

The dolls can be heavily modded, too.


These are morbidly sweet
conjoined twins by
the delightful wicked
at dA.



The basic dolls are produced
 in a range of skin colours
including dead.

Like Ghoulia Yelps


and  Frankie Stein


You'd think the blue tones would be 
hard to make appealing.

But look at these.




(Ghoulia)
both by Kamarza



Here is a 
compare and contrast
image of Frankie
Repaint on the left.


Rebecca,
charity auction
Frankie Stein
by the lovely



by Amber Honey at dA




The dolls lend themselves to
modding
In fact, customising kits
are available
with skeleton arms
or fins or tails
to make whatever 
kind of monster doll
you want.

by Kamarza


The dolls can also be altered with apoxie
and clay.

See this amazing work-in-progress
by Mourningwake Press.


And here's the finished result.


The same artist also created
Edward Scissorhands


What I learned 
from these talented and 
inspiring artists
is that the
basic sculpt 
is only part of the story,
and colour and shade
can change a doll's face
any way you want.

I've bought a Ghoulia of my own
and I'm going to have a go!



















Friday, June 7, 2013

Puttin' on the Ritz



 Elodie
the
being fitted for her gown.


Embroidered flowers and tulle
 will entwine up the front.


My favourite rosette garland
of ombre ribbons in a band 
across the petticoat.

Then more lace and the gauze
and the ribbon roses and the 
tulle and the braid...

The most thrilling thing
about 18th century fashion?

There's no such thing as too much!

I'm adding the last ruffles to her robe
and the fancy cuffs to her sleeves
and she's nearly, nearly done.

Which is good,
as she already has a home to go to.


Elodie's hair is still wild
but mulberry paper roses
and silky ribbons will fix that.