Create Clay Hats and Crowns!

Create  Clay Hats and Crowns!

Friday, December 31, 2010

Art IS paperclay doll...moving along!




I am so inspired right now...By everything around me...So many Ideas that I want to put out into this doll...Now I am in the home stretch and I'm getting siked to Wig her.  But I have to get her outfit together...then i will know how her hair should fall.  Sometimes it just works out like that!

I have "Jewel jointed her with metal findings , stones and shimery beads.  She really is poseable and even a little "dangly"!!!!!

I have a ton of "Vintagy" fabrics ,ribbons, and Doo dads that I am "Auditioning". 
I had beautiful  tiny vintage Crepe roses that I tea stained that I will definately use on her....They look "old" but "Pretty"......

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

"GIRL iNTERRUPTED "2011 "Art is" paperclay doll



 




I am late with my my 2011 "Art is" doll....but she is coming along!

 She is a full paperclay doll consisting of separate body parts that are wired together with gems and findings.  HER BODY WAS CREATED FROM A FOIL CORE AND COVERED WITH PAPERCLAY.  THIS IS MY FIRST SCULPTED BODY...SO IT IS A BASIC SHAPE. BUT I want her to be a "doll" and not a "sculpture" !  Her Wired joints can bend and her legs and arms "DANGLE"! 

This little girl will have a "KITTY DOLLY" ...The kitty is also a tiny FOIL CORE with WIRE and PAPERCLAY sculpted over the FORM.  Her arms and tail are separate on wire so they can move.  She will be sanded smooth and shiny, painted and I'm "seeing" a vitage dress on her!!! haha  After she is pulled together...I have silky "lama" hair washed and brushed waiting for her to be  WIGGED!!!  and then on to the CROWN  and COSTUME!!! 


Monday, December 20, 2010

Wow I better blog!!!!! Merry christmas!

Wow, I think I am coming alive again...gotta blog this week...Anyway...Merry Christmas....I ll post the start of some new dolls this week!  Colleen

Thursday, October 14, 2010

ART IS "You" Tiny paper clay doll class and Pictures of Art Is


Miss Minnie and Barbara




JUDY!
Dolls drying after being sealed with Super Matte Spray



Really Focusing! Miniaturist Naomi in the center 


Missy and Sylvia 
 Well, Art is you has come and gone!   What a wild ride!!!  It was fantastic...and I'm still all confused now that I'm home!  I have seen so much inspiration....learned so many new techniques ...found out about new tools and gadgets and doo-dads!   A Billion new art friends!  It's hard to get back to "reality"!!!

But the Tiny Doll 2 day class went great!  Everyone created a doll....and the girls were so excited that they could hold it in their hands....and admire these tiny works of art!  Each one of the dolls took on life and I am so proud of everyone, especially for the girls that have never made a doll, or worked with paperclay.  This was one of the best experiences I have had making dolls and doing art !!!


Class Working Hard...Christina creating her first Doll!  
Joyce Creating her Ballerina Fairy!








Mary working in Keith LoBues class
Keith Lobue Metal etching class WOW!
Sallianne "Acting out"!
"Glinda"....ugh I mean Kecia!
Suze Weinberg..Encaustic class....So Cool!
Teri in Suze's Class...So Happy!





Pamela Huntingtons Tiny fairy book class (this is her book!)...Fantastic

BonBon Baby auction Doll for the babyface Foundation

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Glinda Girl...Good Witch Completed for Art IS You East Coast Retreat!





Glinda Girl is complete....She is a Vintage Fairy doll....she is a little bigger than my usual 5 inch dolls...I "d say 8 inches...I think I can get a little more detail easier with this size in paperclay.  She has a lot of Vintage pointy back crystals and findings  that I have found on Ebay....I love finally using some of my "Hoarded finding purchases" ....Most of the time...after I buy them...I don't use them because I'm afraid I'll use them up...ok...so when "DO" I use them??!.....I think this is a "sickness"........

Her hat was created using this cool form that Jimmy thought of ...a wine aerator !   It helped me to form the perfect witch hat from polymer clay.  While the clay was on the form, I pressed a pretty stamp into it, then after baking...I dry brushed  with acrylic paint, then used a gold rub-on and Gold leaf pen...tiny vintage pointy back crystals were glued in place with Gem tac by beacon....i love this product !

Her Wings were wire-shaped on a pegboard, glued to a shimmery wrapping paper that was hit with a heat gun.  I painted them with 2 part resin...then added metal findings, gems and no hole beads. We will be creating this type of wing in my "Embellish The Doll" Class on Sunday.....

ANY way...the countdown is on....Wed. I hit the road for Connecticut and I cant wait till I get to my hotel ,,,this is the first time I have ever attended ,an Art  RETREAT!!!   I can barely "contain" myself!!!


Friday, October 1, 2010

ART IS "You" ................................... ALMOST HERE!!!







WOW..I have been waiting a year for this!  and its happening next week!!! I'm leaving for Art IS YOU the East Coast Retreat for 6 days!!!!   WOOHOO......nothing to do but "Create
"  ...well....Eat too!  and be with my Art friends, and meet new art friends.......Learn techniques....Teach what I have learned on my journey so far......

I am teaching my "Tiny paperclay dolls" class for two days...The Class is titled "LULLABY LEAGUE" Day One, Create the doll....Day two, Embellish the doll.

A lot of work...organizing the class...making my books and kits...but it was also exciting....and I cannot  wait to see what everyone does in class....

I am also taking a mixed media tiny book class, and metal classes...Patina and Etching!   I'm thinking metal crowns....maybe wings...or maybe just embellishments for hang tags....
I dont know how I'll fit all of this in my car...and I have a bigger 4 door jeep wrangler...but man...Its going to be tight....

The Witch is a doll that I'm working on for the theme of Art Is...Wizard of OZ...She's like Glinda...she needs her final embellishments.....

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Heathers Doll, AmberDawn"s Charm Class
















Many things have been happening...but not enough time in the day to blog!

First.... I attended a Charm class That was held by Amber Dawn at the purple Petals studio....
Heather traveled with me into NY and we spent 5 hours of learning techniques , and putting together some really cool charms!  It was great to just be together and be creative !  Here are two types of charms that we made...Tiny pocketbooks that were really tiny little books inside!  And tiny keys with itsy bitsy polymer roses.  ThaT Amber Dawn .....What a "Charm Guru"!! haha! ...billions of ideas and techniques just flowing out of her soul....when you leave, you are kind of "recharged"  with new inspiration! 


And then there is Heather's New Doll!  A very beautiful "Classy" fairy. I LOVE this Doll... I LOVE her Leopard Velvet outfit with leather jacket and shoes!   Everything on the doll is done to "Perfection"!   

Monday, August 23, 2010

Halloween is coming!

Top Hat Girl with a "Halloweenie on a Stick"

So I am really rolling with this years Halloween dolls....Top Hat girl is almost done...I have to finish her "Little "Halloweenie on a Stick" baby! The babies hat is a dyed silk cocoon and it will be more designed like a pumpkin....it also needs to be "stepped up a bit" with  embellishments and silk ribbons! 

She is paperclay really sanded and polished smooth ....with a soft body that has a new "Cool" armature inside...My friend Heather Brauner,  Dollmaker Perfectionaire!!!  taught me last week...I love it...you kind of build a little "cage" on the body...it shapes the body better...and the clothes seem to lay nicer!  THANKS HEATHIE!!! Check out Heathers site from my favorite  blogs  list. I will post a picture of this armature next post for the next doll.

Her top hat was made from premo clay over a wide metal  tube to create its shape..., I  "triple thicked"  it to match her Shiny Patent leather shoes!  This hat was inspired by my good friend Cindy Sowers...Millinery Extrordinaire!   You can check out her site in my favorite blogs List....A Dolley A Day!  (Love that name.....)

Chickie Corn Girl is complete...her clothes are Tea, Coffee, cinnamon stained, and her hair is wild and has braids and fabric strips weaved into it! 
Her Chickie Corn hat and all of the hanging chickie corns are made from yellow, orange and ivory polymer clay.  Her Trick or treat pumpkin is a silk cocoon dyed orange, and decorated with vintage findings ..... I decopauged a "Tiny" vintage picture I found on the internet..My Very Creative friend, Sue Milo (from the Milo Files!)  gave me the idea after we both decided the pumpkin was sweet...but Boring!  That extra step  made the pumpkin  come to life..Thanks Sue!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Last Bon Bon Babe Chocolate! Start of Halloween Dolls!


I completed the last Bon Bon Babe...she is a Chocolate Bon Bon!  The striped fabric reminds me of a fancy candy wrapper, the ones that are twisted on both sides ...so I tried to make her have a Puffy "Wrapper" type dress.  I stamped a  tiny harlequin design with distress ink on pale yellow fabric, and it appeared gold and matched the striped dress....Like A "miracle" !  Stamps are such a cool tool...allowing you to design your own fabric! 


Her Chocolate hat was formed with two tools.... I found a kids PLAY DOUGH set with some cool "sweets" molds.  One of them was this candy with a "Dallop" shape on top.  I put a sheet of chocolate colored clay in the mold, and then used one of my "Cupper" balls to squeeze the clay and form this perfect little hat!  I used Texture squeeze paint for the chocolate drizzle...then glossed it with Triple thick...adding tiny handmade polymer candies and a silk ribbon bow. 

She has "Candy jointed arms too! I created two strawberry topped chocolate beads in between two filigree bead caps...I added some silk ribbon to match her dress. 










And now its time to start some Halloween fairies!  I pulled out all of my halloween prints, I tea stained most of them for a "Vintage " feel....  I found a very cool piece of Vintage Black and Orange striped  Velvet ribbon...I can't wait to use it! 
  


Thursday, July 8, 2010

Bon Bon Babes!


I have been working on these dolls for my upcoming class at purple Petals studio this Saturday.   They are Bon Bon Babes!  The little girl with the pink cupcake hat is complete.  I like this little doll because she seems different than what I usually do.  For her, I used a picture of a japanese doll that i liked.  She doesn't look like the picture.....but I liked using a "Guide"!  It really helped keep me on track of making the features small...it kind of gently "Nudged"  me..."NOW Col.. ,  do those lips look as "HUGE" as you are making them!!? " haha! 

Anyway...She is paperclay over foil and wire armature.  The bottom of her cupcake hat was made from a mold that I made from a little rubber tart I found for  $ 1.00...how cool is that?...and the top is clay that I sent for from japan that is like whipped cream, and then painted with acrylics and "topped" with Texture glass medium!  Well, its not as easy as they make it look...that little "dallop" of whipped cream took me about 3 hours to get it to look the way that I want.   I will have to ask Miss Amber Dawn, "sweets extraordinare" for an easier way! 





 Amber has inspired me to create the next doll....She is just in the idea stage, auditioning hair and clothes, but she'll definately wear the "Chocolate" hat...   The Hat was created over one of my wooden cuppers, then I used gallery texture paint to do the chocolate drizzle, then glossed the chocolat up with Texture Glass.    She is a chocolate Bon Bon...and she will have a lot of tiny candies on her outfit.  I made the tiny candies (below)  from polymer clay, but they are not glossed yet! 
                                                         I still have to make many more !


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Dolls in progress for class



I will be teaching Tiny Dolls at the Purple Petals Studio in Maspeth NY on July 10th and 11th , with the help of A fabulous Cloth and  Clay Doll Artist Heather Brauner.  Last week, Heather and I got together to create some new dolls for the class......Heather is actually working on a tiny "Prim" doll that will be crackled!  Cant wait to see her completed!

So these are my  2 new Tiny paperclay Fairy dolls for the "occasion"!!!   I think they will be "sweets" dolls inspired by Talented Polymer Clay Artist Amber Dawn!  Amber makes "Amazing" miniatures and charms...lots of beautiful Tiny "sweets" and cupcakes..Yum!  I have taken  polymer caning and sweets classes from Amber, and I will try to apply some of  what she taught me to these dolls.  I'll see what happens!!! haha!

I found some great fabrics that remind me of taffy and chocolate and Caramel....Mmmmm! 

I have included some of the steps we will be going through to create The Tiny Paperclay dolls .  I'm So looking forward to this class!!! These New York girls are Creative and Fun to work with!   Dori, the owner of the Studio, and "Charm Girl"  Amber Dawn will also be Participating ...how cool is that!?   



Sunday, June 6, 2010

A Tiny Doll from Polymer...




Two weeks ago, I Taught a small group the tiny Mixed Media doll in polymer clay  ...I normally do the doll in paperclay,  The girls thought it might be easier for them...so I changed some things around and I really like how the doll body worked out. 


 











I made the same head /Bodice armature from foil , but I added a complete wire skeleton.  In my paperclay dolls...I would always just build the arms and legs on wire, and push the wires into the stuffed cotton body. They were more "leaners"! Now the doll can do a full pose!   Also, This doll was done with a 2 way stretch fabric that slipped over the wire skeleton, with the arms and legs completed...it was then stuffed......see photos.



I completed my doll and she has a tiny Wish Fairy" with her.  I Embellished the doll with teeny tiny roses out of polymer clay that I covered with Texture Glass Medium...they actually look "encased" in glass"!  I love this stuff!! I learned how to make these teeny little roses from Amber Dawn .  The minute I laid eyes on Amber's teeny tiny roses..I knew I would want to incorporate her technique into a doll...









I actually had a problem with her arms being out of proportion after I put her together...so I cut the baked arms in half, taking some length away...I was able to slip the arms off of the wire and attach  fancy BEAD CAPS , then adding a rose...making a "pretty" JOINT!
  
Her Wings were shaped from wire, I used tissue paper and 2 Part Resin...adding glitter..then I gave it a coat of Texture glass...
Her crown is polymer clay with gems, clay roses and metal findings...tinted with alchohol inks, gel rub ons, and my new favorite Tim Holtz, distressed rock Candy!

Her ballet slippers are velvet and silk ribbons.

NY wow

NY wow
dIANE kEELER CLASS

Diane Keeler Class

Diane Keeler Class
Diane Teaching

Diane Keeler class

Diane Keeler class
Class Picture

Sculpting a Childs face

Sculpting a Childs face
My face ..Day 2 ..ready for EARS!

Working on a new face now!!!

Working on a new face now!!!
Completed face and breastplate

Attached head to breastplate

Attached head to breastplate
The clay is very dirty..the cleanest i can get it!

After Face Make up

After Face Make up
WOW...it gives a translucent glow...hid the dirt!

Removable wig...not styled or cut yet

Removable wig...not styled or cut yet
Goat mohair that was dyed and combed

Now she's styled!

Now she's styled!
But it is a wig...it will be glued when i'm ready!!!

Painted Face...still needs brows and lashes!

Painted Face...still needs brows and lashes!
She will be sealed with Duncan flat mat as soon as it comes in the mail!

Cloth Pixie body fit under breast plate...

Cloth Pixie body fit under breast plate...
After drawing and sewing a million body parts....

Girly girl "21" charms

Girly girl "21" charms
Angelica's 21st birthday charms

Devon with his creation

Devon with his creation
Devon and his monkey boy

Devons Doll that he made from a pattern

Devons Doll that he made from a pattern
Monkey Boy

another charm group

another charm group
Debbies Charm

Leapord tube charm

Leapord  tube charm
The diamond shape is a soldered glass bead.

Wax medium melted over polymer clay face....

Wax medium melted over polymer clay face....
She's getting there..i think this hair suits her better..she needs eyelashes and ears

Odd Vintage bug- like Fairy

Odd Vintage bug- like Fairy
Just the idea

Clay Window glazed with Utee

Clay Window glazed with Utee
Stamped Utee glazed "Charms"

Clay Charms

Clay Charms
Making a mold from a charm to make more charms!

Charming

Charming
Clear tubing and stamped Utee

Charming!!! ....REALLY!!!

Charming!!! ....REALLY!!!
Soldered Vintage photos

Charming!!! ....REALLY!!!

Charming!!! ....REALLY!!!
Soldered Charms

Journal Day with Tery and Stephanie

Journal Day with Tery and Stephanie
Creating an Art Journal

Stephanies journal

Stephanies journal
of course..completed first!!

New Art Journal

New Art Journal
Journal made from SCRATCH!!!

Art journal EMBELLISHMENTS

Art journal EMBELLISHMENTS
Clay, Stamps, Utee

Inside cover

Inside cover
Material and free motion stiching

Celeste

Celeste

Celeste up close

Celeste up close
Celestes shirt is made from gessoed and tinted lace with free motion embroidery

EVA

EVA
She is with her new mom Evelyn