Omygosh. I'm back,

Oh blog world. I miss your inspiration ,,, !,,,, I opened a physical store and an eBay store.  And I am actually somehow finding time To sculpt again.  Thank you Stephanie novatski for your iPad no how I'll post pictures of my new dolls this week.    

Here are some new faces I started this week. They are in the rough stages. I'll add a little more definition  and eyelids.....then on  to sanding.  

I can't wait to see what everyone else is creating....

Oh. My cats are helping me try to use this new ipad....

The Artsy Soul almost Opened!!!

Hello...SO Sorry I have not posted or cheched all of  my Wonderful Artists Friends Blogs! 
Been so crazy getting a store up and filled...We are almost there!  I hope one day to meet friends and Artists here...wether you come to take a class or give a class...There will be " Explosive Energy" here at the Artsy Soul.  Eventually I will be on line with the products I sell in the store...just going to take a little more time.  Please Connect to The Artsy soul Face Book for Class updates!

ok...so I havent been on blogger...what happened?  i cant POST PICTURES?! haha ok..if anyone can tell me whats going on?!   Ill post some cool pictures of the store!   Thanks Hope to reconnect to everyone...Colleen

Cocoa Carmel....

I created Cocoa Carmel for my friend Alison.  Alison is a woman of color with American indian in her background.  She has a beautiful brown  skintone with freckles and high cheekbones....I tried to portray her the best Icould...Cocoa's hair color actually matched Alisons... 

Cocoa Carmel has "Swiss Chocolate Dot" shoes and  A Cocolate cake Hat made from "pluffy" clay...a very lightweight marshmallowy  clay that must be baked.   Her hair is different than my normal goat hair.  It was from an acrylic like "Dread" wig from the beAuty Supply shop.  I really love the darker skin and hair for this doll.  I will definately do more of these.

 

And now no more dolls for a while...Working so hard on my NEW SHOP.....The Artsy Soul...I should be opened by july 4th...A retail store for mixed media supplies...and "treasures"...and a classroom.  I will be teaching sculpting tiny dolls and making shoes, crowns, hats and charms.  I will have teachers come in to do workshops.  I will attach the site to my blog when I get there..!!!

Garden Girl

Oops! Forgot to post this little girl I finished two weeks ago...she was one of the 3 soft body dolls I started 2 posts ago...she started out as pea pod girl...but ended up as garden girl.  She wears a "Pea Pod Helmet" created from polymer clay...and her pea stamped dressis acrylic paint mixed with textile medium.  I used all Vintage fabrics that I found at flea markets...that makes her very special to me!!!

I aslo created tiny paperclay shoes formed onto her feet...after sculpting them into the shape I wanted...I lightly stamped them with a "powdered rubber stamp" for beautiful raised texture"  ..I really think they added to this doll......

Home - Art Is...You - The East and West Coast Art Retreats

Home - Art Is...You - The East and West Coast Art Retreats

Published in Art Doll Quarterly....WOW!

So what a cool feeling...having your work published in a magazine!  The Magazine is Art Doll Quarterly and it has been my favorite magazine ever since I found Dollmaking!  It's the Spring Summer Issue and I have a beautiful spread with a Tutorial !  I'm overjoyed...I feel very excited and grateful!  I think everyone should send their work in to feel this feeling!!! 



"Annie Rose" Paper Clay Tiny Doll





Frozen Charlotte Wand ,,the charlotte was made with white clay from a handmade mold of an original!



Shiny polka Dot Shoes

Rose Cap!

Now onto the doll that I have finished.  This sad little girl was created for a friend and "Ambassador" of Art Dolls, Annie Hesse.   Annie's house is filled with beautiful dolls created by herself and many many Artists....its so inspiring! 

Finally Moved In...NOW... Movin On with New Dolls! And a short face sculpting class at the Warwick NY Library!!!

Cupcake girl...Rose Fairy...Pea Pod Girl.....hmmm

Oh my gosh...the whole while I had to pack and move all my things to the shore house for good!!! (yay)....I just kept thinking of faces and textures....I was thinking...Col...you are losing it...but I guess when I cant do something...I just want to do it MORE!!!! haha...

Instead of clay bodies...these girls have a wire armature bodysuit BODY,,,,

Anyway...working on 3 new dolls and finally figured out who they will be... to get through them quicker because of "wasting time moving"....haha...priorities!.....I made original arms and legs then went for a MAKING A TWO PART MOLD OUT OF POLYMER...how EASY!!! was this!! and how much time did it save?? LOTS!!! Here are the easy steps to do this:

1. Soften your polymer clay...here I used super sculpey because its pretty soft and you get a nice impression.....make a neat block that is back enough for your item...in this case an arm...and a leg.



2. Press your item into the clay evenly..only HALF WAY. take your item out neatly, not moving the clay....



3. Bake that mold for 20 minutes...cool...and now put the item back in the mold.



4. make another neat block of soft clay...push it over the already baked mold with the item inside the mold...pressing your new clay so that it fits the baked piece...now flip the entire block over onto a tile that fits in your over...and carefully pull the already baked mold off of your fresh clay. If the item is stuck in the clay..carefully remove like you did with he first part and bake .



YOU NOW HAVE A PART MOLD THAT fits snugly together. Fill it with paper clay (dust the mold with a powdered brush and fill with paper clay. press the 2 parts together...pull apart...and remove. at this point i push my armature wire through (sometimes i leave the wire in the original so when i make the mold...there is an actual slot for the wire,,,and I lay the wire inside in the molding step.

I also taught a 3 hour Face Sculpting Workshop at the Warwick NY library.  The Workshop was Sponsored by Artist LILLIAN ALBERTI for her new Area Doll Club.   The Workshop was a huge success with over 20 attendees...and Lillian and Heather Brauner assisted in teaching.  Every person created a beautiful face...and some of the ladies had never sculpted! 

Mermaid "Mechanics"





Rosie Paperclay Mermaid

 

Here are some Paper clay Memaid "Mechanics" pictures if you want to try one.  You can email me with any questions you may have on this technique @ taylormade4girls@yahoo.com.

 So Blogger will not allow me to put the pictures in my chosen order !@!@   Sooo frustrated....so I;m giving up on this post....Let's play....Try to figure out what picture goes where.... 

 


Ballet Mermaids torso with arms before tail

 

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Fins with stamped paperclay



Step One of tail Fins wire and tape armature




Tail was stamped and painted then clay roses and gems were added ...











before final painting..adding roses and glossing tail

Rosie Mermaid ....



Rosie, a paperclay mermaid...



I taught Rosie Mermaid along with the blue mermaid in Florida at Annie Hesse s studio.!  WOW! what a beautiful work place to be in....

It was a perfect class, Heather Brauner helped me teach....and every student sculpted ,painted, and jointed her doll, and created and embellished the tails...amazing!   

Having problems with uploading pictures from my phone so this is all i have until i get it going again.  I do have the mermaid tail in some steps so that you can try at home!!!   

Art Is Fox Doll Workshop Done!!

Fox Dolly

Oh my gosh...so much pressure is lifted!!! ugh....I hate deadlines....I'm always "just making them"!!@!

Anyway.. the fox doll is complete... I end up really loving her.  For a while...she was being a "Brat" and not getting a personality...but she finally came "out".....



Add caption



She is about 8 inches and she has a sculpted Head, bodice, jointed upper arms, lower legs and tail. Her body and upper legs are a two way stretch bodysuit that I sew up on the machine.  This bodysuit fits over the wire armature with all paper clay pieces attached...and then lightly stuffed.

She is an animal dolly with human qualities....(because I believe animals have special qualities that help us see them as human. )  I chose a Fox because I want my Tale to be one of  decadence dripping with diamonds, luscious with leopard printed  leather and fur, daring with red shiny boots...and some Mysterious with an old frozen Charlotte in hand! This  Charlotte is actually a "fake out" from a tiny two part mold my friend Sue Milo made for me!  Lucky Me!!! I can now have a frozen Charlotte anytime I want! ha ha  and embellish and age it however I want. Life is truly amazing!