Vintage Bebe completed!!

OK!! Vintage Bebe is completed.... the only thing i need to do is make an old raggedy teddy bear for her one "cyclops" hand...it will hide the hand and give her a little more charachter!

This baby is a little sad...it is kind of what i was going for...next one i will try an actual "pout" I knew i didnt have time in class to play with that...

Also...she has a bit of a "startled" look..which could have been avoided if i brout her eyelids a little more over her eyes. That tiny bit of white showing makes all the difference in the world.... i like large eyes and i was trying to open them more..a larger eye would have been the better option...haha!!!

Her clothes are all sewn out of Very old vintage pieces (shirts, collars, decorative mats) that i have collected from flea markets and antique shops. I had to be careful making her shoes...the silk material was so old...if you pulled it..it just shred into a handful of fibers, so i was able to save the fabric by brushing polymer medium on the back , making it sturdy and easier to form the shoe....The soles are polymer clay.

Jack Johnston Class...creating a Polymer Premie baby

Sharon, Minnie,Joyce

, Heather, Heidi,Tery, Sylvia and Myself with our "babies!

My "Poor Child"!

Working with Jared!

Tery's "Barry"

Joyce's

"chubby cheek" baby

Minnie acting like a "goof ball"

Tery, Heidi and Heather...Workin' it!!!

Heidi and Sylvia doing the dishes!

So ....our Jack Johnson class on creating a polymer premie baby has come and gone...after a Year of waiting! It was so far, my favorite class! We were a "family" of friends learning for 3 days (and nights!!!) and just being "creative together. Jared Johnston actually taught the class...he is the "Baby Lover" and he gave each one of us a lot of time teaching valuable techniques. He pushed us past the "comfort" zone...my comfort zone anyway....but i gained a lot from that.

For me to make a doll in 3 days is like REDICULOUS!!! but i did it! ....I see it's flaws (ugh!...they are magnified!!!) , but these are the things that i'll practice...So actually the flaws are the best part of this doll!! , they will be the thing that will help me to eventually be a better sculptor!

I am working on my dolls outfit and hair ...almost completed...thats another shocker in itself...because I dont finish a doll from a class. I feel like I learned on it and its just too "rough" to complete...I'd rather start fresh from scratch ... but this class i'm buzzing from.... I just have to complete this one!!!

Check out the weekend.....It was Fantastic!

Bee Girl...moving along on the fairies and their dolls

Two Fairies and their dolls are complete....bee girl and and her "LIL Sting" doll...and Girl fairy and her mermaid doll. The little "sting" doll is very tiny...but i think she is the right scale to be bee girls dolly. The mermaid is a bit too large..to be this little girls doll...but i'm tired...she will do!!! The rest of the fairies dolls will be made as tiny as the "sting" baby...i made a mold of her head...so i will be able to produce babies a little faster now! I did one other princess doll the same scale as the mermaid... she will also stay!

These two small dolls are named "Little KIMEE" dolls in honor of my sister Kim, who has a special place in her heart for tiny dolls and fairies.....

Summer is over!

My Paper Clay/Fabric Children...

A Cat doll created by Stacey and given to me!

Stacey Sewing with her "Shoe" Creation !

Deb's "Brothal" Shoe

I feel like i'm regaining conciousness!!! I feel my blood starting to circulate...Taylor is back to school tomorrow morning!!! PARTY!!! haha!! yeah right!

Anyway....back to business...i'll go back to where I left off...the Stacey Clark class! It was a great "learning" class...Stacey is a truley "creative Being"... and I loved being in her creative energy ... Here are some pictures of the OLD LADY in the SHOE class...

My Prepared dolls for class

So I was able to finish 7 small dolls. Their Head/ Bodices, legs and arms are made out of paper clay...they have fabric bodies. I copied the idea of the doll structure from a tiny old vintage doll that I found Naked at a very old PA flea market! I was able to really smooth their faces by sanding.... I used Hanni Sarris fairy paint...and Duncan matte spray..and they really look kind of vintage!!!

New fairy...and Preparation for class!

ok...back in action...I decided to just be a "starving artist" this summer! I am closing my ebay store next week ...until summer ends...I'll just sell a little mohair when i feel like it!

I already started on a new Fairy ...She ends up having a meek ...gentle disposition, so now i have to decide what she will wear and what she will be doing. Maybe after I "make her face up"..the personality may change...I dont see that happening though.

But now I had to put her aside, to prepare for our upcoming class in two weeks. We will be having Stacey Clark, an artist from Pennsylvania that did a "MAGICAL" exhibit in a PA museum. We were all so fascinated by the techniques she used to paint and texturize her fabric and doll faces and bodies...also her free motion combined with mediums to create beautiful texture on the dolls clothes, accessories and lifelike animals. We asked her if she would come teach...and she was thrilled!

We will be doing THE OLD LADY IN THE SHOE...you know the one with all of the kids?! (UGH!) haha..So I have started my prep work.....I am doing my childrens heads/upper bodice in paper clay...so i get to work in clay, but paint them like they were fabric! Paperclay painted dolls with varnish on them..remind me of "OLDEN DAY" dolls...so that is the look i'm going for..shiny faces!!!

I made 3 polymer heads, and then made rubber molds. I used the molds to create paper clay heads. The paperclay comes out of the mold a very flat...so you have to redefine everything...but its still waaayyyy!! faster than going from scratch...I created 7 new paperclay heads in 2 days...that is BIG for me...i'm kind of slow at sculpting. I then made little upper torsos out of styrofoam and foil. Then i covered them with paperclay...attaching the heads...Check it out.... (Iam learning some of these paperclay techniques from a book i sent for : Dollmaking with Papier mache and paper clay by Doris Rockwell Gotilly. The book is about 10 years old, but it has amazing photos and techniques...i love this book!)

I also found an old pair of black boots at the flea market for 5 bucks! for my shoe..i can alter it to make it look better...BUT I also foumd these very cool OLD she lasts..hmmm. i was thinking...maybe i can cover one with paper mache and make my own shoe!!!! ok..i may not REALLY have time todo that..but it is a very Cool idea!!!

Neptune Doll meeting

Yes..its horrible that i have not been in here posting...so busy! So here is the Neptune meeting that I went to a couple of weeks ago!!! The meeting was fantastic...everyone had something to show and tell about!!! Janice even brought her beautiful daughter...who ended up "adopting" stephanies "lion " doll made from Mary Louises pattern!!

I was invited by mary louise...a fellow Saggitarius doll maker, who was teaching her realistic little "cat" dolls! I flipped when I saw them, and right away, Mary told me that I could join in the lesson!!! See the pictures of mary with her tiny "cats"... (I LOVED them so much...she gave me the white one!!!! WOW )

Jack Johnston Class

WOW!!! I attended the Jack Johnston class this past friday thru Sunday with my New York group girlfriends, Tery from my group and 2 new girls. This was a life changing class! I learned so much from Jack...He is amazing...just put the clay in his hands and it comes to life....again and again and again!!!! Words cant describe the energy that was in the room for three sold days of intense learning! Jack brought Jarret, his beautiful and talented son who also is a fantastic artist and teacher...The two pushed us through this FAST PACED (ugh!!! ) class.....

I Knew the women in this group from previous classes taken in NY...especially Minnie who I have stayed connected with.......but all of us became family again...learning , sharing and "AMAZING" each other, BONDING into this "Art Doll" Journey!!!

I still cannot believe that we got through Heads, Hands, Bodies, AMAZING techniques in Clay shoes, and then actually put it all together and walked out of there with a doll ready to be costumed! I had a little hard time with this (i woud have evened my eyes/nose) more and definatley smoothed my face over another 10 days!! haha...but i got over it!!

(I took it home and added a little and rebaked...then did my hair until late saturday night!! that made me more at ease!!! I learned to not get so crazy so that I can get through a doll... I hope it sticks with me! )

The techniques I learned from Jack and Jarret were life changing for me...and I will continue to practice them !