Easter Ornament Exchange

One of the internet news groups I am on had an Easter ornament exchange. I got very lucky and was assigned a good friend as my partner. I wanted to do something special, since she is a special buddy, but my creative muse wasn't sharing any ideas... but low and behold, right at the last minute, I thought of this egg design based on an online class I had taken with Marilyn Radzat ( see fairy bower pictures further down this blog). Anyway the egg gourd I cut, and placed a very thin coating of apoxie sculpt in the inside of the gourd. I put a base coat of ivory acrylics , and then put pink and green pearlescent paints on top of it to give it an abalone look. The outside is cut up glass tiles in apoxie sculpt, with micro beads pressed in the 'grout' . The Kewpies dolls I had laying around, I china painted them, wigged and dressed them. I think its looks pretty cute! My friend like them too. I kinda when nuts too, and ended up making 9 of them and have sent them out to friends and family. So lady muse didn't abandoned me, but I do wish I thought of it earlier...

A doll I need to work on

I started sculpting this doll when I was recovering from knee surgery this past July. She has been looking at me all fall and winter, imploring me to finish her, but I couldnt see what the figure should be. At first I wanted to do a rather elaborate idea of a 'suprise doll' - like the antiques. I was planning to attach her to a gourd, sculpt a dress around the gourd which would have cut door to open into a scence (using miniatures) . I still like this idea, but I think its too ambitious, and I now favor doing a more traditional doll. In honor of spring, I think she should be Heidi- holding a baby goat. Her head is in the right position to look into the baby goats eyes. What do you think? I thought of using the goat picture to sculpt the hands, but of course I would costume the doll in 1800's era homespun. I dont know why this doll intimidates me.... I have a nice start with the head! I think I just need to get started and not worry about it.

BTW, I still want to do the suprise doll too , but I think I need to spend more time figuring out how to do it.

I came back! Mary Izannah

Yes , I know I have been negligent with blogging and you don't want to hear the excuses. But it involved a fractured knee and surgery, and then months of physical therapy, and then apathy! But I am starting to get back into dolls and want to move ahead here. This doll I made in January after I heard a very good doll friend had passed away. Mary was one of the first friends I made in the cyber doll world, and was always an enthusiastic mentor and friend. I miss her terribly.

So the general idea with this doll is what can you do with the old porcelain molds you might have hanging around if you no longer care for porcelain. This is a Triste Jumeau, poured in a liquid papermache slip (Flumo), and then modified by sculpting hair with Premeir air drying clay. I then decided to paint her in a Izannah Walker style. The hair style was vaguely inspired by the character of Elizabeth Bennet in A&E's 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. My 10 year old daughter was watching it 24/7 during the holidays and it must have imprinted in my subconscious while I was sculpting. Anyway I am happy how she turned out! My doll club liked it too .