Back to the Land of the Living: Recent Projects

I'm finally over my long-lasting/several successive virus bout(s), knock on wood! And to celebrate, I have been on a rampage of production.

First I finished my Pride and Prejudice finger puppet set! I have been doodling and dreaming of this project for a long time, and it is SO satisfying to see it in person.

Finger Puppets in Progress

Mr. Darcy, Lizzy Bennett, Jane Bennett, and Mr. Bingley, say hello.

I also had a big custom order that I finished. Two dolls for a pair of grown cousins, one living in Australia, one in Philadelphia. This one was so fun to do because it was a long-held idea by one of the cousins as a way to remember each other while living so far from each other. I love how these dolls and all of their extras turned out.

I also finished a doll that has been languishing faceless and naked for quite sometime (if you look closely, you can see her on a doll stand on the left side of my orange cubbies in the prior post). Being in the mood for spring I made a very cheerful floral dress for her and a little saffron yellow cardi. She looked excited for spring, too, so I figured she'd want to be out taking pictures of the coming Spring, and I gave her a camera. She is already on her way to her new home in Ohio! Here she is, plus a sample of her photography.

And finally, I've nearly finished this dapper orange fox to keep the brown one company. ( just realized that I never blogged about the brown fox after giving a little teaser last April! Well, he is my pride and joy, and I'm happy to be making a partner for him.) I still need to give him a face, and sew his argyle vest. But I'm pleased with how his bow tie turned out. I'll give you another peek when he's done.

 

Here's crossing my fingers that this productive streak lasts! More soon...

The Soul is Willing But the Body is Weak

Man! I don't know what the deal is, but my immune system can't seem to keep up with all the bugs going around. In one way it's good because in my slower state (of slightly achy malaise and low energy), I am having a whirlwind of ideas and inspiration for current projects and brand new ones, too. But being in low gear means very little left over for actually implementing and creating those ideas. *Sigh!* I'm coping by taking lots of notes and sketches, and setting small achievable tasks each day for myself. And drinking lots of water and Vitamin C!

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope everyone has a great day today! Take a moment to let your heart swell with love for the people in your life.

I had a chance to show some love recently by participating in the 19th annual "Valentines for AIDS" art show at Flying M Coffeehouse here in Boise. Every year nearly 300 artists donate work to be auctioned off over a 10 day silent auction, with proceeds benefiting SNAP (Safety Net for AIDS Program). Bidding ended 2 days ago, and I just heard that the event raised nearly $23,000!

My entry was one of my plushie robots with a big red felt heart. I feel very fortunate to have been allowed to participate, as it was sort of at the last minute I was asked to join, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish! Here are a few pictures (some courtesy of Flying M's Facebook page, some of my own) from the artists' party on Feb. 2.

Custom Bride Doll Complete!

Well, it feels so good to have "Cecelia" packaged up and off to her new home! I took a few pictures before I slipped her into her box.

Custom Bride Doll, Part 2

Whew! Well, I had to go to the fabric store for more satin, but I finally got the gown finished. Instead of hemming each layer for the tiered skirt (which i have a very hard time with, satin being so slippery), I made three big flounces attached to an invisible underskirt. That made gathering the top difficult, but that is one point where the slipperiness of satin helped!

I'm very pleased with the results. Next: make her pearl jewelry and accessories, embellish the dress a bit with pink ribbon, and paint the face and shoes. I am hoping to finish her by the 9th, so I'll post a final picture before I send her away.

Custom Bride Doll

One of my very favorite customers recently commissioned an art doll from me for her red-headed doll collection. This doll will be a bride with an ivory satin dress with a tiered skirt. Her name is Cecelia.

I've been feeling a little bit stumped on which of several methods and ideas I have to construct the layers of the skirt. Isn't it funny how sometimes too many ideas can hold you back more than too few ideas?

However, I have completely constructed the doll herself, and I'm very happy with her pretty auburn wedding hair. I've also got her tulle underskirt underway, and this is going to make all the difference in how the wedding dress hangs. We're going poofy, people!

Here is an in progress shot. She's 18 inches tall, for an idea of scale. More to come!