Personal Challenge

This year I’m trying to stretch my wings a little. I’ve decided to enter one of my dolls in a doll challenge.
While surfing the net awhile ago, I ran across a challenge thrown out by Judy Skeel. The doll was called a Blank Canvas Doll. I also thought the doll would make a good challenge for the club as well, so it was decided that this would be a holiday themed doll.
I would like to introduce Noelle. Noelle is wearing a pleated gown that inspired by a gown I saw at the FIT Fashion Museum. The gown has sprigs of holly leaves and berries. Noelle is carrying a single poinsettia flower to celebrate the season and she has a golden holly head piece. Her hair has been needle felted and looks like it’s really rooted. I really enjoyed putting her together. Noelle might not win a prize, but she will always be special to me.

Time Flies

I really hadn’t realized how fast time has past until I checked in on my blog. Yipes!!! I hadn’t written anything since the summer.
Okay, summer vacation was over and school took over my life again- there went my craft time.
Well the doll club crew met in September and we had a great time with our show and tell. We were all thrilled by the way our challenge dolls turned out, so out came Venus with the camera and we set the babies up for their close up and submission to Cloth Dolls and Animals magazine. To say we were excited was an understatement. Finally we were happy with the results.

The Needle Nose Doll Club is on the map! Our babies were publish in the current issue of the magazine. We're stars!!!!

Club Challenge

How’s My Hair? No, I’m not asking, but Jean did. During our July meeting she threw out a challenge to the ladies to create a doll from a pattern found on the cover of Soft Dolls and Animals. The deadline for the challenge is our September meeting. For once I will be ahead of the curve, because my doll is finished! Well, almost finished I still want to add some more curls on her head. I just love her butterfly earrings.

Blame it on Venus

Several months ago Venus posted two dolls she made from a pattern by Kate Erbach, Etta Mae. I thought she was too cute! Some time later at club meeting I got to see the dolls in person. I loved them. Later Jean made one and now it was my turn.
I made the purple one to give to my sister to celebrate her Masters. Before I knew it I was shifting through fabric and started making one for my niece, Kenye. Now I have twins! Oh no, my fingers were itching again and I realized that I needed on for me. So now I have triplets.
They were so much fun to make, I can readily see myself creating a few more. In fact I’m working up an idea for a friend’s little nice. I’ll keep you posted step by step on that one. So, see it really is all Venus’ fault. The pattern for the dolls can be found on Doll Makers Journey.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/ettamae.html

Award

I have just been tagged by Venus to receive the Nice Matters Award. Venus, thank you for the award nomination. Venus is a fellow doll maker whose work I greatly admire, so this means a great deal to me. The award is goes to those who have been positive people, good blog friends and folks that encourage people to do their best. I now have to nominate other people for Nice Matters. They are to copy and paste this award to their blog and then make their nomination for the award. Here are my nominees.

Stephanie Novatski

http://novasblossoms.blogspot.com/

Kyra Hicks

http://www.blackthreads.blogspot.com/

Gerry

http://chainsofhearts.blogspot.com/

The African Queen

Close up Doll Front

Doll Back

A couple of years ago I purchased a copy of Soft Dolls and fell in love with a doll by Kooki Davis, Ethiopian Queen. At the time I didn’t think I was up to creating the doll, but it is amazing what time and the encouragement of great club members can do. I realize as the time has gone by the members of our group have become dear friends. Anyway, the queen was not as difficult as I imagined at first. The most challenging part was her mask. First of all I didn’t have paper clay as was suggested in the article, I used polymer clay. What a search I went through trying to find a mold that would fit the size of the doll. Finally I discovered that I had purchased a mold from Sherry Goshen, Chantal, and she fit perfectly. There was only one problem, Chantal was a beautifully crafted Art Deco face and I needed a beautiful African face. Quickly, my sculptor instinct took over and I realized that I needed to change the nose and mouth of the face. I over structured the mouth of the doll, because she was suppose to represent wearing a mask; and I remembered the mask of the dancers that I observed during my studies in the Ivory Coast. I wasn’t too sure as to the surface color that I wanted the mask to be so I experimented with pearl powders and came up with a result that I was please with. Needless to say I was happy being able to use my large collection of African fabric. The queen’s coat is decorated with cowry shells. Her jewelry necklaces, earrings and bracelets are copper and brace wire enhanced with beads. I still have to complete her staff, but I was so excited with the results I couldn’t wait for you to see her. When school opens I’m going to take her in and have my students give her a name.

Teapot Party

A few months ago my club members and I took part in a doll parts swap. We were making a doll teapot. I thought the idea was great, sew and stuff teapot parts; wrap up the parts in tissue and place the separate parts in various bags and grab. Please greet Ms. Crystal Dragonfly Teapot. Crystal has twisted wire earrings, a pearl necklace and amazing pink fleece hair.

Happy First Anniversary!

Last June my eldest son, Adam, married my best friend’s sister, Lorae. I can’t believe a year has gone by so quickly. We had such a great time at the wedding; I can’t remember when I had danced so much.
Lorae made an elegantly stunning bride. Adam just beamed and we just wiped tears of joy and wished them well. I wanted to share some pictures from the wedding.
I designed and made Lorae’s head piece, it was a real challenge especially since this was the first time I had created a wire crown. The piece contained champagne Swarovski crystals, aurora crystals and pearls. Her cathedral veil was trimmed in champagne lace.

Needless to say I was happy that my training at FIT paid off.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy July 4th to everyone! Let Freedom Ring. Are we perfect, not by no means, but I'd rather be here than anywhere else.