Santos Cage Dolls and Such

Our doll club, the Cloth-a-Dollics had a "cage doll" challenge that was due this month, October.  I have already shown my steampunk cage doll and now I wanted to share the three other cage dolls that I made:  the first two are Frida cage dolls (I love everything about Frida, her passion, her love of Mexican culture and folk art, her love of animals and nature, her art, her spirit...)

Frida as a young vibrant Mexican young woman

A needle felted fawn at the bottom of the cage and a parrot.

This represents Frida's life as an artist with love, passion, pain, and  art

The blue cage represents the "Blue House" that she loved and lived in in Mexico City

One of her many self portraits

The final cage doll is the traditional Santos using a pattern by Arley Berryhill.  I used many items that were in my mom's possession such as her rosaries, her drawer top doily, and her spiritual icons, the blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus.  This doll was a joy to make and is going to a great and loving home:

May love rule your heart.  Be the light and not the shadow wherever you go.  Until next time...

Steampunk Cage Doll

This is the second cage doll I have made, the first one, the traditional "Santos" cage doll, I will reveal later.

I made the "cage" using two pieces of wood (circular 5", square 4") from Michaels and some 12" wood "rulers" also from Michaels.  I cut the 12" rulers down to about 11" and glued and nailed the rulers to the bases.  I then used Arley's "candlestick diva" pattern to make the doll stump.

Finally, I could steampunk it up!  Steampunk is Victorian fashion with a futuristic, metal and spare parts assemblage to resemble something that you might see in a gentle "Mad Max" movie.

I love the result as you can embellish with unusual and found materials to your heart's content, and I did!

 I added some torn pages to the inside of the cage for interest and to age the piece.

 I added scrolls to her face and two "fancy" keys.  I painted her hair for the bare, strong look.

 I had fun with the arms and the joints using unusual joints that made it look more steampunk.

 The steampunk heart she is holding is made from polymer clay.

 The metal wings allows her imagination to fly!

 She keeps her scissors on the ready.

The hat is made from ultra suede with added keys, feathers and a tape measure hat band.