Last Doll of 2015

I started this doll during the Christmas holiday.  Our doll club, the Clothadollics have a new challenge called "Royalty" for Feb 2016.  I knew I had to make the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland so I started by gathering inspirational pictures of the queen. Here are just a sampling of my inspirational pictures:

 All the queens seemed so angry and haughty that I decided that my queen would have a more gentle expression before Wonderland changed her!

Next I started gathering my fabrics and trims.  I knew that the colour palette would be red, black, white and gold.  I wanted hearts and a "Queen of Hearts" card and a crown.  Luckily, I have a huge selection of fabrics and trims that I have been gathering for over 15 years so I had all I needed in my stash:

I forgot to show you the gold dupioni silk I added to my stash as well.

Now the next step was deciding on a basic pattern template and then adapting it to create my Queen.  I choose Arley Berryhill's Candlestick Diva (from a workshop I took with Arley a few years ago, sponsored by our doll club).  I love Arley's dolls and costuming.  For the queen I enlarged the pattern and started with the face.  I also choose a candle stick from the 5 or 6 I had in my stash.

I tried out a few until I found the perfect one.  The only problem was that it was a blond wood, not what I had in mind for the queen.  No matter, I painted it a bright red and then added gold highlights. The last step was giving the candlestick a coat of gloss.

Now on to the fun stuff, the doll!

I was so excited as the face emerged that I only took photos in the end so here she is:

I was very happy with her face.  I think she has a gentle quality.  I used orange mohair locks for her hair that I needle felted in.  Her hat is made from a red jersey and has red and black embellishments that I sewed by hand.  The trim along the edge is a european pearl beaded trim that I found in Toronto a couple of years ago!  It finally came in handy.

Here you can clearly see the candlestick that I used, painted and glossed.

She stands about 28" tall.

Her flamingo is all felt and sewn by hand.  She holds a Queen of Hearts playing card in her left hand as well as a feather fan.

Side view showing her lace collar, red sequinned cape and crushed velvet heart shoulder pieces.

I made her sleeves in sections.  I first made fabric, by sewing duping silks together and then made a tube for her upper sleeves.

A close up of her hand showing the crocheted half gloves I made.

The crown I made using wire and pale silver and black pearls.

There are so many more details I added but I will let the photos do the talking.  I hope you enjoy my more gentle, kindly Red Queen.

I coloured her face using art Prismacolour pencils, Pigma markers, acrylic paint (mouth and white of the eyes) and chalk.

28" tall and full of fun, here is the proud gentle queen of hearts before she became haughty!

Snowflake Family

I was missing snow this holiday season (well in theory anyway) so I decided to make some felt snow people.  I dug out a pattern that I purchased a few years ago called "Snowflake" (available on etsy from Braidcraft) and I started.

As usual I had so many ideas for snow people that I made an entire snow family which I named the Snowflake family after the pattern that inspired these critters.

First I made wee Frosty:

I added a string of lights ( a Christmas necklace) that has an on/off button.  I added a wee bird on the top of his hat and a large snowflake (in honour of his family name).

Next I decided to make him a wee sister:  She is truer to the pattern with earmuffs and a sparkly pompom nose.  Both Frosty and his sister Snowblower has glass bead eyes and black beads for a smile.

The back of wee Snowflower showing the snowflake.

Now these snow kids need parents so Mr and Mrs Snowflake were born:

 It is hard to tell on my photo, but mom has a purple/mauve topcoat and green mitts while dad has a black hat and black mitts.  Both mom and dad have hand-knitted scarves.

Finally I added a Snow nonna (granny):

Nonna has a green knit hat with a velveteen red hat on top and a hand-knitted scarf that is red and green.

She has  twigs for arms and is holding an ornament. 

Here is the entire Snowflake family:

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Doll Club Christmas Exchange

Last week our doll club the Cloth-a-dollics had our potluck Christmas meeting and our Christmas gift exchange.  This year the pattern that was chosen to make was from the Autumn 2005 Art Doll Quarterly magazine:

The members who wanted to participate were to use the pattern provided in the magazine and make a doll to give to a fellow club member.  No-one knows who the doll would be given to as the gift exchange is random to allow the maker the freedom to use fabrics that they love.

The meeting was a lot of fun as there was plenty of food to go around, lots of social catch up with fellow members and a fun, fun gift reveal:

As you can see all of the dolls were quite different and all were beautiful.  I received the fuchsia beauty with the embroidered and beaded details seen in the photo above.

The doll I made for the exchange was the "deer girl" (yes I did alter the pattern a wee bit, lol!):

I gave my girl antlers using pipe cleaners wrapped with brown floral tape.  The body suit was a pale pink dupioni silk with sleeves, boots and hood made of faux suede trimmed with faux fur.  I also added "deer spots" on her hood, arms and boots.  Her dress I made from a ocean blue sweater I had that no longer fit.  For the finishing details I added Christmas lights caught up in her antlers, a pompom tie, a pale pink scarf and a snowflake for her to hold.

I love the way she turned out, so I made her a sister (which I kept):

My deer girl has a deer hand puppet, arm warmers and leg warmers made from a sock as well as a soft blue fleece vest.

I enjoyed making my Deer Girls and I am thinking about making some to sell for next Christmas!

Gift and Wishes at the Coast Collective

One month before Christmas!  I do love the holiday season, the lights the special displays in all the stores, the smiles, the gifts, the festivities and the creative artisan craft shows.  The "Gift for Myself and Others" show is almost over (only one more day) and another artisan show that I am in is set to open on Wednesday, November 25th exactly one month before that most holy, special day.  

Every year I say that I should not enter artisan shows as they are so much work and you never know just how much you will sell.  Will you recover the cost of your booth and the supplies?  Will the time spent planning and arranging and getting ready for the show be worthwhile?  Then there is the hassle of packing all of your wares in the car, unpacking and setting up, not to mention dismantling and packing back up in the dark!

Once I actually do take the time to plan and arrange to be in a show though, I love it!  There is a special pleasure in watching people smile as they pass your booth.  I delight in watching someone take great care in choosing their special doll or "critter" and hearing them tell you how talented you are.  It makes all the time worthwhile and validates your art.  I love the connection with people that you meet and who love your work.  They stop and chat and tell you where that gift is going, or how they remember your last show.  It is so much fun to tell them about your work and share the joy of creating.

So I am here to tell you that I will have a couple of special larger pieces in the "Gift and Wishes" show that is set to open at noon on Wednesday, November 25th at the Coast Collective:

I have a special dragon and a fun Santa, riding a Canada goose no less!  Here is a glimpse of these creations:

This will be our last show at the current location as in the New Year we are moving so please come out and enjoy Pendray House and the scenic grounds but especially the very special art and creations of over 100 Vancouver Island artisans!

Wooly Critters Explosion

I cannot believe that November is here!  Halloween has come and gone and now the stores are displaying Christmas items.  It is a reminder of how quickly time can get away from us.  It is a reminder that life is precious and fleeting and must be lived to the fullest.

Well, on that vein I have been madly crafting my Wooly Critters for the first artisan craft show that I will be in this season, "Gifts for Myself and Others":

This show is always lovely and features artisans from southern Vancouver Island.  I will be displaying some of my art dolls and I will be featuring my "Wooly Critters":

Meet the sweet black and white kitties.

Cat Buglars ready to steal your heart.

A Scottish Kat that is kooky and fun.

The ever lovable Bandits.

The bunnies begin to appear,

and they come in sunny yellow,

and they come in soft florals,

Are they not the cutest thing ever?

Finally one last set of cats to tempt you to visit the show.  I have many, many more including a pride of lions! (photos in my next post).

The wee blue cats hope you will come back soon, bye for now!