ATC - Dolls

These two dolls (Purple Polly and Orange Olive) are on a smaller scale to the others I’ve made - so they can fit onto an ATC. Well that’s what's supposed to happen but due to a … design fault shall I call it … Polly’s legs can’t quite make it pass her skirt! Just as well really in view of the lack of any underwear!!

I found some wired ribbon in my stash and it’s ideal to use for skirts since it can be manipulated into folds without the need for any stitching! I did stitch Olive’s skirt at the top onto her body and her legs are free to move so she fits nicely onto the ATC. With Polly however, I glued her skirt at the sides so therefore restricting her movement. Oh well, I’ll know for the next time (if I remember that is!)

For the faces on these two I used only chalks and watercolour pencils for the features (no pens) and the effect is much more subtle - I think I prefer that - for now anyway.

Clay Faces - how I do mine.

I've had a bit of trouble lately with painting my little clay faces so decided I would blog about them as much to help me (as a memory aid) as for anyone else who may be interested.

My last few attempts have failed at the last step - when I sprayed a little finishing gloss on them everything smudged which is so disappointing. I have been using Sharpie pens for the detail and it seems the ink in those pens reacted adversely with the finishing gloss.

So having had a little play around this is a Step by step guide and seems to work fine:

1. Paint the whole face with skin coloured acrylic paint and let dry
2. Apply chalk blusher to forehead, cheeks and chin
3. Outline the eyes - using a watercolour pencil
4. Paint the whole of the inside of the eyes with white acrylic and let dry
5. With watercolour pencil, draw in the inner eye
6. Paint the eye colour in the whole of the inner eye section and let dry
7. Paint or pencil in the black part of the eye and let dry
8. Dot a spot of white paint for the light in the eyes and let dry
9. Pencil in the eyebrows
10. Spray a light spritz of the finishing gloss - only a very light spray else it'll smudge and be ruined.

The finishing gloss I use is called 'Porcelain Gloss' and is from Sandra Lee's 'Floral Kraft' range. It is really meant for dried or silk flowers but works fine on the clay (unless using Sharpie pens as mentioned above!)

I have in the past used Sakura Glaze pens for the features and they have been fine, although when I tried recently, they too smudged! I think I need to let them dry completely before spraying on the finishing gloss - and then make sure to spray only one light spritz.

The difference in using watercolour pencils and Sakura pens may be seen in the photos above (from the top, the first picture shows pencil finish and the second picture, the Sakura Pen finish). The pencils give a much finer finish than the pens - but I think both work equally as well. Once the heads have the hair applied, the details of the face don't show up so much anyway.

I'm off now, to make some more - they are something I never tire of!

Mermaid Paper Doll

Isn't she lovely - well, I think so, especially her wild hair! Being underwater most of the time plays havoc with your hair so I must recommend a good conditioner - lol!

I've joined a new Yahoo group called Fantastic Flat Paper Dolls and this month's theme is 'Mermaids'. Well, I've never made a mermaid before but really enjoyed making the tail! The base is two layers of card (the back is covered with a scrapbook paper) and on the tail I used some self adhesive silver tape (I think it's what electrican's use, but for what I don't know!). I embossed it free hand to make a scaley effect then coloured it with a few different alcohol inks. I had trouble finding a top for her. I wanted her to have a bikini top but couldn't find anything suitable (much like me when I'm getting dressed these days - lol) In the end I used some more of the silver foil and made her a little triangular shaped top. Her face is moulded for air dry clay and coloured with pens and chalks and her hair is some gorgeous fibres which are incredibly soft and fluffy.

She is jointed at the arms and under the belly button. I think I'll have to make another one to keep for myself so I can play with the hair all day! Help someone.....please!!!!!!!!! LOL

MAD MAMMA!

The very lovely and talented Margaret has finally officially declared herself as MAD! Only kidding of course - MAD stands for 'Monthly Art Dolls' and is Margaret's very exciting new public Flickr group called MAD MAMMA. Each month Mad Mamma - oops I mean Margaret will set a new challenge to make an art doll. For the first month - January the challenge is to make a 'Jointed Card Doll' using the template by Mirkwood Designs.

I love making these paper dolls and it was Margaret who first introduced me to them a couple of years ago now - so this was a really enjoyable challenge for me. I know that a lot of other members of the group will make really whacky and interesting dolls, but I've stuck with something straight forward and sensible (just like me!!!)

I used an air dried clay moulded head painted with acrylics and features made up with Sakura pens and chalk. The hair is from an old cone of very fine fibre (I don't know what it is exactly - some kind of cotton I think). Her stocking are made from some netting which I've attached to the legs with Anita's 3-D Gloss Finish. There is also more of the netting under the dress. The dress is made from a scrap of beautiful fabric. The sleeves don't go right up to the shoulders as I thought it may create a problem with the brads. She is wearing some gold beads and a matching bracelet. Oh, and she also has a bust - made with some wadding!

I'm pleased with how she's turned out and hope that she'll go to a good home - once Margaret make the draw at the end of the month.

Can't wait to see what kind of a doll next month's challeng will be now!