Halloween "card" idea

Instead of cards....how about a creepy doll head in a little box for the holidays! I found some of these for a dollar in a local antique shop. Just add red paint, pack in box, add Halloween greeting, and you have a great way to freak out friends and family.

 

 

Unfinished Dolls

I found this lost box of dolls at the auction. They all needed to come home with me.

The New Girl

I made another one of the girls! Here she is.

Also, all throughout August, my felted dolls have Free Shipping worldwide. You can check them out in my shop.

I still have so many things on my list for this week. I did finish some more felted beads today. I'm almost done with another silk cocoon book, and some time over the next week I need to clean. My friend is coming to visit and there is no way she can sleep on a bed covered in wool, fabric, magazines, paint, papers, and a whole variety of art supplies.

See you soon!

Little Friends...magnet dolls

I have a couple little magnet dolls in my shop. A while back, someone asked me to make one in the likeness of her friend. She turned out pretty cute and then she asked me to make one of her. I finished it up today. Here is "little Traci".

Why are redheads just so much fun!?

This one is her friend, little Jane.

Felted dolls: the shop update

Hello! I decided to do a sale on the felted dolls in my Etsy shop. There are 4 left, and they are $5 off for a time...haven't decided how long. Ha! It's funny doing this shop- in ways I want things to sell right away- and then I also think I will miss the dolls I sell. I think it would be a bit too far to say it's like sending children off into the world, but there is that tiny bit of a sad goodbye.

Also, thank you everyone for your kind comments on the last post about the stolen bicycle. I have good news...it turns out renter's insurance is going to come in handy! We'll get most of the money back. Hurray!

Welcome Home, Little Quilter

Many of you have seen the unfinished version of her in my profile picture, but I have never published the whole doll on my blog. About a year ago, I packed her up safe and sound, labeled her, and sent her off on an adventure to Art Doll Quarterly. Each month I hoped to see her on the pages, but alas, I will not.

I thought I would be a teeny bit sad if "the quilter" wasn't published, but surprisingly, I'm not at all. I was so overjoyed to see her again after all this time, and she was even more adorable than I remembered. She got a happy welcome home, photographed by me, and happily placed on the mantle to enjoy.

Maybe later she'll share stories of her journey to California with me.

So, here she is, my little girl, my quilter, my little love.

Her quilt measures 8 1/2 in x 5 1/2, with 3 inch star blocks

I am so excited to share her with all of you. xo

New Year. New Inspiration.

Happy 2012, everyone!!

It's a new year of sewing, quilting, painting, dolls, felting, embroidery, and all kinds of projects and materials! Some new things I want to try this year are;

marbling- paper and fabric

fabric dying with nature

and learning new felting techniques

I just got the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, and I thought it would be fun to use their 52 Creative prompts! Week 1 is writing down inspiring words and colors, and drawing them out of  a hat. This week's self-challenge is;

Glacier Blue Love!!

I think I can work with that!

I also finished 2 more magnet art dolls. I love this little circus figure. Looks so happy!

My gal ended up looking like a romantic Valentine. And she has some big Dolly Parton hair!

What are you all hoping to do this year?

All the best.

xo

A colorful gal

I finished a fourth felted doll. She's in my shop, too.

I've been so busy cleaning and decorating for Christmas. Where did my creating time go? I'm sure I'll squeeze it in.

xo

She is coming along...

Quite a while ago I made this doll's head, and her cowboy friend.

A little progress at last.

Instead of paints, I used my chalks to color her. I like the way it blended and may just prefer it to paints.

Her bonnet still needs some ribbon and embellishing.

And, obviously, she needs a body. Time to pull out the stash of lace and vintage trims.

A doll...a magnet

I love blue hair. I had blue hair for a time in highschool. I'm not sure my parents share my love of blue hair, but I think this little doll does!  I decided she needed a magnet to hang out on a fridge and be enjoyed every day.  She is going to go in my etsy shop and I think I will make some more soon.  They'd make great little stocking stuffers.

A Happy Little Doll...

Meet JoJo, the latest face with the felted bobbles!

She's a happy girl.

Here she is with her friends. I decided I like the painted face a little bit more. Although, the others have a cool earthy feel, I think.  I was able to take advantage of some late October sun and felt some bodies. I've completed four dolls so far.

November could mean me standing out in the rain rolling the wool. It will probably be a couple weeks until more dolls are in production. I'm also looking forward to working on some other projects- more fabric postcards, mail art, and fabric books. Sometimes, going to bed, I have all these ideas swirling around and just need to find more time in the day to do them. I'm sure we all feel that way!

Bobbles on my head

I finished the third of my "faces in the felt" dolls. Here she is.

Can I take the rest of the month off and just make dolls? Oooh, I wish I could!

She is also in my Etsy shop, ready to find a happy home.

I hope you all have a great weekend. xo

Faces in the Felt

Hello Everyone!

Two dolls happy and finished. I am having such a good time with these. The second one (the green one) I decided to leave a more natural face, just aging it a little. I decided I like them painted, and not, so I'll just let each one guide me as it comes together.

I am also putting these in my etsy shop.

Two down...now, maybe I should at least start on that mountain of laundry I've been ignoring!

They also make great little pin cushions.

I am busy working on one more today, and trying to take advantage of the sun for more felting!

New doll...almost there

This one is almost done. A few more touches here and there. I have more faces to paint and get my series underway. But I'm so excited I couldn't wait to share.

New Faces

A preview of the faces I am working on for my new dolls...doing a series.

Exciting News for Bianca

Little Bianca won the Staff pick prize at Ruby Street Quiltworks!

I am so honored and was thrilled to hear I had won...and excited to spend my gift card I received! More fabric and ribbon for dolls!

I hope they get the other entries posted on their website soon. There were some amazing creations with ribbon, from jewelry to clothing, art quilts, purses, and all kinds of gems!

Meet Bianca

Here is my new doll. One of the local quilt shops, Ruby Street Quiltworks, is having a challenge this month. The goal is to create something (a quilt, bag, trim, anything!) using one or more of the beautiful ribbons they sell. I decided to make a doll and outfit her with this beautiful, embroidered ribbon.

Here is Bianca

 I made her jacket reversible. Here it is with the red facing out. The reverse is a beautiful turquoise.

 I love her little purse. I lined it, gave it the smallest button I own, and used a broken necklace of my Grandma's for the strap.

 Without the jacket

 I crackled her face and hair and added a metal rose. The face and hands are made with Creative Paperclay. She is painted with acrylics.



little laces

I got to use my new Acrylic Artist Inks to paint on her shoes and then threaded my needle and laced them up.

 Showing off her little cape/jacket.

I am taking her over to Ruby Street this week. In May they will be posting all the entries.

Have a lovely week!

Postcards,postcards,postcards...and beginnings of a doll

I have organized a Postcrossing meet-up here in my town...it's tomorrow already. I had this goal of making a fabric postcard for eveyone who attends. Luckily, it should be a small group of five to ten. I've been using up scraps of quilting projects, the arylic artist ink doodles, old transfers I never did anything with, and some wool pressed in fusible (whatever that's called!). Here's a few cards I've made.

I am also working on another doll. Ruby Street Quiltworks, here in Olympia, is having a challenge this month to make something using the ribbons they sell. They have so many beautiful embroidered ribbons but I have decided to use only one.  I am making a little dress and accessories from it. I started a purse and I am still working on a little cape-like wrap. I hope to have her finished this week. I promise she'll be on here soon.

Here's a bit of what I have so far...

I have the perfect broken necklace chain to use for the strap