Finished Dolls!

I can't believe it, I finally finished my first dolls! Their sandals are still drying, so I guess they're not 100% complete, but no more work to do for these girls! I finally picked up the dye I needed at Dick Blick, so I'm hoping my next batch will be tub dyed, which should save a lot of time. I'm going to start working on some more "girly dolls" tonight. There's been so much to do this week with the Halloween store starting that my mind's been kind of reeling and it's been hard to concentrate. (Not that I'm complaining, I love scouring the thrift stores for Halloween props. If I could go back, I would have majored in set design for sure!) Lots of post it lists, not a lot of running (poor Barney!). Hopefully things will be more normal next week!

Craft Hope

This is really cool. The donations are pretty simple projects (currently baby blankets, beanies and booties, or even a pillowcase or handkerchief). I need a kind of distraction project every once in a while, something different from what I've been working on. This is perfect because it's simple, and you're doing something awesome for someone in need. Please check it out.

Craft Hope

Progress as of this morning

Almost Finished Dollies!

All the Girls, various states of progress.

The Studio (it was clean 2 days ago).

Art School Ramblings and Other Digression

I finally made some progress this weekend, and even managed to work in a few hours carousing on bikes at the beach!

Small Surfer Girl finally has a face, and Naked Surfer Girl is now Big Green Surfer Girl. I'm going back and forth on naming them. I'm kind of against it because names have very different, sometimes very strong connotations for different people, and these will hopefully have new owners some day and should represent who they think they are. I feel like my input should be complete with the actual physical creation. I felt the same way about painting in school. We would have to stand before our peers and discuss what the painting meant, what we were trying to say. A few years after I graduated I finally realized why I had such a hard time with it. The whole point (to me at least) in making a painting is that you can't get across with words what you can in the painting. Otherwise you'd write a book. I feel a sort of watered down version of this with the dolls. My meaning, what I'm trying to get across about this personality, is accomplished through the use of fabric and color, clothing style, expression, hair, and the purely physical aspects of it. Paintings, dolls, songs, what one means to one person means something very different to the other. That's why so many people can identify with them. Anyway, I guess I've decided my stance on doll naming. Off my soapbox!

Shell Collector

The Shell Collector is almost finished! I just need to figure out her shoe design and give her a bag.

Bird Lady

This is actually the first doll I started on. Everyone says she looks like Wynona Rider on Beetle juice. Not what I was going for, but still scary, which was the intent. She still needs a little work, shoes, accessories and a little tweaking.

Surfer Girl #1

My first surfer girl! I just need to give her a face, I'm still trying to figure out her exact expression, I think it should be kind but a little tough? Also, she needs a tan, not sure how I'm going to take care of that, but will figure out this weekend.

Doll Progress!

Last weekend I finally managed to get some things done. I've been a little under the weather for almost two weeks now, I finally did what I should have done in the beginning and went to the doctor last week, then went back again on Monday and figured out that I had strep throat, something I haven't had since I was about 9 years old. Finally got the right meds and am feeling pretty good right now. (Apparently Day Quil won't cure strep.=))

I'm super looking forward to Friday, I have a 3 day weekend, and I've dedicated at least 2 entire days to doll making. Yeah! Yesterday I used my birthday gift certificate at Michaels (free shopping at Michaels is pretty much one of my favorite things ever.) Anyway, I read a great article on sewing needles here at Sew Mama Sew, so I picked up one of almost every variety yesterday. I also noticed while browsing through some open studio galleries on-line, that in almost every single studio, somewhere peeking out from stacks of fabric or cans of paint brushes, was an Ott Light. I decided it was probably a good thing to have, considering I really don't have enough light in the studio (at night) in the first place. Plus, the $69 version was on sale for$29 so I really couldn't pass it up. I also figured I should try dyeing some of the lace that I scored at a yard sale on Satuday, plus I'm sure I'll need to dye some fabric at some point in the future, so I'm starting with some Scarlet and Tan Rit dye. Oh, and I found the perfect yarn for my Red Haired witch! Exciting stuff.