Marie Antoinette look-a-likes!

Meanwhile in the palace the competition for the best Marie Antoinette look-alike is hotting up!

This bevy of beauties are the result of a workshop we had in the last few weeks.  Some  have made more than one and they have been having the best time with with them!Each one is a little work of art and they are all thrilled with the way they have turned out and the skills they have learned!  I am rapt!

The ladies have decided they want to use them as a fund-raiser for breast cancer and soon they will be displayed in our local hairdressers shop!  One of the dolls was made by the owner!  Hope you like them!

Alice In Wonderland Series for Exhibition March 2015

I have been busy since January, making this series of Alice In Wonderland dolls.  These ones are for an Exhibition to be held here in March, where others will be exhibiting textiles like weaving and wool art, but as this years celebrations are all about Wonderland, I thought to begin this way, and carry on throughout the year making characters, to see how it all looks by the end of the year!

  The hardest thing to make was the chequered path, as I am no quilter!  So this is a compromise.  It LOOKS like it's quilted, but it's just woven! 

 My idea with this lot is that we are all on this chequered path, with some weird characters, trying to discover who we are and to find our way in life. We have to run the gamut of criticism from nay-sayers, like the snooty flowers in the night garden, 

Sometimes we are all anxious and jumpy, like the rabbit. 

We meet bully boys, like the Tweedle Boys on the way.

And we often have to deal with autocratic Queens!

  I wanted to make the Cheshire cat, because he was the only friendly character Alice met in Wonderland and always left her with a smile!  I will get it done at some stage.  meanwhile, I'm redoing Alice a little bigger, because people don't notice her when she's so small!  That's like life too! LOL!

Quote from Pablo Picasso

The purpose of Art is washing the dust of daily life off our soul! 

- Picasso

This is a subject under discussion amongst different groups I belong to lately and many things keep cropping up to remind us - what is soul. The land and how we steward it, music, writing, film, even dollmaking - we are drawn to this creative outlet in order to deal well with the things of life and in doing so we stay sane and clear our soul.

Caterpillar #2

Something distinctively ugly is emerging from my table.

At least he has some character.

He's pretty laid back and has his own personality!

The colours work ok.

Does he look like he's hooked on his hooka?

Anothr Marie Antoinette Bust - so to speak!

 More mixed media.  Trying out dying wool roving pink!  So easy with food colouring and utube!

Great fun doing the hair, which is probably a tad unembellished,

  but I let the dress speak instead! 

Moody Blue!

Catapillar

 All the way through this I am thinking, it's a waste of time - like doodling, but I couldn't leave it unfinished and mucked around with it all day!

The Hookah turned out ok, but it's the face.

Not happy with it!

Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee complete!

Here are my two little optimist & pessimist Needlesculpted dolls that I have just finished!

I am quite pleased with them!  Now - the Cheshire cat!  That will be a challenge I think.

Tweedles coming together!

 I finished one of the little Tweedles today and set him the task of holding his brothe's neck while I threaded the needle!  He just happened to be the right height! They are already close!  I am enjoying making these and think I will make a few more, as I could have sold them several times today as I worked on them at TOTE!  The extra head I had has gone to a new home!  Someone loved it, so I gave it to her!

On to the next bit now, while they are still friends!

Tweedle two and three!

Looking dapper chaps!

Carrying on - I constructed a body and limbs.  The original legs were too short, so lengthened them and put in a good strong armature, because it could be top heavy!  

I was not happy with the second head, so made a third!  You can never have enough heads!  This one is much better and both these faces have a childlike look, where the other didn't, so I have decided he can be Father William - and stand on his head!  LOL!  Why not!  Nothing's wasted!

Here's a view of the body.  Just need to finish his braces and make shoes.  These ones will have caps!  Why not indeed!  

Just reading something of these little characters, they are two brothers who agree to have a battle, but never have one.  They never contradict each other but are always arguing or playing. One is usually frowning and pessimistic and the other more hopeful and optimistic! Interesting little characters!

Tweedles Dum & Dee

These two  are the start of my first two dolls for the new year!  I don;t know how they will turn out, so I will just plod along with them.  Head one turned out to be smaller for some reason, proving that even though the head size and shape is the same for both, they certainly bear no resemblance!  In the big scheme of things that won't be a problem by the time I have finished!

They both have different expressions.  I just wish it wasn;t bedtime, so I could carry on now!  I have been waiting for inspiration to arrive and now I just want to do it!

 I am delighted to share these pictures with you of the doll made from my pattern Miss Kate!

The doll is beautifuly made by Judi Lennon

 Judi has used lovely fabrics to show off this Victorian Miss and has used another technique to make her head movable, which adds to the pose!

 Here is a close up of her face.  I see she even has a beauty spot!  Isn't she delightful?

Well done Judi! I think you have made a great job of her!  Thank you for sharing it with me and allowing me to show it here!

Steampunk Octopus!

I've been having fun making this Steampunk Octopus, designed by Susan Barmore, of Frowning Frances Patterns!  I love Susan's work and have made several crows - and magpies!

   So after I had stuffed it and added the suckers, here it is Gesso'd and hanging to dry!

 Dry and waiting for painting

 Painted black and grey.

 Don't know what happened with the colouring here, but it is grey, not blue on the underside!

Had fun finding bits and pieces to make the eye.  Used a large ring of some sort, a curtain ring and a done after I had marked the sides of the clay.  I inset a plastic dolls eye under the rings.

Here is the finished Steam Punk Octopus!  

With Elena's doll Pippi, who is not in the least scared of this wild creature!

The gifts

Look who arrived at my place during the week!  Pippi Longstockings!

She made herself right at home!

 Sprawled all over the floor!  The dog was well behaved!

 Gave some cheek to Marie Antoinette!

And when she unpacked her bag - all this wonderful stuff came out!  She's telling me that my friend Elena Makarova sent it all to me from Russia! Fabrics I haven;t seen here and souvenirs, a delightful little Martryoshka doll with five tiny dolls inside - love those, and a beautifuly warm neck scarf!  Such unexpected pleasures!  Did I mention chocolate too!  I'm so spoilt!

I love the way this wee doll bends and moves about in great poses!  Elena tells me she is a Jill Maas pattern who she turned into Pippi Longstockings!  Elena also sent me the fabric she made her from too - a nice one-way stretch, knit fabric that I have not seen here, but will look out for!  She sent me other fabrics too, that I will have fun with!

Thank you so much Elena!  Marie Antoinette will be making her way to you in exchange shortly!

Gypsy Rose is all finished, bar the stringing!  

She thinks shes a photographer's model!  LOL!  Like her shoes?  Hard to se in this light, but they are green!

Well, she looks the part, but she's just showing off her dress!

I love the flexibility and pose ability of these jointed  dolls!

This is the controller, all ready to string her up tomorrow!  Can;t wait!  Might have to get up early!  Hope it works!

What do you think?