Dollmaker on Thursday. Liz Stuckey at Rococo Barocco.

(Pretend it's Thursday.)

This week's Dollmaker

is Liz Stuckey

at Rococo Barocco.

Liz makes the most wonderful 

boudoir dolls.

Gorgeous ladies on a theme of Marie.

This one is sunny and golden.

I love the details;

the little shoes,

the tiara,

the earrings!

I should point out that Liz

also makes these lovely things

in people size, too.

Little shoes!

(Liz fills her with little gifts)

Tiara (fabulous tiara!)

Earrings!

Liz's Marie dolls

show a delightful playfulness

with the 18th century Rococo theme.

Marie in black and red?

 Why not?

I really love the roses on the shoes

and the naughty masquerade mask.

How about a

Steampunk Marie?

I have your attention now, haven't I?

Liz's other enduring theme

is the artist 

Frida Kalho

There are earrings.

 (See above!)

There are scented sachets.

And there are dolls.

As well as all these

amazingly creative talents,

Liz is an absolute sweetheart!

I admired one of her little keys around

a Marie's neck, and she sent me one,

all sweetly wrapped.

She also sent me some wonderful hat straw,

and instructions on how to use it.

Thank you, Liz!

Liz makes some pretty amazing hats.

For people.

(I love, love love,

the  diamante 

mermaid skeleton!)

And for dolls.

However,

my favourite dolls accessory?

The fabulously Baroque

Steampunk Goggles.

I know!

Aren't these wonderful?

Pop over to Liz's Etsy shop

and see some of her wonderful things.

Maid in Waiting

Shared on the wonderful

What's it Wednesday

over at

Ivy and Elephants.

It's their 2nd Bloiversary!

.

My little

Milkmaid Princess

is making progress.

but she's still a maid-in-waiting.

Waiting for a body.

Waiting for some clay.

Waiting for some paint.

 Waiting for the glue.

Waiting for some drawers.

Waiting for a petticoat.

Still waiting for another petticoat.

Waiting for the dress.

She does have fingers, though.

And toes.

I did a rough

(very rough!)

design for what I want.

I have some green and rose chintz-y fabric,

and lots of pink ribbon roses.

Sewing tomorrow,

I can't wait!

Miss Molly and her Dolly

Well,

Miss Molly Cottontail

is finished,

and she'll be up on Etsy

this weekend.

I made her a 

little pink bonnet,

but she hates it

and refuses to wear it.

Alice feels the same way about hats.

Here is Molly,

posing in the meadow.

Her pink dress

is very light and cool.

She wants to know

if you like it?

Relaxing in the 

warm Spring sunshine.

I'm showing off

Miss Molly's

little pink dress at

Pink Saturday!

This is the 5th anniversary

of Pink Saturday

so get yourself 

over there!

Marie Antoinette and the Heart-Shaped Cheese. Now with added cheese.

Castles, Crowns and Cottages.

I'm honoured, and delighted,
to be included In
Castles, Crowns and Cottages
exploration of 
La Belle France.

So here was my inspiration.

A doll with the painted face

of an 18th century princess,

playing at a milkmaid.

With contemporary 18th century portraits

as a reference for the features.

 The eyes suggested with paint

in monochrome, like a grisaille.

The irises in a grey blue,

wide and innocent.

A rosebud mouth, 

small and slightly pouting.

Paint and powder,

a natural blush deepened 

by a touch of carmine.

And finally, soft white hair,

powdered, pomaded and piled high,

to be decorated with 

rows of roses.

And I know what she'd make,

this little princess milkmaid.

She'd make heart-shaped cheese.

The beautiful Neufchatel.

(PS. I didn't make this particular cheese. I wish I had.
If I made these wonderful, dreamy cheeses,
 this would be a cheese blog, not a doll blog.)

No, no, my dears!

Not the stuff in the block

by the cream cheeses

at Wal*Mart.

This is the real thing.

Salty and tangy and crumbly-delicious.

I miss it so.

So, I made a heart-shaped cheese of my own,

with herbs and garlic.

And this is the recipe.

 Ingredients.

1 block of neufchatel cheese

(or cream cheese; full fat,

fat free, whatever)

1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic

(To taste.)

A handful of fresh herbs.

I  used parsley,

but any mild, soft-leaved herb would do

either alone or blended.

Method. 

First, puree the garlic.

(My Aunty Joanne who was

 the most glamorous woman I ever knew

taught me this method.)

Peel the garlic cloves

and sprinkle on a good pinch of salt.

Start to chop the raw garlic into the salt,

scraping the knife and gathering the 

chopped bits back together.

 The garlic will start out as little chunks

but will slowly transform into a thick puree.

Chop the clean herbs into tiny flakes.

Yes, by hand.

Line your heart-shaped mould

with foil and sprinkle the base 

with a light layer of chopped herbs.

Combine the remainder of the herbs 

and the fresh garlic puree into the neufchatel cheese.

Spoon gently into the mould

and press into shape.

Chill. 

An hour or two is fine

Overnight is better.

Turn out of the mould.

Serve with good bread,

  buttery crackers

and 

cold, crisp white wine.

(If you don't have a suitable mould,

form the cheese into a cylinder, 

then roll in chopped herbs

 and wrap tightly in foil or cling film.)

Dollmaker on Thursday: Summer Covington Smith

 Summer Covington Smith

is a wonderfully talented 

doll maker.

I first found her dolls on her blog,

Dreamspirations Gallery

and I was entranced.

Her dolls are quirky and wicked,

and somehow still full of a 

gentle sweetness.

Like Trogg, here.

And Isabella,

biting her lip.

Those huge eyes

 full of worry,

make you just want to 

give her a hug.

Gretta, all Gothic 

in stark black and white

displays wide blank eyes

over sewn lips.

A doll to tell secrets to,

perhaps?

Summer's blog is generously full

with hints and tips and

her work-in-progress shots.

This is the creepiest smile, right?

Right!

And even if you're not scared of clowns

there's something deeply unsettling about

Barstow here.

Does it surprise you 

he also has a

blood splashed axe?

This is Madeline.

I love how she still looks

sweet and vulnerable

even with a zip

for her mouth.

Her elegant little dress

with a single red rose 

keeps our attention

on her expressive face.

Oh, I love the fidgeting toes!

Summer also make 

wonderful cloth dolls.

Evette, here

is a sultry stunner.

Look at those boots!

 She also makes

Goddess dolls.

This is Summer.

Her cool greens and warm pinks

are like a rose garden

Summer has a wonderful eye

for grotesque faces

that are appealing

and  full of character.

 Like Stink-Eye here.

Or tender and cute,

like Mallory.

But I must admit a soft spot

for wicked old

Lord Arsenic!

Summer's Etsy shop  is here

She also sells crocheted gloves

and scarves and wallets.

Go and see!