Monday, July 29, 2013

Doll with no name

 Usually they have a name, 
but this one,
I don't know.


Melissa?
Laura?



She's a bit of a dreamer,
sat up there in my peach tree.


Wandering around the garden.


Posing in the breeze.



And generally staring into space.
A real daydreamer.
Lucky girl!

Here she is, being made,
still with curly hair.



Did you know you can 
straighten Tibetan lambswool
with a hair straightener?
Me neither, until I tried.


And here is her dupion silk frock
before the paper roses are added.





Gentle reader,
as you've come this far
 pop on over to the previous post and

There's a doll in it for you!




Shared with 
Ivy and Elephants
What's it Wednesday 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Mad Tea Party : Alice Dreaming. Now with added giveaway!


(....But first,
these important messages

Free Doll.
And stuff!
 Quick scroll to the end for 
Giveaway Details!

And now, back to our
regularly scheduled programme...)


Alice Dreaming.

Beneath the moon,
beneath the trees,
beside the water,


Alice dreams.


Held aloft in the cot
of branches, 
the wind gently sings
a cradle song.


The dream shifts.

Now warm in the embrace
of red flowers,
 trumpeting silence.



She sleeps,
 and sweet sunlight
tips her nose pink.



The key to her dreams,
close by her heart on its ribbon,
is kept safe.




Unused, it bides its time
waiting for her to wake.


Creaky video footage



PRACTICAL STUFF.

I have always been fascinated
 by the idea of a sleeping Alice.

Wonderland is a dream made 
by the living world around her,
filtered through her sleep.
And Alice, 
the real Alice,
is asleep on a grassy bank
 by her sister.

I wanted to make a little Alice Doll 
that would lie in the 
natural positions
of a sleeping child.

I didn't want her to wear 
Tenniel's tucked dress and apron
because those are her dream clothes.

(They even change in 
'Through the Looking Glass'
becoming something much fancier
when she becomes Queen Alice.)

So, I dressed my Alice
in vintage embroidered cotton lawn,
soft and clean and sweet.

I gave her slightly grubby bare feet,
because she's kicked off 
her shoes and stockings,

There's just a touch a touch of sunburn 
on her arms and nose.

And long loose hair
because she's lost her hair ribbon.

Here is how I made her.

Just scroll! 
It's a tale told in pictures!
.

The rough head in paperclay


Sculpted head


Basic design.



Base painting and wig tryout.

Rouge and shading and eyelashes


Cloth body, partially sculpted and painted.


Cloth body, sculpted hands and feet, painted.


Attaching the wig.


Checking the hairline.


Glueing around the ears.


Lace trim around the neckline.


Trying the drawers.


Gathering around the knees.


Sleeping  in the tree.


Bodice and key.


Antique broderie anglais.


The completed dress.



Alice, Dreaming

 I made Alice
specially for this year's 
Mad Tea Party.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you so much for visiting.
And thank you, Vanessa, for bringing us all together.



And now,
as a reward for your patience,
 the GIVEAWAY!
This will be drawn on
 1st August,
or
Lammas Day.


This is my little Alice doll.

She was originally made to go with



but I think Alice
is lively enough to go and have 
Wonderland adventures 
on her own.
I'll include other random goodies
in the parcel, too.

So, usual rules.

 Follow me
and comment if you do.
I always try and follow Followers,
it's only fair.

Don't worry. She'll have clothes!
These are her painted stockings.
GOOD LUCK!






Shashi and the Challenge.

Shashi over at
back in March.

The inspiration was this piece of string.


It looks like a profile, right?

The challenge was to make a doll's head
with this loop of string for the pattern.

Here is mine.


It really did make a cute face.
They're all inventive and charming.
Some people even made a whole doll
not just a head.

Sherry Goshan was one of the judges!
I got second prize!
I was thrilled!

Sherry very generously donated 
one of her e-mail doll patterns
as a prize and that will get its own post 
in the near future.

Shashi, dear WONDERFUL Shashi
sent a goodie bag to the prizewinners.

Just see this!


Silks! Fabulous, exotic silks!
Gold embroidered braids!
Tassels!
Jewels!
Everything to delight a dollmaker's heart!
Thank you, thank you!


The doll here is one of Shashi's own she sent me last year
for the Pay it Forward project.

I love it and keep it on display in my sewing room.

If you want to make one,  
Shashi has made the pattern 
for Itsy Bitsy
available
for FREE


Thank you so much
Shashi!

You're a star!


PS. If you're here for the 
I'm still typing.

Have a cup of tea and a cake and I'll be ready.






Friday, July 5, 2013

Black and Pink in Paris


All finished.


The view of Paris
in pink and black?

Total fluke!
I only had red and black 
left in the printer.


She poses nicely,
with pins through the sleeves.


The hat, all tulle and roses.


The hat can be removed 
and displayed separately,
and  it comes with a hat pin.


The back.
Pink satin bow.


And she's gone!
Sold before I got her
into my Etsy shop.


Now shared with Pink Saturday.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Teresa's doll collection and a good cause

This is just a quickie post
to support Teresa over at
A Magical Whimsy.

She's selling some of her
fabulous art doll collection
to help raise money for 
medical fees for her son.

Teresa has a wonderful eye
for art dolls and I'm not 
just saying that because
she bought one of mine.

This one!


I'm saying it because it's true.

If you're interested in 
beautiful, imaginative art dolls
and have a look as her lovely collection,
and maybe buy one?