Surprise in Yesterday's Mail

Back in May, I was asked to do a doll for the November issue of Doll Crafter and Costuming. It was short notice but it just so happened I had a doll that would fit the bill. I was experimenting on a two part leg that could be used for two different poses - crosslegged or kneeling, so I worked up the pattern and dressed her as a Native American. I named her "Autumn Harvest." I mailed off the doll and the instructions and yesterday I received her back along with a copy of the magazine! This is the first time I have sent them the doll and they took wonderful pics and the instructions don't have the first letter of each line left off like Butterfly Ballet did. I also have a pic of Hyacinth from Arley's class in the Gallery section. WOW!!! Twice in one issue! Only thing, they have my email wrong. I'll have to send them a note.

Inspiration

One of the things I forgot to mention about Mother Nature is my inspiration. I went to class with an idea in mind to do a doll with dimensional flowers. This was inspired by the work, most noteably her "Spring" quilt, by a talented friend, Allie Aller http://alliesinstitches.blogspot.com/ who embellished this quilt with the most extraordinary fiber flowers.

Thanks Allie!!!

Finished Doll from Pearl Moon's class - Mother Nature

Well, she is done. This doll sports embellishments made in the class with Pearl Moon. These include collage made with fabric, trims, and wallpaper paste, collage fabric with lace, fabric and paint, fabric pieced with strips of sheers and decorative stitches (I further pieced it by cutting the strips and then sewing them together so I had squares which were used on her bodice), cording made with strips of fabric and fibers (on her headpiece and used to make flowers), Yarn and fabric fringe all around the bottom. There was much free-motion stitching on the wallpaper paste collage fabric and that covers most of the skirt. Some of the dimensional flowers and leaves are made from bits of fabric I created on my embellisher before the class.

Her headpiece fabric was also prepared prior to class. I love making this stuff. It is a piece of painted tyvek, a sheer opal fabric freemotion stitched on top then the back of the tyvek hit with a heat gun. Neat texture! The Rainbow is angelina fibers.

Pearl Moon Class and a New Purse

First, I can't say thank you enough for all the wonderful comments on my Hoffman Doll. I am very excited to have won this special award.

Just a short update, my Mother is doing great and is in Rehab. We are hoping she will be allowed to come home within the week. As of today, she has been away from her home for 2 months.

I have been busy so haven't written. I was priveleged to take a class with Pearl Moon. Learned all sorts of fabric and fiber manipulations. Pearl used the pieces she creates to display on her dolls. Since the class was geared toward the embellishment techniques, we didn't receive a pattern. Well--you can take the girl out of engineering but you can't take the engineer out of the girl! so I created my own doll to embellish--have to have a plan you know. She is a stump doll created using a 6" round wooden base for the bottom. I sculpted her face with scuply and covered it with fabric. I am so bad at this but I am still going to use it. I am almost done with the doll--applying all the fun things we did in class and then some. Here are pics of the doll and some pics from class.The class was great fun and Pearl was a wonderful teacher. Her techniques were unique and really opened lots of creative possiblilities.

Diane, Colleen, Teri and Maria deep in concentration.

Emily and Diane in the forground, Maria in the background.

Pearl and Teri.

Group shot: Colleen our hostest, Maria, Emily, Heidi, Teri, Me, Diane and Pearl.

I also finished a commission piece--a new Collage Purse. I used the grunge board flowers on it and really am pleased with the way it turned out. My client was pleased too! The pics really don't show the colors clearly. It is done on an eggplant background with puple, teal, blue and gold metallics.

Purse back. The flowers were cut out of fabric with my Big Kick machine. I then stitched around them with yarn (bobbin work) and embroidered the centers with beads and sequins.

Hoffman Challenge Doll

I just found out my doll was chosen as a winner in a new category for the Hoffman Challenge, Best use of Peacock Theme. My doll is "Ms Peacock in the Conservatory With the Candlestick" Sub title "But I just wanted a flower like Carrie"s!" Here are some pics.
Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who entered. I would have hated to be a judge! The dolls I saw on Deanna Hogan's site were just spectacular! Can't wait to see the pics of the Winning Dolls.

Day With Dolls

Thanks to everyone who took time to write about my last post and to send good wishes to my Mother. Hopefully, she will be leaving the hospital tomorrow (6 week anniversary) and move to rehab for a week and then home. She is almost her own self personality wise. All this has certainly taken a toll but she still looks great for her age!



Last Saturday was Day With Dolls hosted by the 3D Doll Club in Mount Vernon, N. Y. This was the third annual in a what I hope is a long line of annual events. (The first and second were hosted by our own member Diane Kearney. ) We had demos on Paverpol and new products from those lovely ladies Bonnie and Mary Ann from Dollmaker's Journey, a textiva wing demo from Tonya (paintedthreads) and 2 dolls and supplies to begin on. (That's MaryAnn sitting with dolls from my patterns, Ragalia, Madame LeCat and my newest which debuted to a wonderful reception, Dances With Butterflies. I even found the perfect antenae - rhinestone studded head pins--from one of the vendors there. ) The first was a doll that originated from a bottle and a piece of fabric, the second was "Hang Ur Imagination" which started with a hanger, block of wood and a styrofoam ball! See below for my finished piece. I also helped out with name tags. Last year we did faces. This year I thought Paper dolls. The dolls, dresses and shoes were cut out on the Die cut machine. I think the attendees had fun with these. I know our club did - we made mermaids since we meet in Neptune!

Jane and Flora working hard.

Margaret, ?, Linda and Diane I from our doll club. I am so sorry but I don't remember the name of the person in green at our table.

Dolls from the display. See that one in red with the beautiful face and LOTS of attitude? She is Queen of Hearts by Maria Quinones--an original sculpt that is just beyond words beautiful. This is the doll she created from Arley Berryhill's Ms Peacock class.

Janice from our doll club's wonderful creation.

Love the long legs on this doll.




More eyecandy.

And still MORE eyecandy.

More dolls.

This one I finished. Beaded the face at the hospital. The arms and legs are from fringed cotton, the body is a piece of ribbon from the kit covered with beaded fringe also from the kit. I added the lame. I was going for no sew but since I had to sew the body, I decided to bead the face. I still have to finish the base. His hands are wire and textiva. I call him "Jazz Hands."