Arts of Delight

  It is good to connect with you all again after such a long time. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I have been lured down some new rabbit holes and am still in the process of juggling all my divergent interests in the dolly realm. Altering or customizing factory made dolls has captured a lot of my attention recently. There are so many directions to go, and I have been exploring many of them. When one is learning a new skill, it takes time to create something worth sharing, and consequently I haven't many projects that I want the world to see! I also have spent time really studying the dolls of makers I admire and pondering how to incorporate their inspiration into my own work. Not a rapid process! I showed you the beginning of an altered Barbie, and here is the finished product. These images are from my phone, so not the greatest. Some customized Blythe pics:   My first. I dyed, then cut and styled her awful pinkish hair and painted over one set of eyes. A learning experience...

I am feeling badly that so long has passed since my last post. I blame getting older! I will just show some pics of what I have been working on in the last while. A cloth doll made from a Gail Wilson pattern that I adapted. An altered Rainbow High doll. A Monster High doll, altered, with a prosthetic arm! A couple of Tudor dolls waiting patiently for their costumes. That will take a lot of research, planning, patterning and hand sewing. Dollmaking challenges! A Santos doll that will go into my Etsy store soon. A cloth Izannah- inspired doll. Another jointed papier-mache doll. Sitting in my Regency roombox, a commissioned doll. My most recent doll, a Grodnertal-style doll. She is sculpted from paperclay and has a jointed cloth body. Very appealing! There are several other dolls in the works. I have been drawn into the world of customized factory dolls, like Barbie, Blythe and Monster High. I also made more background rooms for my doll photos, which will show up in future pics. My chores...

  It has been a long time since I touched base with you. I get swept up in my enthusiasms and don't take the time to share what I am doing. Gosh, I don't even take the time to wash the kitchen floor! Many dolls have been made in the past few months. Here are some images of them: This little rag doll is made with my own pattern, and is stuffed with wool. These Santos Cage Dolls inspired me to learn a new skill, tinwork. There are some great videos on Youtube that show how it is done. I wanted to make something soft and cuddly, so this little needlefelted guy was next. He has been patiently waiting for his clothes for ages now. Soon!  This little articulated doll was inspired by me seeing the work of momo&cose on Pinterest. She is made of papier mache and wire joints. Papier mache is not my favourite medium because it takes so long to dry between coats, and I get impatient, but it has the charm of excusing rough modelling.  As you can see, she is sitting on the bare bon...

I am in the middle of making four Santos dolls at once and it feels overwhelming, so I turned to creating a sweet little cloth doll from my own pattern. I knew it wouldn't take too long and I needed to do something that took less mental and emotional effort.   So, here she is, looking very happy with the world!