Friday, November 30, 2012

Doll #5- Little Red

The last of my NIADA dolls is returning back to the jointed doll as in Lotus. Her head is movable as are her elbows and knees.

I have always LOVED Story Book Dolls...my Story Book facination started with Nancy Ann Story Book Dolls. 

When Mark and I were on our honeymoon (24 years ago!) we traveled the northwest US and Canada. One of our stops brought us to a little town called Snohomish, WA. It was a quaint town with lovely antique shops. That is where I saw my first Nancy Ann Story Book Doll...in a glass case in a bride's dress!...ok call me crazy...I didn't get her!! 

BUT a year later celebrating our first anniversary, Mark and I were back up in that part of the country and I went to the same store and she was still there!! Just a meant to be!
So I would say officially that this is where my obsession with Story Book Dolls began...and now over 90 Nancy Ann's later...I still love these sweet little dolls! hummm...do you think this was a big hint to my sweet husband of where our life would take us?

Little Red
For my one of a kind Story Book Dolls,  I have created Snow White and Goldilocks...and how could I not have a Little Red with these Story Book series?

Body: Sculpted DAS stone clay head, head overlay and body of  silk crepe.
Body lining of cotton batiste. Wigging of mohair.
Wooden beads for jointing of head, arms and legs.
Costuming: Dress; Red silk dupioni, 
Cape; Linen lined with vintage Japanese kimono fabric. 
Slip: Creme silk with vintage lace.Boots; Black silk with red dupioni soles

Texture and Contrast
So of course, her ensemble needed to be in red! I find when working in monochromatic theme it is lovely to bring in texture and a hint of contrast. Instead of color creating interest, the various textures will read differently to the eye and bring in a depth into your color palette. The contrast will set up frames, so the viewer's eye will have somewhere to rest.

Texture: 
The cape being in linen (a hint of the Japanese vintage liner fabric showing- I always like to use a bit of Asian fabrics somewhere in my one of a kind dolls). The linen reads as nubby and flat. The dress is silk dupioni, still having a nub to it, but it has a bit of shine to it.
  
Side note: Notice the shape of the skirt mimics the shape of the cape!

Contrast: 
If you refer back up above to the full picture of red, you will note that her skin tone is pale. 
 
Using the lace trim ties these two light values together and frames her costume. Also note the tiniest bit of red on the soles of the boots helps bring the viewer's eye downwards.
 

I love working in monochromatic themes, you can really focus in on the details!
Since there is red everywhere, your eye is captured in this quote that I printed on the base of the skirt. I stabilized the silk and ran it through my ink-jet printer. Yes, it did take me many trial and errors to master this technique! Hint- I started with cottons first to get a feel of what my printer would take.

Little Red could of been a blonde or red head, but I went with what my intuition was telling me, so she became a soft brunette with big brown eyes!

Little Red did need a wolf. And why not a pet wolf. He was created in a Japanese animal style- a bit of whimsy and cuteness. Wolf is made from bristle-y miniature mohair with a cute vintage ribbon bow-tie. I chose a soft brown for the wolf to bring in Red's hair.

I love these jointed dolls, but I guess I love all my dolls! 
I just love being a dollmaker and that I am able to share these moments with you!


What's Next???

Join me over the next couple of months for a series discussing lessons I learned while finding my own creative path...very appropriate for me now that I am re-directing my own energies with my dollmaking!

Finding Your Creative Path...
Lesson 1: Know when to fold 'em.
Lesson 2: Just do it!
Lesson 3: Be brave but not too serious!
Lesson 4: Find your market.
Lesson 5: Jump in!
Lesson 6: Stay true and be Teflon.
Lesson 7: Keep learning and give yourself time.
Lesson 8: Step out of your comfort zone.
Lesson 9: Keep a fresh eye.
Lesson 10: Be grateful and walk in sunshine.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Doll #4- Koi

Next in this series is the Koi Story Doll...
As you well know, I just love making these hats!(More to come with that in 2013!!- stay tuned- I always have something up my sleeve!).

I will say in the hats, the fish is one of my favorites to make! Mostly because it is just made  up...not the legend but if I were to make a hat for a child with protective qualities put into it- it would be this! 
The fish symbolizes a word for plenty, surplus, and enough to spare. It is an essential food. The fish is a homonym for jade. It is also a symbol for happiness, good luck, and abundance. The fish is able to beat all odds because it is able to swim against the current.
The koi fish are a variety of carp that is now bred in captivity to retain the beautiful colors that are distinctive to the fish. While many know about the koi in Japan, the fish was actually imported into Japan from China.
 
One of my students, Peggy, gave me some precious pieces of vintage kimono and I immediately knew that it was to be a koi!
After the body is complete, each hat is created with the under-structure or base being of hand-quilted silks.  The hat ornamentation is made from vintage Asian fabric trimmed with vintage coppery-gold-metal cording. The eyes are handmade from the tiniest bit of vintage silk with glass black beads for eyes. Vintage sequins depict a line of scales.
Front View
 One of things I most enjoy is using precious one of a kind fabric pieces as used with this fish. I was able to just squeeze my pattern design onto these piece of fabric to create my fish!

Back View


I had these piece of vintage metal fabric in my "special" stash. I thought it represented the feel of water lilies. The coppery-gold vintage metal cording was just enough to fit around this band!  I am ever-thinking how each piece fits within the theme of the doll.
 
I believe the more you can hand-make any thing that is added to your doll the more it enhances the originality. I hand-made the tassels for this hat, I love the variation in the threads.

What is missing from the photos is the interior of the hat, done in vintage kimono fabric that is pink and purple flowers!

Again, I choose to work with this beautiful peau de soie silk fabric... All garment pieces are lined in lavender dupioni silk. While the fabric is stiff it still has a softness to it.
 
This silk and metal brocade had to be handled so delicately to create the collar and the shoes. But it was the ONLY choice!  Note- how the fabric pattern of the flowers is place so carefully to cross over and ended with the silk tied button...I love pretty little details like that!

The cross-stitch embroidery band was done in variegated  metallic threads in a wave pattern the center in lavender was to symbolize a Chinese pattern.
And to finish this piece, comes the shoes. I fussy cut these so the "water lily" pattern was at the toes. These shoes are lined with the lavender dupioni and tiny gold flowers are holding the straps in place.


I hope you enjoy these details of Koi, I will tell you that as I write this I know how blessed I am to be able to do this- to create.


Photography: Mark Mortensen
Koi is held in a private collection 

For more read Dragon

Next week is off for Thanksgiving
The following I will be back with Little Red!






Friday, November 9, 2012

Get- away trip

Mark and I are away with dear friends 

for a long weekend visiting our sweet niece Mallory!


Friday, November 2, 2012

Doll #3- Kitsune

As you well know by now, I love Asian folk lore and legends!
This legend comes from Japan...kitsune...the fox...
Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume human form. As they grow in wisdom they will grow another tail- up to being the most wise with nine tails!
Ever since my friend Judith shared this legend with me, this doll has been waiting ever so patiently to be created! 
read more here about kitsune

This piece started out with one piece of steel blue dupioni fabric. I was at Elfrieda's and spotted it from across the room the most icy beautiful blue on the roll. I bought it with snow...ice...in mind. I know that Japan can have chilly weather, so I knew was on the right track to were I wanted to go with this piece...fox.

I set out gathering the rest of my supplies; fur, silk velvet, vintage kimono, my crepe silk for the body...still in need of the fabric for the outer kimono.
At the same time as I was gathering, I had my student, Denise, come to my studio for a private lesson. She noticed the doll body and the fabrics it was nestled in. We started talking and she said she had seen the perfect bamboo print fabric...
So back to Elfrieda's. You know a project is meant to be when I was there, looking...looking through the masses of cottons when one of the sales girls from the back of the store heard me talking about this specific fabric and she came right up and pulled it from all the other fabrics!  It was so perfect!!!! It all went together like kitsune had already happened!

Body: Sculpted DAS stone clay head, head overlay and body of  silk crepe.
Body lining of cotton batiste.
Wigging of mohair and silk.
Wooden beads for jointing of head, arms and legs.
Costuming: Kimono; cotton, lining of duponi silk, hem band of silk velvet. 
Obi; Vintage kimono lined with dupioni. Shoes; peau de soie silk
Hat; Rabbit, dupoino silk, hand tipped ears. Tail; Rabbit.

Stool: Hand-made by Gary Leitch.

The hat under-structure was created first to form fit to the head.
Then two piece of rabbit where added to create the right flow of the nap.
The ears were hand tipped with black.

The ears where sewn separately and hand sewn into place.
Back view of hat
 
 The kimono was lined with the icy blue dupioni and made as a traditional kimono is made.
The obi (tie) was created using a beautiful vintage piece that I had...take note  how I centered the design in the front and on the back of the bow. I thought the design represented a paw print!
And... I just love how her tiny hands positioned perfectly on her lap.
 Back detail
 I styled her hair into pigtails to frame around her obi bow in the back 
and to balance her ears on her hat. I blunt cut the ends of her pigtails for a sharp clean line.
Her eyes are hand painted and her face is softly color with pastels.
Even though you cannot see them- she has embroidered eyebrows under those bangs!
 I love the texture of the silk fabric, I feel that it gives to much life to the doll!

 
I get a thrill of letting the materials I use do what they are  created to do...
such as using the nap of the fur to create that point in the center of the hat..almost the nose forehead area that would be on the fox head. Also the using the grain in the fur in creating the tail to kick out at the end. I weighted the tail to give it more fluid motion.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Kitsune as much as I enjoyed making her!
more to the Story...
I mentioned Denise coming to my studio and seeing Kitsune and how this was all meant to be...her daughter lives in Japan in a town that reveres the fox, it is always a bit chilly and they need to dress warm...and with that...
Kitsune is now held in the private collection of Denise!
Photography: Mark Mortensen
Silk fabric information: link here
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