Needle Felting a Hard-Headed Doll
If you are familiar with making cloth dolls, you probably know that you can use a felting needle to root natural wool into a doll's head.
This makes the hair look like it's growing out of the scalp. Working with a clay doll is different because the hair has to be glued onto the head, or the doll needs to wear a wig. Here's a technique that allows you to root hair, even if the doll is "hard-headed."
Mavis & Lulu
This is a legacy post that was originally created in 2008. The photos remain intact for the purpose of nostalgia.
These fabulous flapper dolls were created by my dear student Ellen. The dolls are based on my Vintage Becky pattern, and Ellen made not one but two dolls. They are dollightful!
Darlene the Dancing Queen
Here is my contribution to the dancing society of "slightly weathered" ladies: Darlene the Dancing Queen.
Darlene is based on Jill Maas's 'Dancing Doris' pattern.
NOTEworthy
This is my latest muse: a silk medley of stamping, beading, and a dash of meaning.
Her name is NOTEworthy. NOTEworthy is the result of a need for an original gift for a musician who also loves the icon of the sun. I haphazardly cut out a pattern and sewed it up- and let the doll take its own form.Cowboy Slim
The doorbell rang just before 2:00 this afternoon, and what do you know- Cowboy Slim did mosey on in! Cowboy Slim is my entry for Li Hertzi's new and fabulous book, Art Doll Adventures. He's such a character! I forgot to photograph him before I sent him into the wild blue yonder, and now that he's back- well I'mma round up dem photos!First off, lookit this silly hat. Not your typical cowpoke hat. I was inspired by an old kids book called Go
Screw This!
Doll sandals are easy to make with a little polymer clay, a small bit of fabric, and some paint.
The only trouble is the heel. It's easily breakable.NEW Baby Pattern
I've been working on a baby doll pattern and class for several months, and today I finally finished it. I can hardly believe it! This was a huge amount of work and I'm so glad it's done. I really love the pattern and doll. She is so sweet. I have never really made baby dolls before I started drafting and tweaking this pattern. I feel kind of like I did when I made my first pair of faerie
Baby arms and legs
I'm making a baby.I'm making soft doll parts that mimic hard ones (like porcelain dolls or old fashioned play dolls. I want the arms and legs to swing, and I want them to keep their shape. This is my design so far. I put round pieces of wood in the very ends and made a gathering stitch to close them up. In this picture, you can sort of see where this is going. You are looking at an inside-out body pattern, and I'm
Hippy Wings
FRANCESCA- Hippy Faerie Tutorial- Embossing on Fantasy Film for "Far-Out Wings"click on the images to view a larger , more detailed versionI've invented a funky technique for making very "groovy" wings. The wings are easy to make, and fun. All you need is Fantasy Film, a simple stamp, embossing powder, an iron and some basic tools. They come out looking "brandished" and make me think of stained glass or "stained crystal" or ice.Since my doll came out looking like a Hippy, her
Stamping Around on the Town
This is an old cobblestone street in the Old City of Tzfat, Israel. Tzfat is located in the mountains in Northern Israel, and has ancient historical roots. My friend lives on this very street, and it is where I spent the Passover holiday. I used to live in this city. It's an amazing place with mazy, twisty cobblestone roads that take you back to another era in time. It felt good to be back there.My friend and I decided to have some fun with