KitchenAid Clay
My Paperclay got kind of dried out. I wanted to use it, but it had been stored just a little too long, and I just couldn't "work it." Although it wasn't "hard as stone," it was awfully crumbly and really did not stick. Adding water didn't make things better, because the clay was "hardish" on the inside, and got gooey on the outside. It was unmanageable.How could I save the clay? I hate waste! Especially when it involves
Forming Fingernails
Making fingernails on hands sculpted from polymer clay is fun and easy.
I use a simple tool to create them.Mrs. Flattenstein has Arrived
Way back in 2005, a group of women from around the world (including myself) decided to collaborate on a doll project called "Flat Stanley." It's based on a classic children's book in which a flat boy named Stanley is sent around the world in an envelope to other children, and they write about Stanley's adventures with them in the area they live in. We adapted the idea to suit our artful needs: each person was to create a journal and a flat
My Antique Doll- finished!
I finally finished my cloth Arranbee doll
Faery Wings
I'm crazy for faeries. I love them! I think faeries should be free! Everyone should have one of these wonderful creatures. So, I've decided to share a free wings tutorial with you.
Here we go...Vintage Aranbee (R&B) Doll
This is a vintage baby doll from the 50's. The owner of the doll obviously cherished her as a child, and still does. Dolly came to me a couple of weeks ago in need of repair on her cloth body. I was to recreate the original pattern. Here you can see the final result. Came out pretty good! I can understand why this doll is so well-loved. If she were mine, I would want to preserve her, too.
Painting With Thread
Here's a wonderful painting technique that can add a lot of interest to a cloth doll: Use thread to paint a random pattern on fabric.
You can prepare the fabric to be used to cut out your doll pattern, or paint directly on a doll after it has been stuffed. The result is extremely interesting, and definitely worth a try.
Turning Slippery Fingers
Silky gloves can be a nice touch on a doll. You can make hands as usual, extending them halfway up the arms so they look like gloves. The trouble with silky fabric is that it tends to fray too much. That makes it very difficult to turn little fingers.
When fabric is super slippery, it shifts around when sewing two pieces together. Sewing tiny stitches around fingers is almost impossible, too. Even if you manage to do it, turning the fingers is another major issue. The slightest pressure will cause the fabric to come apart at the weave. Here's a way to overcome the dilemma, so you can use the slipperiest, silkiest fabric and make knockout gorgeous gloves.
Bead Bags, Anyone?
Recently I needed to transport a lot of beads for a class, but I didn't have proper containers. I got "desperate," so I made my own baggies in a pinch. They did the trick.
I did this out of necessity. At first I thought it was ridiculous but, well it turned out to be resourceful and fun!
Dressing a Doll with Gesso and Ink