Today's WIP On Cassie Ballerina Pattern

oooo, the excitement has built and I've almost completed Cassie. I've drafted her ballet shoes and almost completed her tutu. This is all I will show until the big reveal when I post the doll and pattern for sale on my etsy shop. So excited, she looks so sweet! It may be a while yet until I finish embellishing her and get her pattern completed. So many details and photos to add from where I last left off. Then I probably will need to edit. I'm at 17 pages already with all the photos! Yikes. Glad this is a pdf! You can print the pattern pieces separately if you want to and keep the rest of it on the computer! YAY, Love patterns by email. Instant start! anyway, here are her slippers and the start of her tutu! Stay tuned for the great reveal!

More WIP pics on my little Ballerina Cassie

As I work on this one I'm taking careful notes and photos so that I can sell this one as a pattern. The pattern will be loaded with all the little details that go into making a jointed cloth doll. Realistic face painting and shadowing, blushing, fingers toes, turning head, wig, costume and more! I'm a little afraid to say that she's coming along really well. She's got her hair and face on in this pic. She's a real sweetie!

New WIP cloth doll

I'm hoping to develop this one into a pattern to sell but at this stage a lot of trial and error.... so I'll show you what I've got so far.

I've done four different heads...

two different bodies...

and have developed my joints...

and sewn it together.

I'm not happy with things yet, and have not soft sculpted the face or anything. I've blown some fingers and know how I need to change the pattern. But I thought you might like to see....

Trying to get a jump on Christmas

With my doll, Red up for auction, and off my work bench I thought I'd get a jump on Christmas. I took an extra day off work this weekend to play on some new ornaments. I'm using paper clay. Here's the results so far.
I've got Swine Lake, the Red Queen and a Santa finished.

And I've started working on a Birthday fairy that was inspired by a card my sister gave me for my birthday.. I think two years in a row.. same theme anyway. "The Bitch is Back"... hate birthdays... Here she is in her wet paper clay start. She has a hole to add wings and a wand.

Then I wanted to do the narrator from one of my favourite Christmas shows. The character was voiced by Burl Ives I think. He's the snowman from Rudolph.

That's it so far... time for lunch.

Red Riding Hood Art Doll at auction

I've decided to post here right away to auction. Fresh from the sculpting bench so to speak. I hope she gets lots of views and maybe, if I'm lucky she'll be going to a new home. I love to create art dolls and I learn new things each time I do, but I'm quickly running out of space! It will be sad to pack her up and watch her walk off into someone else's life, but its been fun!

Red Riding Hood Completed

I finally got her cookies made and that completes my Red Riding Hood.  Just need to post her in my shop.

Look good enough to eat.

Base for Red Riding Hood Art Doll

Only enough time this weekend to do the base. I still need something to put in Red`s basket. I looked for a little wicker basket, but couldn`t find anything appropriate in scale. I decided I could make one. I crocheted it from cotton and dyed it to look like wicker. I love the way it turned out once it was all shaped up and stiffened.

 The base is wood, with a hole drilled for the leg armature. I added paperclay, gesso, painted it in several coats of paint. Then I added the moss and rocks. Once it has all dried I will add a matte varnish and a felt bottom with my signature tag.

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Red Riding Hood finally gets some hair

This is the moment... When Red finally gets her hair. Will she look anything like what I envisioned?
 I start with some Tibetan Lamb in a lovely auburn colour. When I look back and think this must have been the plan in my mind because I actually already coloured her brows and bought brown organza ribbon for her eyelashes. Scroll down to see how I did the lashes. But first her hair!

I use either griip glue or contact cement. This time I'm using contact cement as it seems all my Griip is gone. Must order some more! I coat the head first and set it aside to dry. Then I cut tufts of the lamb, pull out any stray hairs and trim the ends so they're all the same on the glue side. While I pinch this in my fingers I add a bit of contact cement to both sides.

I used more tufts of hair than actually shown here.
I took a pic before I got my fingers too messy.

Once the glue has dried, I start applying to the head in small pieces, starting from the back.

The last bunch of hair is placed with the hairs standing straight up. Before I press into place, I gently separate the strands so they go in different directions, then gently press them into place. You don't want your glue to seep through so do this carefully and set aside. Once it's set up a bit more you can press again and then style.

 

Ta-da!

Not sure if I want to put it in a pony or not. But the Tibetan Lamb can be kind of flyaway, and it isn't quite long enough to braid. I've just tied it back in a ribbon for now.

Now onto to how I did the lashes.
Here's the ribbon and how I use it. I cut the side of of the ribbon  and gently pull the threads away that run lengthwise with a pin. then gently pull them out of the cut piece. I trim the ribbon closer to the edge actually so I'm only working with will actually be the lashes. I think you can get the idea from this demo pic.

Then I add a thin line of glue to the lash line and gently coax into place with tweezers and a pin. In this pic the lash just needs another little nudge.

Red's Cape and hair choices

 

After lunch Daisy and I had a walk in the park. She wanted to chase the ducks but it was time to go home and have a nice cold drink!

Wicked hot and sticky today! Not a good day to be in the studio but it's worse outside. I made Red's hooded cape, long train. I love the cinematography in the film and hope to capture some of that with this doll.

Now I'm pretty settled on what colour hair I want to use but here's a sampling of the colours and types I tried.

White blond too anemic

Yellow blonde, much better
but I think I want to go Auburn.

Too short and way too brassy!

The black is nice but a little stark,
not quite what I had in mind.

Yes, I think this is the one I like.

I'd love to know what you would pick. 

Too sticky to add hair today. Time for a nap.

Costuming Red Riding Hood

After my bad morning on Friday I left the doll alone in case I damaged her in the costuming process. Yesterday I started up again. I began with her bloomers. They're not very full, I didn't have much fabric, but with a little silk ribbon they do the trick. You can just see some white ribbon that I used to cover the join between sculpted leg and stuffing. 

 

Then I started her underskirt and over skirt. Both are done the same way just thin chiffon fabric. I also noticed I broke a finger somewhere along the way. (dang!!!) I found it so I'll be able to correct the problem, but I'll wait until I'm just about done with her.

I remembered I has some wonderful silk in a light grey blue that I thought would make a wonderful bodice to the dress. Testing the fit and pinning in place. With a little lace underneath for some trim to the edge. I like it.

  I needed to make release cuts under the arms so the bodice would fit properly. It was a tight fit under the arms. That's something that can happen with a bust and shoulder sculpt though. I need to watch for ways to correct this in the future. The arms less close to body perhaps.

. Next the sleeves. I made them rather full, intending to add lace and gather them up in a couple places.

This morning I attached them to the bodice and they cover some of the awardness at the underarm.

The bodice needs a little extra stuffing to fill it out better. I think.

Now onto shoes!! I draw a pattern of the sole of her foot, upper and sides. Don't forget I need a hole for the brass rod when I mark them left and right. Contact cement, while extremely stinky, is my best friend for this job.

 

A test fit on her stand and I can trim the excess sole away and press the sole firmly in place.

Not sure that I'll get more done on her today though. I'm puppy sitting and Daisy needs a walk and I could use some lunch.

More on Red Riding Hood

Still pretty hot and humid here in Toronto and it's raining today but I've taken a few days off for an extra long weekend to play in my studio and continue working on Red.
I've wrapped her body up in quilt batting and have wrapped that again with some cheesecloth.

Now I'm going through my fabric and leather stash to look for appropriate costume materials.

 I seem to be having a bad day though, with my laundry getting stuck in the washing machine and having to call the repair man. Things just aren't going my way. I may have to set her aside and continue tomorrow. I don't want to break something! YIKES!

Work on Red continues

We're in the midst of a heat wave, like much of the U.S. I guess, so I haven't been working on Red much. She's got some hands and feet, her armature has been added and her pose set with apoxie. I found a wood base and drilled a hole for the armature support. A brass rod runs through her left leg and out the bottom of her foot. I'm not sure if she'll have shoes or be barefoot so I sculpted the feet.

I've also done the face up. I use soft pastels for much of that and use a bit of acrylic for the stronger elements like her eyes. She still needs a varnish and some lashes. I usually paint them on but I think she needs a fine fringe of lashes. Still trying a few things out. Fake eyelashes don't do it for me.  I'm still not sure if she'll be blonde or brunette.