Two More Dolls Done (& for sale)

I finished two more dolls today. One I call Ceres, Goddess of the Earth and the other one is titled Back from the Bakery. Both are for sale on MiniaturesOnly.com

I hope you like them.

Watching & Waiting

Well as some of you know, I live in South Louisiana. Currently, everyone here is watching what is currently Tropical Storm Gustov, soon to be Hurricane Gustov again. Will it hit the central coast of Louisiana or more toward the east toward New Orleans or maybe farther west toward Lake Charles? That is the million dollar question.

I for one am not all that enthused to see another hurricane. I was happy to live here 12 years without ever seeing one. Then there was Katrina. Amazing to watch come through - especially if you were to the west of it - but nerve racking to say the least. And three days without electricity? No thank you. Things like water and toilets don't work around here without electricity. There is no city water or sewer and we are all on wells and septic systems, both of which require electricity to function!

So, we will watch and wait. I've been on leave and am supposed to return to work Tuesday, but with this storm coming in, they may shut us down and I'll get another day or so of paid time off, no leave necessary.

On a brighter note, the LSU Tigers (2007 National Champions) have their season football opener Saturday night. While I personally do not like to attend the games, my husband and son do. Tailgating, partying, and hopefully a total romping of the opponents will have all of Baton Rouge in a good mood.

Well, back to costuming my dolls. I am working on a Roman Goddess that is giving me fits! What should have been an easy doll to do has now taken two days. I've broken one needle stand and almost glued my fingers together a couple of times. Let's hope the end result is worth the effort.

What a Day

WOW. I was on a roll today! I have not completed a doll in months. So today, I fully completed Angelica! A beautiful, modern doll.

I took the Sadie kit from Dana at MiniatureArt and modified it somewhat. I had trouble with the top, so when I was able to get it cut out and it was a little short, well, that just showed off her tiny waist. When the lame' skirt was too see-through, I gave her pants under the skirt. I applied her blonde hair and flipped it over and back.

Her shoes are painted on with black silk straps for accents. She looks as if she is ready for a night out on the town.

Her purse is my creation and really very very easy. Just take a slightly rectangular piece of fabric - in this case with the lame' I backed it with a stiffer silk piece - and fold it not quite half-way up. I also used the back of the lame' to give it a little more contrast. Then, take the top part, fold downward to make little triangles on each side and glue. Then, fold down the top and glue. Add a silver bead on each side of the flap to simulate a closure. Walla, a clutch!

All in all I was very pleased with her. I was able to overcome all problems without them overcoming me and ended up with a beautiful doll. Alas, she will hopefully be finding a new home. She currently is up for auction at MiniaturesOnly.com.

I have one more doll in the works, I just need to apply the finishing touch. While the doll herself is completed, I like to give them something of their own, whether it be a clutch or a bowl with a spoon. They need to look as if they are doing something for me to be happy with them and to me it's my "signature". The doll I am currently finishing up is totally from my imagination. Maybe in a day or so I can show her!

As a side note, if you are interested in any of the dolls that you see, please feel free to contact me about their availability.

Thanks for looking!!

Wonderful Upcoming Auction To Look At

I usually just focus in on 1/12th scale dolls, but I am also interested in larger dolls, specifically fashion dolls from the late 1800's. I just received a postcard from Skinner Auctions. They will be holding a Toy and Doll auction in MA later this month. While there is no way I could attend, much less afford anything, there is some wonderful "eye candy" for doll lovers. The link is www.skinnerinc.com. You need to click on the Dolls & Toys auction for 8/24 and then near the bottom of the next page, there are two PDFs you can download. Or you can just tell the site you want to view all and then search by dolls. Beautiful antique dolls, most in wonderful shape. Oh, to be rich!!!! LOL.

'Til later.
Smiles!

Couple of Dolls I've Done

As promised, here are a few more of my dolls, these created from kits by Dana Burton (Dana@MiniatureArt.com). She has wonderful kits and classes that she offers throughout the year. Check out the MiniDollList website link to the left of this entry. There you can find out all about our MiniDollList group and the fun we have.


This first one is a chic grandma headed for a night out on the town.



















Then here is a Venetian Courtesan - she's one of my favorites and one of my more recent dolls to be completed (the first part of this year).











And finally, a proper Victorian miss, out of a stroll - I haven't finished her parasol just yet.



















I currently have a grandmotherly doll that I just need to finish up and many more in mind to do - some kits, some from my imagination, and some from Dana's wonderful pattern list that I subscribe to. Also, I am waiting on delivery of a wonderful kit from Nancy Cronin; Miss Havisham. I will continue to post pictures of dolls that I have completed in the past along with new dolls as I finish them.

To the left, you will find a growing list of my favorite miniature doll websites, suppliers, and blogs. Also, please check out miniaturesonly.com , a wonderful auction website devoted specifically to miniatures. Enjoy!

Well, back to the daily grind.

New Dolls

Well, it's been a LONG time since I posted to this blog - real life (in the way of my job) interfered. No matter, it's not currently being read anyway LOL.

Here are two dolls from classes I took in Chicago. The biddy in the leopard print was a Nancy Cronin class and the bride was an Anna Hardman class. Both wonderful teachers and both wonderful classes. There will be another blog entry that showcases dolls I made from Dana Burton's kits and one or two that I created on my own.

Also, there is so much I want to do. I have just TONS of ideas for dresses for dolls, along with all the accessories that go with them. Alas, my studio has been put on hold. Due to fuel prices, there is just no way to afford a new storage building and then convert it into a studio. So, I'm just slightly stymied as I can't get to most of my doll supplies. Things are piled in a small room in the house and also shoved into two attics, under the bed, a spare bedroom, and various closets - wherever I could find room. So, keep your fingers crossed for me.