Mermaid Art Doll Part 1

Looking at photos of art dolls on Google images is very inspiring. I get so many fun ideas. One photo

of a doll by Virginie Ropar inspired the idea for another mermaid doll. Her doll was not a mermaid, but the designs on the legs were exciting. So I mulled it over for a couple days, designing in my head, making sketches to help me when it came time to actually work on the doll. (I have dozens of sketches and go through them every so often to help with design)

This new mermaid was to be different from the last two I created. Those were modeled on the idea of a real mermaid. This one would be more dark and powerful. I toyed with the idea of black leather for the tail, but I didn’t have any in my stash of fabrics. Then I found a small piece of some awesome dark green velvet. That brought a whole new set of images.

I already had a pattern for the last mermaid doll so I used that one. I didn’t have to do any math or thinking, I could just get started cutting out body pieces and start sewing.

I cut the main body pieces out of a nice cotton fabric. I like to create the body with a tail from the cotton because it gives the body stability. I then create the outer tail that slips over the inner tail and hand sew it on.

I sew the body pieces together, stuff them with polyester fiberfill and then sew them together. The head is done separately from the body to begin. I sew it, stuff it and then do the face, before sewing it on the body. I like to be sure I like the face before attaching the head to the body. It saves a lot of unnecessary sewing. I lengthened the tail a couple of inches because I planned to put in wire to allow posing.

Once I have the body assembled I use Jacquard Dyna-Flo Fabric Dyes to add interesting skin color. I work on getting the torso color to flow into the tail color, in this case to match as close as possible the dark green of the velvet. I keep the tail fabric nearby to compare. The velvet tail, the hair, and all embellishments will come later.

I let the dyes dry overnight. Then the doll went into the dryer on a medium heat for about thirty minutes to set the dyes. Then it would be time to add the tail and other fun stuff.

 

Here are the tools I use in doll making, besides my sewing machine. I have three pairs of hemostats to stuff the bodies. Pinking shears are valuable for cutting around curves to make them easier to turn. The turning rod and copper tubes are for turning fingers and small things.

In my next post I will show you the rest of the creation of this mermaid.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

New Angel Art Dolls

Since I have been working on dolls the past couple of months I thought I would show the two Angel dolls I recently finished. Both of these are from patterns I designed.

My first couple of dolls in 2005 were from a pattern by Patti Medaris Culea, from her book Creative Cloth Doll Making. If you want to learn some great stuff, get that book. She has three patterns in it that allow you to pick and choose and be very creative. She also has some fabulous photos of dolls made by her and by many other people. You can also check Google Images for photos of Patti’s dolls.

I have been sewing for well over 50 years so I quickly began creating my own patterns. But for anyone who feels less confident in designing patterns, definitely purchase the cloth doll making books by Patti and by Susanna Oroyan. Though Susanna has passed away, her books are necessary reading for doll making.

First is the 27” Ballerina Angel. I love making large dolls. They don’t take any longer really than the smaller ones, The details are the same for me. The larger ones are easier to put together. The fingers are easier to turn and all the parts as well. But I can get just as carried away with embellishment on small ones as I do on the larger ones.

The second doll is called a stump doll. This is because she is created over a wooden dowel that is glued into a wooden base. The doll has no legs or feet. This one, the I Heart Angel doll is about 15” tall. I was inspired by Valentine’s Day.

Both dolls are all cloth filled with polyester fiberfill. They have yarn hair and a variety of fabrics.

My next post will be the first of two parts. I am working on a mermaid doll that is a little different from the two I have made before. I am excited to show you the progress of making her.

Both dolls shown here are for sale in my Etsy shop  - www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Til next time. J

Terri

Art Doll Medicine Man

I have been so busy working on new dolls that I haven't taken the time to do anything for this blog. So here is a previously written one about one of the dolls I made a few years ago.  I will be sharing more on doll making in the upcoming posts. I realized I could photograph and share how I have been making the dolls.

If you like dolls, especially unique dolls, check out Art Doll Magazine. I saw one for the first time in 2005 while living in New Mexico. That pushed me to make some dolls.

This particular doll was one of the first few that I made. (made in 2005) His head and hands are sculpted in polymer clay. It took over a week to sculpt them before I baked them. I wanted a face that was older, experienced. And the hands had to also show the age.

I started with a ball of foil taped to a piece of wooden dowel. I layered the clay until it was the right shape, then sculpted, and refined. The hands were sculpted over wire.

I used bailing wire, from the hardware store, as the frame for the body. This was glued into the head once it was baked. The hands were wired to the frame as well.

The body was them covered with strips of quilt batting and wrapped with strips of muslin. Each layer was stitched to keep it from shifting once the doll was completed.

His clothes were a problem. I couldn’t find any leather in the fabric shop that was right.

Of course, I lived in Silver City. A town two hours from any kind of real shopping. We had to drive to Las Cruces to go to a book store, or a computer store. (Then we moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. What a difference!!!)

Anyway, I finally went to WalMart, in the auto section. I found the soft leather chamois in the car washing section. It was perfect. But it took two packages to make the clothes. Each piece was hand sewn and beaded.

The cape is made from a rabbit fur. It was beaded and the feathers were sewn or glued in between the beads. The moccasins also have rabbit fur around the tops.

The mohair hair is glued on. I made holes in the polymer clay head before baking so the glue would go in and hold better. The necklace is real turquoise beads with black glass seed beads in between.

He also carries a medicine bags with stones and other special items.

The Medicine Man stands approximately 13 inches tall.

I think I spent over a month making this doll.

I realize this may not be the type of project everyone will want to try. But I do recommend trying things that are outside your comfort zone and new to you. Stretching your abilities is a great way to inspire you in your everyday projects and it’s fun.

This can be messy too. I had fabric, paint, clay and beads everywhere for weeks. My little section of the couch was covered and no one could sit there but me. (by the lamp because I worked every night till bedtime)

I hope you try something new this week. Even something messy. Have fun with it.

Til next time. ☺

Terri

Steampunk Computer Case Revisited

This is a post from June of 2012. It's one of my favorites. Hope everyone has a great holiday.

As an artist I get so bored with the same old stuff you see in the stores. Computer cases are made of leather, or faux leather. They are black or brown and show absolutely no sense of whimsy or fun.

So, what would you do about that? Well, I decided to get krazy.  Yep, I made my own, with a Steampunk theme, of course.

I started with a wood artist’s box that I have had for a very long time. It has gone through a variety of paint finishes and for a while I had an ink drawing of a dragon on the lid.

The box was covered in black acrylic paint first. Then I cut out pieces of mat board and began gluing them on with Golden Matte Medium. Since I had painted the wood with acrylic paint, the matte medium created a nice bond between the paper of the mat board 

and the paint. White glue or ModPodge would work as well. The problem with white glue is that there is no additive that makes it water resistant. White glue will become tacky the minute water, or any liquid, meets it. Acrylic mediums and ModPodge become hard, waterproof surfaces that will not be affected by liquids. Unless they are left to soak in it.

Black acrylic paint was used on the mat board and some of the gears to give it a more industrial look, then metallic copper was sponged on to give a mottled look. I used some metallic blue and metallic violet in a few places for variety.  The copper paint over the black gives a very cohesive feel to the piece.

Lots of gears, washers, and metal pieces were added. And the ‘rivets’, those are large sequins that were glued on, painted black and then painted with gold. The gold paint over the black made them look like brass. I also used polymer clay to make a variety of large and small gears.

The whole thing was given a coat of glossy ModPodge once all the gluing and painting was done. The ModPodge sealed the work and gave it a wonderful shine. It brings out the variations in color that was created with all the sponge painting. It also reflects light off of the edges of the pieces to create darks and lights, drawing your eye to different areas.

The handle is a dog collar. I was going to use jewelry chain, but at a yard sale found the collar instead. It is perfect.  Heavy copper wire holds it to the box.

On the inside I cut out a portion of the dividers, covered them with polyester quilt batting and then with canvas. Once done the canvas decorated with Steampunk designs using Sharpie permanent markers. I didn’t want the inside to be boring. The exposed wood inside was painted black and copper, then decoupaged with fun scrapbook paper that has a map theme.

Straps to secure the laptop were made with canvas and Velcro. They are held in with small pieces of wood and screws that come in from the outside. The screws look like they are part of the piece and don’t look out of place.

Several things must be considered in a project like this:

 

The box will sit upright on the hinged edge when stored and on the bottom when being opened. Those two edges must be designed so that there is no wobble and that the gears and embellishments cannot be knocked off.

The lid, or top, can have more pieces and can have some sticking out. But everything must be put on so it will not get knocked off in every day use.

For me, the paint scheme had to flow from one side to another. Continuity was important. The blue and violet spots on the sides flowed over onto the top and bottom, or to the other sides. The edges of the mat board were cut so they matched up with the ones on the sides they were next to.

The handle had to be put on so that it would hold the weight and not fail when carrying the case.  Securing the wire inside was one of my biggest challenges.

I also made a security strap out of canvas and buckles to keep the case from opening when traveling. The strap was painted with the copper and black paints to match the rest of the box. Textile medium was added to the paints to keep them soft.

I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did.

Til next time, make a mess and have fun doing it. Terri

Product Note: Acrylic medium and ModPodge are available in both matte and glossy formulas. They are available at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Joann’s, and your local craft store. 

Happy to be back

It has been a while and I apologize for the absence. But I am happy to be back

Today I will start with a recipe. My husband and I are trying to lose some weight and this is one we love for breakfast. Though this recipe could be used for lunch or dinner. It would be great for a Sunday brunch with friends.

9” or 10” cast iron pan (it must be a pan that can go from stovetop to oven)

 

2 Tbsp olive oil, or veg oil

1 medium potato, washed and cut into ½” cubes

½ cup mushrooms, cut into ½” pieces

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup cooked ham, cut into ½” cubes

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

7 eggs, beaten

¼ cup parmesan cheese, or any cheese you want, grated

Salt and pepper

In the pan, on medium to medium high heat, fry the potato in the 2 Tbsp of oil until they are browned and mostly cooked through. This gives them a wonderful flavor.

Reduce heat to /medium/medium low and add the onion, mushrooms, and bell peppers, Saute this until the onions and mushrooms are softened. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper in and stir.

Add the ham and cook until it is warmed through.

Add the 2 Tbsp of butter and mix through to melt it.

Turn on your oven to broil (high) to warm

Pour the beaten eggs over the ham mixture and just wiggle the pan a little to get the egg mixed into and around the ham and potato mixture.

Keep the heat at medium low and let the mixture cook for a few minutes, until it has cooked up through, but not done on top. Eggs on top should still be liquid.

Sprinkle the cheese all over the egg mixture and then put the pan into the oven. Keep the oven door open while broiling. Cook just until the egg is fully cooked and the cheese has melted. I used parmesan cheese and it turned a beautiful brown and crunchy.

Let it cool for a couple minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Optional additions: cooked broccoli, chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, any leftover veggies, garlic, leftover steak or roast, cooked bacon, cooked sausage pieces, etc.

You can also add seasonings to give it regional flavors. Add a little chili powder and ground cumin with some jalapenos and ground beef to get a Mexican flair. Add Italian seasonings and sausage with mozzarella cheese for Italian.

This is a very versatile food that can be changed depending on what you want.  The basic ingredient is the beaten eggs. Everything else is optional. It’s kind of like an omelet.

 It takes about 45 minutes or so to make. But it is sooo tasty. 

This morning I did a variation by using a cooked Italian Sausage, mushrooms, onions, and a tomato. I added Italian seasonings and then topped it with mozzarella cheese once the egg had set in the oven. 

We cut the frittata into eight wedges and then we each have one for breakfast over four mornings. The key is the veggies. The more veggies the better for you. Each wedge has less than a whole egg and a bit of each ingredient. By cutting it into eight and only eating one wedge each morning we reduce our calorie intake but are happily satisfied until lunch. The egg is protein and dairy, the veggies are good and if you add meat you get more protein. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe. :) 

Til next time.

Terri

Cone Christmas Trees Repost

This is a post from last year in December. 

I love Christmas. Such a joyous and fun time of year. And the wonderful decorations everywhere.

Are you looking for a fairly simple project to make holiday decorations? Well, this one is just that. It’s pretty simple and might be fun for the kids.

One of my favorite projects that the disabled group did during the holidays one year was to make cone trees. They covered the cones with felt or fabric and then glued pasta to them. Some pasta was painted with acrylic paint, others, like the farfalle (bow tie) was just glued on. (with a glue gun)

The trees were beautiful and I even made one at home for myself.

The three trees shown here were done in just a few hours with my glue gun. The first one I did was covered with green fabric and then tulle. I ran red and green ribbons down from the tip and then added small rhinestones as accents. The gold garland is actually a Mardi Gras necklace that I glued on.

The second one is the purple stretch velvet tree. I used an old necklace chain for the garland and washers from the hardware store for the ornaments. The top is more washers capped with a covered nut. Obviously I had Steampunk in mind when making this one.

The third tree was covered with felt that was cut into pieces. It took almost two large squares of felt and I started at the bottom and cut the upper layers smaller as I went. The garland is from the mini Christmas tree decorations you can buy at the craft store. The ornaments are glass pony beads. Once they were on I put gold glitter glue into the centers to make them sparkle.

To make the trees, I started with a piece of illustration board, cut to create a cone. Tape helped me keep it in shape while I used the glue gun to set it. The tape can be left on as an added support, or taken off once the glue sets.

For the velvet and striped trees, a piece of fabric was cut just a little larger than the tree cone and one edge was turned and glued to create a nice finish. The unfinished edge was glued first and then I worked my way around the cone. The bottom was snipped to make gluing easier.

The stars on the top of the tall trees are polymer clay. The clay was rolled out to about a quarter inch thickness and a star cookie cutter was used to cut the shapes. Then a skewer was used to put the hole in the bottom. Both stars were dusted with Ranger embossing powders for color and glitter. They were baked with the skewers in place to prevent the holes from collapsing while hot. They were glued on the trees with E6000 glue. I did put a chenille stem into the hole in the top and glue it down, then left a piece sticking up to glue into the hole in the bottom of the star. This helps to keep the star stable.

Cone trees can be any color, any fabric. You can decorate with whatever you want. You could cover them with feathers, glitter, stars, pasta, or wrap chains all around. The decoration is totally up to you.

This is a fun project. You can decorate with one, three or a dozen. They could even be given as gifts. Decorate your desk at work. Put a small one on the bathroom counter. One for every room in the house.

 

If doing this one with the kids, you may have to help with the hot glue gun. But they will love making a tree for their room or to help decorate the house.

Let your imagination go wild. And make it messy, of course.

Til next time. J

Terri

Supplies used in this blog are available at www.Michaels.com, www.HobbyLobby.com, www.Joanns.com, or your local craft supply store.

Refinished Basket

This week I have been re-arranging my studio. It is still a place for me to work on my projects. But more importantly, it is now a space for meditation, healing and readings. I needed to make more space.

My husband and I are Reiki Master Teachers and we needed space for clients to sit during healing sessions. Now we have it.

So, while cleaning I found this great basket. I typically use it for display purposes. But it had gotten beaten up a little and I did not want to throw it away. So I repaired it and made it stronger. It measures 7”x18” and is 3” deep.

The basket is made with some light weight wood with the bamboo strips woven over it. The strips had broken and the ends were coming off. I had glued it together once before and painted it. But it needed more this time.

I started by using my hot glue gun to reattach all the broken parts. This is just to hold everything together while I do the next step. The hot glue would not stand up to any long term use, especially since one of the corners was completely torn and would never last.

Next up I pulled out some lightweight muslin and tore it into strips of different sizes. Tearing the fabric creates rough edges that would give a great texture later.

I used some ModPodge that had been diluted with a little water to attach the strips of muslin all over the basket. I wanted to reinforce the corners and cover the entire basket with the fabric. I used a paper mache’ technique by putting the ModPodge into a bowl and dipping the strips of fabric into it. Then I squeezed out the excess just enough to keep it from dripping. This let me be sure the fabric was saturated with glue and would stick nicely. It would also help with the reinforcement of the basket.

 

This project took pretty much the entire bottle of ModPodge. The muslin was mostly scraps, but it

took at least a yard. I used the matte ModPodge because it will be underneath the paint. You could use white glue instead, it is cheaper. The acrylic paint makes it water resistant. You would be able to wipe it with a damp cloth when needed. But you would not want to soak it in water.

I worked on one end, let it dry, then did the other end. It was easier than trying to figure out how to do the whole thing at once without getting glue everywhere. 

I did one layer then went back and did a second one for strength. I

also wanted to get to where the dark paint underneath didn’t show through the fabric which would tell me I had two layers and it would be nice and strong..

Once all the glue was dry I painted the whole thing with a tan color (acrylic paint). This was just to create a background and a primary coat of paint over the fabric. I painted the inside first and let it dry. Then I painted the outside. This makes it easier to handle and since the paint dries in about fifteen minutes it goes fairly quickly.

Then it was time to get creative. This meant coming up with some sort of paint scheme. This is always where I get bogged down. I have too many ideas and am never sure which one will look the best.

I decided to do something similar to the serving tray I painted last year.

So I painted the ends, inside and out, with black. I also painted the bottom black. Then I used the bottom of the serving tray as my example to paint the inside of the basket. I used a light brown to draw on the lines and circles and then painted it.

I let the paint dray a couple of days before I sprayed the whole thing with a sealing varnish.

Obviously this took several days to paint but it looks cool and will make a great display.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist