All right, you've caught me...playing dolls again!

I've been working more on my ball jointed doll off an on since I started her in February, and I was thinking she was close to being ready to cast in resin. I have finally got her hands and feet finished, and have finished her knee joints enough for a test stringing. While I was loving her before this, now I am not so sure about her. I felt I was getting closer, but she seems a "little off" in so many ways now I realize I'm not even close to being ready to mold and cast. I have so much left to do!



*I still need to make elbow joints since she doesn't have any at all yet.

*I need to improve both the knee and hip joints aesthetically and functionally. She currently doesn't stand. Her knees will not straighten completely, and I need to make some sort of catch inside the hip to lock them when she stands. I am also considering doing that little sideways channel for the elastic in the hip ball which Volks has used on some dolls so she can do that cute child like sitting position.

*I need to work on the neck/head joint because she doesn't have the range of motion I'd like.

* I need to recheck proportion, because I think her lower legs may be to short, and her hands and feet look too big so they may need to be resculpted. The feet may just be too wide. In my frustration yesterday, I as calling her my Hobbit Girl! I've nothing against Hobbits of course, I rather like them, but that's not what I was going for here.

*I need to add a few more details to the sculpt, working on her eyes and adding subtle indication of nipples to her chest. I will be leaving her pelivis piece plain (many BJDs are anatomically correct, because I think she could be finished as a boy or a girl. In fact, I am giving this sculpt the unisex name of Alex, because my Mom thinks she looks like my son.

*I need to make a headcap attachment mechanism of some kind.

* Finally there is all the smoothing for casting to be done. I try to smooth as I go, but there is still more to be done.

More pictures of this doll in progress can be found in the BJD sculpting Project set on my flickr.

Missy has to find her way into the post! Alex is lurking in the background too!


Only after all of this can I begin to work on making the molds and casting her in resin. As much as I have learned about resin casting so far, I know this will be a big adventure in trial and error, but I am looking forward to it because I can't wait to see her (him) in natural flesh tones with a painted face!

And speaking of painted faces, I have just finished my very first face-up commissions! These two Rosen Lied dolls decided to take the long way home from Rosen Lied in Korea to their home in Australia. They made a stop here in Milford, Ohio to be painted by me!




More pictures of these cuties and my own BJDs can be found on my flickr, too.

I've been working on bears too and hope to have the three I am working on ready to post soon. Stay tuned!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring--Happy Everything!

The bears and I would like to wish everyone a blessed Easter!



This is Pip. (I was listening to the audio book of Great Expectations while working on him so I borrowed the name!)He has been commissioned by a collector in the UK. I'm currently waiting for her appoval of him so I can send him home.

These next two fellows are destined for the special event I will be attending at My Friends and Me in Leesburg, VA in June, and they are shop exclusives. I was so pleased with Pablo, the panda clown I made last month, that I wanted to try a few more with the same design, only different color combinations. They will have hats for the show.

This is Ruben.


And this is Raffi.


I will continue to post preview pictures of the bears for the event. Other artists who will be in attendance include Rosalie Frischman and Jean and Bill Ashburner. Visit www.myfriendsandme.com for more information.

Just Because...

...they are so cute!!!


They are staring down at me next to their empty food bowl at the bottom of the stairs wondering if it's time to eat yet!



I wish the camera flash didn't do that to their eyes. I have to have the flash on or Cinder looks like a cat shaped ink blot on the photo!

A Tiny Bit of Inspiration

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may have noticed that I have started a collection of tiny ball jointed dolls or BJDs. (On the BJD forums, dolls 30cm or less are called "tiny" since BJDs come as large as 70cm.) I purchased my first in October of 2008, and last year added four more to my collection, including this adorable doll which my husband Sean bought me for Christmas.

(Natasha is playing Goldilicks with Slightly's bear and two bears I have made for a friend.)



These posable resin dolls are no ordinary collectible; they are yet another opportunity to exercise my creative muscle! They can be purchased undressed, unpainted, and bald for dressing, painting, and "wigging", like a blank canvas to create a little personality from my own imagination. These little cuties have inspired me in other ways, too.

First, they have inspired me to revisit the world of miniature bear making. In my early years of bear crafting, I wanted to try everything, so I made a handful of miniature bears. As my skills grew, so did my bears, and I find that I enjoy making large armfuls of bear the most. But my little dolls needed bears didn't they? So I got some upholstry velvet, and had another go.

Here is the result!




Chloe and her Teddy



Slightly and her Bear



To give an idea of the size of these little ones as compared to my typical work, here they are posed with my Paddington!



I have also been inspired to try my hand at sculpting my own tiny BJD! This is a big project, and I'll be working on it a little at a time, while I continue to make my bears, so expect periodic updates. Here is what I have so far.

A drawing to serve as a map for the proportion, a cute torso, and an alien head!



A cute baby face.(Where did it go? In my next pictures she looks so different!)


Here the head has been sculpted and hollowed out, and I've started to work on the legs. The legs and torso will be cut into pieces for the jointing, but I thought sculpting them as a whole would help me get the anatomy more accurate.




The final thing that these tiny dolls have inspired me to do will remain a secret for now. The scope of the project is greater than anything I have yet created, but if it comes together as well as I can see it in my mind, it will combine all of my creative passions!

Hello!!!!

I haven't posted in ages, but I've still been making Teddy Bears. I am slowly but surely getting caught up with my orders. Last year, there were always about ten. As soon as I finish a couple, I'd receive a few more orders. Due to challenges outside of my bear business, my work time was diminished greatly, and many collectors waited a long time for their bears. This made me sad, but my collectors have been wonderfully patient, and I am so thankful for this.

Currently, I am working on a pair of bears for a pair of sisters in the UK. One of the bears is finished. One sister collects Teddy Bears and has three of mine already. She has commisioned this special clown bear as a gift for her sister.

Here is Pablo. He is approximately 20" from his ears to his toes, and made of dense alpaca. He is based on a smaller bear I designed a little while ago whose pictures is in my blog header. I hope his new Mum will love him.



He has a little cone hat, and collar made of fabric, ribbon and decorative trim.



This is a nice shot, but what is that gray shadow in the background?



MISSY!!!!

Chloe's New Halloween Dress

I got a new outfit for my Ball Jointed Doll, Chloe. The outfit was made by Spampy Stuff. Chloe is a Custom House Ange Ai Gaby. Her wig is from Kemper and her face-up was done by me.

Bad News-Good News

I made a tough decision a couple of weeks ago. I was scheduled to do two shows this year: the Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show, and The Hunt Valley Maryland Handmade Treasures Teddy Bear Show, and I was really looking forward to both of them. I had taken some orders for delivery at the Hunt Valley Show, and was very much looking forward to being able to attend the Golden Teddy Awards Ceremony for the first time. At the Chicagoland Show, I was looking forward to teaching my first Teddy Bear workshop as well as the other fun events scheduled there. I was looking forward to them, but also feeling very stressed. Since my dad's surgery in July and the start of school I have had almost no bear making time. With all that my dad was going through (see post below), and with the orders I already have, there was just not going to be enough time to make enough bears for a table at one show, let alone two. I decided I must cancel my show tables. Shows are my favorite way to sell my bears because I truly love connecting with my collectors as well as other artists, and I will really miss everyone.

There is some good news too, though. First, this week, my dad finally seems to have turned a corner with his healing, and it is such a relief to all of my family. (Thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts.) Second, those who have ordered bears will still get them in the next couple of weeks, but they will have to be shipped. Also, I will still be teaching the Trick or Treat Teddy workshop at the Chicagoland Show, I just won't have a sales table. (There are still two spaces left in this workshop. Follow the link to the right if you are interested in joining us!)



And the final bit of good news is that I have been able to finish five bears which have been waiting patiently for weeks in pieces for me to return to my studio!



(Click on any of the pictures to see them larger.)

First, come the twins. These are a pair of my Traveling Bears. Both are made for lovely patient collectors who ordered them a while back so they will be traveling home soon!



Next, is Bogart. He is a big hugger who measures 21 inches from his ears to his toes and sits about 15 inches high. He is made from curly mohair, and features my signature appliqued and trapunto sculpted paw pads and sweet open mouthed smile. He is available for $575. Please email me if you are interested. SOLD






Also available is is this sweet panda, Carmella. She measures 17” from her ears to her toes and sits about 11” high. The characteristic panda patches around her glass eyes are airbrushed for a sweet soulful look. Her irresistible, open-mouthed smile is created with careful scissor and needle sculpting, and hand-painted details. This little cutie has a roly poly chubby body made of two types of mohair. The white kid mohair is so soft and dense it is perfect for the scissor sculpting I have done on her snout. The tan mohair on her upper body arms and legs complements the white nicely. She is available for $515. Email me if you are interested. SOLD



Finally, we have Scruffy. Scruffy is a mischievous fellow who has been a challenge to his "mom" from the start! I had to stitch his nose twice and his ears four times. And he insists on waving his left paw in all the photos instead of curving it gently downward as my pattern dictates. Never have I had a bear so cantankerous! Even so, when I finally finished him, and added his checkered bow, his sweet smile melted my heart. Scruffy is made of dense kid mohair and he stands 17" tall, and sits at 12". Scruffy is available for $515 as well. If you are interested in adopting this naughty little fellow please email me. SOLD


Since my bear making time is limited, and I have orders to fill, these three will be the last bears available directly from me this year. (Teddies of Mt. Holly, and My Friends and Me may have some of my work available still.)

Thank you to all my collectors and artist friends for your support this year.