Edwardian Art Dolls at Dictionaryreader Shop

We've had quite a week here of snow, bitter cold, and closed schools.
It's a change from the slushy wet snow, this week it's been white powder
and all of the skiers and snowboarders have got to be on the mountain top!
It was 3 degrees F. the other morning. That probably drops us down to a
gardening zone 4 this year!

Many other "good things" have been happening too. I've completed a few
art dolls from clay. One deserves another until I have a little village!
Do see all of my completed clay handmade, hand sculpted dolls in my shop.
They are brand new, but created with Jane Austen, the Federal Era and
Edwardian Era in mind where possibly tea was taken more seriously and
fabrics and books were discussed every day! My kind of day.   

Art Dolls Clay by Dictionaryreader Edwardian Style

Penelope My newest handmade doll



Sweet from every angle




Some very sweet dolls have been coming to life here.

Penelope was made without molds with my own two hands


and lots of love and time went into her

I hope that is evident in her sweet disposition

when you create a doll you are the hairdresser,

the makeup artist, the fashion designer, etc

no two are exactly alike and each are rewarding to create

See more here



Edwardian Dress White Cotton For Summer

How we've waited for summer. The flowers and lushness it brings, but the other day we took photographs in the hayfield. The lighting is the best in the evening and the rolling green hills remind me of the English Pride and Prejudice hills. My daughter has a few vintage Edwardian dresses that she purchased and I love the details and lace on the cotton fabric. They are light, lacy and elegant. It gets me in the sewing mode handling the the delicate fabric and seeing all of the hook and eye closures. It was a dreamy era of white clothing that I wish would come back even if it's just one day a week. Our wild violets were blooming months ago, but we have these violet plates that keep the blooms alive all summer.

Connecting up with Kathleen on White Wednesday  , Savvy Southern Style,  A Southern Daydreamer,  Debra at Commonground,  French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home

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Handcrafted Westie Wood

This beautifully handcut Westie trivet comes from Dach Crafts, a small Scottish company from Aberdeenshire. I saw this and just had to share it. Such a sweet face.

You can visit their online shop.

Mixed Media Elephant Art Paper Mache Sculpture

"How much do I love you?" Elephant asks.
"This much," Elephant exclaims.

When you were little were you one of those kids that wanted an elephant? I was. I told my mom I wanted a monkey, too. (She was secretly horrified, but didn't show it.) Those were just a few of the many things that I remember asking for. My mom calmy thought it impossible to keep them as pets. It didn't stop me from dreaming and wondering about them. If a horse could pull a wagon surely an elephant could do just as good or better. No?

I've created an elephant, not any elephant, but Elephant Love! You see it's telling us how much it love's you. It was made by my own two hands with a wire underbody for support and then paper mache, gesso, paint, antique wash and varnish in that order. It took a few days dry...while I thought of other elephants.

For more information and pictures view it here. You could be the keeper of this elephant. (Your Mom won't mind at all.)

Art Dolls Alice Mixed Media Sculpture

Alice in Wonderland so short and sweet with her pet rabbit handsculpted by myself. They were hand sculpted, hand painted, hand antiqued and hand varnished. I love working with clay even though I'm new at it. I really never dreamt I could make sculpture but it's not much different from painting. You just turn the clay around and around and work as you go. This is my version of Alice so small and sweet. It is up for sale on etsy.

Designer Paper Dresses for Dolls?

I've been working with paper mache lately. It's a love hate relationship that teeter totters back and forth during my day. I love the rough bumpy texture most of all.

The dislikes are mainly one: It takes a few plus days to dry. Patience is required.

But it is forgiving medium. You can add on after it's dried. If you are antiquing there are all sorts of crevices for the antiquing gel to find. It is lightweight! It adheres to almost anything. You have to love it before and after the few days you dislike it.

Today on Crescendoh.com Christine, a dollmaker, pointed us to Isabelle de Borchgrave a Belguim artist. Do click on the link to see some pictures on google of her dresses. She is into every medium there is and excels at all she puts her artistic mind and hands to. Her paper dresses are mouth dropping. You can add fabric to paper mache, but to make a paper dress to go with the dolls is such a fantastic idea. More on this at a later post. For now I must worry about the hands and feet.

The above photograph is the creation that Isabelle de Borchgrave and Rita Brown made of Jackie Kennedy's gown that is an exact paper reproduction. Amazing. (Can you imagine the patience these two ladies have?)

*The best part is that Isabelle is coming to the United States. She has a number of books on amazon.com. Best of all a pop up book! Her website is here. You can buy books directly from her website. For up to the minute information about her work and visits she is on facebook
here.

Wooly Dogs

Magnificent in miniature. These two terriers will steal your heart. Each one is tiny and are handmade, wool felted dogs.

FRIDA KAHLO Primitive Dolls

Frida's birthday celebration continues here which started on July 6th. This delightful and adorable Frida Kahlo doll is the first in the Frida Kahlo Birthday Dolls. She has been sold and is off to her new home, traveling with her cat close. Who needs a cat carrier when you have two loving arms? And cats attract birds or is it the other way around? How could you make Frida dolls and not make her some animals and birds for company?

My dolls are handmade from my original designs and each is handpainted and not on printed fabric. It is like my pantings have come to life in 3-dimensions. Each art doll is a one of a kind doll which makes them extra special and squeezable. Check back for more.

Frida Kahlo Birthday Dolls-Portraits

I am offering one of a kind Frida Kahlo Birthday Dolls this week to honor Frida's birthday today, July 6th!

Each one is handcrafted, handpainted and signed by myself. Frida stands upright by herself. Like most artists we craft what we like so it's hard to part with these dolls, but I know they will go to other art lovers.

To think, on this date today, her mother held her in her arms for the first time 103 years ago.

Recycling to Art Sculpture Mixed Media

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I saw this lovely work of art today... And I am inspired! We have lots of little of old hardware pieces tucked away that were here when we moved here. Now the possiblities are becoming very clear what to do with them. Here they've used a crate, old watering can, a faucet spout and it's adorable and hanging on the outside of their old smoke house turned potting shed. The weathered colors are so calming.



Have any of you made anything like this before?

White Rabbit of Alice in Wonderland Handmade Doll

Here is Mr. Rabbit known as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. I handpainted and stitched and filled this wee fellow hoping he would come to life and hop off of the table. Maybe I set his watch to the wrong time? The set of dolls were really fun to make. Come back to see the others.

I'm handpainting more and they are for sale on ebay.

Primitive Folk Art Sculpted Black Americana Doll

Dollmaking is an art that does not grow old for me. I've always thought of myself as a painter and not a scupltor. That changed a few weeks ago when I started my very first clay dolls!

I tried to sculpt Valentine from one of my black folk art paintings. I must confess I enjoyed painting her the most when creating her. Sewing is another creative avenue.

Valentine's hair is pulled into a side bun. She stands 20 1/4-inches tall. Straight and elegant. Valentine is up for sale on ebay now. Just type candylei in the search box. Be sure to stop back in to see my other dolls that are nearing completion.

Making and Shaping a Paperclay Folk Art Doll

To begin just get your hands wet and start shaping your doll. Have a bowl of water at hand to keep dipping your fingers in and keep shaping. My dolls will look like the girls in my paintings so I shaped them accordingly.

I attached the clay to the stair rail spindle and then finished shaping it. This clay attaches itself to most everything and it shrinks a bit as it dries. The railings are a great way to give your dolls height and, if attached to another block on the bottom, keep them standing securely.

Drying times vary, but give it a few days to cure or fully dry. The paint works as a sealer so it's important that it be dry first before painting.

Here I have started painting my black americana girl. I put a close-hanger wire through the upper body to make space to attach her arms. You can use wire, small dowls, string and buttons to attach arms. I don't think I will use this fabric but it was handy for the picture and it does look good against her facial coloring.

Paperclay is super to work with. Keep it wet and you don't need many tools. Your fingers can smooth out everything as long as they are wet. A wet sponge buffs it like a light sanding when it's wet. You can also sand when it's completely dry. I've heard people say the finished doll looks like china. Especially with a glossy finish.

For this doll it took 1 1/3 packages of paperclay. 6 oz. packages. Check back for the finished doll! She will be up for sale on yes, you guessed it, ebay.

Primitive Wooden Spool Doll Making Frida Kahlo

Fiesta Frida is a Wooden spool doll with that primitive look we love. The colors are so Frida and the bright fringe trim that was wound around the spool makes her beautiful mexican skin colors shine. Her headband is removable. I just finished Fiesta Frida this afternoon and it is for sale on ebay.



Stay tuned for my paperclay doll. I will (!) post pictures tomorrow when the lighting will be the best. I do believe I have been bitten by the dollmaking bug again. Frida has some friends in the making.

As with all artists we have MANY ongoing art projects! Tomorrow I hope to finish another project, too and try NOT to start any new ones! But that is not a promise.

Stop by my etsy shop if you like.