Do It Yourself Girl Illustration Garden and Farm

How was your Christmas holiday? We had a white one here and it's still white out.
It really is beautiful but if you are not bundled up properly it feels like the North Pole. We run around outside looking fluffy but that means warm and the wind bypasses us.

I've started some new artwork and have a few listed in my etsy store  Dictionaryreader. How many out
there are do it yourself-ers? I know there are many. So here is a little grouping of art
I did for all of us.

Happy New Year is soon! No dieting til then. ;-)

Seeds catalogs are my good friends!

Original Frida Kahlo Painting by Candylei

Making Room

Frida Kahlo's two cats are very creative. One empties out the clothespins to make room for the two of them. Cozy cats. The cozier the better. Here all of this time Frida Kahlo thought it was the birds emptying them out. (Birds would probably fill it up with their 'junking' treasures, I believe. We have birds that are trying to fill up all of our chimneys one stick at a time.) Cats are curious and cats are clever.


Original painting for sale on ebay.

Alice in Wonderland Movie Costume Designer Colleen Atwood

Just one week left before Alice in Wonderland comes to town. Colleen Atwood the movie's costume designer has already won two academy awards for best costume designs in "Chicago" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." She has been nominated a number of times...Little Women, Sleepy Hollow, Beloved, Todd Sweeney, and Nine to name a few.

Tim Burton's 3D Alice in Wonderland movie is set in Victorian times with lots of fabric, trims and details and both imaginary and real. Alice is not a child, but a young woman. Can't wait to see the movie stills. The movie trailer teaser is just that. Hardly shows enough to satisfy our curiousity at all! We want to see more of the fabrics, clothes and hats!

To quote Colleen, "It's going to be amazing!" Read her interview here.

Bright Star Movie Costume Designs

Janet Patterson did an outstanding job with designing Fanny Brawne's clothes in the movie Bright Star. She designs 19th century costumes with whim and attention to details. For the above soft pink dress and coat she said, "I used the romantic valentine theme to select the fabric..." and she was off with her imagination and style. The dress is adorable.

While we are snowed in here in Maryland (I'm really understanding old-fashioned snowshoes now, not so beautiful but very, very helpful) sunny Los Angeles is hosting the 18th annual "The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" at the museums and galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The costumes from the academy award nominees are on display. Winner will be announced in March 2010. The fun part is that Janet Patterson's costumes are there from the movie Bright Star! Also showing there are costumes from "The Young Victoria", "Nine" and "The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus."

I am beginning to really notice details on dresses because my dolls are somewhere between the romantic 19th century to the primitive peasant style to painted cloth dresses. I'm just starting to add ruffles to my dolls dresses. I saw recently laid my eyes on some antique dolls that were wearing accurate period clothing from the time frame they were made in. Amazing costumes. Very elaborate. If that doesn't motivate you to experiment and design with more detail!

I shall practice a few male costume designs on my westie dog, Sir Salty, first. How much clothing can he handle? He doesn't like hats that much or anything slightly binding.

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.

What is paperclay or paper clay made of?

Paperclay is a brand name for a clay that is used in many primitive style dolls for the shaped heads, arms, and feet. Many animals, dragons, mini dollhouse items, and jewelry are made from this clay. It is all natural, biodegradable, and non toxic. If you're like me you turn the package upside down and all around to find out exactly what are the ingredients? Okay non-toxic but what?

The answer: volcanic ash, talc, water, starch, wood pulp and preservative. That is rather unusal, but neat. My package said it was made in Japan and I purchased it at Michaels here in Maryland after stopping at a Michaels in Virginia where it was sold out!

Paperclay's website has craft ideas and a short video from martha stewart on their website. Paperclay.

I am having a bit of fun with some now and will post the results soon. It's always fun to try something new and this is new for me. It is already a dream to work with.

Three Homesteaders/Primitive Girls Painting by Candylei

A new painting that I listed today on ebay.
Link to auction. I feel there is a misconception about the term homesteaders and what they might look like. No flannel shirts here! Homesteaders are very crafty, creative and artistic lot. These homesteaders are little seamstresses and their hearts are made of gold.

I shall tell you about the little black kitty who is named "little crow" because she likes to play with shiny things...like marbles. Crows love to gather little glimming, glittering things that man leaves along the road and adorn their nests with them.

So many people who have "made it" are turning to little farms with chickens, goats, and sheep. Reese Witherspoon is one. I could name many others. It is a beautiful thing to live so close to nature and I feel it fuels the creativity in a person. And, okay, it keeps the washing machine busy, but there is fresh flowers on the table.