This is a very fun Etsy store

I've just discovered CurlyCueDesign - an etsy store that describes itself in part as "Steampunk Adjacent" - which I love. The collage style jointed paper doll puppets are really gorgeous and evocative. They come with small accessories, and you can get clothes for some.

Much ADO E-zine!

Click here for the beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Much ADO E-zine from Art Dolls Only. I sit amazed to see that all this beauty is free.

A collaborative effort with gorgeous art work, tutorials and useful information, this is a must for any art doll enthusiast, maker or collector.

I have a brief article in it (about the mini monthly challenges) and there are pieces from some of the most familiar and hardworking doll artists around. There are even downloadable pattern pieces included.

Summer Dreaming

Here is the blog of recent follower Summer Smith, Dreamspirations Gallery. I love the depth and clarity of her sculpts, especially what she can achieve with paper clay, and delicacy of her paint and chalk work. Scroll down past the fine crochet work for more sweet elves and other sculpts.

She also has an Etsy store.

Doll project on Kickstarter

I've found a few doll related projects on Kickstarter, and this ambitious one from Bezel Dolls, is current.

I'm posting it because it is doll related, even if it does have a bit of a "too good to be true" air about it. Let me explain. These folks intend to release licensed celebrity likeness dolls (aiming for extremely high resemblance) to the collector market, in both talking and non-talking versions, at what sound like rock bottom prices.

Now I love a good celebrity doll, and the company has a somewhat undefined relationship with incredible repaint artist Noel Cruz, who is "helping" with the designs. The photography on the project site is of his repaint/face ups of assorted fashion dolls that are amazing looking. These one of a kind dolls start at over $800 on Ebay, and the pictured Angelina BJD reportedly sold for $3,350.

In the light of these prices, using Noel Cruz's extraordinary dolls as illustrations feels a bit "bait and switch" in referring to dolls that will retail at under $40, if you know what I mean. The project is certainly a lesson in marketing and promotional buzz generation - google Bezel Dolls and see for yourself. Everything on line seems to be self generated.

However other than saying the Bezel dolls will be good likenesses and will wear clothing reminiscent of styles the celebs have worn, there is very little info about the proposed dolls themselves. I gather from looking at the shipping box size (for the rewards) that they will be 11.5 inch fashion dolls - but do they have joints? What kind of hair? How many will be made of each edition? I have to believe that at the price points they are not going to be hand painted, or very limited editions. But then again look what Jason Wu could achieve for amazingly low prices.

So I guess, since I am here to promote doll art and doll collecting, if you have $25 (+ shipping if outside of US) to spare for something sight unseen and brand new then maybe go for it. I honestly don't have any idea what the doll will look like when you receive it - but they say they are going for Nicki Minaj, so it should be colorful at any rate.

Boxcar Fair

OK, they have all their funding, but you can still be part of something wonderful.

Here is another amazing puppetry and film art project from Kickstarter. The project is awesomely cool, as are the artists participating. There is a nice video summary showing some of the automata in action.

The puppets are from the mind and hands of Tom Haney. You don't want to miss these. Many of the gallery items have quicktime movies of the delicate, whimsical motion. Click on the most recent figurative vignettes in the portfolio to find work in progess shots, interior workings and design sketches. (Love seeing other artists' processes!)

Steampunk Animals

New Jersey artist, Tere Hurst makes gorgeous anthro figures and animals. One store sells sweet little figures of cloth and paperclay, including pins, that look like they stepped directly from the pages of Peter Rabbit or The Wind in the Willows. In another the animals are steampunk characters and Victoriana, sculpted and delicately painted. There's a simple clarity to the shapes and colors. Steampunk but still sweet, rather than gritty. A blog for the dolls, and another for the creative journey.

Coupla Etsy cloth doll artists

Amanda Sue Myers is a tattoo artist with a line of pretty cloth dolls in her Etsy store. They have big painted eyes with a painted illusion of deep 3D and layers of costuming.

Jennifer LoveJoy, with her shop JenFey, makes beaded and embroidered Dragons, Animals, Fairies and cloth Spirit Dolls with beads and embellishments.

Just like 'em. Different from the usual, different from each other.

Here's an Etsy Sale

Shabby Chic Shreds is having a big sale, including a bunch of cute prim style art dolls, to celebrate a wedding. Hit the store, enter the coupon code MUSTHAVEIT and get a nice discount.

Then go ahead and visit Evie's interesting and pretty blog.

Brigitte Doerner

This is the web portal to the fascinating world of a puppet maker and doll artist, Brigitte B. Doerner of Czech Republic. There are links to blogs and etsy - but the most interesting part is the step by step photo essay detailing the carving of a marionette. Be sure to follow the Projects links.

Free Tee Tute

Here is a tutorial and FREE downloadable pattern for a tee shirt for 18" dolls - would probably also fit 16" American Girls with little fuss. Thank you New Green Mama.
That is all.

She's A Pirate

Noticed on Craft Magazine...

Here is the website for "She's A Rebel" a short stop motion animation film being independently realized by artist Daisy Edwards. The site documents the process and progress with lots of cool WIP stuff early on as well as shots of the working puppets and sets. Really cool to see and read. The story, by the way, is about a female pirate.

Win a Bear, Oh what a cutie bear.

Oh yes, this is a truly adorable little bear. Go here to Wendy Walker's site and scroll down for all the deets on winning this sweet wee jointed bear, and see all her other beautiful and prizewinning miniature work.

All Things Small

All Things Small is a maker of highly detailed miniature plants and flowers for doll houses and other miniature uses. They are so pretty and fresh looking. I especially love the potting station. The material used for most of these plants is rice paper. Also available from the simple and clearly organized website are kits, tools and accessories.

The sizes for each flower pot or basket are in the descriptions. Once again, I wish miniaturists would include something standard like a coin for visual reference in their photos. But you can't have everything.

Haunted Dollhouse

Here is a Flikr set of an interesting miniature doll house. The Blogess isn't usually about dolls, but this is a cool thing to examine. Can't show a photo, but do follow the link.

Wee Peeple

Kendra Niagra's website, Wee Peeple Dolls, is huge and fun, and her cloth dolls and animal totems are beautiful. Clearly she has a delightful sense of humor. But seriously, the website goes on and on. Just keep scrolling. And there are stories too.

I especially enjoyed exploring her recycled materials tutorials.

Contest to win Supplies

This might seem a little odd for a doll post, but the products are wonderful. I'm on the ScraPerfect design team and of course I use the Best Glue Ever, Embellie Gellie, Perfect Crafting Pouch and Perfect Cleaning Cloth in my scrapbooking and paper crafting.

But they are also fantastically useful for doll making. The Best Glue Ever is great for fabrics, as well as putting beads or rhinestone embellishments on to surfaces. The Embellie Gellie is a tool that I use for lifting and placing small items, as well as  holding small items down while I alter them. The Perfect Crafting Pouch prepares all kinds of surfaces - including fabrics! - for clean and crisp stamping or printing, AND is a fantastic mold release for polymer clay in silicon and other molds. The Perfect Cleaning Cloth is anti static and removes Pouch residue and cleans your spectacles beautifully.

HOW TO WIN? Go to Facebook.com/ScraPerfect and post a response on the thread that says: 

WANT TO WIN A PRIZE??? Just tell us where you heard about this contest for ScraPerfect Products.  We'd also like to hear questions or comments about our Magically Perfect Craft Products...Where's you first heard about them? What do you love about them? How you use them most?....

THE PRIZE: The Best Glue Ever, Embellie Gellie, Perfect Crafting Pouch and 2 Perfect Cleaning Cloths. 

Contest Details: Contest ends November 15, 2011. Winner will be drawn at random form the Facebook posts. Paid shipping to the US, as well as Israel & Brazil where we have DT members. (If winner is from another country, they may choose to pay shipping or forfeit the package.)

There are also TWO online articles:

Cool Techniques & Tools for Papercrafting

Courtesy of ScraPerfect Products
Create a card and learn how to instantly dry pigment without heat, archieve inkjet printing on vellum, apply glitter to acetate with no static cling, and more!

How to Scrapbook Using Homemade Adhesive Dots
Courtesy of ScraPerfect ProductsNeed tiny adhesive dots ones for beads or micro-gems, long ones for fiber, or giant ones for making flowers? Read how to make them any size or shape, save oodles of money, and be "green". 

More info and ideas at the ScraPerfect blog.

Lucille

Lucille Ball would have been 100 today. Google Search is marking the event with a vintage tv that shows clips from "I Love Lucy" on the search engine home page.

Mattel has been making beautiful portrait dolls of Lucy, sometimes with Ricky, sometimes with Ethel, since 1997. Here is a fan site with a list of the entire line. I didn't realize it was so many. As portrait dolls, they are very nice because they really do capture her face and her expressions and the costumes are splendidly detailed renditions of the tv show garments. We have a couple ourselves.

Franklin Mint released a beautiful 16 inch vinyl portrait of Lucy in 2002 to celebrate 50 years of Lucy on television. This doll had a bunch of wardrobe accessories including a trunk. Check collectors' sites for sales or auctions of that one.

Effanbee made a collectible Lucy doll in 1985, but in my opinion the face and hair looks more like Ginger Rogers than Lucy.

Finally, here are some Kelly dolls styled as Lucy.

Danger ahead

If you knit at all you will love Rebecca Danger's critters. She sells knitting patterns and sewing patterns that you can download instantly for cute animals and monsters too. Be sure to visit the FAQ tab for useful links to how-to videos and other helpful info. Now all you have to do is choose really cute yarn to end up with really cute stuffed toys.
Oh - want to try before you buy? Under the shop tab, she has some free patterns.

Upcoming Doll Classes in NM & NY

Marlaine Verhelst - Taking Care of the Chicken

Received from Ankie Daanen:


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Hello, Dear Dollfriends.
 
I like to let you know news about upcoming dollclasses.
You might be interrested!!
 
MEET ´THE DUTCH TOUCH´.
Marlaine Verhelst and Ankie Daanen will come to Albuquerque, NM!!!
In a five day class Marlaine will teach hand sculpting into airdrying stone clay, based on human forms and proportions
and painting the piece with watercolor.
Ankie will teach inspiring lessons in clothing and finishing the doll in a personal way.
All students will go home with a finished piece!
 
DATES: Monday October 15th through Friday October 19th, 2012.
PLACE: Sandia Courtyard Hotel & Convention Center, Albuquerque, NM.
Roomrates are $59,- for two persons, incl. breakfast / excl. taxes.
The total fee for the five day class will be $ 875,-, payable in three terms.
Kit fee will be $25,-, payable the first class day.
For more info on this class you can get in touch with Ankie: ankiedaanen@hotmail.com
 
ONE OPENING in the ´DUTCH TOUCH CLASS´ in Rye Brook, NY!!
DATES: October 25 through October 29, 2011.
For more info on this classyou can get in touch with our host Barbi Kantor - Goldenberg: dollart29@aol.com,
or with Ankie: ankiedaanen@hotmail.com
 
TWO DAY CLASS IN WESTCHESTER, NY, MOUNT VERNON:
Ankie will teach a two day class : how to make a ´doll out of the box´.
You will learn how to sculpt a fantasy dollhead and hands from air-drying clay.
How to make a body, how to paint and finish the doll and how to decorate a box-on-wheels and finish the complete project.
 
DATES: November 1st through November 2nd, 2011.
For info on this class you can get in touch with Gwen Jackson: mamagdolls@msn.com
Gwen has extra bedrooms for students.
 
NOTICE: Find out all about classes Marlaine and Ankie teach in August during the NIADA convention in Denver.
www.NIADA.org
 

by Ankie Daanen

*******************************************************
I've been to Albuquerque. The old town is pretty, there are nice Mexican food restaurants especially and there is lots of art to see in the region.


Please contact Ankie directly for more information. These are all wonderful opportunities to work with masters of the doll making arts.

Filigree Fantastic

I never ceased to be amazed and inspired the creativity in the world. I have just found the adorable and whimsical site for The Filigree, a Fairy Tale Newspaper. The site features information about the paper, gorgeous fantasy animals and anthro figures ("filigreetures") made using polymer clays over armatures and repurposed silk fabrics for the skin textures, Art Dolls and the most gorgeous Paper Dolls.

The paper dolls are a big feature of the Etsy store. The whole concept and brand is most intriguing.