That was quick

Ashton Drake's Catherine Middleton porcelain bride doll. The tiara's not quite right, but the dress looks good. Also they do say "fully poseable."

Mixed media to the max

I was browsing at the Recycled Art Dolls Flikr site and I found Lisa Rupp's repurposed and recycled dolls and dogs - Mixed Media Max. I love mixed media and found object art in general. I like the sheen many of these old wood pieces have, as well as the humor of the faces. You can buy her sculptures from her Etsy store.

Rabbit Round Up

Here is a selection of offerings from Etsy.

A Little Catty, whose work is perennial in these roundups, has a sad faced cloth bunny gnome, Bambi Bunny, amongst others.

The Snippet presents Contemporary Folk Art dolls including Bunny and Ellie.

A ten inch tall polymer clay and cloth OOAK Bunny girl is by Xpression Dolls.

She's Built for Speed is a gourd doll by Mamagourds.

There are quite a few prim style Easter Bunnies, including one from Dumplinragamuffin and Baggaragg's Magnolia's Parasol. Piecakeprimitives has a Spring Easter Folk Art doll that is very sweet, and not a bunny.

Also prim style are the hand painted Bonnie Belle Bunny Rabbit by Mustardseed and Miller Campbell's Bunny Rabbit Easter Doll.

The yarn afficianados are not left out.

Lazy Muse's Amigurumi Bunny has a lot of personality.

Out of the Frame offers an Amigurumi Love Messenger bunny.

MariannW's Hand Knit Bunny Rabbit in a Cashmere Dress has a lovely old fashioned prim look, as does Cuteycritter's Barnaby Bunny handknit.

For a dose of cute, try Totally Timmy's adorable needle felted White Easter Rabbit, or Grimitive's Needle Felted Jelly Bean bunny, all dressed up in pink.

You can knit your own bunny from one of the patterns at Dawn Toussaint's shop, including the sweet lop eared Laurel.

Chubby Creepy Bunny Plush is a minature that comes from Estonian shop 5erg.

Nonesuchgarden has some beautiful sewn felt bunnies in sweet gelato colors that are adorable, including Clover.

For something on the odd side of whimsy...

Here's Fiona Art's Easter Butcher Bunny.

Loopy Boopy has a couple of big eyed bunnies including Roy the Rabbit Boy Strange.

Clothmoth has a whole troup of embroidered bunnies that are beautiful including Mommy Bunny.

Pictured is Sir Cedric Goodhead's Harelequin the Rabbit Jester.

Tickletoot's Wooden Art Doll Bunnies are too cute.

Happy Spring

Gargoyle contest

My Feenix is sponsoring an art contest to create the visuals of a fictional creature, which includes a 3D category.

They mention sculpture, paper mache or stuffed animal. The character is described in the fantasy adventure book, "Blood Trinity", out now.

There is one thing - they do say that if selected as a finalist, you send in your original piece but it will not be returned. So that is something to consider as a doll maker. The Grand Prize is $1000 plus other goods.

Knitted figures

Fiona Goble's latest book is "Knit Your Own Royal Wedding". I think it looks charming. Ms Goble has also written other books including "Fleecie Dolls" and one about soft Monsters.
Her flikr stream has more photos of her textile crafts and soft dolls.

RIP Dame Elizabeth

An extraordinarily beautiful repaint of the Barbie that looks photo real. Didn't you think at first it's a photo of the lady in her costume?

Here's Divine Dolls Creations page of Elizabeth Taylor face ups in costume repros from a selection of her best loved classic films.

Looks like the Franklin Mint portrait doll has sold out everywhere very quickly.

The "Father of the Bride" Barbie looks just like her from that sweet movie. Watch for it on TCM.

Colleen Babcock classes

Colleen Babcock will be teaching classes in the US and Canada during April and May. The full schedule can be found on her blog. She has one pattern that is exclusive to the class which is this very pretty Medieval stump doll lady with her cross stitch.

*new* Exhibit

The final show at the *new* gallery in Toronto will be Lois Schklar's "Thirty Years of Dolls".

The opening reception is tonight March 5, and then the show runs until March 20.

Lois blogged with Fiber Quarterly, seeking dolls from private collections for the exhibit. The fQaroundtown blog lists events, exhibitions and features the work of interesting Canadian textile artists. Worth browsing around.

Tiniest

Found on the beautiful blog of art doll maker Karagozlu Surey.

Highly Anticipated?

Or should that be constipated. It's been a while since I posted something with this particular tag.

I'm not sure which is more peculiar, the toy or the fellow promoting it. Also scroll down for a delightful coloring book page.

And the english translation is here.

Can't hardly wait.

IFDC Vegas

The International Fashion Doll Convention will be held July 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas. The theme this year is Wizard of OddZ. Should fit right in to Vegas.
The Registration is limited to 250 participants, so if you plan on going I wouldn't wait to register. At the website are links to a couple of Yahoo chat groups connected with the conference. In addition to lots of fun events, dinners, artists' gallery and the awesome competitions, there are a number of inexpensive creative workshops - furniture, accessories, face ups. Past year convention dolls have looked gorgeous. Oh and don't forget - costumes are encouraged!

More Scrumptious Miniatures

Here is the blog of recent follower Kathy Olaf-Obrenski of Wee Little West. In addition to selling her delicious looking miniature food plates, she holds regular sweepstake give-aways on her blog. The colors are lovely and the food is highly detailed and beautifully presented. She doesn't say on her blog what her materials are; I'm guessing polymer clay. I only wish that there was something to show scale in the photos, like a coin. Some of these are so incredibly realistic it's hard to believe they aren't life size. Too bad they aren't; they look so yummy.

Soldier in Action

Found by my husband on Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide - Rupert Valero, a soldier in Afghanistan is assembling very interesting figurative sculptures from recycled found objects. Some have a robotic quality. He is interviewed here with links to his flikr, and sells his work on his Etsy store.

In a Treasury

How nice to have "Journey" included in a beautiful doll treasury on Etsy! I'm in the good company of a bunch of other doll artists who have appeared here in the past.

Thank you to EarthenJewels, who makes very lovely hand made earthenware beads. Seems to be a theme today!

Baubles, buttons and bright shiny beads, ting-a-ling-a-ling-a

It's not dolls, but it could be wonderfully related. The Bead & Button Show will sparkle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 4th through 12th with the first five days before the sales floor opens filled with dozens of awesome workshops for every skill level. There's bead weaving, wire wrapping, lampwork, polymer clay and metal clay classes, and more. The whole conference looks absolutely packed.

Fees vary and usually include the materials. I notice from the website that some classes are already sold out, while others have limited space, so if you want to book, be quick. Also the age limit for many of the classes is "at least 12 years old" - so I love that the event is teen friendly!

While you are there, keep your eyes peeled for beautiful beaded doll maker, Dot Llewelyn. Thanks for the heads up, Dot.

Groundhog Day

Incidentally Feb 2nd is my wedding anniversary.

You too can celebrate Groundhog Day with one of these adorable amigurumi from Mooncreation's Etsy store. This one has a top hat. Or you can make your own with planetjune's pattern.

Bewilderandpine has a charming miniature polymer clay Groundhog with certificate for your observances. Order by Jan 28 for timely free delivery.

Raggy Rat has a very hairy faux fur groundhog in plushteam's store.

Zfla makes plush critters from repurposed sweaters including a Sweater Scrap Groundhog.

Violastudio also has a recycled boiled wool Bandit Groundhog softie.

Feb 2nd is also Imbolc on the pagan wheel, dedicated to rebirth, first stirrings of Spring, milk, and the goddess Bridget/Brigid (various spellings abound.) Carioca Witch has a small cloth goddess figure with  images and symbols hand embroidered thereon.

You can learn more about Brigid at TheVioletSparrow when you check out her miniature Brigid figure with her cow and candles. Be sure to read the description.

Rounding it out, pixadoodles2 has a selection of well priced corn husk dollies for your Sabbats.

Another amazing Russian doll artist

Anna Zueva's dolls are beautiful a thousand ways. There is a magical whimsy about the faces and eyes. The textures of the costumes and the sheen of the skin. The necks. I love her color combinations. They aren't naturalistic, they're stylized - yet you expect them move at any moment. Little living characters.

Anna works in multi media - paper clay, paper mache, textiles, acrylics. Her website includes some video slideshows of her dolls, with lovely music, and an appearance on Russian television, without subtitles - but you can see her painting a face up. Plus she shows how the adorable little vignettes are rearrangeable.

Thanks Christine Alvarado, who is no slouch herself, for the heads up via Facebook.

Middleburg

Susan makes beautiful prim style folk art figures and other designs using a 100% recycled paper pulp of her own concoction. Here Etsy store is beautiful, not slightly due to the bright, light quality of the photos. Can you say Shabby Chic? There are lots of beautiful items that will enhance your spring decorating.

But winter need not be forgotten. These sweet snow sculptures which defy the meagre label "snow men", were featured on her entertaining blog about her life, art and ecology in North Carolina.

Gorgeous convention in Philadelphia in May

The Doll & Teddy Bear Artist & Collector Convention is being touted as three conventions in one and will happen May 12-14, 2011 in Philadelphia.

The listed participating artists and speakers are a veritable who's who of art dolls, and the workshop and topic outlines sound very incisive and detailed. Many really get into the nitty gritty of techniques or will present insights into the creative process and doll history. Examples inlude Ankie Daanen's How to Make Shoes and Krystyna Poray Goddu presenting her book Dollmakers and Their Stories: Women Who Changed the World of Play.

The website is worth visiting itself for the participating artists' gallery, most images linking to their websites.

The beautiful doll pictured above is by Nancy Wiley, who has recently created 3D illustrations with dolls in backgrounds for a new edition of Alice in Wonderland.

A Sad, Bad Business

I have been asked by beautiful doll artist Yve Hooson of Freaky Little Things to pass on a warning about a serious, sad situation in the doll world.

Usually I am posting websites where you can see and purchase beautiful dolls or related products. However in this case the post is caution against dealing with a BJD distribution company called Dollfair which is unfortunately leaving a growing trail of dissatisfied customers and frustrated doll artists in its wake. Dollfair is trading under the several other names as well including Limwha, Enchantment Doll and Atelier Nouveau.

A blog has been set up to keep customers abreast of legal and other developments, and Anita Collins of Sleetwealth (who needs a feature here all her own!) has also elucidated her story from the point of view of a doll artist. More information and discussion forums can also be found at BJDCollectasy.

Sometimes even the best intentioned projects turn to sordid mush. It can be hard in the face of desire and illness and desperation to just admit defeat and stop. I worked on a movie project once that collapsed and no-one got paid, neither workers nor vendors. In the beginning it was all optimism and plans - but there was a point when those in charge should have pulled the plug and we would all have cut our losses.

So in the doll business as with any other, Caveat Emptor, and always read the online reviews of any company before sending them your money.