This is my most recent work, a baby orangutan named Martin. He was a commissioned piece for a collector in Nevada.  See his hands?   I sculpted them using my technique that you will find in my "hand tutorial" here on my blog.
Part 1:
http://toodlesocks.blogspot.com/2010/11/hand-tutorial-part-1.html

Part 2:
http://toodlesocks.blogspot.com/2010/11/hand-tutorial-part-2.html

No one ever taught me this technique. I came up with it myself. If I can make tiny hands and fingers while having Parkinson's disease, you can surely make them too!

"Poppy," a shabby sweet baby orangutan

Finally, after a few months, I have a new sculpture finished!  This baby orangutan's name is Poppy.  I haven't finished embellishing her box, yet, but as most of you know, my work always comes in a custom box. 

I work a lot slower than I used to because I have a tremor in my left hand caused by Parkinson's disease.  I'm too stubborn and determined to give up sculpting until my work all begins to look like little aliens.  I think it's still pretty good and pretty cute! I hope you do too!

Here is the link to Poppy's auction:

Poppy

Paulina, goth art doll....tight rope performer!

This is Paulina, my new goth doll. She was once a tight rope performer.  You can read her sad story here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171002501191?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I used a wonderful antique handkerchief to make the bodice of her dress. The umbrella, though very old and tattered looking, was quite challenging. I had to sculpt an opened umbrella and then collapse it to get it to look right.  I usually try to make at least one prop to go along with my doll and my story. 

Before you throw anything into the trash, ask yourself, "how can I use this in my work?"  Make art, not landfill!

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Clara Westerling, silent film star, is my first goth doll of the new year!  Her true love, on and off of the stage, was murdered on the studio's back lot and she mourns for him. His spirit haunts one set and she haunts another.....their souls never to meet again.  Tis sad.

She holds the movie camera containing his last images.

I sculpted her and her camera and have them listed on Ebay. I hope you'll visit her auction where you will find more of her photos.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170975399469

Priscilla, The Crazy Cat Lady

Yep, she's crazy!  She's obsessed with cats! Priscilla is my latest creation.  This is a 4 piece set, one black cat and three off white ones,and, of course, Priscilla.   You can arrange them however you like and Priscilla can be posed in several positions because she is wire jointed.  This doll has a clay ruffle around her neck, something I have not done before, but I like it!  I knocked off the edges with sandpaper before I stained her so that she would look old and worn.  She has polka dot legs, which area very whimsical.  I hope cat lovers can identify with this feline crazed woman!  I know she has more cats. I think she has then hidden somewhere in her house.  
I will alter a box just for her. Collectors who have my dolls know that they are quite lovely and artistic in themselves!  I use bits of lace, ephemera, photos, ribbons, etc......anything I can find to embellish the boxes.  You'll see! But you have to win her to find out!

Here is the link to her auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170937254518?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Creeda, the mortician's daughter

Maybe I have some goth in me, even at my age.  I am drawn to this look and even dress in black a lot.  Perhaps my love for all things spooky showed up in me as a teen when I was glued to the old black and white horror movies every Friday night.  

I have, however, read about goth on the internet and it's not all about spooky and certainly not about evil. Rather, it is an open mindedness about death, darkness, and everything we have been thought to fear. Would death be scary if we weren't taught that it is?  

I, for one, don't want to be afraid to die. I don't want to fear that I don't have enough faith to be "saved."  I believe that death is as natural as being born, just like Creeda believes.  I believe in a loving God that will not send people of other religions to hell because they aren't Christian, even though I was raised to think that way.

So, I think that I can honestly present goth art to you, from my heart.  

This is Creeda. Please read her story. She is sweet and so is her rat!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170926151403?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

And finally, with the new format, my links are active! Yay!

Here's something different from me, a pumpkin head altered bottle (sort of doll) that I named Vincent after Vincent Price. I am a long time aficionado of spooky movies, so I named him after Vincent Price. As a teen, I spent many Friday nights, staying up late with my best friend, Bonnie, watching those wonderful old black and white horror movies. I hand sculpted Vincent's head from Fimo and premanently affixed it to the bottle cork. I used various ephemera to embellish the bottle where you will find one of my hand pleated medallions with an antique bone button in its center, a reprint of an old post card, a "key," and part of an old necklace around the neck. I wrapped some coffee dyed torn silk around the neck for more of a shabby look. Oh, I stained the pumpkin head to keep with the antique or vintage look. I like him a lot! I hope you do too! Here is his link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170913225571?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Lillith, the forgotten bride doll

I feel like I have gone back to my roots with these primitive, folk art dolls. It's fun to be able to concentrate on creating a mood, a look, without having to concentrate so much on realism and perfection. In fact, the imperfections and flaws give these dolls the distressed look that is expected with an old piece.
I didn't really know where this doll would take me when I started with her. Along the way, I realized that she would be a sad bride. She waits for her groom that never showed, never to be seen again. I think you can feel her sorrow. Tear stains run down her cheeks. Her only friend and companion, an old pumpkin, sits by her side or on her lap. Her wait is neverending, an eternity.
She is jointed at the shoulders, hips, elbows, and knees so that she can be posed in many positions.

Currently, Lillith is sitting in front of a hinged black box on a black chest here in my home. You can see the box in the photos. I get to enjoy her for 3 days before she goes to her new home, where she will continue to wait, and wait, and wait.

Here is her auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170909987532?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

jointed miniature dachshund!

I'm so happy you all like my jointed doggies! Heinz, a sweet little dachshund, is my latest offering on Ebay. I am really learning about the features of these different breeds and all of the little nuances that sets one breed apart from the other. Still, they all have cute little pads on their paws, eyes that beg for love, and ears that listen for their master's voice.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love dogs. I love all animals, for that matter. Interestingly enough, I didn't have a dog when I grew up. In fact, I was afraid of them, for the most part. As a little girl, I would often climb up the nearest adult as though she/he were a tree if a dog came towards me. I just didn't understand them because we had never had one in the house. My husband, on the other hand, is "one with the dogs," having grown up with a wire haired fox terrier. I wanted our boys to know the love of a dog and along the way, I fell in love with these amazing creatures. I have loved them, lost them, and cried over them.
So, I sculpt these little miniature dogs with lots of love. I hope I capture the love that they bring with them when you adopt them into your home.

The dogs that I am sculpting right now are thread jointed. I put a hole through the body and then make two holes in the top of each limb so that I can tie a knot with the thread that joints them. This gives them an old fashioned "teddy bear" style. My work is not completely realistic. Rather it is "folk art" in that I do not adhere to specific proportions. I work from instinct and that gives them my look.

To visit my dachshund's auction, please use this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170903514524?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Alice sleeps in altered Morton salt box

You know how I love to alter everyday things! This baby sleeps in a cozy altered Morton salt box that I made into a cradle. She lies on a soft mattress that I finished with a blanket stitch. The box is embellished with one of my medallions that I make from old dictionary pages. It has an old bone underwear button in the center of it. The baby is wearing only a diaper and a sweet headband. It's summer, so she is staying cool! Read more about her here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170884122044

New! Matchbox baby, Eloise

I just listed this sweet matchbox baby this afternoon. She's about 4¼" long. I used an antique doily to make her hat and then I coffee stained her diaper to keep with the vintage look. I also used some old buttons in this piece of work. The pull on the matchbox is an old shoe button and there is a sweet little antique button on the back of her hat as well as one on the paper medallion on the matchbox.
I have a blond baby finished, but she is too big for a matchbox, so I will have to come up with some other clever presentation for her. Shipping on the matchbox baby is only $3 because she is under 1 pound and can be shipped first class. I never gouge people on shipping. I am not one of those Ebay sellers who make money from shipping fees. I don't like that practice.
Here is her auction link:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/170881185192?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Abbey Soot, my first goth child

Abbey Soot is my first goth child art doll. She has poseable arms (at the elbow) so she can hold her little teddy bear on either arm. She is 7 inches tall on her base and her bear is a wee 1¼ inches long. You can read the story about this little girl if you go to her auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170865751383?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Tip:
Maybe I have mentioned this before, but I always paint the left eyebrow first. It's easier for me to duplicate the same shape on the right side, rather than the other way around.

Fair maiden, Ciara~ poseable

She is so much prettier in person. I really must make a light box to photograph my work.

Ciara is not a fairy, but a fair maiden. She has poseable arms and legs. Wires go from her shoulders into her "elbows" and they also go from her hips into her "knees." She can cross her legs, sit with her legs bent on the edge of a shelf and you can put her arms in endless postions...very fun! How do I do that? I put some Super Glue in the tiny holes I put in the limbs before I insert the wire. You can also use a glue called Loctite, but I find that Super Glue works just as well.

Her upper arms are wrapped in lace. The dress is made of lace for the bodice, and the gathered skirt has three layers of silk, with the top one being habotai silk (shinier). I lightly aged her clothing with coffee. Her hat is made of clay and, like her dress, is non-removable.

Most of my dolls are....dolls. In other words, my intent is not to create a "real" being like some of the fairy makers. I am usually striving to create a doll that looks like it came from another time, like it has a history, or keeps a story about a little girl who used to play with it. That is what I love to create.

To visit Ciara's auction please copy and paste this link into your browser:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170856207186?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Altered matchbox fairy baby

I won't be able to list her for a couple of days, but I was excited to show you a preview of my matchbox baby fairy! I had so much fun altering the matchbox and making it look magical. I used an antique shoe button for the pull (you can't see it in these photos, but it was perfect!), some French ribbon, a metal corner with a tiny lock and key hanging from it, various French and fairy ephemera, and, of course, one of my pinwheels made from a page from a vintage dictionary. I named this baby Dorian. She slumbers in her very feminine and shabby chic bed. Her wings are made from transparency film so they gently bend to fit in her box. I made this baby girl anatomically correct.

Please watch for her auction to begin, most likely on Friday.

Altering tip:
Don't use liquid glue to adhere paper or card stock. Use only glue sticks so you don't end up with a lot of lumps and bumps!

New pieces coming soon!

I have a baby toucan ready to list! I'll be photographing him later today and, hopefully have him listed by this evening or by tomorrow afternoon. He's really cute! I am also at the dressing stage for my flapper doll.

My next sculpt will be a baby sleeping in a match box. I plan to alter the box so that it's feminine and shabby sweet.

So please stay tuned and don't miss out on these one of a kind sculptures!

Fifi, a miniature ooak orangutan!

This is Fifi, my new shabby sweetie that I have listed on Ebay. I hope you like her face as much as I do. I think it is sweet from all angles. She is 2½ inches high, perfect for someone who doesn't have a lot of room left for her doll collection. Here is the link to her auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170827828724?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I am offering free shipping on this one (within the USA)!

Louisa, a shabby wire jointed ooak doll

Louisa is my most recent listing. Louisa was sculpted from white clay that I aged for a shabby chic look. She is one of my wire jointed dolls. Jointing a doll's legs takes a little engineering. If the angles aren't right, she will not sit up. I cure the body before I finish sculpting the legs in order to get a good fit.

FYI, I will not be listing my dolls for under $49 from now on.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170822827169?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Pearl, a baby orangutan

I have sculpted another white haired orangutan! This one is wearing pink and is in a different position than the first one, which makes her one of a kind too! This one does not sit. She can lie in her box, or in the palm of your hand (where she would really like to be!). I named her Pearl. It seemed a fitting name for this little girl.
Tomorrow, I am going to list something completely different from my past sculpts, so please check in. I spent today taking pics and formatting the listing. That, in itself, is quite a job.
I am working on a baby giraffe. I do folk art interpetations of most animals, so proportions are not as important to me as the overall look and expression.

I finished a cottage style bunny girl today! After much thought, I decided not to sell her. She will go to my grandbabies. I just can't let go of some pieces.

I sculpted her face before Christmas and had no idea she would become a bunny! We are having some spring days here in southern California so I guess I have been hit by spring fever!

I will be working on another shabby sweet animal,and maybe another bunny child. I am thinking "flying pig!"

wigging tip

To make part in my dolls' hair, I sometimes find it looks more natural to indent a line into the doll's head, while it is still unbaked, rather than just tucking the hair under and gluing it directly onto the head. After baking, you can tuck the weft of hair into the indentation. Just make sure you have cut a clean straight edge on the weft before inserting it into the indented line. The edge of the hair should have a thin line of glue on it. My favorite glue for wigging is FabriTac. It's a bit difficult to use because it gets stringy, but once you get used to it, you will find that it adheres almost immediately and bonds with the clay.
You can indent a "T" shape into the head for inserting bangs with a center part.

I would love to show you photos of this technique but I haven't sculpted since my surgery. Between physical therapy and doctor appointments I haven't been able to get into my sculpting mode. Soon, though, I hope!