Primitive Hand Sculpted nativity Holy Family

For the past few holiday seasons, I have sculpted my own version of the nativity, or The Holy Family.
I used to use Sculpey in ivory, but it seems that the company has discontinued that color. So, since I love all things white, right now, I decided to sculpt them in all white, including their faces.  I like my version because they are not cutesy or cartoon-ish like many hand made nativities....just my preference.  My intention is to make them look like a relics that have been found on an archeological dig.  Baby Jesus is simply wrapped in a clay swaddling blanket. Each is faceless.  I stained them to make them look very very old and primitive.  They would work well in a shabby chic setting.

I sculpted Mary and Joseph over an aluminum foil armature.  Each piece is very sturdy. This set would make a wonderful heirloom to pass down to children and grandchildren.

Here is the link to their auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170955048079

We Three Gnomes

Aren't these just too silly?  I love them!  These are my new "stocking stuffer" sculpts.  I have them sitting on an old window that is hanging in my hallway.  It makes a great prop for my shabby chic, cottage sculptures.  I sculpted them with white Fimo and sprinkled some fairy dust on their hats. 
Their noses are the only thing that shows on their faces!

Here is their auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170954384397?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

3 miniature shabby kittens!

I don't know about you, but I am always on the lookout for unique stocking stuffers.  I decided to offer my collectors some of my simple, primitive style pieces to put in their loved ones stockings or for giving to friends!

My first offering is set of cute miniature kittens in three different poses.  They are shabby chic and each has a ribbon and brass bell around her neck. I named them Snowball, Crystal, and Frost.  They would be a One of A Kind (ooak) surprise for any cat collector or miniature collector!  You could even break up the set to give to 3 friends. I think they are cuter together, though. 

I started them at a very low $6 which only covers my supplies to make them, so they are a great deal!

Here is their auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170953940011?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Mina Saychelle, a Goth ballerina

Mina is my latest doll, a creepy goth ballerina who, as the others, has a sad story to tell.  She waits and waits for her true love, a Russian dancer to return. He was called back to his country right before the revolution in 1917 and has never returned.   She comes with the bouquet of once white roses that he had sent to her dressing room right before he left. They are now browned and very old looking, just like Mina.

I had fun making those little roses. They are so simple to make, yet so dainty and cute!  I used wire for the stems and then painted it green, but  you could also wrap them with green floral tape.  I also enjoyed making her toe shoes.  I detailed them with little creases and used a soft, real suede for the soles.  I used satin ribbon for my dolls because it's so light and delicate compared to satin ribbon.  What I'm really happy with, however, is the rhinestone chain that I embedded into her clay hair.  I aged it first, then pressed it into the clay, making sure I had it lined up just right.

I save all kinds of snippets of lace, ribbon, etc. I had a tiny antique lace medallion that was perfect for the bodice of her dress.  I put a single rhinestone in it's center. 

Dressing is always  and exciting part of doll making.  I search through all of my findings to add finishing touches to each doll. 

Here is the link to Mina's auction!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170950101566?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Oliver is my new jointed beagle puppy!  I was afraid I couldn't capture the worried look I was going for, but I think I did it!  He is a miniature, only 2½ inches sitting and 3 inches with his legs extended.  I hope he finds a good home because he sure is a sweetie!  As I mentioned in his auction, he doesn't bark or shed!

Here is the link to his auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170941560005?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

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

OOAK baby elf sculpture

Snibby is my first sculpture for the 2012 holiday season.  He looks like he's been around for a long time. The mica flakes on his base and his snowball really add to the vintage look. I used glass eyes with blue irises for this little guy.  I wanted him to sparkled even more, so I added some fairy dust (fine glitter) to his silk ruffle, hat, and gloves.  I wanted the bell on the tip of his hat to look old, not shiny, so I used a brass antiquing solution to darken and age it. 

Six inch Snibby is removable from his base. rod in his leg secures him in his base. His snowball is removeable so you can place another tiny object in his hands.....a present, thimble, etc.

I listed this one for 5 days since we have not really gone into the winter season. 

Here is the link to his auction if you would like to bid or just look at more of his photos.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170931837576
 

Lulu, an OOAK newborn puppy!

This is Lulu, a sweet, tiny newborn puppy!   By tiny, I mean that she is 1½ X ¾ inches! I sculpted her from ProSculpt polymer clay so that she would have the "skin" of a newborn puppy and then I painted her with Genesis heat set paints and used a stiff bristled brush so that the paint would go on like hair and let the skin show through just as it would on a real puppy.

People often say "I wish they could stay little like that" when referring to a baby animal. Well this one will stay that way! 

Lulu comes in a cute little box that I altered just for her. I used vintage dictionary pages for a shabby chic look.  You can store her inside or display her on it.

Here is the link to her auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170928816123?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!

I've been away from my clay for a while. We went on a road trip up north to Lake Tahoe and Yosmite. It was a nice little get-away, followed by a few days in NewPort Beach, but I am more than ready to stay at home and sculpt for a while!  I am working on a new goth doll, but I made another  pumpkin with realistic eyes between stages of working on the doll and have it listed on Ebay for an opening price of only $1 !!! 

I taught myself how to make these realistic eyes and I'm really pleased with the look. They are so real looking that they are creepy! 

I promise to ship him within 24 hours of closing of the auction so that the winner will have plenty of time to enjoy him before Halloween! 

He has a real twig for a stem and is lightly sprinkled with fairy dust.

Here is the link to his auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170925189429?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

IADR featured artist for October

I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be the IADR featured artist for October! Please go to this link to see the interview!

http://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/Default.aspx?pageId=1423709

Goth white pumpkin face

I was at Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach yesterday. That's where people shop for high end holiday decorations for their homes. Unbelieveable prices! There were some paper mache pumpkins that had realistic eyes and they ranged in price from $400-$800! The only think that made them different from any other molded pumpkin was that they had realistic eyes. I have sculpted my own realistic faces on pumpkins before and was re-inspired to go home and sculpt some more! This time, I made my own glass-like eyes (my first attempt at this technique) and inserted them into my own little miniature pumpkin head! Rather than orange clay, like the one at Roger's, I decided to make mine white and stained for an old world look. This one is only 1¼ X 1¼ inches. I estimate that in proportion, it should cost about $100! So, I started it at $1 just for fun! Theirs appeared to be a reproduction as they had several, and mine is a one of kind original. So, see what you think. Here's the auction link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170916544640?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I just listed some simple little pumpkins, 2 with faces, and all coming in a cute altered box with an opening price of only $1 !!! They are really cute to sit with mini dolls and mini bears. I won't be making these much longer so please grab while you can! Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170915989474?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Annamaria, an opera singer who lost her voice

Annamaria was an opera singer circa late 1800s. She lost her voice after she gave her heart to a low down tenor who left her for another soprano. She walks the world looking for it. That's her story, sad but true. She will not rest until she finds it. She carries with her a note (hand sculpted) and a page of music from an Italian opera. People say that they have caught a glimpse of her in various hotels and theaters around the world. She shows up a lot during this time of year....in the fall when shadows are tall and beings lurk in the shadows. Maybe you have seen her.... Here is the link to her auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170915214764?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

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

Bob, a falling leaf ornament

"Bob" is my 4th falling leaf for the 2012 fall season. He is darker in color than the previous 3. His colors mostly burgundy/brown. The antiquing isn't as pronounced but he is still cute!

Catch a leaf while you can! I won't be making these much longer.

Here is Bob's auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170911910702?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

Baby falling leaf and Boston Terrier Puppy!

Baby Gus is my third leaf for this 2012 fall season. I thought about putting a pacifier in his mouth, but that is just too cutesy for my taste. So, he's just smaller than my first two leaves. I like showing my leaves in front of an antique window that I've found on a trip to Michigan many years ago. If you have an old window, it would be a perfect display for him!

I also listed a sweet little Boston Terrier puppy. This one has a particularly sweet face. I used plain old sculpey glaze on his eyes and nose. Sometimes I think it works better than the fancy stuff. I didn't put a shabby ruffle around this one. I opted for a red collar with a gold buckle (all tediously hand sculpted) because I thought it would contrast so well with his black and white coloring. He sits on a coordinated red and black box with the vintage dictionary treatement on the side of the box. You will find the definition for Boston Terrier there.
I hand painted this puppy's eyes using Genesis paints. I used acrylic for his body (white paint on black clay.

Here are the auction links:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170908839312?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170908836981?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

pumpkin head doll and mini pumpkins

I've been itching to make some spooky dolls for Halloween. Emma Boo is my first of these. Even in her spooky-ness, she still has the shy, obliging look that most of my beings have. She is wire jointed and very poseable because she is jointed, not only at the shoulders and hips, but at the elbows and knees. I have had a lot of fun posing her and hope you do too!

I like all of the irregularities in the clay because they accentuate the primitive, vintage look that I was striving for. The stain really brought them out. If you are using stain, remember that it must not be oil based or it will eat the clay. I used an acrylic stain that I have had for years. One bottle lasts a long long time!

I also listed some of my mini pumpkins. I altered a box for them. You can use it for storing the pumpkins or for displaying them. I am still into using old dictionary pages in my work, so you will find the definition for "pumpkin" and "pumpkin seed" on the side of the box. My collectors are liking that I use appropriate words and definitions for my work.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the colors, the characters that make their yearly appearances and everything that goes with the season.

Here are the auction links:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170906633611?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170906651937?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

"Rusty," my second Falling Leaf for 2012

Rusty joins Goldie in a trip to the ground this fall! He is a pretty burnt orange color and his eyes are a little closer set than his sister's, Goldie's.

I used a small antique window to display Rusty and it worked out very well!

Fall is my favorite time of the year. Even though Calfornia falls aren't as pretty as those in Ohio, the sun casts a different light and I still get that nostaligic feeling of school days and new beginnings! Rusty is certainly in for a new life on the ground. Maybe you would like to catch him in his fall and let him live at your house!

Goldie, a falling leaf ornament for fall or halloween!

I have listed my first falling leaf for this fall season. I make these only in the fall. Then, for the holidays, I will make some falling stars!

I have named this one Goldie simply because I made her from gold clay. I begin by using a real leaf to inmprint the clay. Sweetgum leaves work really well because they have lots of veins that the clay picks up and they are shaped nicely in general. Besides, I have two huge sweetgum trees in my front yard, so I never run out of leaves to use!

I came up with this design on my own. I have never seen a leaf, or a star created with arms and legs like nine. I hold copyright to these and hope other artists will respect that.

I hand sculpted each tiny toe and finger individually, just like I do for my dolls, so these leaves do involve a considerable amount of time and patience. For this one, I used black onyx beads for eyes, however, I may change the style of the eyes from time to time.

Goldie has a surprised look on her face as she drifts through the air to land in her new home.....the ground!

You can hang my leaves from a branch or from a suction cup in your window. Just make sure the suction cup is secure so Goldie doesn't arrive on the ground in pieces. She wouldn't like that!

Here's the link to Goldie's auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170903892683?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

New puppies! A chihuahua and a pug!

I listed two more puppies today! Muffin is a jointed baby chihuahua and Trudy is a pug. Don't ask me how I can still sculpt this small with the tremor in my left hand. For some reason, God doesn't want me to stop just yet! I have to lay my work on my desk to paint details, but I still manage to hold my work while I sculpt. These sculpts are pretty tiny at only 1½ inches tall in their sitting positions. I used to sculpt even tinier so that my work could fit in thimbles. I think those days are gone forever, but I still feel blessed that I am able to do what I do!

If you'd like to take a peek at these babies, here are the links.

Trudy the pug:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170899878055?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Muffin the Chihuahua:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170899888652?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Here's my newest sculpt, a sweet baby basset hound jointed "teddy bear style." I thread jointed him with extra strength quilting thread so that he will last for years to come. He is detailed with hand painted eyes and even has the faint line of red that runs through the bottom lid of bassets' eyes. My heart was really into this piece because we used to have a basset hound many years ago. He was a sweetheart.
I gave him the black, brown, and white coloring of our beloved "Milford."

Maggie comes in the cute altered box that you see in the photos. You can either have her sit on top of the box or use it as a background for display. I used a public domain reprint of a basset hound on the top of the box and used the definition of basset from an old dictionary on the side of the box.

Here is Maggie's auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170898848549?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

A finger monkey!

You've probably seen photos of them on the internet like I have. Finger monkeys are just darling! Would I ever like to hold one on my finger! I doubt I will ever get to do that, so I just had to sculpt one. Of course, I took artistic license, once again. The ones I saw in photos had dark hair, but I wanted to keep with my own http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifshabby chic look so I put white hair on mine and gave her a pale pink ruffle around her neck!

When she is not on your finger, she is quite content to hang around on a tapered candle for display. Just don't push her down on it so you don't break her little arms and legs. She does have wire armatures in them for extra strength, but she should be handled gently.

She is about 3 inches long, not including her little topknot on her head. You can read more about her here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170897123534

Miniature matchbox Teddy Bear

And here is my new tiny Matchbox Teddy Bear! I haven't sculpted this tiny for a long time. With medication for my tremor (Parkinson's) I find that I am still able to turn out a fairly small sculpture. This little bear is only 1¼ inches tall in his seated position. He sleeps inside a small matchbox. It's not one of the utility size matchboxes that I have used previously.
I have always loved tiny things, especially when they fit inside of a tiny box! So, the tiny thread jointed bear can sleep in the little box at night and then you can take him out and display him on top of his box during the day! I like the glitz on this box. It adds to the magic! I used a strand of rhinetones on the top and used an old rhinestone earring for the drawer pull. Altered things are the best!
Here's the auction link for Tiny Ted:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170889187741?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649