Sanibel, a shabby cottage fairy

One thing about shipping a jointed doll is that I don't worry much about breakage. They are just not as likely to break at certain places like the shoulders and hips as with a non-jointed sculpture. In fact, although she is not a toy, an older child might enjoy playing with her, but gently.
I wanted this doll to look "long forgotten." Her eyes speak of an old soul that is from a different time. I like to capture the feeling that a doll has been cast aside by some little girl long ago....one who has moved on to more grown-up things. The doll sits and waits for someone to discover her again, wonder where she has been, and what she has seen in her "better times."
I let my husband name this doll. He didn't hesitate for a moment. The name just came to him.
Sanibel has an antiqued face, simple hands and fingers without a lot of detailing. She is one of my more primitive pieces. Her eyes are onyx, her dress is coffee stained silk, and she has hand made wings from a vintage butterfly print.
Her legs and arms are long and willowy. She has a delicate build.
To visit her auction please copy and paste this link into your browser.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170818690556?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Thread jointed fairy, Nella & a knot tying tip

I wanted to sculpt a simpler style fairy, one without as much realism as I try to put into my usual fairies. I came up with Nella. I used black onyx beads for her eyes rather than handpainted eyes and I like the look. I think they give her a "impish" look. I have really been enjoying tearing up old books and using the pages and covers for my sculptures. For this little girl, I pleated wings from paper from a vintage dictionary, one of those old kind with the real thin pages. For the bodice of her dress, I used some canvas from the cover of another old book. I cut out part of the definition of "fairy" from the old dictionary and used it to accent the bodice of her dress. Her wings are secured with a snippet of thick antique lace that I cut out of a doily.
I certainly think twice before throwing out any little piece of ribbon, lace, jewelry finding, or any other odds and ends because I love repurposing and using unexpected items for accents in my work! Even the tiniest little left over piece of antique doily gets put to use, eventually.

I received a question about how I keep my thread tight when I am thread jointing. So, here's a tip. After I pull the two threads together the first time, I put a bit of Fabritac on the thread before I finish the knot. I use double strength thread so there is no chance of breakage over the years.

Here is the link to Nella's auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170799514319

baby fairy, Aspen, available for purchase

I am offering baby Aspen for only $29.00 here on my blog. If you are interested, please email me at am803@aol.com with "Aspen" in the subject box. Can he spend the rest of fall at your house?

OOAK fairy baby WIP

While I have been working on my baby bunny, I have also been working on this baby fairy (I make use of the time that I have one curing in the oven). Here is my baby fairy, which I think I will finish with a Victorian look. I know she looks pretty shocking without arms, but I will "transplant" her forearms and hands tomorrow. If you want to see how I sculpt hands, go to my hand tutorial here on my blog. I sculpt each finger individually. Cutting them into the hand just doesn't work for me, so I figured out my own technique.
You can also look at my thread showing you my technique for sculpting OOAK faces.
Happy collecting!

OOAK Baby Fairy in Antique Teacup

I posted a baby in an antique teacup on my website last night for a very reasonable price of $40. The teacup itself is worth more than half of that amount. I found the teacup in an antique shop in the city of Orange. It was made in Czechoslovkia. The baby is nestled in "fairy fibers" which sparkle like magic. The baby is tiny, only 2 inches long (not counting the tip of her hat), yet very detailed. Here's the link to my site:
www.toodlesocks.com

Back to my OOAKs and soldering for 2011

After a very fun and very busy Christmas (two trips back to Ohio in December), I am nearly ready to start on new pieces for 2011! I have some new ideas in the works and can't wait to share them with you!

I am really into dolls and fairies with extremely white faces right now, so that will be one of my first projects. I plan to make some larger soldered pieces for wall hangings. As always, I probably have more ideas than time.

Alan is officially retired right now so he will be helping me rep my work to various local shops, particularly in the quaint city of Orange. I am also going to work on pumping up my website, which I have had to put on the back burner for a while.

See you soon!

Pixie Pink~OOAK baby fairy

This is my new jointed fairy doll that I listed on Ebay Monday evening. Her name is Pixie Pink! I used soft pink chiffon to make her dress. I love this shade of pink with brown. You can read more about her here at her auction site:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170528386505&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT

new OOAK fairy

Here is my new fairy, Breeze. She is currently up for auction on Ebay. I really like the lighting in the some my photos of her. They have a very ethereal look, don't you think?
As most of you know, I struggle with my Parkinson's shake in my left hand, so I am always coming up with new ways to make sculpting easier. I figured out a new way to sculpt hands. Not only is it easier, but they look much better and more realistic. I sandwich the fingers into the palm. Anyone interested in a tutorial? You may be satisfied with your current way of sculpting hands, but I have never been pleased with any of the most popular methods. The cutting method is just lousy, at least for me. I suppose it would work with bigger sculpts like Nicole West's whose are about 9inches tall, but my beings are very small and to cut the fingers and then shape them is next to impossible. Actually, I sculpt much smaller than the "big girl" artists like FITA.
I was planning for this new one to be a little older than she is, but sometimes the clay leads you down its own path.
Off to the gym, and then more sculpting this afternoon! I have a jointed fairy baby that I am just dying to finish!

Lula and her pet mushroom

I listed Lula on Ebay last night and she sold almost immediately. I used Living Doll clay to sculpt this one. It was fun to use a different clay, but I am going back to ProSculpt. I think it's easier to smooth and is more seamless, but Lula turned out pretty cute!
I do have another doll to list later today. She is another Living Doll piece. I don't have photos yet, but will post them later today. She is a child fairy on a pedestal. My dolls are usually free standing or sitting and don't come with an elaborate setting. That's just my preference. I like to sit them on books, nestle them in crooks and crannies...just like any regular house fairy would do!
More later!