I will be announcing a new goth doll listing this evening, but for now, I have these altered keys to show you.  I just listed them this afternoon.  As you can see, I am still repurposing things and loving every minute of it!  At least these keys won't be in a land fill for a while! 
Someone wrote and asked me if I solder or glue the embellishments on these pieces. I use glue! E6000 to be exact. It is the recommended glue on several jewelry sites.  I have used other glues, like Aleene's jewelry glue, but it's not as good as E6000. One time I accidently left a brooch on a top and it went through the washer and dryer. The pin that I had glued on with E6000 was still firmly attached when I found the brooch. 

I am starting them at a very low opening price of only $5.00. I think they are so neat and such great conversation pieces. I'm not repeating any of the designs, although some may be similar.

Thanks for popping in to look at them!
http://www.ebay.com/sch/toodlesocks/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Altered key pendant

I am back into making one of a kind jewelry again! This time, I'm altering vintage keys.  It gives these keys a purpose again. They won't go into a land fill anytime soon!  I do love salvaging old things and finding new uses for them.  I know others are doing the same, but each of us puts our own slant on our repurposing.  I used new and old jewelry findings on my pieces. 

If you want to see the pendants I have available, please go to to this Ebay account. I don't list them under my toodlesocks account. That is strictly for my sculptures. I will be listing two new sculpts soon!  For now, here is that link to my other listings:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251233693908?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


http://www.ebay.com/itm/251233638085?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

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

Going going gone!

My baby fairy in the altered matchbox just sold directly from facebook. I will be making another one and plan to show pics of my work in progress (WIP) so please stay tuned!

I do have a darling new "dictionary orangutan" that I will be listing on Friday. His/her name is "Merriam"(I had already named a dictionary bear Webster). I use pages from vintage dictionaries to alter my work. While I was working on Merriam, it occurred to me that all paper dictionaries are soon to be a thing of the past. I can't remember the last time I used one for spelling or a definition.

Merriam and I will see you soon!

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!

A shabby chic dictionary bird, Harmony

Birds are really popular right now and I have so much fun sculpting them! If you are new to sculpting, a simple bird might be a great place for you to start since they have no joints and are a fairly simple sculpt. Alter them or add your own embellishments to make them OOAK. Altering and dressing are often the most fun stages of creating or sculpting for me. Start keeping bits of lace, ribbon, extra buttons that come on clothing, and even books you don't want to read or have already read. Use the pages to make medallions or to cover a box.

Spring has sprung, indeed, and Harmony would be such a perfect and one of a kind gift for anyone who loves gardening or the outdoors. Or, you just might want to keep her for yourself!

Here is her auction link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170840086495?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

A Baby Parrot, Lola!

Birds are popular right now and when I saw that baby parrots are white, I just had to make a shabby cottage style one! So, here is Lola. She is a very needy little being and just wants to know if she is loved. I altered a box for her, as I have been doing for all of my recent work. She can be displayed on it as I have done in the photos.

Here is her auction link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170793860200

Stellaphant the elephant! Shabby Sweet!

Her name started as a joke. My sister, Gina, and I were trying to think of a name for her and I said "Stellaphant!" Surprisingly, Gina liked it, so I went with it!

I am going to list this little elephant on Ebay this afternoon and will post the link here for you. She will come to you in the adorable altered box that I made for her. She looks cute either sitting on the box, sitting in front of it...or, you can use the top of the box as a background for her. She is my latest shabby sweet OOAK dolls. She is jointed at the arms and legs. Her head is tilted a little to give her a shy, obliging look.

Her head piece is a flower taken from an antique doily. Her eyes are onyx and her ears and feet are embellished with lovely words taken from a reprint of an old label.

I won't make another one just like this one! Isn't this the white elephant you've been looking for???

Altered artisan necklaces special pricing and free shipping!

I am offering $10 off on my altered, or collage necklaces in addition to free shipping until December 18, 2011. If you see one you like, grab it now because I won't any of them exactly the same. No one else will ever have your necklace!

I am working on a new human baby sculpt, but am very busy putting up Christmas decorations and getting ready for relatives coming in from out of town so she is patiently waiting for me to finish her. I might get back to her in a few days, but then there is wrapping, baking, etc. I wish there were more hours in a day, or that I could get by with just a couple of hours of sleep.

I'll post here a couple more times before Christmas. In the meantime, enjoy the season!

Here they are! One of a kind necklaces!

Here are photos of my collage or altered necklaces that are available on my website. Please don't refrain from purchasing because you don't have a PayPal account. Write me at am803@aol.com for another payment option.
I love assembling these one of a kind necklaces. If you want something very unique to wear to the holiday office party or just to wear all year, these are for you! They are eye-catching. Believe me, when I wear one, I always get compliments and questions.