ART DOLL COOL-ABERRATION 2010

Prince update

2011-11-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

I should have posted this a while ago. It's a funny story.

So I put the Prince on the high shelf with my other most precious taller dolls, and Jayn said, "It looks like all the dolls are lining up to get a kiss."

And it sure does.

Anneelaw is home - part two

2011-06-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

Here are her completed journal pages...

She began with these two..

Arlee added these...

These are by Robyn....

And by Amy...

Talitha added these...

from Yvonne...

and finally, these were by Gail...

and finally, her journal box...

Anneelaw is home!

2011-06-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

Isn't she gorgeous? Who knew that some
old lamp parts could turn into such a
society lady??

This is how she started out....
just pieces of an old table lamp...

The next post will show her journal pages...

My additions to Lady S

2011-06-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

I directed most of my attention to a marathon writing session and creating the journal. However I did make some small additions. I created Egyptian looking water lily motifs using cut out corner punches, hand altered, and some gemstones to make her gown more special, added a scarab beetle charm to her wrist (genuine Egyptian given by Jayn's friend whose Mom is from Egypt - sorry no photo) and hand sewed a gallibaya that I think would fit the doll if she were not already dressed. Altered Gallibaya's are mentioned in the journal, as the clothes that Lady S is now wearing for comfort when not in her fancy costume.

2011-06-02T18:10:00.006-04:00

Serenity's arms cried out for a baby to hold. The challenges was finding the best material to make the baby from. After a few experiments, I decided felting would be the best choice. I allows the baby to hold onto Serenity without being too heavy or ridged.

I had planned to write on this page after it was painted, but I found it calming so left it as is.

This is a song I used to sing to my third daughter when I was pregnant with her. I found myself humming it while felting the baby so it seemed appropriate to include in the journal.

The song is called "In This Heart" and is sung by Sinead O'Connor.

These pages were created with paint, a glue mixture, and tissue paper.

Serenity came to me with empty arms but was otherwise so complete and lovely that I couldn't add something just to add it. Then it occurred to me that I have never felt so serene as I did after nursing my baby to sleep. The look on the doll's face showed the peace of a mother whose body is flooded by oxytocin and whose heart was full of gentleness and love.

Once the baby was in her arms, I thought perhaps the deepest serenity was feeling safely cradled in mother's arms. All needs met, all love received, sleeping in perfect bliss.

Whether you imagine yourself cradling the babe, or being cradled, I hope these two will bring you some of the serenity they are enjoying.

The scalloped edge reads-

"Breathe....out....in....out....in...out....in....

Raisa's Journal

2011-05-30T22:04:00.003-04:00

I decided that the journal spread needed to look old, since Raisa is from the 20's (that's the 1920's). Almost as if it's a letter that got to close to a fire, and one over which many tears have been shed, causing discoloration of the paper. As I stated in my previous post, Raisa is mourning her Johnnie, sitting, staring out the window at the birds.

The first page has music and a bird and starts out "Dearest Johnnie"

"My heart is lost without you. I sit and weep. Music has no meaning for me anymore. I hear the birds outside my window and long for your smile. How long can this go on?".

The journal pages are collaged pieces of paper, vintage sheet music and calendar images with a broken heart partially hidden by the bird. They are colored with fluid acrylics and the writing is done with a China pencil.

Onoma going home - part two

2011-05-28T18:29:00.001-04:00

Above is the first page of the journal... the quote is from Marcel Proust and reads "When nothing else subsists from the past, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, bearing resiliently, on tiny and almost impalpable drops of their essence, the immense edifice of memory."

Page Two

Page Three

Page Four

Onoma is ready to go home!

2011-05-28T18:23:00.000-04:00

Arlee's doll Onoma was quite a challenge to know what to add. Being the last person to work on a doll sometimes is a bit difficult because everyone else has done a great job already. He/She had wide shoulders to begin with so I decided to emphasize that and added even more width, along with the 'dangles'...

Next I added some further decoration to the waist area...

And finally, Onoma saw these in my stash and absolutely HAD to have them insisting that they must have been lost the last time he/she visited earth. Who was I to argue?

The next post will show the journal pages I added...

Lady Sebastian's mysterious journal

2011-05-23T01:03:00.000-04:00

I found this picture of a cat lady from the right era of Lady Sebastian, and I swear she looks just like Talitha!

There is definitely some kind of conspiracy going on to prevent Lady Sebastian from tracking down her father and the Lost Temple of Sekhmet. I'm convinced that the month she lost, apparently spent in the temple, is amnesia from post hypnotic suggestion.

She continues to search and find artifacts and fabric swatches along the way. Meanwhile her journal definitely looks like it has been unearthed by someone years later.

I believe I know how Lady S's story ends...it involves fulfilling the prophecy at the temple.

Raisa's Heart

2011-05-22T17:18:00.005-04:00

Raisa arrived at my house heart broken. Her Johnny dead, her parents keeping her from him in his last days. She decided that she had no reason left to live. As time went on, the sharpness of her grief faded. She was pulled from her deep depression by the birds outside her window. Watching the pair of robins with their eggs, the hatchlings, the care with which the parents nurtured their young, absorbed Raisa. It is too early for hope and joy, but perhaps, life holds something undiscovered for Raisa. She has locked her heart in a box, but maybe there exists someone who can unlock her hopes and dreams again.

Raisa needed a heart, so I made one out of red satin, covered with lace. I stuffed and beaded it and stitched to the inside of her box.

I used the same lace to make a collar for Raisa. I also attached some metallic trim under the lace of her ruffle and attached it with beads.

Here she is, in all of her mournful glory.

Here's the full inside of her box.

Her head on Talitha's quilt with her lace collar.

I also gave her hands, attached to her arms with beads.

I added long geaded trim to the underside of her tutu.

I have her journal to finish up, but couldn't wait to post pictures of her.

Audacity on her way home

2011-05-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

Audacity---a boldness

This doll is certainly holding up to her name.

Audacity came to me with so much,

after being with so many artists,

that it was difficult to know what to do.

I began to think of Atlantis and her origins.

Queen Audacity is strong,

comes from a strong woman (Gail),

and needs more of the power of what comes from the ocean...

the starfish wisdom,

the pearl trident,

and the abalone power.

For added beauty she received some hair embellishments of

sari ribbon and sari yarn

to match her face and crown.

The starfish covers her heart and represents regeneration,

moon magic, beauty, and tidal movement.

Abalone shells are revered by ancient tribes as magical gifts from the sea.

They stimulate fertility of ind and body, improving self-image and physical power.

She has a shell on her back for protection.

Does Atlantis exist? Some think it does.

Mermaids and Mermen (the merfolk) were once warriors

and Queen Audacity still holds the power of the pearl trident.

Are we decendents of the people of Atlantis?

So many unknowns...

I also added a turquoise disc earring,

a sharktooth embellishment,

eyelashes to the octopus base, and

green eyelash yarn to her hair and

another pearl to a shell on her coral reef.

Audacity returns home soon.

Enjoyed working on Audacity.

Enjoy her Gail!

Yvonne

Shall we do lunch, gals?

2011-05-05T20:29:00.007-04:00

I think Aneelaw is a fabulous art doll. So artsy & unique. Can't believe she's my last doll in the project.

Anneelaw was more or less a bust when I recieved her - just a head and shoulders (?) and one hand. I couldn't resist giving her some little out-of-proportion legs. Once I did that, she looked to me like a Society Lady sitting in an ornate wrought iron chair getting ready to take a bite from a finger sandwich. So then I decided a patio table was in order to complete the illusion.

Her legs are Barbie-type legs that I paper mache-ed over. The ankles were moveable, but the knees weren't, so I had to cut the legs in half and paper mache them to the proper angles for crossing. Her capris are painted turquoise to go with her hat and overcoated with a turquoise glitter nail polish. Her shoes are purple to match her glove.

The base of the patio table is a black metal thingie that once housed a glass votive holder. Something I just had in my stash that worked perfectly with her "chair"! The top is simply a paper mache-ed cardboard cutout with the top layer being a design I downloaded off the internet.

The table looked kinda empty, so I made a bouquet of paper mache and wire flowers and placed them in a painted mini liquor bottle.

And here're my journal pages.

Soon Anneelaw will be on her way home to MA in Canada. You're gonna love her, MA!

Serenity Oceana

2011-04-21T04:49:00.000-04:00

Serenity's face is so beautiful and her body is so interesting. Yet I still felt she wanted arms to enhance the centaur aspect of her body. I gave her arms and attached her wing/fins to them. I also added some raggedy lace fins to her tail - she reminds me of the sea horses at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. They are really lacy and raggedy.

I glazed her eyes with dimensional glaze for shine, but I didn't want to fool around with her face any more. I gave her hand cut scales made from a milk bottle, that look rather mother-of-pearly, instead of using sequins.

So many "Serenity" quotes had already appeared in the journal so I did some searching and found some words I like.

Here's my favorite:

"I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows." ~ Drew Barrymore

Prince Charming - additions by MA

2011-04-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

Prince Charming arrived here and after visiting the other dolls for a bit (and probably stealing a few kisses too) he told me that he really needed a stand, because it was awfully hard to kiss the girls when he kept toppling over!

So my husband, being the woodworker in the family, created a nice wooden booth where the Prince would feel secure whilst smooching with the pretty women.

The Prince really thought his booth should be green, just like him because, after all, he didn't want to clash. He gave his approval for some pretty fabric to decorate his booth and then decided that this kissing girls was making him really hungry. A search through my stash yielded some flies, which made him a perfect lunch (no onions or garlic though, because he is quite conscious of his breath). The lily pad Talitha made for him was a perfect addition to his booth too, along with some little green butterflies.

Now the Frog Prince is off to visit with Arlee in Calgary. I wonder what adventures will await him there?

Lady C. Sebastian

2011-04-14T13:47:00.009-04:00

I tried to convert the Egyptian love poem to what looked like hieroglyphs, then obscured them somewhat with dilute white and tan to make them look more aged. The poem has a translation as well:

I hear thy voice, O turtle dove-
The dawn is all aglow-
Weary am I with love, with love,
Oh, whither shall I go?

Not so, O beauteous bird above,
Is joy to be denied....
For I have found my dear, my love;
And I am by his side.

We wander forth, and hand in hand
Through flowery ways we go-
I am the fairest in the land,
For he has called me so.

The rose leaf is real, sealed with a diamond glaze, so i hope it only ages as a leaf should after millennia, rather than crumbling!

I must admit this was a bit more challenging as Lady Sebastian seemed to have everything she needed! Then i realized that as a traveller, amateur archaeologist and wandering soul, there was one thing she would have, need and treasure and that would be samples or fragments of the past.

Her notes reveal that as she shops the souks, she stumbles across clues for her search. Being a smart woman, she knows there are chances the offerings may be not what they seem. Even so, she buys (after much haggling of course, as money is starting to run low) what she thinks may be important to her journey of self discovery.

The fabrics are a small piece of weaving from my college days, and some ecoprint and wrapping scraps from my natural dyeing experiments.

The Spy

2011-04-12T22:29:00.004-04:00

The Journal pages tell the story here. The words are very hard to read due to the white gel pen and the flash, so I'll tell the story of the pictures so you don't have to worry about reading the words.

Far beneath the waves, in the dark depths, the Queen roamed.

Amphritite, wondering from afar where the Queen was now, disguised one of her offspring in the form of a fish and sent her off into the deep to spy and learn what she could.

Amphritite's spy swam near and far, searching for signs of the Queen. She stayed near the bottom most days, but one evening, she ventured to the surface.

The Queens's minions where watching and saw this strange fish speaking with a two-legged woman.
They hid in the coral and when the fish returned they trapped her there to await the Queen.

What I did - I made the fish and beaded her fins and tail. I also added a starfish and broken shells and coral to the base of Talitha's large coral outcropping.

Raisa, Raisa, Russian Rose

2011-04-12T21:43:00.006-04:00

Raisa, Raisa Russian rose

Has a blanket made of clothes

Too old to wear

Repurposed with care

For a traveling lady's repose

The Keeping Quilt

Raisa may be an it girl, but her family came to America from the old country with little more than the clothes on their backs. When those clothes wore out, the aunties and grandmas turned them into a quilt, passing down the stories of the family members with the fabric scraps. Raisa takes it with her on all her travels, bringing the old into the new.

Raisa's quilt is indeed made partly from old clothes, and though it is tiny, it is full of stories. I created it crazy quilt style and hand embroidered every seem. I also added a touch of feathers to her headband.

Anneelaw in south Texas

2011-04-12T00:53:00.003-04:00

Anneelaw arrived and I was blown away by her uniqueness.

It was very challenging working on her.

She had already been to many great artists,

so it was difficult to come up with an idea

on what to add to this "lady of the lamp".

Here is a front view with all her additions so far.

This view shows the ribbons I added to her hair.

This photo shows her scissors charm and the round beaded charm

on her wrist. She has another round beaded charm just like this

around her neck.

Added to her glass body is a fabric flower with a bead in the center.

The fabric flower has old lace added to it.

Two keys were added as embellishments.

One has the word LIFE on it,

and the other has faux diamonds on it.

Her journal pages were fun to create.

This first page has a photo of her with a ribbon.

It's hard to see the words on the ribbon, in the photo, but it says

"Some things a lady doesn't tell."

I think Mae West said that.

There is a song called Lady of the Lamp, sung by Donovan.

I added the lyrics on this page.

There are two more journal pages,

one of which lists the additions Anneelaw got while visiting me.

These are all of my additions....

1. button and ribbon on journal box to help open box

along with beaded fringe on front of box

2. round beaded embellishments to neck and wrist

3. scissors charm to wrist

4. two key charms

5. purple fringe arouond neck

6. fabric flower

7. nose stud

8. ribbons to crystal hair

It has been a joy to work on Anneelaw!

Yvonne

Onoma Lands in NC

2011-03-26T13:15:00.007-04:00

Onoma is another fun doll. An alien with amnesia!

I thought she needed a few more alien characteristics, so I chopped off her feet and replaced them with oyster shells - nice briny-looking alien feet, good for walking on or paddling. She grew matching hands, too.

And what self-respecting alien has no antennae??? So she got those, too - made from copper multi-strand wire and sparkly turquoise fiber.

Lastly, I added a couple ball beads to her head gear. They remind me of planets.

Onoma's journal entry includes drawings of aliens and spaceships done by my brother, Dave, at my request. Alien creatures and spacecraft are subjects he's often doodled thru the years, and I thought it'd be cool to include some of his work in the journal (since I always make him admire our dolls).

Lady Sebastian visits Ontario, Canada

2011-03-16T19:28:00.006-04:00

I hope Lady Sebastian enjoyed her visit here with me because I know I certainly enjoyed having her around! She and I decided that she really wanted to have her dress painted while she was here and she picked some beaded trim out of my stash, along with a cat charm to add to her apron. She spied an old ring in my stash and wanted it for an arm band and also wanted a spear (or maybe it's a walking stick to use as she travels through Egypt looking for her father).

We then turned our attention to recording in her journal.

The page above was created using painted textured wallpaper as the background, some tyvek painted and heat shrunk, a painted scarab bug (Lady S wasn't so sure about the "icky" bug), and some Egyptian hieroglyphics.

This page was painted watercolour paper for the background. The cat and her wing were a cat button I painted and antiqued and the wing was a metal charm. The sun was lurking in my stash and reminded Lady S. of the heat in Egypt. Of course there is lots of gold in Egypt, so there is a string of gold nuggets too.

The final spread was created using some of my rusted fabric for a background. The artifacts on the right are rubber stamped on hot glue and then antiqued.

Now she's off to Calgary to visit with Arlee!

serenity leaves arlee

2011-03-16T14:22:00.002-04:00

"The canyons of the sea
call and protect me

They are home
they are unknown,
serenity and surrender to my destiny"

"One cannot write one's destiny on the waves,
one must flow"

Serenity has wing fins so that she may swim with the currents, or against them to reach the sky above the canyons of her underwater home, or to delve deep in the waters and grottos of her submariner scapes.

We all swim or fly with or away from the currents of our lives--these travels make our experiences and shape our wisdom.

Raisa's heartbreak revealed.

2011-03-16T05:30:00.000-04:00

...but you have to read her letters to understand.

Raisa received a beaded headband, beads on her skirt and torso, flapper necklaces and stickers explaining her Continental tour that her mother and father devised as a way to tame their smitten flapper.

Inside her box I made a scrapbook of this period of her life with her friends, her music and her enjoyment of swimming.

In the journal you will find an explanation of Flapper culture,

one of her favorite ragtime songs,

and the letters from Johnny and another person that are all she has left of her great romance.

Plus an extract from a very early (1904) feminist tome, Raisa's mother's favorite, which seems to suggest that we haven't really come that far after all. Raisa's mother wanted her daughter to make better choices than being a young bride - but she didn't really understand Raisa or Johnny.

Anneelaw, International Woman of Mystery

2011-03-13T22:37:00.003-04:00

Anneelaw, Mary Anne's Lady of the Lamp, was a stumper for me. She sat on my counter where I could see her every day, but she refused to speak to me. She refused, that is, until I happened to bring my Goddess of Spring, Sirona (http://www.anlinadesigns.com/dolls/Sirona1/index.html), by Anneelaw on the way to Sirona's current display spot on my book case.

Anneelaw became very vocal. She wanted a hat, and not just any hat, but one with feathers. Anneelaw is very purple, but has a bit of turquoise on her, so I decided to go with the turquoise as the main color on the hat. She wanted to be a bit mysterious, so I added a purple tulle veil. And of course, the feathers were from a peacock or two.

Isn't she something?
Unfortunately, when I was getting these pictures, I had company drop by and I forgot to take pictures of jer journal. When she arrives at her destination in south Texas, she hopes that Yvonne will be so kind as to take pictures of her journal pages.

Update (3/21): Yvonne was so kind to send photos of Anneelaw's journal entries. Here are the pictures:

This is the first page. Anneelaw loves purple and I gave her a bouquet to complement her lovely glove and hat.

The next page is a picture of her and her nom du guerre: Anneelaw, International Woman of Mystery.

And this is her hat, along with the story I told in the beginning of the post of her conversation with me regarding the creation of her hat.

And last of all, the description of what I did and made. The journal pages are water color paper and I applied a heavy layer of indigo, purple and turquoise water color crayon, then misted the pages with water and used my Nijii water brush to push the color to create texture.

Audacity Crowned!

2011-03-11T01:36:00.000-05:00

Onoma's gender revealed!

2011-03-02T09:21:00.000-05:00

Onoma is a very interesting doll that Arlee created.

Onoma has such energy coming from her.

I figured Onoma was a female

because it seems she is well endowed already

and if male her name would have been

Onomo with an o at the end.

In many languages

the 'a' or the 'o' signify gender.

Weird I know, but that's my story.

Onoma needed some more color,

so she got eyelids made of turquoise teardrop stone beads.

I also gave her a metal mouth,

made from the end of a measuring tape.

I just bent it into shape to fit her face.

Onoma has been traveling all winter,

and we had some unusual freezes

here in south Texas, when she arrived.

To keep her warm, I made her a rabbit fur cape.

The cape is painted blue underneath,

along with spirals and other symbols.

Unbeknown to her,

these symbols

signify where she came from.

The cape has a Tagua nut button for a closure.

The little apron in front has an

energy symbol painted on it.

I also added a blue/black feather to her dreadlock type hair.

The journal Arlee made is very cool.

I added her new face photo along with spirals

all around her, and

a quote from Aristotle....

"The energy of the mind is the essence of life."

The page on the right are some of her thoughts...

I will not worry about my unknown past or from where I came

I will shape the clay of my life into what I wish it to be

I walk alone with my shadow on the edge of the precipice

This I am today.

The next journal page on the left is her energy symbol.

The journal page on the right

was one I added to the journal

from some of my graffiti background pages.

I told of my contributions,

signed and dated it.

Onoma continues on her year long journey.

Gail in North Carolina is the next contributing artist.

Yvonne

Kisses!

2011-02-21T11:56:00.004-05:00

The last we heard of Frog (as he's known to his friends), Venus had cast a spell on him so that he'd forever remain in his frog form and belong to her alone. As it turns out, Frog has a mind of his own...

See Frog kinda likes kissing the pretty ladies. So he's opened a kissing booth at the local marketplace where, every Saturday, the ladies pay to try their luck at finding their Prince Charming. (Venus thinks he's off doing good deeds, which in a way he is, since he donates all proceeds from the kissing booth to charity.)

I made Frog a paper mache shirt and "hands" and a fabric tunic-thing like they wore in medieval times.

The most fun for me was putting a comb in his shirt pocket (to primp for the ladies) and a tin of tic-tacs in his tunic pocket (to sweeten his breath). Both are made from polymer clay.

And here's my entry in the scroll journal.

Audacity swims on from Robyn

2011-02-08T21:47:00.000-05:00

Audacity given gemstone barnacles, arms and wearing a crocheted shawl with anemone crystal charms.

The story in her journal:

When Atlantis, the island paradise, fell and sank, the Queen struggled to save it. She called upon the magic of her antecedents, the Gods and Demi-Gods of Ancient Greece. She called out especially to the Lady of the Sea, whom she had dared to call her Sister.

Amphitrite, the Sea Nymph, wife of Poseidon lately called Neptune, was a jealous creature. More woman scorned than Goddess, she joined Hera in lamenting the weakness of their consorts, ever dallying with mortal women. Atlantis had become a haven for Gods clothed as men, walking through glittering streets and listening to the intoxicating music of humanity.

Amphitrite knew the Queen was saucy and beautiful. Her stories intrigued, her singing enthralled. It was only a matter of time before this upstart, like Amymone before her, would bring besotted Poseidon to her bed.

The Goddesses were never able to direct their resentment where it should properly lie, instead taking their various vengeances upon the unlucky mortal women. Powerful and raging, Amphitrite with Hera and Athena’s help, struck down Atlantis and it sank into the sea, hidden by powerful magic from all. They named the Queen, “Audacity” and punished her with amnesia and the form of a monstrous octopus.

She glides and slithers on the sea floor amongst the enchanted rocks. She no longer knows herself or her name – but she knows what she is – the queen of somewhere. She knows her confinement is somehow unjust – the caprice of some Gods – undeserved.

Her inner audacity is unchanged. She grows crystal gemstones in anemones from her chains – to buy her freedom one day and join the quest for her true self. Meanwhile she knows she must be bold.

Onoma's Travels continue

2011-02-05T11:31:00.005-05:00

Onoma continues to travel through space looking for information to bring memory to the surface. Onoma's journal entries document the continuing mystery of the odor only Onoma can smell, introducing the ship's medical officer, Arkin, who advises Onoma to take up meditation. To that end Onoma takes up beading and jewelry. This occupation provides an additional benefit. It allows Onoma to disguise a piece of the wreckage from the ship's hold which contains writing which is oddly familiar as a piece of a necklace.

I chose not to add any more body parts to Onoma, but to start adding clothing. I added a garment, which might be a sleeveless Kimono or just a robe of sorts.

I also added another necklace, this with a piece of polymer clay stamped with unreadable writing, a metal finding with a dragon on one side, two glass beads and 3 bells.

The poem I added is from the poem, "All Roads", by Billy Corgan

"Gather me up some stars sprinkled from your eyes

Beckon forth little sighs

Should all roads disappear but one

Disappear while I am sleeping."

Raisa becomes an It Girl

2011-02-03T14:06:00.006-05:00

With the style that Raisa was "accumulating" on her travels, she looked to me like a girl from the 20's, transformed from dutiful daughter to Flapper Kewpie girl! She may seem innocent enough but she's growing up with the changes in the century---a little bit wild, but still a good girl.

She feels a bit trapped and stifled, but loves her mother and just needs to cut loose once in awhile!

When she stays at home, she puts her pretty and demure collar back on and settles down.
Watch out for Saturday nights though!

Serenity's Journal - by MA

2011-02-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

Now for her journal...

This is page 1 & 2

The inserts in the pocket on the left...

Page 3....

Centre folds...

Final page....

Serenity - work done by MA

2011-02-01T18:17:00.000-05:00

Serenity

told me she really
wanted to
be able to
stand upright.

So a search began for a suitable seashell because obviously a seahorse centaur NEEDED a seashell for a stand...right?? After several false starts she now has her stand. She has a rod inside her and one mounted in the seashell which slide together to hold her in place and yet are removable for the other artists to continue to work on her.

She also informed me that
she was COLD

here in Canada
and she really thought she should
have a nice warm
crocheted shawl.

(having no arms makes it hard to wear a shawl, but she knows someone else will give her some)

Lady S - Stranger & Stranger

2011-01-27T17:34:00.003-05:00

Yep, things keep getting stranger for Lady Sebastian. Now she's woken to find herself sporting an Egyptian dress with a bustle of golden feathers.

Her dress and feathers are paper mache. I couldn't decide how to decorate her dress, so I left that for MA or Arlee to decide. Her wings aren't attached yet and her apron is tied on with a ribbon and removable.

I hung a hand charm at the end of her arm, along with a homemade charm that's meant to be the note she found when she awoke in the temple. More can be hung from her wrist loop if anyone is so inclined.

And here's my journal entry with a bit more added to the story.

My part of the story reads:

4 January 1922

Things get stranger and stranger…

I awoke as from a deep sleep - still at the temple, but (as I discovered on my return to the hotel) having lost an entire month. Stranger yet, I found myself clad not in my usual dig clothing, but in a beautiful Egyptian sheath adorned with a wondrous bustle of golden feathers like those in my new wings. In my hand I clutched a penned note saying:

“Fear not, and have faith.
Your father is safe.
As are all who await
your ecclesiastical fate.”

What in the world is going on here?! What more can happen to me as I continue on this journey?

Now to get Lady S mailed off to MA in Canada!

The Prince

2011-01-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

When Prince Charming arrived

he had just received a torso.

He really needed a head,

and I thought a frog prince

was much more interesting than

a handsome prince.

So, I created a polymer clay

face that was inspired by

Native Frog masks

This photo shows the back view.

He is pretty tall now,

about 16 1/2 inches.

I attached the head using a dowel rod

I inserted that

goes from inside his torso

to inside his new head.

The Frog Prince has acrylic eyes.

The 'frog pearls'

are part of his headdress.

It is made from an old earring.

The hat is made from my own marbled fabric,

with feather embellishments on one side.

His hair is long and is made from nubby yarn.

Right side

Left side with fleur-de-lis royalty tattoo.

Legend has it that Venus,

the Goddess of love and beauty loved the Prince.

But she was very jealous of all others.

She presented him with the frog pearls,

magical virtues to help others,

and frog wisdom,

Now he would remain

a frog prince forever.

Robyn made a great scroll type journal
and below is what I added to his journal.

What will life bring the new

Frog Prince?

Yvonne

Audacity leaves arlee

2010-12-23T09:44:00.006-05:00

(I'm sure there's a sly joke in that title..ahem, i digress....my apologies to all for the lateness of this entry, due to health and work circumstances.)

Aud A Cit Y is definitely becoming one of the strong women that Gail had mentioned in the beginning of her journal. Looking at her face, one detects a certain note of haughty arrogance, but in her eyes are much doubt and pain as she relentlessly pursues her destiny.

The Eye of Perception has been taken and hidden from her, but as she travels, wisdom and experience are binding her more tightly to the path she is taking than any amulet or talisman ever could.

Onoma After Talitha

2010-12-23T04:33:00.004-05:00

Onoma's frill was cut from felt, sewn on,

and then fabric scales were heat bonded on top.
Onoma's eyes are made from two green beads
and some cool metal looking findings.
(My daughter says these eyes look very reptilian:-)
Accessories are made from a variety of repurposed jewelery
and pieces of a music box.

The teeny tendrills are peacock feathers and the hair is made from yarn and fibers
that were needle felted to give them more of a dreadlock look.

Top of head.

Tiny bottle filled with even tinier stars,

wire wrapped and hung around the neck using knotted cord.

Still no clear gender!

Onoma's story continues...

2010-12-23T03:53:00.005-05:00

Onoma's journal is lovely and full of texture.

I added two pieces of handmade paper and distressed them to

match the style of the existing pages.

Tiny silk and satin scales were fused to one page.

Wire was used to fix some small star charms to the pages as well

as a tiny bag of the same stardust Onoma wears around her neck.

Just when it seemed life on the ship had settled into a pattern, something strange caught my attention. The crew had been permitted leave on Ingnatious 4 and Captain Di Seca sent me along to monitor their interaction with the locals. Everything was routine at first, but I definitely felt different under Ignatious' red sun. As the rays struck the scales on my frill, a feeling of invigoration filled my body. This sensation grew with every moment of exposure. I began to find it difficult to focus on my security task, looking instead for excuses to linger in the sunlight.

After several days of planetside diversions, leave was over and the crew prepared to return to the Stone Traveler. I was not the only one reluctant to reenter the black cold of space, crewman Clovis kept us waiting at the launch site. As he finally boarded the shuttle, I noticed an unfamiliar smell. While reprimanding Clovis, two things became clear. One, my senses were clearly heightened after absorbing so many red sun rays, and two, the smell was coming from Clovis. An inspection of his person and away bag turned up nothing conclusive. When I next encountered Clovis on the main ship, the smell no longer lingered on him. I would not catch sent of it again until reporting to the captain's office. There was no mistaking the weird, acrid odor, but Captain Di Seca told me I was imagining things and to leave it alone. My curiosity was peaked. What was that smell? Why did no one else detect it? Was the captain intentionally concealing something from his own security officer? And why was I so altered after exposure to the red sun? Did my native planet orbit a red sun? Could this be a clue to help me find my way home?

Rays of red

Dance over my head

And Fill me with longing

For my place of belonging

(I included a poem from a favorite sci-fi author.)

Prince Charming Grows a Torso

2010-12-18T22:02:00.005-05:00

It is said that when a frog loses a limn, it sometimes regrows it. Well this froggie has grown a torso!

The torso is made of hand-dyed pima cotton. The pattern was drafted to provide the impression of a cross between a very broad-chested, broad-backed, and hunky human male and that of a frog. To keep his torso from flopping about above his lower half, a ribbon cumberbund was stitched to his pants and his torso and stuffed tightly. He was also given suspenders and a floral belt buckle and suspender keeper.

The text in the journal entry reads: Meanwhile, the prince encountered a very mean witch who decided to ensure he would lack the lips to receive love's true kiss or is it true love's kiss? It's so very hard to think without a head!

Anneelaw leaves Robyn

2010-12-11T04:05:00.000-05:00

Maybe what Anneelaw loves is to write with her powerful pen. I just liked the sentiment on this charm, and the way it looks hand written.

Anneelaw has a translucent "lampshade", with some wire sewn in for support. I tried to make the eyes the same colors and shape as the eye in the hand. Together (in profile) they make a kind of cubist portrait. I like that this is removeable - it just slides over the glass bauble on the stand.

However I don't think this must stay this way. Perhaps someone down the line will want to stuff the head or mount it higher.

Here's wire and glass beading, picking up the colors Arlee selected. My thread of her life is wire.

Here's a crochet copper band of buttons, some bling. It's waiting to be something - a headband, a necklace, a belt, or just something to adorn the box?

Front page of my journal folder.

Journal pages. Some of the tie dyed paper I made with Jayn - I particularly like the center that has the look of shattered prismatic light.
I have to say that I couldn't get any tool up under the center to move the bolt holding the glass knob. I may have done something different had I been able to take it apart - but maybe not.

Raisa - MA's additions

2010-12-08T17:21:00.001-05:00

My additions include a musical collar

trimmed with beads,
and arms made from
coiled wire and wooden beads.

The music is from 'Rigoletto'
by Verdi.

Here's journal page # 1....

I repeated the first bars of the

'Rigoletto' music, along
with some of the
words

and a lace flower,
along with repeating some
of the beads I used on
her collar.

Second journal page...

More of the music from 'Rigoletto',

some music charms,
and a marvelous quote
about music

from Maya Angelou.

Raisa was great fun to play with!!
Hope you like her Yvonne.

Anneelaw WIP's

2010-12-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

I don't understand why these saved as black and white images from my phone - but it keeps the anticipation going a bit longer.

I have to say I struggled at first with Anneelaw. I found it hard to work out a sense of scale because of her enormous hand. However I went back to Modernist principles and examined the materials. From there I got the idea of working with wire and glass which reminded me that this was a lamp in another life. I am thinking about translucence, prisms, tangles of wire and most of all the movement of light through our thoughts.

Lady S. receives arm and more

2010-11-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

Lady S arrived in south Tx.

with some amazing additions already.

I added the following...

feathers to her beautifully done wings (by Amy),

a right arm covered in vintage fabric,

a long horse hair braid,

feathers and beads to her hair

a poncho with a vintage button on the front

(the poncho holds up her wings btw),

brown and copper paint on her body,

The braid is intertwined with a sheer purple ribbon.

This pic above shows the beautiful colors of her wings.

The Isis necklace that Amy gave her is now wrapped around

a recycled sari yarn collar.

I also aged the necklace with a bit of paint.

Lady S. is transforming,

as her journal explains.

She has arrived in Egypt

and the year is 1922.

Is it all a dream?

Where is her father?

Did the Horus mask she purchased

put some sort of spell on her?

Egypt is a land of great mystery.

As she catches a glimpse of herself

in a reflection,

she realizes then,

that this is NOT a dream.

What happens next?

Lady S. travels to Gail in North Carolina

to continue her story,

and for more additions.

Yvonne

in South Texas

Serenity

2010-11-25T20:00:00.003-05:00

As soon as I saw Serenity, I knew I wanted to make her a seahorse centaur. A seahorse is a very serene little critter. Having semi-useless fins, it prefers protected waters like a bay or inlet, and relies on the currents to carry it from place to place. Serenity's posture and long neck, and the shells and moons and horsehair added by Yvonne, all led me to creating a seahorse centaur. Since she was already 11 inches tall without legs, it was also a way to finish her length without exceeding our 12 inch goal by much - she's just shy of 14 inches tall now.

Her seahorse tail is slightly stuffed fabric over a wire armature and is embellished with copper netting (from a repurposed scouring pad) and copper wire. I just had to use the vintage lace with leaves that so closely resemble those in Amy's fabric torso, so I painted it to complement Yvonne's lace headdress and made a paper and lace belt. She could probably use a belt adornment, but I left that for someone else to decide.

She'll soon be heading to MA in Canada. I figured since seahorses don't travel real fast, I better get her off early so MA would have some time with her.

Lady Sebastien Takes Flight

2010-11-10T22:18:00.008-05:00

Lady Sebastian, while waiting for the day of her departure, wandered the streets of New York. On one of these wandering walks, she encountered an import/export business that had Egyptian artifacts which had just arrived. She entered and was astounded at the beauty of the artifacts. One, in particular, struck her, and she decided she must have it. It was a mask, in the likeness of Horus, the winged one.

She returned to her rooms immediately to examine her treasure. "It is just magnificent! Oh, I wish Father could see it!"

She fell asleep, and dreamed.
In her dreams, she was soaring high above the earth.

Oh! She had wings! She could feel the wind ruffling her hair. But, wait - it seems that there are feathers!

"Can it be? I have such keen eyesight!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, wingless daughter - of course it can. You have assumed my form and can fly wherever you will." The voice sounded deep and foreign in her head.

Lady Sebastian arrived and her form immediately spoke to me of a bird. I fought the impulse for a while before seeing a picture of the winged gods and goddesses in Talitha's journal. I found golden wings and painted them to resemble the wings in the funerary paintings in all of my books on the archeology of Egypt.

I painted Lady S's body with gesso and covered her head with paper clay to form her face and textured the hair to make it more feather like. I added paper clay feet as well. Her hair was painted brown and gold and she was given blue eyes and kohl eye-makeup in the style of the Egyptian masks. She has a beak-like mouth to suggest a birdlike visage and she has a necklace with the winged god's charm. Her wings are not attached currently, as there would be no way to clothe her.

Onoma photos

2010-11-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Onoma the alien warrior poet has brown mottled skin and a tail. The armor laced over the body and tail is made from recycled milk bottle plastic, but I hope will become embellished in time. It is meant to be removable and to fit over whatever garments Onoma wears (or perhaps under them as will be determined).

Here are the journal pages.

And here is the transcript of Onoma's story in easier to read format:

Ganymede’s Epihelion 4407

In the outer quadrant nova dust cloud.

Mineral Transport and Salvage ship,

Stone Traveler

Security Officer’s Personal Log:

My first days on this ship have been quiet. Captain Di Seca has tasked me with examining the backgrounds of the new grunts, as he calls the workers on his crew. Their files are nothing unexpected. Of course I also have opened his file. There is nothing unusual there either, as far as I can tell.

The Captain was acceptant of the strange brevity of my own record. I cannot tell him any more than is written – my sudden awakening amongst the detritus of what must have been a great battle, salvaged in the wreckage of the Flagship of Perone, no uniform, no insignia of any kind, no memory and evidently no-one to miss me.

Yet I have a sense of destiny, and the instinctive skills of a warrior that I have no recollection of learning - but that the moves are in my muscles, the clarity of strategy in any situation burns in my mind, and then there is my physique. I have learnt that my race is that of the legendary Dragons of Estavan IV.

There is little written of these ancient and courtly people, other than fragments of their poetry and such complex musical compositions as they have allowed to travel into the populated universe over the last several centuries. The way to Estavan IV is lost.

So I search for clues to my presence in the fleet of the Perone, part of a trade war, with the abilities and skills of a mercenary - and amnesia. I demonstrably know enough to let me be hired on as an officer in this industrial merchant vessel that has the longest and furthest flung pattern of any ship other than the explorer/colony mega ships that will move beyond the galaxy rim. For those one must have family units. They are worlds unto themselves.

I search the galaxy for others of my kind, for what might be my home. I search within for that elusive poetical sensibility that has been touted as the hallmark of my people. To that end, I plan to write poems, and perhaps release the secrets of my own life from behind my eyes. I’m stuck with Galactic standard dialect, for unless I hear otherwise, this is the only language my amnesia has left me. I can only read translations of my native poetry.

As for the music, well the musicians I have met express eloquent admiration of the technical dexterity and complex ideation of non-harmonic multi-scale songlines – but I find I’m drawn to an old Earth (Sol 3) musical tradition called “Blues”.

First Poem

For though I am alone

What is left but Unity?

If I am the last of my kind

So then I am my own beginning.

The screen is wiped clean.

The whole universe is now my home.

Audacity - by MA

2010-11-06T18:45:00.000-04:00

When Audacity arrived to visit with me, I knew immediately what she wanted.

She wanted to be riding on an octopus!

An octopus?
Really?

How odd!

Well, after a lot of finagling, she got her desire.

The octopus was initially created with felt, which was then stuffed, gessoed and painted with several coats of paint to come as close as I could to the lovely green colour that Audacity already had. Each of her tentacles has nine pairs of sequins (held on with beads) for the suckers. Her eyes came from my stash of teddy bear eyes. I left Audacity's torso unattached so that subsequent artists could add a skirt or whatever they felt she needed.

Page one of her journal was a picture I found on the internet, which I highlighted and added German scrap around the outside.

'Atlantis, though lost, still lives"

Page two includes multiple layers of acrylic paint and yarn which was drawn through a white glue & water solution before attaching to the paper. Each strand was then painted. A plastic altered fish and some sand completed the page.

Page three was another picture I found on the internet, highlighted with more sand (which came from Prince Edward Island) and a sand dollar that was in my stash.

Page four - included a picture of Audacity and her octopus. The tag is movable and my information is on the back. The paper was created using multiple layers of paint and then was stenciled to add the circles (which are meant to represent bubbles in the water).

Onoma's Journal

2010-11-06T06:08:00.000-04:00

I'm still finishing up the journal - want to add some more images of the doll to it, but I have started Onoma's journal as a science fiction story.

Here is a transcript of the journal entry:

Ganymede’s Epihelion 4407

In the outer quadrant nova dust cloud.

Mineral Transport and Salvage ship,

Stone Traveler

Security Officer’s Personal Log:

Onoma's First Poem

For though I am alone

What is left but Unity?

If I am the last of my kind

So then I am my own beginning.

The screen is wiped clean.

The whole universe is now my home.

Playing with the Charming Prince

2010-11-04T18:18:00.010-04:00

My part of the fabulous scroll journal contains images

of my work in the same materials as the work.

A little paint, a little paper, some fabric, and a little glitter just for fun:-)

Swamp box for royal comfort.

Two fleur-de-lis for his royal heritage and a lily pad for his amphibian heritage.

The fleurs are satin fused to felt, the pad velvet and satin with beading in the center.

(Fluer-de-lis are stylized lilies, wink, wink:-)

Here is the young prince in his velvet pants and
pleather boots standing next to his box.

Following Robyn's statement "let's play", I took him in a whimsical direction.

His frog feet are fabric that has been heat bonded right to the rigid cast of his original feet.
They fit into his boots so he can "pass".
(It's probably best that he travel without his boots on because I'm not sure how his feet would react to prolonged boot wearing.)

Looking forward to seeing what he becomes next!

Anneelaw ready to leave arlee!

2010-11-03T17:52:00.006-04:00

Above, front. Below, back:

Pouch detail:
She will actually have a pen in the pouch, not the paint brush i subbed for the photo!

Front of my spread for her travelling journal:
Inside spread:
Back:

The front and back are deliberately wordless: i liked the contrast of such quiet with the wild and words inside. I’d also like to have the front and back printed as cards!

Anneelaw, first stage

2010-11-03T11:08:00.003-04:00

Above, the first stage: "arm" bent and covered with ruched hand dyed hollyhock silk, below, the embroidered hand being attached.

Above, the giant bobbin, below, the "Canadian Collar"--it's cold here!!! :)
Behind the scenes, i have been diligently working on MaryAnne‘s figure. I had no clue where to start—such a unique figure to begin with! Originally part of a lamp, MaryAnne mentioned that i could take the “head” off. I surmised that that also meant i could bend wires to alter as well, so left her head where it is and have created a special arm for her.

I thought i’d play on the fact that Anneelaw did start as a lamp: illumination, vision and well lit paths are coming into focus here then. The hand that “sees” intuitively and the eye that creates are working together to invent and map the explorations and experiments. She will hold a giant bobbin of hand twisted cording and naturally dyed embroidery floss, and carry a pen sheathed in her “back”, threads to mark or record the journey, and pen (being mightier than sword) to chronicle or defend.

She’s not quite done yet, so i’ll post a picture later this afternoon. She then moves on to California to Robyn for her next addition.

Legs for Raisa!

2010-10-25T11:12:00.004-04:00

Raisa's figure may be a bit "boxy", but she's got some sexy legs! Four sets, to be precise. Each with a different pair of sexy, high-heeled shoes.

I also gave Raisa a fringed tulle miniskirt and a pink garter that she can wear over her hanging legs or tuck inside her box. I was thrilled when I found the tulle trim - it matches Raisa and her journal perfectly!

Her two-sided interchangable cardboard legs are painted and stitched, and hang on a tiny screw hook I attached to the bottom of the box lid. She can be displayed on the edge of a mantle or shelf with her legs hanging below.

My journal page depicts Raisa's shoe addiction and includes a little bound booklet of interchangable legs and shoes.

Serenity's First Stop

2010-10-12T10:03:00.002-04:00

Serenity came to me with just a head and torso,

from her creator Amy in Central Texas.

Serenity is so beautiful,

with such an interesting face.

I just kept thinking of

the Sea of Serenity

on the face of the moon...

Mare Serenitatis

Enjoying the splendor of the full moon

has always been very calming

in my life.

Serenity....

makes me think of..

calm

peace

music

a creative life

a centering line of thought

a study of work

contemplation

with eyes wide open

voices from the past

Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time;

serenity, that nothing is.

by Thomas Szasz

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Center-down

...Quaker saints

To the possession of the self the way is inward

...Plotinus

The cell of self-knowledge is the stall in which the pilgrim must be reborn

...St. Catherine of Siena

The crane symbolizes peace.

The Moon Shell,

a gift from the sea,

says 'solitude'

and in solitude there is

serenity.

Everyone needs some time alone

to find the peace and serenity within them,

especially when there is chaos all around you.

Mano Poderosa...

a labyrinth shaped like a hand,

derives from the ancient times as a sign of

magical protection and benediction.

Walk the labyrinth for

serenity.

Some additions...

hair

vintage lace head wrap with beads

faux diamond on nose

moon shell

pearled polymer clay moon face cabochon

to forehead

man in the moon earring

long horsehair pony tail,

representing travel

in Native American culture

additions listed in journal

Old dictionary page

showing definition for serenity.

Last journal page...

watercolor of Serenity

on dictionary page.

I truly enjoyed working on

Serenity.

Soon she will be traveling on

to the second stop in her year long journey...

to North Carolina with Gail.

Yvonne

Serenity

2010-10-09T23:31:00.010-04:00

My start with Serenity is based on a pattern I created for another doll I'm working on at the moment. She's a cloth and wire armature torso and soft-sculpted cloth head. Her name came about as Serenity is something sorely missing in my life at the moment. I hope that she will bring calm and peace into the lives of all she meets and collect some to bring home to me.

Serenity's journal is a book that I bound in my first book binding class. The cover is paper that I painted and stamped.

Inside, I've created a title page that mirrors the chaos and stress of life that Serenity is destined to encounter.

And a set of pages that reflect the calming influence Serenity can bring, if only she is allowed to do so.

Prince Charming leaves me

2010-10-07T03:04:00.001-04:00

In a big stretch for me, I have made a doll start that does not include a face, or even a head, and further is not cloth. Plus it's a guy, at least named as a guy. The lower torso and legs are made from a wire armature, covered with batting and then plaster bandage ("rigid wrap"). Originally I was planning a polymer clay skin, but I changed my mind for a couple of reasons.

First the plaster is very acceptant of acrylic paint. Second it is porous enough for white glue. Finally it is hard, but can be pierced with a biggish needle or bodkin without cracking.

Three wire loops emerge at the waist which I hope will prove useful for the rest of his body.

He won't stand alone at this point, but I am prepared to attach him to a stand once he returns. I have some wood pieces saved that I will treat to match him.

The journal is a loooong scroll, playing on the idea of a medieval prince or proclamation a la fairy tales. I have used pages from an obsolete Writers' Market and non-woven interfacing. Both sides have been treated with acrylic paints. Jayn helped paint the outside.

The content has been cut using images from Cricut with my new favorite glue, Zig 2 Way glue. I crocheted two different varieagated yarns together for the tie.

I'm envisioning a long hanging banner in the end (but don't let that dictate the alignment of your entries), and I'll add some weights to wooden end pieces. If there are charms or objects that become part of his accoutrements, maybe they can be hung on the banner too.

The main message on my scroll is "Let's Play". I'm looking forward to learning what "Prince Charming" means to all of us.

Raisa's Art Journal

2010-09-28T17:50:00.004-04:00

The journal I made for Raisa's journey

is an altered book.

For the front cover

I created a window cut out,

did some stenciling,

added fabric paper in and around the window,

added real flower petals, vintage jewelry,

metal letters, and a pressed leaf.

I made a book mark using black velvet ribbon,

and added a key for weight.

The key says 'memory'.

When you open the altered book

you see black and white collage

with embellishments added.

If you look closely at the keyhole

you may see someone looking back at you!

The next page is collage

with black stitching around the edge.

The words say...

So many people

were shut up tight

inside themselves

like boxes.

This photo is an example of what my collaged pages

looked like beforehand.

I have 7 sets of these in the rest of the journal

for the other artists to work on.

I glued many pages together

to create thicker 'pages'

throughout the altered book.

They can add pages to these if they wish

to have more than one set of pages.

I expect the journal will be quite full

and artistic when it returns to me in a year.

I know they will use their imaginations.

This shows the back of the journal.

Very simple, with some simple stenciling on it.

Now my journal and my doll start Raisa

will be mailed tomorrow to Gail in North Carolina.

I am excited to see what Gaill will add to it all.

I am also excited to receive a doll start in the rotation.

WhooHoo....

here we go!

Yvonne

ready to mail

2010-09-26T01:45:00.005-04:00

page 3

page 2

page 1

Journal cover.

Made from a glue mixture and tissue paper with a fabric binding.
Lots of texture in this journal. Fun to run your fingers over the pages.

Lady Sebastian ready to go on her adventure.
Her final treatment was to use a glue mixture and tissue paper with a little paint to give her a nice color and texture. Maybe one of you will give her another arm:-)
I'll be packaging Monday and mailing Monday or Tuesday.
So exciting!
I can't wait to get Robyn's doll.
Robyn, would you like to drive her over and have a visit?

Anneelaw and her journal start

2010-09-25T16:44:00.009-04:00

Introducing Anneelaw!!

She is made from metal and glass taken from a recycled table lamp dating back to the 1970's. The glass is clamped to the metal 'skirt' and is removable should the contributing artists wish to do so for any reason.

Above are pages one and four of the journal pages I made for her. Tyvek and various and assorted fabric bits, fibers and whatever else came to hand. Stitched heavily with variegated thread and then ironed (under parchment) until the Tyvek melted. Notice the outline on the right of a ghostly image?

Below are pages two and three of the journal.

Bottom layer is a recycled Swiffer sheet, rust dyed. Above that is a piece of used dryer sheet dyed with blue paint. On the right is a piece that was leftover from pgs. 1 & 4, and on the left are three squares found in my 'component' box. The poem is printed on a piece of card stock which has been 'aged' with gesso and newsprint.

The poem reads as follows:

Out of the 70's
a lovely lamp grew
and waited for a home.
That home was nice
and the lamp
saw parties and teas
and quiet reading times too.
Year after year the lamp
kept the darkness away.

Until
it was needed no longer.

Would it be thrown away?
Discarded and forlorn?

Why, no!
A dollmaker renewed
the lamp,
named her Anneelaw
and sent her on an adventure
to visit faraway places
and find a new
life

The pictures above and below show the journal box I chose to use instead of a book. I absconded with an old cigar box from the garage (shhhhhh - don't tell the men!) and covered it on the outside with paper from a recycled shopping bag. The top is crumpled brown paper that has been hand stitched, painted and highlighted with gold.

I left the inside of the lid as it was and lined the inside with some more recycled shopping bag pieces. The box will hold the journal pages and will allow for them to be nice and thick.

Lady Sebastian mummy stage

2010-09-24T01:08:00.004-04:00

Here she is almost ready. My daughter rightly said she looks like a mummy:-)
I crafted her body over the wire skeleton using a glue mixture and pages torn from the journal.

my doll start

2010-09-21T17:22:00.005-04:00

This is the skeletal structure for Lady Sebastian, Amateur Egyptologist. She started with a wire hanger and is resting on her journal which began as a composition book because I love the size and have them on hand. I am in the process of decoupaging everything. One goal I have for this project is to avoid buying anything new, but rather create from my stash. If you're anything like me, you have tons of fabulous supplies just waiting for a purpose. More as I go:-)
Talitha

Onoma ready to roll through the world

2010-09-19T18:23:00.004-04:00

Onoma is looking a little rough and the travels have barely begun. Heading out on the road, hoping for a bed for awhile, some stories and bread and soup.

Soaring

2010-09-15T09:10:00.002-04:00

Meet Raisa.....

...or the beginnings of her anyway.

This little 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch

petit point box

jumped out at me at a junk shop up in Dallas,

(and for the right price too!)

I thought....

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to use this for a doll body!"

(This project requires a 'journal start' and a "doll start".)

This photo above shows the box open.

The possibilities for the other 6 artists are enormous!

(This photo shows the origins of Raisa.....)

I had two little angel dolls given to me.

They were in bad shape.

So I ripped the stuffed

(stuffed with what? I have no clue)

cloth head off of one,

took the ratty hair off,

gessoed it (just one coat)

and now it is a blank canvas

for the project artists down the road.

Below is a side view....

Now, I just want to say....

just because I used an angel head,

and a petit point box

does not mean this doll will end up "cute".

I hope it doesn't. (hint,hint)

But, it is out of my control,

because Raisa will be heading off

to Gail in North Carolina soon,

and then on for the rest of her journey

around the U.S. and Canada.

Raisa still needs a journal to take with her.

I am in the process of creating

an altered book journal.

Photos coming soon.

I am really trying to do something different creatively,

trying something new,

in this 2010 project.

Thanks Gail,

for asking me to be a part of it.

I wanted to share this quote

which I relate to my creativity....

"You can't cling to the old nest

and soar to the flowering branches

at the same time."

-----Tama Kieves

Savor the Day!

YVONNE

(in Texas)

AUDACITY HEADS FOR COOLER CLIMES

2010-09-14T18:20:00.009-04:00

My doll, Audacity, is one tough cookie. I got up this morning and she'd packed up her journal and herself and demanded I send her on to Mary Anne in Canada - almost 3 weeks early! Said NC was too damn hot and she wasn't into sweating. I tried to tell her it'd been hot up there this year, too, but she just responded, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Says I'll be lucky if she even comes back to visit this godawful state.

So here she is, my demanding doll, Audacity.

Audacity began life as a stick, but, for God's sake, don't mention that. She ain't proud of her roots (hee hee). The stick was wrapped in batting and then paper mache-ed and collaged with magazine pages. Her head is hollow (lord, I hope she doesn't read this!), shaped from cardboard and paper mache-ed. Her chest adornment is an old, decorative piece of metal cupboard hardware. From tiny waist to the top of her head, she measures about 7 inches.

Audacity's travel journal is also paper mache with an open spine. It measures 7.5" X 4.5".

My starting journal entry:

Audacity and her travel journal, now heading from NC, USA to Ontario, CAN! Get ready MA!

2010-01-07T09:48:00.000-05:00