Here are the two gorgeous Asian themed Dream Dolls (14") with Kabuki mask faces. The first is a Kimono doll with charms and flowers ornamenting her dressed hair. She is made from a selection of new Asian printed quilters cottons, while her obi is silk from a reclaimed vintage kimono. Her kimono is lined with vintage silk. Her friend is wearing Shinto inspired wrap pants of a linen blend and a Shinto style headdress - a wrapped pony tail with flowered headband. I was so happy with the beading, which includes mother of pearl shell beads. Despite the vividness of their face paint, I get quite a serene feeling when I look at these two girls. I rather love them, and I hope they will inspire dreamy thoughts . I'd love to see them go to their new home as a pair - but destiny will determine that. The Asian Inspired lovelies will be presented at Uptown Village Market for $90.00 (+ tax) each.

Here are some WIP shots of some of the Dream Star dolls I am making especially for Uptown Village Market next Friday and Saturday. The Kimono and Shinto style pants for the one of a kind Dream Dolls have worked out very well. The Dream Star dolls will be $50 with bonus doll stand (while supplies last) while the gorgeous Dream Dolls (14 inches tall with wire armatures) will be $75 including stand. Also available will be a new batch of Wish Dolls, which make a sweet gift and few other bits and pieces. I'm hoping to have some original collage art mini-canvases ready too. BTW, check out the review about to be posted on my Dolls: Crafting and Collecting blog about the very beautiful "Embroider Everything Workshop" by Diana Rupp. In summary - a great resource for beginner embroiderers!

"Marie" New and vintage buttons and ornaments Charms I have just finished my latest one of a kind doll, "Marie". She will be auctioned this weekend to benefit The Peace Project at The Gallery 9 in Culver City . She is about 14 inches tall, with a wire support armature. The fabrics of her body and dress are vintage upholstery fabrics. This toile print is one of my favorites. The beads are glass, shell and plastic. I've mixed faux and some real pearls. I enjoyed using the Embellie Gellie from Scraperfect to make the beading process so much easier. I also used Best Glue Ever to adhere the hand painted face before beading. Seed beads on the EG where I could grab them  with my needle - so much easier than pinching  between finger and thumb.

The only sewing I took with me to Good Vibrations was the Dream dolls that I'm beading. They are based on Kabuki or Noh masks. One, which was pretty much done before, is going to have a kimono type of garment with an obi sash. The other will be dressed in Shinto pleated wrap pants. I've decided the encrusted beading is too pretty to cover. And I did the back the same - sequins, beads and mother of pearl shells pieces. I haven't been paying too much attention to these dolls recently. But I think they will be very pretty once they are done. Hand. Foot.

Here is my work so far on two Kabuki Dream Dolls. These are definitely one of a kind, in a very short series. Their faces, which I painted, are not any particular mask - I wouldn't presume - but more of a general rendering of the style . The fabrics were bought new for a change, from a specialty quilt store. But a few years ago. As you can probably tell the Floral Kabuki Dream Doll is a little further along than the Black and White. I plan to dress them in wrap style Japanese pants (Hakama) or perhaps a skirt, and removable short kimono  style jackets. Expect more beading, couching, applique and some embroidery. I'm still thinking hard about their hair. Being Dream Dolls they are about 14 inches tall, with an internal wire armature for support. I don't know whether The Gallery 9 will want them for their store, or whether they will be on my Etsy . I recently received some vintage and distressed wooden beads that may be part of the final result. They will include a d...

This is "Dream of Peace" I have donated to the The Peace Project at Gallery 9  for auction. She is a 14 inch tall OOAK cloth and mixed media Dream Doll with internal wire and wood armature for support. I painted her face and designed her sparkling heart to evoke both Byzantine and Central American iconography. Her body is a vintage cottage style print from my late mother's collection, while her vivid skirt petals are a combination of vintage and used clothing fabrics, new quilting cottons, and vintage Indian and South Asian fabrics from my mother-in-law's collection. Tiny colored glass sead beads also appear in many cultures including African tribal adornments and traditional figures, and Native American textiles. Included in her hair decorations are handmade cloth beads made from some yo-yos from a very old quilt that is beyond repair, but represents the traditional feminine crafts of pioneer America. My idea is that her multi-sourced clothes, charms and emb...

If you go to my Etsy store in about two weeks, you will find it empty of Dream Star dolls. That is because my Dream Star dolls are going to be carried by The Gallery 9 in Culver City in conjunction with their next juried exhibition, The Peace Project by The Whole 9 , opening September 25 . The Whole 9 is an artists' community with online portfolios and real life networking and creativity inspiring events. I'm super excited because the curator Lisa Shultz invited me over and hand picked the dolls to be in the gallery shop as part of this wonderful event. I hope that a whole new audience will see my art dolls. In addition I have donated a Dream Doll to be auctioned during the gala reception. She is a multi-colored doll with a hand painted face, encrusted with beading, embroidery and couched ribbons. She'll be wearing a vivid mix of patterns and prints, while on her hands different colored beaded spirals represent each of the Four Elements...

I'm pretty horrified by the ongoing news from Haiti. When I don't know what else to do, or how to help, I make stuff. I will be making a Dream Doll, starting at once, to sell with the proceeds going to assist - perhaps the Red Cross would be a good place to donate. I'll decide that later. In the mean time, I want to challenge my crafting and doll making friends to do the same. Perhaps we can set up a day of auctions on Ebay for Haiti Earthquake relief.

I failed to take a photo of a custom ("just make whatever you want for me") Dream Doll before sending her off. Luckily her happy owner sent me one. She is made of wonderful vintage Indian cottons (from my MIL again) with many beads and couched ribbons and a mix of purchased and hand made polymer clay charms. My friend is so lively and joyous I really wanted to illustrate her spirit.

Jayn and I are enthralled by the Sisters Grimm series , a combination of two of our favorite genres - fractured fairy tales and mysteries. Inspired by the recent Doll Street Dreamers challenge to create Discworld characters , the gallery of which is now posted here, we have decided to embark on a long term project to create dolls for all the characters. These will be for our own play and enjoyment. The first ones are going to be the sisters themselves, almost 12 year old Sabrina and 7 year old Daphne. Their just begun polymer clay heads still look very odd without irises or eyelids, but they are going to be fun. This is a project that will conceivably take years. There are hundreds of fairytale characters and creatures representing folklore, myth, and literature from Shakespeare to Dickens to Baum. And a few humans. Jayn wants to make dioramas also. As well as the Grimm project, I have been busily beading a batch of Dream Star dolls and a Dream Doll, mostly made from vintage cottons....

Well here are the two Dream Dolls (between 11 and 13 inches high with an internal wire armature)that I finished. The fabrics were cottons and flannels that were special leftovers from garments made by and for members of my client's family. The flower petals, most of the charms and large beads were equally significant and historical. Even the paper beads were from pages of magazines that were important to her. One makes me think of fireworks and flamenco and celebrations, the other of spring mornings and tea parties and a cottage garden. I'm happy and so is their new owner who has received them into their new home.