I've Been Missing My Dollies

My blog is on quite the hiatus, and that is due in part to two things. First, raising my sweet little one which is something I don't want to miss one second of. Second, my husband is starting a new job and as a result, we are in the process of moving which is something I don't mind missing out on. So with being a Mommy and packing up the house, there just isn't any time to make things.

At some point in the near future, I look forward to making dolls again. I know it won't be too long. So please, bookmark my blog and stop by again.

Lastly, I am discontinuing my Polymer Clay Eye tutorial until I am moved in to our new house and we have an internet connection. Look for it sometime in the month of June.

WIP

The temporary photography studio has at last been set up. So I am pleased to present a sneak-peek of my latest work-in-progress. It is going to be a little girl with a golden yellow dress. At least, that is what I am thinking she will wear. You know how fickle these little ones can be.

More Doodles and Updates

Believe it or not, I've actually been working on a doll. In between surgery (which went quite well and thanks for all of the kind comments), feedings, diapers and playtime with the little tot, I've managed to do some more doodles and work on a doll.

I'll need to find a new place to set up my photography set, so in the meantime, doodles will have to do.

The drawing, or rather caricature, up above is based off of a little girl from 1906. She looks so sad, but that is the magic of her face. There is so much character present on someone so young. Of course, I just had to add a gigantic hair bow.

It has been an interesting time of artistic introspection. By which I mean to say, my work has taken a slightly new direction. To begin with, I have designed a new hand pattern, added a little more realism (not too much) and worked on the concept of free-standing dolls. The doll I am currently working on is slightly larger than what I normally would do.

Lastly, it has been almost a year since I have sold a doll on eBay. So depending on how the auction goes with this doll, I may change where I sell my dolls. Consequently, if you are interested in when I list a doll for sale, please join my Yahoo mailing list located on the right side of this blog.

Well, it's almost time to feed the little one, thanks for stopping by.


Speaking of the little one, here she is in her silk baptism gown I made for her.

Got Some Ideas Rolling Around

Early Christmas morning, I had a few minutes to myself. I had just finished wrapping some presents and was bitten by the drawing bug. It also led to some ideas for a new doll pattern. The drawing above is a caricature of my daughter Maddy. The drawing was scanned and finished in Photoshop. Hopefully within the next few months, I can get back to making some dolls. In the meantime, I am having surgery on Monday December 29th. I'll need a few weeks to recover and then I'll be as good as new. :)

Introducing Our Daughter Madeline Grace

On November 8th, I gave birth to my darling little girl Madeline Grace. She was born at 5:43 am and weighed 9 pounds 1 1/2 ounces. We are extremely happy and are finally settling into the new and exciting territory of parenthood.

Fashion Doll and Edgar Allen Poe Doll WIPs

Here are two dolls in progress for your viewing pleasure. The top will be a fashion doll based off of a German fashion doll from 1850. The bottom doll is my interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe. I am unable to decide which one to complete first. We'll just have to see where they want to go.

I am officially six months pregnant now with our first child, Madeline. Things are going so much better now with the pregnancy. My husband and I are very excited and can't wait to see and hold her.

Blog Make-over

Normally, I wait until the end of the year to give my blog a face lift. But this time, I just couldn't wait. I may tinker around with it some more at a later time.

Whew! Hoffman Doll Completed

"Eleanor"
by
Coppermouse Dolls
14.5" in height
Cloth, paperclay, wood and brass.
Original pattern by Coppermouse Dolls.

Oh my gosh! I didn't think I'd ever finish this doll. I had no idea how much being pregnant can take the steam out of you. At any rate, she's completed. She's now on her way to Colorado for the Hoffman 2008 Fabric Challenge.

You may notice the jacket is a different fabric or rather the correct fabric for the challenge. You see, I had this hinky feeling that something wasn't right. So I asked my husband to re-read the rules for me. Sure enough, I had used the wrong fabric. Technically, it has the right name, but the wrong number. It was a tad confusing. Luckily, I was able to order some replacement fabric in the nick of time.

For me, the biggest challenge with this doll was the issue of not using a doll stand. I totally love those tacky things. I suppose one could say it is laziness on my part, but I can't help myself. My plan was to use brass rods inserted through the feet and up to the shoulders. Then I would drill holes in a wooden base and insert the rods into the stand. Oh brother, I was so scared I was going to ruin my doll. Then, amazingly, it worked. And I thought to myself, that was so easy. I was just being a big baby about it. That is the wonderful thing about entering challenges; it forces you to work outside of your comfort zone. Neat, huh?

Now for something totally cool. Deanna Hogan is kind enough to host pictures of Hoffman entries on her website. You may see them here. I am so blown away by all of the entries. I wish everyone the best.