Ugly Little Witch

One of a kind and all handmade ugly little witch by Coppermouse Dolls.  She is made out of cloth and paperclay and finished with acylic paints.  She stands at twelve inches and with the hat she is fourteen inches.  I'll post more about her later.  I plan on selling her on Ebay this week.  If you are interesting in joining my mailing list, enter your email address and click the Yahoo button to the right side of my blog.  Thanks!

Dreary Dandelion by Coppermouse Dolls

Auction Link

Up for auction on Ebay is "Dreary Dandelion." She is a gray tabby cat and loves to read dreary poetry.

Black Primitive Doll: Polly and Wogg

Auction Link

It's been about two years since I've made a black doll. So without further ado, here is Polly and her pet frog, Wogg. Little Polly has raised Wogg since he was a tiny slimy tadpole. Just look at the size of that thing now. It's huge. Polly plans on entering Wogg into the frog jumping competition at the annual fair. Odds are Wogg will win by a landslide.

Greta Gatlin up for adoption on Ebay.

Auction Link

Up for adoption this week is a somewhat homely little girl and her ugly little doll. Her name is Greta Gatlin and she is about six years old. Not too much is known about her. Some say she smells a little like old cheese and is prone to cracking her knuckles. If you can put with that, then I am sure you'll just love her.

Squid Girl WIP

Last night, I painted my Squid Girl. I knew I wanted her to have red hair, but I also wanted her to have a fantastical color scheme. Attaching the legs was quite a chore especially when it got down to the last two legs. There was hardly any room for the needle. Somehow I got them on there.

By the way, this is my doll for the MRSBO Raggedy Anne Doll Challenge that will be held on January 31. I have a skeletal outline for her story. No name yet, but I'm sure I'll find a good one.

Now I need to make her dress. Stay tuned for more pictures.

Little Bunny Girl Doll

Today I finished my bunny doll. She is wearing a little pink calico smock style dress with the tiniest yellow buttons. Originally, she was going to have a green apron, but I really fancy the pink dress by itself. She is 11.5" tall. She is made out of cloth and paperclay and then hand-painted with acrylics.

Bunny will go up for auction on Ebay tomorrow night at 7:30 pm Pacific. I'll post the link then.

Squid Girl and Bunny Doll WIP

It's been a while since I have posted some "work in progress" (WIP) pictures. What you see now is two dolls. On the left is my Squid Girl doll for the MRSBO Raggedy Anne Challenge. The doll on the right is going to be a simple little bunny doll. Perhaps my bunny will be an albino? I have not decided yet. There are so many beautiful breeds of bunnies to chose from it's like trying to pick one color from a big box of 100 crayons.

As you can plainly see, the faces are needle-sculpted cloth. But what you can't see, or feel rather, is that both dolls have been dipped in Paverpol. Now the heads are nice and hard. They're ready for the paperclay application. Paverpol creates the perfect surface for the rough process of sculpting refined features.

If you have any questions about how I make my dolls, feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

Happy Dollmaking,
Melisa

Little Izannah on Ebay

Hello, here is my latest doll up for auction on Ebay. She is inspired by the lovely dolls of Izannah Walker. This doll stands 18 inches tall. She is made from my original patterns. Her head is needle-sculpted cloth with paperclay. She is painted with artist acrylics and sealed with acrylic varnish. Her dress, petticoat which features three tiny rows of pintucks and bloomers are also made from my original patterns. Lastly, she wears a tiny necklace and matching bracelets made from blue glass beads.

She may stand with the assistance of a doll stand (not included) or sit nicely on a shelf.

Auction Link

Krampus Doll

" Krampus Visits "

The truth will out come Christmas Eve,
When many a child shall be deceived!
As stockings still hung and filled... quite meagerly,
Are opened by the naughty child, so eagerly!
No toys, nor trinkets, not even a sweet,
Just chunks of coal tumbling to their feet!
With a naughty list and switch in hand,
The laughing Krampus shouts " How grand! "
No Saintly Nick with his bag of toys,
Just old Krampus, visiting naughty girls and boys!
by F. Thompson

Why on earth do I have a red devil on my blog...and at Christmas time! It all began because I am a member of a Halloween Ebay group called HA31. They held a Krampus challenge for December 5th. Unfortunately for me, I was too late to list my doll in time (I had joined the group after the deadline). Nevertheless, I just had to make my own Krampus doll.

My dapper little devil stands at 18 inches and wears a hounds-tooth flannel suit. He is made out of cloth and paperclay and is painted bright red. The naughty little boy is a simple rag doll painted with acrylics. Krampus' switch is made from my broom and tied to a chopstick. I will sell him in September 2008.

Here is a brief description on Krampus day from Wikipedia:

The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). In the Alpine region the Krampus is represented by an incubus in company of St Nicholas. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December and particularly in the evening of December 5 and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas also slight birching especially of young females by the Krampus is part of tradition.



Below is a cute Krampus commercial from G4.

As a dollmaker and storyteller, I loved the chance to make a Krampus doll. Furthermore, and on a more fundamental level, I find the concept interesting and rather amusing. While Krampus is a pre-Christian celebration of Christmas, it reminds us there are consequences for bad behavior. It is the old and compelling principle of good and evil. Also, it is meant to scare children straight. I mean come on. What's better than scaring the daylights out of little bratty kids! So have you been good? Or have you been naughty? Remember that old Christmas carol, Santa Claus is Coming to Town? [Santa's] gonna find out who's been naughty or nice. And then he's gonna sic Krampus on the naughty ones.

Merry Christmas!
Melisa

MRSBO Adoption: Agnes Futtleplum and Petey

Auction Link

Welcome to this week's MRSBO adoption. May I introduce Agnes Futtleplum and her pet pug, Petey. They are having a little wintertime party. These two are absolutely inseparable. Petey is Agnes' best friend. One can hear his tiny toenails tapping along the floorboards as he follows Agnes from room to room. We believe Agnes is about three years old and Petey is about two. They just appeared one day at the orphanage. We will be sad when they go, but we know they will be be happy at home with you.

Agnes Futtleplum stands 10 inches tall but is about 12 inches with her party hat. Agnes is made from my original patterns. Her head is needle-sculpted cloth with paperclay. She is painted with artist acrylics and sealed with acrylic varnish. Her dress is also and crocheted trimmed bloomers are also made from my original patterns. Petey the pug is sculpted out of polymer clay and painted with acrylics. He wears a cream colored satin bow and his little party hat. Both party hats are trimmed with black ric-rac, pom-poms, and glitter. The hats are removable.

This is my last auction for Ebay this year. I'm gonna work on getting dolls made in advance to sell for January.

Have a Merry Christmas,
Melisa

Dora and Cinnamon

Auction Link

Tonight Dora, the snow girl, and Cinnamon, her pet fawn, go up for auction on Ebay.

Dora is a one-of-a-kind doll and made right from my own patterns. She is made out of cloth and paperclay and hand-painted with artist's acrylics and with just a hint of glitter. Her dress is made out of mint green velvet, cotton and embellished with pink ribbon and lots of lace. She is wearing a pagoda style dress with lacy bloomers and a petticoat. She has pink and white striped painted stockings under her bloomers. Her pink mittens and black boots are also hand-painted. Her bonnet is from ivory satin brocade lined with lutrador and trimmed with pink grosgrain, lace and ribbon flowers. It is removable, too.

Cinnamon, Dora's pet fawn, is made out of paperclay and hand-painted with artist's acrylic. Cinnamon loves to sit in Dora's lap, but is just as content to sit by her side.

Both pieces are signed and dated by me, Melisa of Coppermouse Dolls.

I will try to make one more orphan before the year is over, but Dora is my last doll for the year. There will be some small paintings and perhaps an ornament or two on Ebay, what doesn't sell I'll list them in my Etsy store. I just can't believe this year is almost over. It's been an amazing year to say the least.

Happy Holidays,
Melisa

Coppermouse Dolls Ebay Auction: Primitive Annie

Welcome to this week's auction for my primitive Annie doll. She is approximately 12 inches tall. Annie is entirely handmade from my own patterns. She is sculpted out of cloth and paperclay. Her blue cotton dress and bloomers are permanently attached.

What can I say about this doll? She is a curious feisty little red-head, full of life.

It is my opinion that every dollmaker needs to make their own version of Raggedy Anne.

Here is the link for Annie (it will not work until 9 p.m. central tonight).

MRSBO Adoption: Matilda the Tiny Angel

Welcome to this week's adoption. May I introduce to you Matilda. She is three years old and has quite the sweet tooth. Better hide your candy canes and Christmas puddings or else it will disappear before anyone else gets to have bite...not even the fruitcake is safe. We've taken to locking up the sugar, brown sugar (both light and dark), and chocolate in Mrs. Blathersby's office safe, which really annoys our cook. You might think those bells on her dress are pure ornamentation, but they actually serve a purpose. If she is sneaking around in the kitchen, we can hear those tiny little bells. At the moment, Matilda is working on a tasty gingerbread man.

Matilda is made out of sculpted cloth and paperclay and is hand-painted with the finest acrylic paints and sealed with acrylic varnish. From the top of her head to the tips of her brown boots, she measures 10 inches tall. Her red dress is made from 100% cotton and is trimmed with tiny light green ric-rac. She wears tiny muslin bloomers with a matching petticoat. Her green and cream stripped stockings and boots are hand-painted and sealed with acrylic varnish.

Her little wings are made from unbleached muslin and are hand quilted with shiny red thread.

Matilda has hand sculpted little spit curls and is crowned with a gigantic red bow.

Matilda's gingerbread man is made out of polymer clay and is the idea of a very talented friend of mine,Teresa Clayton (ebay id: thetreadler). The gingerbread man is glued to Matilda's hand.

You will need a doll stand or chair to display her. She can sit on her own. Be careful with her though, she is still somewhat fragile.

Potential Parents please click here.

WIP: Mrs. Cluttersbuck the Christmas Gossip

It's that time of year! Christmas is right around the corner. Yikes! Where does the time go? Time to think of good cheer and of course the true meaning of Christmas... presents. But there are those, we all know one, who love to gossip about what Mr. Soandso bought for Mrs. Soandso, and it must of cost an arm and a leg, and oh my goodness, did you see the size of it! Whew!

Mrs. Cluttersbuck will be sure to take notice of what everyone is getting and who gave what and "I'm positive that I gave them that a as a gift two years ago."

This is a doll I started on about four months ago. She's been sitting and staring at me while I've been working on my orphans. "How long shall I languish on this shelf!" she'd exclaim every single time I walked past her to pick out some new fabric for yet another doll. "I do declare you shan't ignore me!" At long last, I gave in and decided it was time to take her off the shelf and finish her. So stay tuned for more pictures of Mrs. Cluttersbuck, the Christmas Gossip.

"Gossip! Me? Well I never!"

MRSBO Adoption: Pamela Pumpkinhead

Welcome to this week's adoption. May I introduce to you Pamela Pumpkinhead. She is five years old. The story goes that five years ago, a magician from Mr. Pringle's Society of Feeble Prestidigitators was challenged to enchant a pumpkin into a hammer. Somehow, he changed the pumpkin into some sort of little baby girl. The magician was greatly disappointed (he really wanted that hammer) and brought the wee baby gourd to our orphanage.

So why on earth is that child holding an axe, you say? That is easy to explain. Pamela does not want the other children at MRSBO to chop off her head and carve a jack o' lantern out of it. We cannot blame the little tykes their mischief. It is getting close to Halloween after all. However, we are not barbaric here at MRSBO. We decided to give Pamela a fighting chance and allow her to carry an axe for her own protection. Perhaps the best protection for Pamela is if you can bring her home with you.

Pamela Pumpkinhead is made out of sculpted cloth and paperclay and is hand-painted with the finest acrylic paints. From the top of her pumpkinhead to the tips of her black boots, she measures 10 inches tall. Pamela comes with a tiny axe made out of paper and a wooden dowel. It gently fits in her hand. Her dress is made from 100% cotton and is my own original design. She wears tiny muslin bloomers with a matching petticoat. Her black and white stripped stockings and boots are hand-painted and sealed with acrylic varnish. You will need a doll stand or chair to display her. She can sit on her own. Be careful with her though, she is still somewhat fragile.

I certainly enjoyed making Pamela Pumpkinhead. She is inspired greatly by my adoration of Edward Gorey (and a somewhat strange predilection for evil children). And since Halloween is right around the corner, why not include Pamela Pumpkinhead with your decorations.

Potential Parents please click here.

Pamela Pumpkinhead Preview

Here is a sneak peek of my next auction. She is Pamela Pumpkinhead and is feeling a little paranoid at the moment. Stay tuned for more of Pamela.

MRSBO Up for Adoption This Week: Bella & Donna

Welcome to this week's adoption. May I introduce to you the twins, Bella & Donna. They currently reside at Mrs. Blathersby's Orphanage (MRSBO) and cannot wait to come home with you. A little history about Bella & Donna. They have only been with MRSBO now a few months. They are very quiet and take excellent care of their plant "Lulu" (we think they are calling it "Lulu" but it comes out "roo-roo"), You know, now that I think about it, ever since they arrived with that plant, I swear we no longer have any problems with vermin (not that MRSBO is plagued with pestilence) or stray cats either. Weird, huh? But I digress, the twins are very neat. One would never know they were just in a room. They make their beds, wash their dishes and do all of their chores without ever having be told to do so. Bella & Donna are only four years old and require very little in life. All they need is a loving home (preferably one without pets or younger children). Besides, just look at those darling faces. How can you resist?

On a side note, it is not that big of a deal really; however, it is worth mentioning. I strongly recommend that you do not try to take away their plant. Sister Mary Mole from the Order of the Holy Wretched tried to throw away their plant "Lulu" one day and, thankfully, now has recovered the use of her right hand. So whatever you do, leave Lulu alone. It really is not anything to worry yourself about.

Potential parents click here.

Happy Dollmaking,
Melisa

Sneak Preview of Upcoming Auction: Bella WIP

Here is a sneak peek of what is coming up for auction on Wednesday. Her name is Bella and she has a twin named Donna. Stay tuned for more information. :)

Violet on Ebay

I must admit that I'm rather excited about Violet going up for auction tonight. She will be a seven day auction. Check back later tonight for the link. Wish me luck. Oh yes, please bid.

Click here to bid on Violet.

Brap WIP

Here is my latest paperclay endeavor. He will eventually turn into a sweet troll named Brap. He was very relieved when I took the cling wrap off his head and took a big breath of fresh air. I tell him it's for his own good, but he doesn't believe me that he'll dry out before I can finish him. He has one eye near completion and the other one waiting patiently for it's beauty treatment. Brap's inspiration came about when I was looking at Brian Froud's Faeries at Half Priced Books and came across Jimmy Squarefoot, perhaps one of my most favorite Froud creations. I love the gentle, yet somewhat intimidating presence of Jimmy. For those of you who do not have the book (myself included), Jimmy is a cross between a pig and an ogre. Pig's just happen to be one of my most favorite animals, my absolute favorite are barn owls.

Stay tuned for more pictures of Brap.

Also, Blue Fairy will go up for auction on Ebay starting Tuesday August 28.

August 28

I have posted three new pictures of Brap. In these you can see I have added more wrinkles and made his lower lip protrude more. Using translucent Fimo, I made a protruding lower canine tooth.

Now you see all those little cracks? That is nothing to worry over. I use this Japanese liquid paperclay and they disappear like magic. It's great stuff. The next part I am going to work on is his ears and feet. Stay tuned for more updates on this post.

August 29

Brap's armature is 1/4" bonsai training wire. I covered it with paper tape to give the clay something to hold on to. I used aluminum foil to bulk out his chest and save my clay. Brap's legs are covered with Aves Apoxie. This stabilizes the legs in the position I want them to be. His feet have armatures for the toes.

The next step is to begin adding a layer of paperclay around the legs, chest and neck. I will attach his head to the body and seal the connection with the clay. I sculpt a simple form and then let it dry. Then I add the details. This is important because the clay now has a foundation and is much easier to work with. I work with paperclay in stages and allow each stage to dry before I continue. If I am particularly impatient for the clay to dry, I will put it in the oven for up to two hours at 17o degrees Fahrenheit.

Sept 14

I sculpted Brap's hands and used Ave's Sculpt to strengthen the armature. It creates the form of the upper arm and prevents the arm from bending at weird angles. Also, I added Brap's ears. I have written a tutorial about creating strong armatures for the ears. I need to figure out how to post it here.

The next step for Brap is to fill out his body with quilt batting strips and then cover it with cloth. Stay tuned for more updates.