A few weeks ago I posted an in-progress photo of a custom order I've been working on; it was commissioned by the lovely Ms. Kelly. Kelly asked for a self-portrait figurine in black with a Victorian costume, and I absolutely loved making her.
Part of the fun was making my first quasi-authentic 19th Century bustle. The originals were made from wire cage and fabric, so I used window screen instead:
I also gave her a deeply pleated skirt and a five-piece corset: And of course, a ragged little parasol for all that melancholy wandering about in the rain so de-rigeur for Victorian ladies (well probably not really because they were always cooped up at home with the vapours, but that's how I like to imagine them ...) Here is the original Kelly:
I've also added two more 3-D illustrations to the shop. These were a lot of fun to make, and nice also because they don't take nearly as long as a doll, so I get to see the results more quickly. I'll be offering them as custom orders later this week. And finally, after marking over 100 papers in two weeks, I am finished my teaching contract!! I am officially unemployed, which is both scary and exciting. The dolls are coming!
Last night I invigilated the final exam for my course; I still have to grade half their final papers and the exams, but then I will be done!!! My new goal in life is never to grade another paper, so I'm very much looking forward to having the summer off to concentrate on dolls, Etsy, blogging and general stuff-making. I'm taking a course in American Gothic Fiction (lots of Hawthorne and Poe) and I have two words with which to express my feelings about that: Yippee Skippee! Dolls and spooky stories? What a way to spend a summer...
I'm still working a way on several custom orders, and have recently completed two. One very special project was creating a doll that was meant to embody the spirit of Sapphire, the beautiful cat pictured below, who has passed on to kitty heaven. Linda, her 'owner' (I don't really like that term in relationship to animals, especially when I feel more like I exist in service to my cats!) asked me to create a doll that could help her commemorate Sapphire, and as a cat lover myself who has lost felt the pain of losing a beloved pet, I was honoured to have the opportunity.
Sapphire has that beautifully superior, slightly cranky look of so many cats, so I tried to capture that in the doll's expression. I also used Sapphire's beautiful grey and black coat as inspiration for the doll's clothing.
And I made my first attempt at a clay pet; far from perfect, but it was fun to try and I will definitely be making more.
You can read more about Sapphire and see some of Linda's lovely illustrations here.
I also made another version of Ghostly Minka, who was my one Hallowe'en offering last year.
This Minka has the same punky hairstyle but a slightly more demure expression. I need to braver with short hair styles, because I do love how they turn out.
And speaking of Hallowe'en creepies, if you have a vampire fetish, you should check out the BBC series my husband and I just finished watching, Ultraviolet. You can find it on netflix in the States or zip in Canada, and here are my top four reasons to watch:
1. It's about vampires 2. The almost absurdly handsome Idris Elba (you might know him as Stringer Bell from The Wire, but he's even yummier with an English accent. 3. It's good 4. It's funny (yet frightening) to see how hilariously passé clothes from 1998 already look (lots of shiny suits and unfortunately shoulder-padded leather jackets.)
Also, if, like me, you watch all things vampire, you might also recognize Stephen Moyer who plays Bill Compton on True Blood. Ten years ago, he looked positively petite and fey compared to his more recent vampire incarnation.
...to the end of the semester! I only have one more week of classes left, then two weeks to mark my students' exams and final papers , then done! I don't think I've ever been so excited about finishing a job as I am about this one. The marking has been overwhelming - eight months of having nearly thirty papers to mark almost every weekend. Blech. No wonder both students and teachers hate Composition courses; they have to write so. many. essays. And then we have to mark them. But not for long. Freedom, I almost taste you. I'm taking a class in American Gothic literature this summer, about which I'm very excited, and other than that I'm writin' fiction and makin' dolls. Yessssssssss.... Thank you, by the way, to everyone who left consoling comments on my last post. Clearly, the whiff of liberty has me feeling much better...
I've had several, great custom orders projects, most of which entail working from pictures. It's a fascinating challenge, trying to capture someone's features and personality while still representing them in my own style and aesthetic. Her eare some photos of one I've just finished and one that's on progress. Behold the lovely Hilary: Of course she has those enviable high cheek bones and that gorgeous hair, so my early attempts focused on those features. Hilary requested antlers, an Elizabethan collar and puffy sleeves, all of which were fairly straightforward... But she also made an off-hand remark about it being too bad you can't get steampunk goggles for dolls, which I then took up as a secret challenge. I put my nerdy (in the absolute best, sexy way) husband on the case, and he came up with a bit of sheer crafty genius. These don't yet have lenses, but they give you an idea. How I love learning how to make new, odd things! I've also been working on a commission for the beautiful Ms. Kelly, the world's foremost collector of Black-Eyed Suzie Dolls (thanks, Kelly!)
As you can see, Kelly has the most amazing bone structure, so that was my focus with her doll. She is still in the early stages, but this has been such a fun project for me. I have some beautiful costume books out from the library, and the eighteenth century is calling to me for this one. She already has a charming little five-piece corset: Now I'm feeling all gushy and grateful...how lovely is it that I get to recreate these beautiful people in my own little way? You're nearly dead to me, day job!
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