Jill - The Bingo Babe

My sister Jill mentioned that while I had indeed made her a paperdoll, I had never made her a paperdoll with HER face on the doll - as I had done for other members of the family. She seemed a bit put out about it, as a matter of fact. So in celebration of her 58th birthday I made her a paperdoll with HER face on it. (This is her when she was around 20 or so -- it's been all downhill since then.)

Since Jill is into Bingo in a big way, but also likes Keno, slots, cards, dice - you name it - I decided she needed to be a Bingo Babe with added pieces representing other gambling disciplines. The pictures above depict the front and rear view of the doll. The Bingo Card is kind of a 'sandwich board dress'. Underneath it on the front is a "Welcome to Vegas" bejeweled sign, and underneath the back there is a slot machine. On the back of the Bingo sandwich board you will note the Chapel with the number "5" on the steeple - this number being significant to Jill - you'll have to ask her! Also note her quart-size bingo dauber hanging from her hand -- I didn't want her to run out!

My goal was to make this Babe the gaudiest of the gaudiest with a headress to rival Beach Blanket Babylon. I think I succeeded. Go forth and win big, you Bingo Babe, you. Oh, and Happy Birthday sis! (As always, click on the pictures for a close-up viewing.)

Easter is Closer Than You Think,Too

I designed some Easter paper dolls for a class that I'll be teaching at Scrapbook Connection in Grants Pass on March 22.

The Easter designs shown here use the faces of my sister and my niece, Alexis, from when she was about 2 years old. (You can see the grown-up Alexis on another paper doll in an earlier posting below.)

These paper dolls have an Easter egg body and a bunny rabbit head -- hey, it could happen! This pair of dolls is also ideal for a mother/daughter class and can bring out the creativity in you when designing the eggs. Rather like doing one of those Russian Faberge eggs for your very own. Materials used include ribbon, lace, beads, pearls, pom poms, feathers and ribbon flowers.

I've included individual pictures of Babs Bunny (Jody) and Baby Bunny (Alexis) and one photo of the two dolls together so that you can see the scale. (click on photo for larger view)

Valentine's Day is Just Around the Corner

Did you ever notice how the specialty days and holidays all seem to merge together, rather like a string without end. This year I saw Halloween candy, Thanksgiving Pilgrims and Xmas trees all displayed at the same time. There's no time to breathe in between times.

Which brings me to my latest artwork -- Valentine's Day Paper Dolls!! Just when you thought it was safe to grow up and be an adult, a new hobby comes along. I designed these two ladies - one adult known as Lady Valentine and one a young adult known as Little Val (about 60% the size of the larger one) for a local scrapbooking store as a prototype. I will be teaching a class -- perhaps a mother/daughter class as well. And VD is only 7 weeks away. Thus, the earliness of this creation. (click on the pictures for a larger view)

These were lots of fun to make, although I had to keep trimming the adult's heart body near the shoulders as she was really looking like a fullback there for awhile.

Paper Dolls are on their way to new homes

I so enjoyed creating these paper dolls, that I decided to send off some to my 2 sisters, a niece and selected friends as surprise holiday greetings. A total of 16 dolls are headed to new homes and should arrive there next week. Some of these dolls are already pictured on this blog in earlier postings; if you are interested go in search of them. I'll add a few more to this post. (Click on picture for a larger view.)

I had a good time making these dolls and picking out just the right one for each recipient. I hope the recipients enjoy having them as much as I did making them. You never know with this kind of thing -- one person's vision of art is not necessarily anyone else's view.

Due to the density of the doll's decorations, I couldn't risk sending them in a normal or even padded envelope, but had to use small boxes instead. This became an opportunity to use up all those small boxes I'd been saving from Amazon.com book shipments. So each doll left here in her own bed of tissue in a rewrapped Amazon.com book box. If you'd been passing through Grants Pass around 10:00 pm the other evening, you could have seen me lugging 16 of these little boxes into a well-lit, but silent (and empty) post office to use the self-mailing package shipping kiosk. My life is one big adventure after another.

My Niece, Alexis

Alexis' paper doll has been finished and shipped off in a Xmas package to her. She's 22 and still finding her own path as she stumbles through the briars and brambles of life. In a few weeks she's off to a new job and a return to college. I have great hope for this bright and lovely young woman. Go forth and make a difference Alexis.

(Click on the picture for a 'really big view'.)

Dolling up the Relatives

My sister Jody and her husband, Gary have been immortalized in paper dolls as shown in this posting. I printed their faces from a digital photograph.

They have been married for about 18 months now and Jody received a huge wedding ring which you will note I have paid homage to on her left hand. In real life she helps manage her husband's properties and in known for her fearsome ATTITUDE as she heads out into the 'hood to clear away debris, bad debtors, forbidden patio items and slothful employees. And Gary, well, he's just plain FEARLESS -- after all he married the lady with the ATTITUDE!

It was a challenge to make the Gary Doll more manly-man -- so I kind of went for the jungle look with all the leaves in his hair and on his leg. Click on the pictures for a bigger view.

The 9-Page Starburst

I tested my 9-page assembly line idea and here are the results. This was such fun and each star creation has it's own individual flair, yet you can tell they come from the same gene pool. This is a great way to make a number of these wonderful dolls all at once. You'll notice that they aren't decorated yet -- and -- they seem to have lost their heads! Watch for future posts to my blog to see how they look when they're all dressed up for a night on the town.

Method used: The complete pattern with mirror image limbs was copied onto 9 pieces of cardstock. Then the cardstock pattern was glued to the wrong side nine different decorative papers and cut out. Then the individual pieces were spread around to create 9 dolls - each with one of it's nine parts being from a different decorative page type. Glue the new 9-piece doll sets to the backing paper and cut out. Then assemble with brads. Voila! Nine sisters, somewhat the same, but each an individual.

I'm going to need to leave now and begin making their heads as they are running all around the room at the moment looking for them.

Here's Belle!!

Here is Star's friend Belle. She's all laced up, bejeweled and sequined -- all ready for a night out on the town. Belle is otherwise known as Daredevil. Double click on her picture for her 'Living Large' look.

This is another Carol Murphy design.

Revisiting Childhood with Better Stuff

I've begun making Paper Dolls. These are unlike any paper dolls I had when I was young, but I remember loving to cut them out and imagining their lives and adventures. Now, much later in life, I've come full circle and am working on paper dolls once again. Only this time I'm doing it with much better stuff.

I just finished "Star"; see her picture above (double-click on the picture to get a bigger view). She's decorated with exotic fibers, charms, sequins, beads, buttons and bells.

This doll is from a pattern by Carol Murphy, who teaches online classes at Joggles.com