Your Cheatin' HeART...

Hank Williams wrote the lyrics to the song...

I just took it to the "next step" with a piece of art!

I'm "cheatin'..." a little here on this new Santos Cage Doll!

Here are a few "before and after" pics:

I was unhappy with the cage doll that I had been

working on; prior to my cancer diagnosis... 

and so two days ago just tossed it!  Yup! In the trash...

I found this reproduction vintage Santos (left) online 
at Tuesday Morning, for a real deal of a price. 
After removing the upper body... I did a bit of a "re-fit" 
using my original  cage doll skirt and wooden wings;

hence the "cheatin" heART!

I love it...  the vintage patina I was able to achieve 
with a bit of gesso, wood stain, and sanding 
sure beats those boring gray slats of wood!


It's nice to be "back"... Daryle

Christmas Wishes...

Beneath our tree, snuggled in my Dad’s old 

handmade tool box, 

is our vintage paper maché infant Jesus. 

This evening at our 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

Christmas Eve Candlelight services... 

a soloist will be singing Michael W. Smith’s 

wonderful song:  “All Is Well”  

Here are some of the lyrics:

All is well, all is well

Angels and men rejoice

For tonight darkness fell

Into the dawn of love's light.

Sing Alleluia!

All is well, all is well

Let there be peace on earth

Christ is come go and tell

That He is in the manger.

Sing Alleluia!

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas!  

And please know, that “all is well!”  

Daryle & Katie

To Everything... There is a Season!

About four weeks ago, I (Daryle) was diagnosed 

with having a slow growing type of cancer.

Never the news you want to hear, but for this... I am thankful:

It was detected early and the prognosis is very encouraging!

I continue to have no symptoms and am feeling really good!

So good... that we're going to spend this week of Thanksgiving

with our whole family... gathered up in Vermont!  How fun is that!

When we get back from Vermont... I will meet with the oncologist

and together, we'll make some decisions about treatment plans.

I am in good hands... and believe with all my heart the truth

expressed in Roman 8:28

"And we know that God causes all things             to work together for good  to those who love God, to those who are called  according to His purpose." My game plan is to take some time off, here at Woodstown Whimsies and just take care of myself for a while! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers... Blessings to you and yours, in this season of much joy! Daryle

Santos Cage Doll... Comin' Along!

Have you ever had "one of those weeks"... 

that too quickly turned into "one of those months"?

I found some time today to finally apply a coat of paper clay

over the duck cloth fabric armature!

I did manage (two weeks ago) to stain and add several more 

decorative features to the wooden cage.

The arms are articulated... jointed at the shoulders,

elbows and wrists.  I will apply paper clay to them,

and add fingers eventually.  I hope to work on her face

this weekend.  Those are German bead eyes in the sockets.

I have cut out a metal mesh Victorian corset, using an

old window screen... it is soaking in a vinegar and bleach solution,

to give it a worn, rusty patina.  The plan is to hand stitch the

parts of the corset together, add some dribbles of paint 

and give it that "old world" appearance... a vintage "find" from

another time and place.  Blessings... Daryle

Artful Giving & Spirited Surprises... a juried show!

I just heard several days ago from the folks at 

Riverview Renaissance Center for the Arts...

that two of my book faeries will be in the juried exhibition

at the gallery in Millville, New Jersey 

November 18th through December 30th, 2011

I couldn't be more excited!  

This is a celebration of fine artisan furniture and furnishings

from the tri-state area: Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

I invite you to stop by and/or take a look at the gallery:

http://www.rrcarts.com/index.html

Newest Issue of Art Doll Quarterly...

I hope you will take a moment to look at the newest issue of ADQ...

I had the joy of having an article that I submitted published: 

"Folk Art Dolls That Are Functional!"

You'll find the article on pages 58-62...  

Warm Wishes during these, crisp, cool November days!  

Daryle

Santos Angel

With this Santos... I have decided to sculpt clay of 

over cloth. The cloth I have chosen happens to be one of my

 favorite fabrics. It is a rugged 10 oz. duck cloth cotton canvas, 

that is unbleached. Duck cloth and I have a "long history" of 

working together... going all the way back to our earliest days 

up in Vermont. Kingdom Krafts... which was the name of our 

little registered cottage industry became associated by name 

with "canvas folk art." When folks heard "canvas folk art"... 

they often thought of Kingdom Krafts.

Well... having said that; that was then and this is now!  

I just plain enjoy working with a sturdy duck cloth!

The fabric is nailed with 9/16 tacks to the wooden cage frame,

also a squirt of Elmer's wood glue here and there for strength.

I'm hoping to introduce some old rusty screening by fabricating a 

metal corset over and/or into the paper maché and paper clay.

Happy Sunday evening... Daryle

Friday's Favorite... rachel whetzel

It's going to be a perfect autumn day, here in South Jersey...

boatloads of sunshine, a bit of a breeze, and we're approaching

peak color as the maples, ash, and sugar gum trees drop their leaves.

It's also a perfect day to stop by and visit rachel whetzel...

at her blog, website, and shop!

http://www.minetothine.com/ 

Her dolls have been published and featured in 
PRIMS, Art Doll Quarterly 
and other wonderful publications... 
rachel's blog: "Memories of Mine to Thine" 

is a good place to start... 

You'll love her steampunk doll found on the October 7th post!

Have fun and tell her that I said "Hi!"   Daryle

Perfection...

This past Friday morning the car was packed and we were ready to 
walk out the door...  leaving for a wedding in Olean, NY.  
It would be a seven hour trip from Woodstown.

The phone rang... it was 6:00 a.m.

 "Hi Dad!  The contractions are coming every five to eight minutes...

we're on our way to the hospital!"

And at 12:55 p.m.   our second grandson was born!

Jonathan... "a gift from the Lord"

We arrived in Olean, well before the wedding rehearsal on Friday.  
The ceremony on Saturday was a testimony  to the glory of God, 
and the reception that followed was a hoot!

Katie and I danced the night away... returned to the B & B in Allegany 
and enjoyed breakfast the next morning with the groom's family. 
We arrived in North Jersey by mid afternoon on Sunday... 
(more than ready to see that family of ours) and just in time to snap a pic 

of big brother Ryan holding little Jonathan for the very first time!

We think they're going to be best friends!

Life is good...   Daryle & Katie

Santos Cage... Body Beginnings!

Focus... "to concentrate attention or energy"

This Santos has helped me to once again "focus"

and move forward!

I have added a "finial" of sorts... 

to the inside of the cage for interest.  

Perhaps something will eventually dangle from it?

I added a halved styrofoam ball, to provide some shape

for the doll's hips... soon to be covered with a fabric armature.

I do so much better "visualizing" with a paper representation...

I like the proportions.  Her long waist will drop when I actually 

"tuck" the fabric and attach it to the wooden upper base.  

Santos Angel... Has a Cage!

"floundering"...  a verb: to struggle, to make mistakes.

Goodness, that says it all!  I feel as though I've been

floundering in the aftermath, the past few weeks.

Perhaps "wallowing" would be an even better word choice!

Having "wallowed" long enough... I started working on the cage

for a new Santos Angel!

 I used some poplar furring strips, over-laying them with 

decorative pine moulding that I attached to a basswood base. 

Her tiny 4-3/4" waist base is pine. Some drywall screws and good 

ol' Elmer's wood glue seems to be holding it all together! This Santos 

will be quite large; the cage is 19 inches high. I'm thinking that will 

make the doll close to 36 inches tall.  Happy Trails!  Daryle

A New Doll... in the Works!

My excuse?  Well, our downstairs is still waiting for new flooring,

following the carpet soaking waters of Irene!

Two weeks ago we finally pulled the last of the old, original tile flooring up...

(the carpet went four weeks ago)

The new flooring will be delivered tomorrow, acclimate and be installed on Tuesday.

My workshop is a disaster: furniture piled, stacked, jammed and junked all over the place.  Being a bit "over the top tidy"... (Yup! basically O.C.D.)

I struggle to work in a "less than well organized" environment.

This evening I decided to venture into that very same space and at least attempt

to "work on" the base for a new Santos!  I am defining "work on" as taking a photo of potential materials to be used in the base of the new cage doll.  Sad, huh?

And so it goes...  Happy Sunday evening!  Daryle  

Friday's Favorite: Abi Monroe's Dolls!

If you have never stopped by to visit Abi at her blog or Etsy Shop...

please do!

Very simply put: Abi is designing some of the most incredible dolls 

that are out there.

You can find her at:  http://abimonroe.blogspot.com/

Stop by and tell her "Daryle sent you!"

Our Finds: Four at Four

We found our newest favorite stop for special "finds": 

The Annex Marketplace in Wilmington, Delaware!

http://www.annexmarketplaceonline.com/

And what was the "fourth" find?

A beautiful "flag throw" (blanket) from the Museum of Fine Art, Boston

depicting fifteen historical American flags.  It came in the original zippered bag

with tags and the museum card.  Yup!  It too was: $4.00

Happy hunting... Daryle & Katie

Congratulations... the "Guardian of Hope" has found a New Home, in Canada!

Congratulations to "Pink"... from Pinkglitterfae Art...

earlier today, our daughter (way up in Vermont) 

picked Betty's number from the hat!  

We couldn't be happier!

Daryle & Katie

Fall Equinox Give-Away!

We love the fall season!

The cooler temps, putting our gardens to rest,

and the long shadows that dance across our lawns.

We are so blessed... and want to share that blessing!

What better way... than a give-away!

And so "The Guardian of Hope" featured on page 65

of the fall issue of Art Doll Quarterly...

will find a new home on Friday, September 23, 2011...

the first day of Autumn! 

Just drop us a note, here at Woodstown Whimsies...

and we'll put your name in the hat for the drawing!

Blessings... Daryle & Katie

Birdhouse Shrine: "A Window of the Soul"

Fini...  with a little help (actually a lot!) using 

 DecoArt One Step Crackle Medium... 

I decided to use a blending of raw sienna and burnt umber

for my "fill-in" color with the cracks; as I wanted a richer contrast

against the light, porcelain-like- finish of the skin tones.

Don't you just love paper hats?  

For me... they rekindle warm memories of my grandma, 

who lived with us. Occasionally, she would make me a paper hat,

fold after fold, using a sheet from the Milwaukee Journal.

Remember WHAT he started out as?

(sometimes it's nice to go back to where it all began, isn't it?)

Yup... that funky two-tone wooden birdhouse on stilts!

He stands about 23 inches tall from the top of his paper hat

to the soles on his shoes...

I'm hoping to enter him in a juried exhibition this October

at the Riverfront Renaissance Center Gallery in Millville, NJ.

Happy thoughts... Daryle

Craftsman Style Doll... (definitely a W.I.P.)

I just returned from a quick trip over the river

(o.k. "and through the woods...") to Delaware, 

making a stop at the Farmer's Flea Market in New Castle.

I came across this craftsman style architectural piece...

It just spoke to me... and for $3.00 with a bit of bargaining; 

came home with me! The seller said it is an old mantle clock case. 

It only stands 9 inches high... and is heavy for its size (2+ lbs. I'm sure)

After a damp cloth cleaning (I am thinking that it is walnut)... 

it certainly has the makings for a whimsical doll!

I cannot find a single nail in it; the four square columns

 are pegged on the bottom of the platform.

And don't you just love the vintage brass tag that I found...

It has "snook 260" stamped on it; in red.

Happy hunting... Daryle

Friday's Favorite... Folk Art Dolls!

They remain my first love:

(in the doll world...)

FOLK ART DOLLS!

Please take a minute to stop and see what Jan Conwell 

is creating these days... Her blog is J D Conwell Folkart Dolls.

Use this link to stop by and say "hello!"

http://jdconwell.blogspot.com/

This is one of her dolls, that I found at the

Primitive and Folk Art Doll Group at Etsy.

On the Brighter Side...

We hunkered down in Vermont, 

in Chad & Emily's first home 

as Irene came through... the pics tell all...

Our whole family was there... Chad and Em had us, 

as well as Naomi, Steve, and little Ryan 

for their first big sleep-over! 

The house was full... our hearts were even fuller! 

Yes, we know we are blessed...

Upon Returning to Woodstown...

We were thankful, upon returning to our home in Woodstown

late Tuesday evening... to find only some large limbs down in

the backyard and water in the basement.

We weathered out the hurricane, up in Vermont with Emily & Chad.

Much of Vermont was devastated by the storm...

with entire towns cut off by mud slides and/or washed out roads.

Our family and friends were spared.  We hunkered down in our kid's

new home (circa 1860) as the storm came and went; 

leaving so much destruction behind its path.

Parts of South Jersey were also hit really hard; as was North Jersey.

It took us hours just to get to where our oldest daughter, hubby, 

and grandson live... due to neighboring towns that

had flood waters and are dealing with washed out highways.

Some of you were praying for us... thank you for that!

With heartfelt gratitude... Daryle & Katie

Through My Lens...

I have complied a few pics of my Birdhouse Shrine Doll... still a W.I.P.

His paper hat (with metal grommets on each side) is full of illustrations 

and music from a vintage German children's book.

The gold heart hangs in one of the open window panes, 

near a reproduction metal keyhole on the door. 

I really love the sentiment "forget me not" 

and often incorporate it in my assemblages and dolls.

It is on coffee-stained paper, enclosed by a metal frame.

The small, gold heart that hangs in the window frame is paper clay.

Inside the door are my quail eggs... 

I found some vintage doll stockings that fit perfectly 

on his skinny, painted legs!

The vintage shoes were one of those "finds"... though I had to 

add some shoe buttons that had been lost over the years.

The birdhouse shrine is finished... now, to work on that head of his!

Excuse the "spill-over" on the photos but I hated to crop or downsize them...

Wishing you wellness, in the week ahead! Daryle

Friday's Favorite...

I hope you'll take a minute to visit Julie Howe

at "My Curious Tea Party!"

Here's the link: http://mycuriousteaparty.blogspot.com/

Julie is one of the most creative, kindred spirits we know...

she recently posted some wonderful dolls, at her Etsy shoppe!

Daryle & Katie

ADQ Bottle Doll Challenge!

Ol' "Harvest Moon"... is off to California!

After much debate... I decided that his 

funnel hat would not travel with him... sigh!

My thought... give his lovely old crater head 

every opportunity to shine!  Tsk! Tsk!

  He stands only 10 inches tall...

but his smile fills a room!