Armature Awaits Paper Clay Application!

The Armature:

•machine sewn "hour-glass" cloth body...

•polyester fiberfill to give the form a bit of fullness...

•a cinched waist (my improvised corset!)...

•a bit of masking tape...

•a shaved styrofoam ball (discarding the center section)...

•a bit MORE masking tape around the head...

•a dab of glue to attach it to the the birdcage...

Standing approximately 22 inches tall, 

she is ready for an application of paper clay 

directly over the cotton duck cloth armature.

Let the FUN begin!

A NEW Cage Doll...

It's time to move on... and the notion of "a keeper of the dolls"

seems to be on the horizon of my creative bent.

I'm thinking a faux 18th century English wooden doll...

but with a twist: a French flair:

le gardien de poupées perdues 

I envision a paper clay head and torso that will cover 

the wooden finial on top of this (flea market) wood & wire birdcage.

The articulated arms will be designed using wood with paper clay hands.

The PLAN:  I have an abundant collection of various bisque

and frozen charlotte style dolls (see our May 3, 2010 post)

that will eventually find their way to the birdcage skirt of the doll...

O.K., enough posting... get to work!

Tutti & Frutti... Fini!

Tutti is having a tough time... trying to thread that needle!

Based upon two of the characters from the books of

Palmer Cox, written in the later 1800's... 

My favorite line is from a book titled: "The Brownies' Quilting Bee"

The quote is:

"'Tis true, mistakes will sometimes crawl into the handiwork of all!"

Frutti has really wiggled his way into my heart...

Check out the "crackle" finish on this guy!

(thank you DecoArt one-step-crackle and Plaid Matte Sealer)

 (double-click for a close up)

"Sweeter As The Days Go By..."

Our first fresh local corn and peaches...

lunch-time just doesn't get better than this,

here in South Jersey!

The Boys Are on the Last Lap!

I cherish a two volume set of the poetry by Christina Rossetti,

published in Boston back in 1900... that I found years ago.  

She asks a question that I have been wrestling with

in recent months:

"Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? 

Yes, work never begun." 

Hmmm... I guess we'll never make the June 15th

deadline for the ADQ "book character" challenge!

These two guys are STILL a W.I.P.

They need a "crackle" finish and some attention to details

(like sewing their arms on!)  Tsk...Tsk!

After a two month hiatus... it feels so good to be back

on task  (doing the really important stuff... like this!) 

Thanks so much for taking a look!  Daryle

Simple Gifts...

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,

"Tis a gift to come down to where you ought to be...

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

It will be in the valley of love and delight.

-Elder Joseph Brackett Jr. 1848

It was a simple gift... some time just spent in our flower gardens

with my camera in hand, on this perfect afternoon!

Wishing you life's "simple gifts"...   Daryle

The Gift of Healing!

Little did Xoch know... when she mailed me this one-of-kind doll 

that she had just created; that it would become an instrument 

of healing in my life! I am just recovering from brain surgery.

  

On May 15th my neurosurgeon at the University of Penn Hospital 

"clipped" three aneurysms that were detected by testing 

(MRI and MRA) for something totally unrelated!

Xoch... not knowing about my set-back simply created 

this wonderful doll that I've affectionately named "Raven" 

(because of her raven black hair and dark eyes)... 

and sent her off to me with a note!

Along with God's hand of divine intervention, the prayers of His people, 

and the love and care-giving of my family and medical team... Xoch has 

shared the gift of healing; through her creative touch!  Please visit her and drop her a note of gratitude, at her blog Xochibear's Primitives:  http://xochibearsprimitives.blogspot.com/

Once again I am reminded that: life is a gift... Daryle