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