It's A Knock-Down Inauguration Day!

Well, what can I say? Controversy never goes out of style and that was the inspiration behind creating a Donald Trump version of my popular Knock Down Doll! Dressed in presidential red, white and blues, our new leader is ready for the games to begin... are you? His official presidency begins today, but he's already causing conflict among world leaders, politicians, and we the people!

Whether you love to hate him or hate to love him, our orange-toned, yelling-faced, comb-over-haired leader was setting himself up for a good old fashioned knock-down. So I took that to heart and made him part of my Knock Down Doll collection. Of course I had to take a whimsical approach when designing this likeness of our fearless leader. That was the fun part!

I even made a design for the reverse side—complete with a "KNOCK ME DOWN" sign taped to his back—this whimsical arcade game throwback has so far amused both Democrats and Republicans alike. Funny thing is, I actually came up with the idea for a President Trump version of these dolls when I turned off the television. Yup, that's right. I wanted to relax a little more and spend some time on my hobbies, like drawing. So my mind got all empty and my hands were drawing pictures, and I was totally being in the moment when my brain was like, "OMG! You should totally do a Donald Trump version of your Knock Down Doll!" So I did.

The design process takes quite a bit of time for these faux furry friends. I need to stay within my current template, make them resemble my other Knock Down Doll styles, make it actually look like The Donald, complete with appropriate hair and wardrobe. I do it all by hand and then I scan it into Photoshop and colorize it for optimum visual impact. But I do love the challenge of it all. It really is fun.

If you are interested in purchasing one of my limited edition Trump Knock Down Dolls, they're available in my Etsy shop. They'd make the perfect addition to your boardwalk, carnival or political collection! Make America Great Again... and buy handmade!

Knock Me Down! A More Colorful Solution...

For about 6 years now I've been making these Tillie version Knock Down Dolls in fun, circus-themed colors. The seafoam version was to match the color of the Palace Amusements building in Asbury Park, where Tillie's smiling countenance watched over children of all ages for decades.

An orange version was perfect for clowning around. Bright and cheery and colorfully circus-y.

And a royal blue version gave nod to a spiffy, more dressed up Tillie. And in all those years, I've sold over 100 of them.... with no complaints from the crowd.

Then, one day... I was like, "Hey! How about some new colors?" which was quickly followed by, "Duh!" and a head-slap. So, I decided to try out a pink version, to perhaps appeal to the ladies out there... a dusty lavender version, because I was feeling dandy... and a teal version, well, just for something different.

The exciting part was that I had just been contacted by someone who previously purchased one of my Knock Down Dolls and wanted to buy 5 more — in all different colors — to make a boardwalk themed display. And with the 3 new colors, I just so happened to be able to give her exactly what she wanted. A more colorful solution!

And since I was already fiddling with faux fur, sitting at the sewing machine, had hammer and tacks handy, and ribbons galore to rummage through... I made 2 whole sets. One for my patron and the other for you! To see all my Tillies in their fabulously amusing glory, you can visit my Etsy shop and click on Knock Down Dolls in the sidebar.

Well, Knock Me Over! A Happy Camper Story...

For the last few months, I've been working on a set of 30 custom Knock-Down Dolls. The request came from an event planner that I had worked with 2 years ago, on another set of dolls. These clients had requested a full arcade-style setup with Knock-Downs that went with their party theme. This latest job was centered around two girls who were having a Double Bat Mitzvah. They were camp buddies and so they wanted two dolls that looked like the guests of honor, and the rest would be "Happy Campers".

The design process begins on the computer, and I work with my client to create the right kind of art for their particular theme. It was tons of fun designing the happy campers and making Knock-Down Doll art of the girls in their party dresses.

Once the client approves, I send it out to Spoonflower to create custom fabric from my illustrations.

For the Happy Campers, I got to create blonde, brunette and redheaded girls in their camp uniforms. I even made backs for the dolls, that looked like each girl from behind!

Making faux fur sandwiches — pinning each doll inside out with very thick 2-1/2" long fur fabric — is a challenge. But one of the highlights of this job was that I got to match the fur to the hair color of the Happy Campers!

Once the dolls are sewn and stuffed, I add wooden bases — silkscreened with my logo — to the bottom of each one. Because these Knock-Down Dolls are a throwback to the old boardwalk days, I love using vintage hardware to finish them with.

Once they were all together, the smiles on their faces said it all. Yup... we have some Happy Campers!

The Party Girls were pretty adorable as well. Their dresses were designed from original photos of their party outfits. Lots and lots and lots of rhinestones...

...which I mimicked on the back for their names and Bat Mitzvah date! Mazel Tov!

All-in-all, this had to be one of the most fun jobs I've worked on in a very long time. And my client is a breeze to work with. Our co-collaboration resulted in some pretty cute Knock-Down Dolls. All the little details really make them "out standing". There's only one thing left to do... knock 'em down!

What a Knockout.. I Mean Knock-Down!

A few months ago, I created a custom Knock Down Doll order for a couple's wedding reception. They were having a boardwalk-themed event and wanted a bride and groom doll — as well as a pack of Georgia Bulldogs — for an actual arcade-style game they were going to set up. These particular dolls were actually modeled after the real bride and groom... but the assignment gave me an idea!

My longtime Tillie-style Knock Down Doll should have a bride!

And so I went to work on a design, giving him a tux and tails with a striped vest and boutonniere. The new bride was dressed in white with bow detailing, ruffle edging and a bouquet of pretty red roses.

The fun part is always when I get to see them come to life. Adding the little details like a handmade ribbon bow for the groom...

...and real lace trim for the bottom of the bride's gown.

I created a new-style couple...

...and a distressed bride and groom (hey, we all know one of those, right?), made to look aged and worn-in (or out)!

But I have to say that the most fun I had was posing these Knock Down Dolls in... well... shall we say.... appropriate positions for my photo shoot. This one just cracked me up to no end. It pretty much sums it up.... what a knockout!

The bride and groom Knock Down Dolls are now available in my Etsy shop. Choose from new style, a distressed worn-in duo, and I can also take custom orders for civil union couples! Makes a great engagement or wedding gift for that boardwalk, circus or carnival-loving couple.

New In The Shop... Tillie Knock Down Dolls!

While it may seem like these vintage-looking, arcade-style dolls came from a carnival museum, they're actually straight from my imagination. Inspired by old-fashioned boardwalk games and a lifetime spent at the shore, I created these Knock-Down Dolls with the likeness of my favorite Asbury Park icon - Tillie.

Available in new, unused-looking styles as well as well-loved and time-worn versions, each Knock-Down Doll is hand made by me and features my own illustrations.

Showcased in a multitude of bright, circus-inspired colors... each doll is outfitted with wild and crazy faux fur.

They're decked out with individual, coordinating ribbon trim in all types of colors and styles.... and finished with vintage steel tacks.

Each one sits on a sturdy 1" thick wooden base that's been silksreened with the Knock-Down Doll logo... and they're numbered, dated, and signed by me!

These one-of-a-kind modern throwbacks are the perfect addition to your boardwalk, carnival or circus collection... and they make the perfect holiday gift for your amusement-loving friends! Available in the Carnival and Circus Fun section of my Etsy shop or pick one up in person at Flying Saucers in Asbury Park, NJ.

Thoughtful Thursdays: Fit For A Man Cave!

Recently, I did a commission for someone who grew up in Coney Island, NY. Having spent lots of time at the boardwalk and playing games as a kid, he was drawn to my Tillie-style Knock Down Dolls. Turns out, he actually has a boardwalk-themed game room and wanted to get 3 dolls for his collection of arcade memorabilia.

I was happy to oblige and even threw in a vintage-looking sign I made for Tillie photo shoots! But what i really enjoy is the fact that — even though my style tends to be a little on the whimsical side — I actually have some creations that appeal to the menfolk!

Long live the man cave!

Lettering On Fabric...

So maybe you've always wanted to paint some nifty lettering on a fabric project, but you're not so good with drawing. Well, guess what... me neither!

I know what you're saying, "But, Michelle, there's no way I can draw out the letters I want... they're all wonky and misshapen... and they end up all crooked and stuff!"

Well, let me show you a little secret. I call it my Instant Lightbox. It's absolutely free, it's super simple, and you can use this technique for lettering, or any other piece of artwork you'd like to "transfer" onto fabric.

Print out your text (or image) onto regular copy paper. My image was a little longer than a letter size sheet, so I pieced it together. Tape your artwork onto a window with lots of sunlight coming through. Then you can tape your piece of fabric over top of your artwork, trace the image with a pencil, and voilà... you're ready to paint!

A professional-looking, hand-painted fabric masterpiece. And no drawing ability needed!

Snuggling Up With My Favorite Guy...

Lately I've been working on a knock-off of my Knock-Down Dolls... and making these fun little Tillie Pillows!

Thanks to Spoonflower.com I found an affordable way to print my designs on fabric... Woohoo! And because that makes life so simple... I even created a custom back, filled with tons of imagery (drawn by me) from Tillie's old house... The Palace in Asbury Park.

For some of the pillows I added arms made of ribbon.

On others, I added fluffy vintage trim.

And some of them I distressed to make look like old folk art dolls.

Having the fabric made things run so much more smoothly, that I had time to work on making more Knock Down Dolls! See how happy they are to be relaxing in the sun? Me too!

I was on such a roll I even thought of trying something new... using vintage tacks to secure the Knock Down doll to its base... just like the real old-timey ones!

All-in-all it's been a busy week, but tons of fun. So nice to get away from the computer and get my hands on my favorite guy!

Miles and Miles and Miles of Smiles...

Heyyyyy... what's going on in there? I wanna see! I wanna see! I wanna see! Well, my little Tillie Knock Down Doll friend... it's...

....time to make more Tillies! And Michelle has been hard at work, silk screening and hand painting each and every one of them. Then finding the perfect matching vintage textiles and old canvas bags to re-purpose for the backs of all these one-of-a-kind, arcade-style dolls.

Hand trimming lots and lots of faux fur pieces and pairing them up with each doll is a big part of the process too. Pinning and sewing come next and that's what's going on this week. Michelle said that's the hardest part and that mom is going to help with some of the pinning.... yay!

But I do know that Michelle loves every step of the process when it comes to making each Knock Down Doll as unique and authentic as possible. Just like the old boardwalk and carnival game versions. She gets lost in all the tiny little details. I can barely get her attention to stop for a moment and get a bite to eat sometimes! Can you imagine? Forgetting to eat because you're making art!

But something tells me she's been doing this for way too long. Not sure what it is. But something tells me...