Thoughtful Thursdays: Boardwalk Inspiration!

 

I seem to find inspiration everywhere. And because I'm always looking for stuff to recycle and repurpose, I'm usually looking down at the ground. But this time... hanging out on the Coney Island boardwalk.... things were... well... looking up! I couldn't help but notice this burger boy and his beer carrying burger girl, perched atop a concession stand!

They were so simple in their design, and so retro in their look... and I thought they would make such cute PaperClay dolls! I've always been a fan of the Bob's Big Boy burger boy and these local, folk-art style versions just made me giddy. And hungry! Burger, anyone?

Where Have I Been Lately?

You know... I'm not really sure where I've been lately. Off in Dream-land somewhere, I guess. Doesn't that sound like a nice place to live? And if the town colors were aquamarine and magenta like this old, faded sign at Coney Island boardwalk, well... I think I could live there forever.

In actuality, I've been crunching numbers while I review my first full year as an independent art business and, well... the picture's not a pretty one. Seems there's only so much one person can make in a year... and all that stuff doesn't add up to enough. But, I've been dreaming up some newer, bigger ideas in hopes that I can continue to make art my business. So it's back to Dream-land for me... just for a little while.

Sweet dreams xoxo

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: Big-Eyed Dolls!

So what's with my obsession over big-eyed dolls, cartoons, and other miscellaneous characters? I've always been drawn to them. Oh, and juxtapose a big giant head with big giant eyes on a tiny little body... well, then I'm in love!

Perhaps it's that eyes just draw you in (pun intended!). I mean... there's so much emotion that can be read from looking at the eyes, even if they are drawn in.

Maybe it's because in addition to being adorable, they just happen to be a little scary. Cute and creepy... that's definitely me!

Or maybe it's because they look so sad. You just want to scoop them up, tell them it's okay, and make them feel all better.

But whatever the reason... I am inspired and amused by these wide-eyed wonders every time I look at them. And what could be better than that?

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...

Ta-Da! Presenting... Willie and Tillie...

Ahhhh... the illusion is complete. And so are my folk art style conjoined twins... Willie and Tillie. I really enjoyed working on this project. In fact... I think I could say this might be my favorite piece to date! What I loved most about the process was losing myself in the details....

Making sure the faces (and crazy hair) were just right. Especially since I was trying to match a one-dimensional "living" icon.

Getting the embellishments to look old was very zen-like for me. I love making new and vintage items look really aged, distressed and time-worn. In a perfectly imperfect kind of way!

Even choosing just the right book pages, decorating the balloons, and picking the perfect wire to use as the string became a thoughtfully pleasant step in the process.

I can't even tell you how long it took to make this assemblage, mostly because I did it in my spare time over a span of several weeks. But more so because it was a labor of Love. I found great joy in each step and even surprised myself along the way. It's been a while since I've gotten to enjoy the actual journey a creative inspiration takes me on. I certainly intend to do more pieces like this, as it was most soothing for the soul.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade...

I'd heard about it for years... and decided to take the trip up to Coney... and go under the Sea for a day! Mom joined me for this maiden voyage... and what a treasure trove of jewels there were...

Mobile fish... with matching mohawk!
Mermaids of fire... and some like ice...
Plenty of bubbles...
A little burlesque-style (okay... a lot!)...
And plenty of BP references! A common theme among mermaids!
Some Marie Antoinette's... with a private message...
"All hands on deck!" At least that's what the sailors said...
Everything was great... to the very tail end... thanks for the memories... Coney Island!

Coney Island Here I Come...

Wow, what an honor! My cyborg-like doll I created at Art & Soul this past May has been purchased and placed into an auction to raise money for Coney Island's Museum! I have never actually been to Coney Island, but I love amusement parks and it is the only place that has another Tillie head! The other Tillie head was in Asbury Park, right next door to me.