Valentines: Painting My Little Heart Out!

It's funny that hearts seem to keep blooming in my artwork. Perhaps there is a little love in the air this February? Love of painting that is! I've had such a wonderful time taking Mindy Lacefield's True Free Spirit online workshop and the February project was such a blast!

Quirky Girl Collage was the theme and torn up magazine pages were the basis of this mixed media exercise.

Cute little elements added a whimsical touch, like the bunny. I tried to make him look like a little ragamuffin of a stuffed toy. Kind of floppy and cute.

Her head turned out... well... a little more gigantic than I realized (until I was finished!). But I did mention the theme was "quirky" right?

I really enjoyed the process of creating this mixed media collage... (click here for a short video)... it was fun and relaxing! Something I love about making this kind of art. Art from the heart should be fun.

Holiday Distress, Cupcakes & Knock Downs!

Boy, oh, boy... were your holidays distressing? Because mine sure were. In a good way of course! It was so nice to take some time off just to play and make things (including messes!). I spent a lot of my time working on a few rag dolls. Distressing. Stuffing. Sewing. And it was all very, very relaxing and fun. A winning combination that got me through the holiday season.

The cupcake trio turned out to be some of my favorites. Each with a different color scheme... and personality! I had to experiment a bit with the cherries on top and making them look, well... cherry-ish. I tried putting a small styrofoam ball into the doll as a rotund support system, but many of them turned out looking like baseball caps up close anyway. Tee-hee! Who ever heard of a baseball cap-wearing cupcake?

Sometimes the dolls evolve as I go along and this little red firecracker was no exception. When I first chose her monochromatic color palette and put her together, I loved the idea of her... but I wasn't in love just yet. I thought maybe after I distressed her... but no. Maybe after I stuffed  her? Well, that did bring about some changes, because I ended up turning her into a knock down doll (like my Tillies), but, still... there was something missing. So I took some extra striped fabric, ripped her some new arms and a bow for her hair, and.... voilà! She won my heart!

After all that clowning around, I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to play lots more! I realized that I got so busy last year, I hadn't given myself enough time for fun. So for 2013, there's going to be a lot more playing going on around here. Because, well... I deserve it.

Happy New Year everybody... and Happy Making!

xoxo

If You Make That Face... You'll Get Stuck That Way!

Yup, that's what mom used to tell me... if you keep making that face... you're going to get stuck that way! And she was right. Once I started making these old-fashioned-looking rag dolls back in May, I couldn't get them out of my head.

I had a few little souls sitting by my sewing machine for months, and I finally got a chance to start the process of bringing them to life.

Picking out the buttons for eyes and noses is one of my favorite... and quite difficult tasks (believe it or not!).

There are so many combinations I could choose that eventually I just have to stop myself and say... these will work!

Sometimes I find some really cool buttons (like this flower one here) and use them to add some whimsy to my doll. I also like to use more "floppy" buttons for the nose, as they make the funny face funner!

And sometimes I don't use any buttons at all. This little Japanese Shogun girl just "happened" when a few scraps of fabric were piled together. I love it when stuff like that happens!

I have lots more work to do on these modern vintage rag dolls, but I can't wait to get started. I leave them laying on my dining room table so they can remind me not to wait so long this time!

Shop Update: Rag Dolls R' Us

Just dropping by to let you know that my motley crew of misfit ragdolls are now available in my Etsy Shop! Lots of different styles to choose from, and a whole range of characters from the awkward to the kooky, to the yummy and delicious variety — like these 3-tiered cakes!

Some are the bestest of friends!

Some are just full of themselves. Ugh... too much ice cream in my belleh!

Some give me a headache... or should I say toothache?

... and some are a little crabby! But they're all so lovable and they would be happy to find a new home. Check them out in the new Modern Vintage Rag Doll section of my Etsy Shop!

Cloudy With A Chance Of... Ragdolls!

This past weekend was spent distressing and stuffing and sewing... and sewing and stuffing and distressing my motley crew of modern vintage rag dolls!

I used a wash of two different brown acrylic paints to give the dolls an aged and distressed look.

Not enough room for all my dollies to dry...they're all heaped up on top of each other!

The paint actually ended up drying to a strangely mottled, greyish hue. That's what i get for using linen purchased at a rummage sale. But hey... they look really old and distressed now!

I tried to make each one unique and utilize a few unconventional embellishments... like this dishcloth nose (shhhh... don't tell mom... it was a gift from her!).

Of course I had to make some sweet treats... and these 3-tiered cakes were no exception. Yum! I tried some distressed and left some plain... just to see which style looked better. I think they both have their merits. 

And I'd have to say that even though I left some things to chance... they all measured up to my expectations! I'm excited to introduce them at my first Art Show of the year in two weeks... hurray!

Thoughtful Thursdays: I Love Wood!

 I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love making art on wood! And this woodburnt folk art-style doll purse I made while taking a class from Suzi Blu is no exception! Perhaps it's the smell of the burning wood... reminds me of being around the campfire. Maybe it's the way acrylic paints let the wood show through... I just love me some texture... courtesy of mother nature!

Transferring the image is easy-peasy with the age-old pencil transfer method! Some things never go out of style.

Burn, baby burn! This part is fun and scary all at once. But oh, the smell of burning wood. Mmmmm...

Painting in the details. She's coming around now. Although my anal-retentive side would not let me paint over the burn lines. I like the contrast of the bright paint and the burnt wood, but... ugh! Sometimes I just need to chill out and let go!

Some finishing elements and then there's still more room to play, play, play! I love working with wood so much that I just bought ten 16" x 20" wooden panels. Not sure what I'm going to do with them. But I'm sure it involves paint, collage and lots of layers! Fun time!

Yesterday's Trash Etsy Shop Now Open!

That's right, folks... I am pleased and excited to announce that my Etsy Shop is now up and running... we're open for business!

Here you'll find all handmade one-of-a-kind merchandise made by me... like collage, assemblage, jewelry, dolls, home decor items, holiday ornaments, fashion accessories and more! It's mixed media madness.

I'm adding more daily, as I get items photograhed and written up... so check back often! Thanks for looking!

Come Visit Me In Asbury...

This Saturday, August 7th, from 6pm until at least 8pm! I'm the featured artist for the month at Greetings From Geralyn. I'll have my art displayed... and for sale throughout the month... and I'll be there in person Saturday to chat. The shop is located on the 2nd floor of the Shoppes At The Arcade on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park!

It's also First Night in Asbury, so plan on grabbing a yummy bite to eat at one of the many new and established restaurants in the area. The stores and galleries will be open late for your shopping and perusing pleasure! Hope to see you there!

Out Spoken...

Work. Work. Work. Play. Play. Play. Think. Create. Imagine. Fathom. Experiment. Finish.

This is my new life. It's taking a little getting used to. And a lot of imagination as to how I can make a living from being creative. But my mind can't stop thinking of ideas. Things to do. Things to create. Things to proliferate! There's not enough time in the day.

Thanks for wanting to hear what I have to say. And for tagging along on my journey...

Introducing... Giselle...

I am finally ready for the Débutante Ball. Mom made this beautiful gown from a vintage blouse she found at the mission thrift shop for only $2,99. I'm so tiny... she was able to use the shirtsleeve as the entire dress... I just love the buttons! With the extra material, she fashioned a tiny rosette for the waist and a scarf for my neck (she knows I'm always chilly). So now I'm ready for my coming out party.

At the moment... I'm just sitting around waiting for Claude to pick me up. I hope he brings me a pretty corsage to complete my ensemble. Mom thinks I'm too young to date... actually she thinks I'm too young for a lot of things! C'est la vie, Mommie...

I Am Doll Eyes...

...doll hair... doll arms... doll legs...

After adding some curly ringlets to my little paper clay dolly, I spent the weekend playing around... building a torso and limbs... painting and assembling the parts so she could sit, stand and bend at the knee. Now she just needs a vintage-style party dress! I went shopping at the Salvation Army to search out some old clothing I could use for dress fabric... so I have a couple of options. However, since I don't really know how to make any kind of clothing... I'm kind of flying blind. But I'm looking forward to experimenting. Until then, my yet unnamed dolly is going to keep warm in her little blanket of muslin!

Snow Day Play Time...

Last Wednesday... New Jersey was hit by another rather rambunctious snowstorm. On the shore here we got about another 10 inches of white powdery fluff! But no work... so what's a crafty girl to do? Have a FREE DAY to PLAY... Yay! So I did something eye've been wanting to do for a long time... make a paper clay doll with real doll eyes! I am ecstatic about how she came out and my head is spinning (hey, that's funny!) with all the themes, looks and costume possibilities I'm thinking of!
I'll keep you updated as she gets some hair.. a body... and dressed... for goodness sake!

It's All In The Details...

Bringing clarity to the eyes. I originally had them as a teal green... but wanted more of an ethereal look. So I chose this soft, seafoam green. and added some Stickles glitter glue... because Suzi Blu said to make the eyes sparkle...
Added some delicate lace to the bottom of the dress. And pink striped stockings... of course!
And a little tiny pair of red shoes. Gotta have red shoes!

After gluing down the doll, I did a little more "dirtying up" of the entire collage with Studio Paints, Distress Inks, and a bit more pencil work. I'm really having so much fun and I'm learning too. Things that work and things that don't... let's just call it research and development!

It's ALL good...

Feeling Blu...

So, I finally broke down and said... "I'm gonna do it!" and signed up for Suzi Blu's Les Petit Academy. I'm learning how to draw faces which will later be shaded and colored... put on cute little bodies... and then collaged into a marvelous mixed media background. I'm having a lot of fun so far and am really proud of the results! I've always had trouble with faces and was seriously intimidated. Now... I can't wait to draw tons and tons of them! Taking the leap...

All In Favor... Say Eye!

After stumbling across the most amazing doll artist... Black Eyed Suzie... I just had to get me a bunch of these gorgeous, colorful eyes to use for my paper clay characters. It's definitely something new for me, but I just love how real they look... Eye have to try it!