Treasure Hunter

From the little crow head I posted last week, comes this project I’m calling “Treasure Hunter”. I didn’t know where I was going to end up with this, so I just started and kept going.

The techniques used are, needle felting, clay sculpting, and mixed media with felt and cotton. In 2007 I did a class with Allison Marano (so sorry she’s not designing anymore), and I learned this technique that I used to make the vest. It’s made with a layer of batik, overlaid with Kunin felt. I stitched diagonal lines in two directions, then blasted it with the heat gun until the felt began to melt. It takes a while, but the wait is worth it.

The Kunin felt is not like the National Non Woven you might be used to. This is “100% ecospun polyester made from recycled post consumer plastic bottles” When sewing, you have to use 100% cotton thread.

Once the fabric was finished, I designed a simple vest front pattern. To trim it, there are sequins and beads, small buttons, and a string of black half side pearls. (plastic, but they look shiny and nice ;o) On his chest is another shiny bobble he’s found made with pearls and rhinestones. The shoes are part of the polyester challenge I’m in, but they needed to be made before being posted in March.

Here’s a side view of the Treasure Hunter, so you can see his vest from another angle.

From the first picture of the crow head holding the a shiny bit in his mouth, I ended up making him a top hat, stuffed with feathers and some black real fur trim around his neck.

The body is needle felted. The legs are partly needle felted, the extra wire inserted into the body to attached his legs.

There is a layer of felt between two layers of feathers top and bottom. Along the center back of the wings is a strip of the fabric to break up the amount of black, there is also a cuff of the same fabric at the top of the shoes. The back and tail feathers complete the look.

Treasure Hunter will be available at the gallery show in March. More info on my website. http://norhbrookdesigns.ca

Mother Earth and Child

This little doll started off as a design by Jennifer Carson, called Sybil, A Faerie Mother and her child.  As I went along, I kept changing things, and that’s seems to be happening more and more. That’s a good thing, it means you’re not boxing yourself into the same thing and relying on patterns by others.

I love the work others have done by the way, I wouldn’t have known where to start back in 2003 were it not for the efforts of those who started well before me. With that said, here she is. My version of Jennifer’s design.

She stands 11” tall. The original doll has 4 fingers, but I redrew the pattern to make it 5. I didn’t give her ears either. Maybe I should have just done it from scratch to begin with ;o)

The pattern includes directions for a different type of hat, but instead of that, I used my simple little hat pattern and this one. I have a FREE pattern in the links at the top of my blog posts, it also includes a scarf and ideas for changing up the stitch designs. You could easily whip up a set in less than an hour.

There isn’t a pattern for the undies either, but I always give them undies. A simple trick to making them is: take a piece of stretch fabric wide enough to go around the body and the length. Make sure to add a little for hemming and seam allowance. Fold the hems and waistband down, pull the side together and pin all in place. At the crotch area, just fold and tuck in the edges until it’s nice and flat. Then take a needle and matching thread, small stitches and sew them right to the body. Voila, undies. ;o)

I also gave her some socks. I didn’t knit these, I had them in my stash.

Her shoes are different from the pattern. I used a flannel to make them, so easy peasy. Just measured around the feet, added some height for the cuffs to turn over and covered the cardboard soles with flannel as well. The socks made her feet larger, so using the flannel kept them from becoming oversized. Poor thing, that would not be good.

After they were on her feet, I stitched them right to her feet in places, then used a product called “Stiffen Quik”, it’s an Aleene’s product. It needed 3 sprays to get the flannel nice and firm and the tops of the shoes, I’ve just rolled those down a little. No fuss.

And she’s finished and is off in the other room, visiting with The Artist from a previous post. Enjoy. Tuesday I start posting my February theme for the polymer challenge. Stay tuned.

The Artist

My first doll of the year is “The Artist”. It’s a PC Bangles design, and you can find her on Etsy, RIGHT HERE !! Her version is called Rembrandt, a perfect name for an artist. ;o)

My version is a painter. I’ve given her a crate with a few canvases and tools of the trade. I decoupaged some doll images onto the crate she’s sitting on, in keeping with my doll theme. More details as I go along.

This first picture I could have left off, but I wanted you to see my great find in a gift shop just after Christmas. I can’t wait to make a head and shoulders doll and add the crown. I don’t want to make a full sized doll because I think it would have to be at least 24” tall to accommodate the opening at the base. It looks like the crown is supposed to sit on something, maybe it’s a tree topper, wouldn’t that be different, but perhaps something else???  Any ideas.

There is an idea for the doll percolating in my mind, a comical twist on a tragedy ;o)

There is no sweater pattern included, but I wanted one for her to keep her warm. The arms were originally made with flesh tone fabric, but I decided on the clothing fabric because, I added the sweater. Further down you will see that I pushed the sleeves up to the elbows.

Being an artist, the hair will naturally be wild and untamed. The necklace is made with a fiber pebble and beads. In my snooping around on Etsy, I found these wool pebbles on a Canadian site, called Divinity Fibers. RIGHT HERE !! There are probably US or other countries that will have them as well, but the shipping charges between here in Canada and the US have gone crazy, so I try to source Canadian sellers even more now.

I don’t know what else I will make with these wool pebbles, only time will tell.

Of course, her toes need to be in their best shape if she’s going to be wearing her sandals. On the wrists and ankles, I added cuffs, and finished them with tiny doll size blue buttons. Sorry no picture. Along with her painting tools, she has her painters’ palette and a tunic to keep the paint off her new sweater.

And that’s it. She’ll be part of my entries into the Small Expressions show at the gallery in March. Head to my website for details of where and when that is.  Enjoy…

Harmonica boy–Fred

The last of the harmonica boys is Fred. He has the best grandfather look. ;o) Like the others he’s all set to entertain. He’s got his wine and glass ready to go, along with his sheet music. Further down, you’ll see his tool bag slung over his shoulder. He’s decided it’s time for a break and have some fun.

As with the other two, I didn’t know where this was going to end up, but I knew he would be a sweet faced older man. The trousers are corduroy, the shirt is cotton. Wool felt for his slippers. The base is also covered with upholstery fabric and trims.

They’re off to the gallery in a couple of days, and now I’m busy working on projects for the next show in July….  Busy is good.  Enjoy ;o))

 

Harmonica boy–Ned

The second of my harmonica boys is Ned. I had no clue where I was going to end up with him, but I like the result. I knit the sweater a while ago with this in mind, but at the time I pictured him sitting somewhere playing his heart out. It kind of ended up that way, but you be the judge.

When I showed him to hubby, he right away thought of an Inuit person, and when I took a second look, that’s what I realized as well.

He is the only one of the three standing, it really adds to his overall look. He is all decked out with his new sweater and boots that I made for him.

On his back he’s carrying a multitude of travelling gear. He’s a traveler of sorts. I think a weekend one. ;o)  On his left side, a few cooking utensils, in his pouch a bottle of wine and sheet music. Hanging on the pouch is his lantern for those fireside chats, and of course he carries his trusty ax and some wood to start a campfire.

And finally a little closer look at his boots. Perfect if indeed he is Inuit and needs to walk through the snow. I finished the base with upholstery fabric and trims. His trousers are wool. What you can’t see too well, except a little in the first picture, is his green cotton shirt.

One more to come….. ;o)

Harmonica boy –Ted

The Small Expressions show is starting on Saturday. We can bring three items that have to be within 12” X 12” in size. When I was thinking about what I wanted to do for the show, I happened to be on an Etsy site I shop at fairly often. She had some mini harmonica’s and right away a vision of some men sitting around playing harmonica’s came to mind.

I ended up like always, staying with the theme, but not quite the same original vision. If you’re a doll maker, you know how that goes. You start with an idea and then it shows you the direction it wants to go. These boys of mine are all different and perhaps one day they’ll all be together, somewhere.

The first of my three harmonica boys is Ted. By the time he was done, he turned out to be a Grampa figure with his cowboy hat and all. He’s ready for a walk in the rain but for now he’s ready to play his harmonica, and it actually does work. ;o) He has his libation and of course his sheet music.

The umbrella is actually a pen. If I were to push down on the handle you’d see the nib pop out at the other end. When I saw this I bought a couple of them, they were just the perfect doll size. The other one was used on a commission doll a couple of years ago, I love finding these little treasures.

The base and the seat are covered with upholstery fabric and trimmed with a cotton trim. The seat part is a wooden wheel shape that came in a box as part of the stuffing to hold things still. Fortunately there were enough of them to give each of these harmonica boys a seat.

To finish, his slippers are made with wool felt, his trousers are wool, the sweater is a knit, the shirt and bow tie are cotton. I’ll post the next one tomorrow… Time for bed, very tired. ;o) Enjoy

Harmonica Boys–Phase 2

The boys have now come together, each with their own heads, arms and armatures. They will be characters for sure. They’ve been wrapped with their batting and waiting patiently to be dressed. (today sometime, that begins).

I made one of them, slim and trim, the next a little bit of a pooch, and the third one..well, let’s just say, he might try out for a part in a Santa movie. Not sure his pooch is quite big enough, but he does look kind of cute. ;o) Doesn’t show so much from this angle, but really does have a belly..

Back tomorrow or in a couple of days with more steps done.

                    Slim                              Little Pooch                             Big Belly

Harmonica Boys

I’m working on three small dolls for a gallery show in March. I have until March 8th to get them done. The idea just kind of popped into my head and thanks to my muse for doing that.

This show is the Small Expressions. The items submitted must stay within a 12” x 12” size and we can only submit three pieces. There is no commission for this show as long as you volunteer to work during it, otherwise there is. It’s only during March, this year it’s from March 10th – 31st.

I’m really glad I ventured out and joined the Arts Council. I’m really not a joiner of groups for two reasons, I have been very hesitant to do it anymore. I feel that if you’re going to join something, you should take an active role, otherwise why join. The second reason is because of past experience with groups and those who just can’t play nice in the sandbox. They make it miserable for everyone else, I can’t stay and play with people like that.

The arts council is a good fit for me. They are serious about their chosen art form, and they encourage and support each other. I’m all about helping others, but not to the point where I am the only one doing that, and I don’t get any of those feelings with this group. I trusted what a friend told me (thanks Dianne) and jumped in with both feet. ;o)

This is just the start of my Harmonica boys.. They are baked now, so they don’t look so shiny, and today, they will get their armatures so they don’t feel so scattered. ;o)