Lend a hand...

Wish I could take better photos but my hands shake too much. : ( This is my hand for the upcoming BAD hand challenge.

Long live Spock!

Sunshine

July BAD Calendar Doll

Finished at Last

Well here are the completed Weird Sisters. I'm glad to have finished them as I am sick of black and white. I did try the punk hairstyle on the one with the black face but it was awful. : ( In my mind I can envision what I want but I guess I don't have the skill when it comes to felting hair.

Update on the Weird Sisters

I'm now finished with doll2, the black and white flowered one. Am debating whether or not to add a punk hair do. I was thinking black hair that came out in spikes around the face, but J says that it's better without. That she looks like she's been mummified.

I really like how the beading turned out on this one. The smaller flowers are done one bead at a time with 15s. It was so time consuming, but well worth the effect. It looks like lace.

The other doll, is number 3. I have not been happy with her face. Her eyes look a bit like a football player with the black under the eyes. Will have to break the beads out and redo them. Had fun with the flower. Did a raised satin stitch for the center part and it looks very nice.

Shes' finished!

Well, doll1 (the big one) and four are finished. I think I gave myself tendonitis sticking those nails through. Thanks to Paula I used some white rubberized flannel. First I painted it a silvery white and then I made a helmet. Once I was sure it would fit around the face, I added the nails and glued it on. Right now she has pins in her face to hold it in place until the glue dries. Hope it works!

Doll4 happens to be about 4 inches. What a coincidence. She's done in charolettes. And I think that is about as small of a face as I can bead. I guess I could go one size smaller on the beads, but those tiny needles drive me nuts.

I'm working on Doll2 now. The front flower reminds me of lampwork beads. It's size 13s alternating black and white and going up to 8s near the center.

Matroyshka update

I am now 80% finished with the large doll which from now on will be doll #1. For now the ball and chain is pinned in place. Boy was it a bugger getting the needle through the sweet gum pod! Tried it on a test piece and it went through like butter, but not on the real thing. GRR... Still have to do the hair, may attempt it tomorrow.

Doll #4 just about has the body finished. It's peyote with size 11 charlottes. Gives a really nice sparkle to the doll.

Update on the Weird Sisters

I've finished beading the bottom of the doll. I used size 8 beads and did a peyote stitch. I'm still working on the embellishments but hope to finish her this week.

BJP - April Doll

Introducing Sassy, she's a bit of a tomboy and likes hanging out with her pet frog. She's actually a swap and in return I got this fantastic head. She's very dreamy, isn't she? I have special plans for her but they will have to wait a bit.

странны сестры - The Weird Sisters

Here are my dolls for the Yahoo Beaded Art Dolls group matroyshka challenge. Introducing the Weird Sisters. I've made six of them so I'm not sure that I'll be able to finish them all by May, but I'm going to try. I'm quite excited about them because they are going to be so fun to create! : )

Got them all sewn together this weekend and started beading the big one today. I did the face before sewing the doll together. It's done in size 13 and 15 beads.

I'm hoping to be able to so the smaller faces in beads as well but we'll see when I try.

I really like those fabric markers for drawing the designs. No bleeding and they are really easy to see.

One of the things I'm working on...

This is one of my Matroyshka dolls for the BAD challenge.

One thing I did differently for this doll is I used fabric markets to draw the design on the fabric. It works really well and doesn't bleed or rub off.

I also beaded the face before sewing the doll together because of future plans I have for this doll.

I am so pleased with how the face turned out!

Meet the Count

Well here is the face of the doll I've been working on since the first of January. I am quite disappointed with the photo, because you can't really see the fabulous three-dimensional nose! Maybe I'll have to try again tomorrow in the day light.

What I'm working on now...

My latest calendar is a bit different and is by request. I am going to attempt to do a 3-d nose and hooded eyelids. I sure hope it works or I'll be so disappointed.

It has been a nightmare working on a black form with black thread and black beads. Note to self: In future when using a black form choose a black fabric with some sort of pattern!

Just in the Nick of Time

Here she is Jolly Holly, just in the nick of time to enjoy the last of the holidays.

November BJP - Calendar Doll

Finally I've finished Miss November - Hiawatha. Obviously she has too many fiddly bits as she's two weeks overdue. She represents the first Thanksgiving.

She is a combination of right angle weave (RAW) on her dress, the sleeves are peyote and the tassles, headband and corn are done in ladder stitch.

Calendar Dolls - September

Well, I have to say I've had a much more difficult time trying to decide what them and what item to do for the Beaded Journal Project. At first I was going to do a found object for each month, but then decided against that because what would I do with those twelve squares?

Then I thought maybe I'd just do my dolls for both the BJP and the BAD Calendar doll challenge. I would just focus on making them more detailed and trying new stitches and techniques. But there is a part of me that thinks it's a big cheat to do the same thing for two seperate events.

The other day I found the cutest dragonfly pattern so now I'm thinking that would be great for the BJP. I could do one for each month in the birthstone colors for that month.

Here are photos of my calendar doll for September. Her name is Sapphire for the birthstone of September. The stars on her front look like a scarf but it's really shooting stars to represent our stargazing from our new deck which should have been finished in September. : P

















Below are faces for October. The skeleton is for the challenge, notice the coloration in the face. My version of an Opal - October's birthstone. I think I did a GREAT job considering I had no idea how to copy an opal. The green one is for a witch. I love Hallowen.