Lemon Tree Tales

Third Framed Face

Here's the third framed face (technique learned in Angela Jareck's online class, Windows, at Dollstreet Dreamers) that's mounted on canvas. This time I decided to go with a purple colorway since it would let the blond hair contrast so vividly. I could have used the green/yellow colorway but I didn't want everything to blend in so much. This is a great way to use all those teeny tiny scraps that I just couldn't bear to part with.

And here they all are ... hmm, I guess it would make a nice arrangement on the wall if I had a fourth one to make one big square. Or they would look better lined up in one straight line. So which one is your favorite? I can't really decide and keep waffling between them.  :-)

Another Framed Face

Here's the second framed face .. this time it's surrounded by yellows and greens. Once again, the face is drawn with colored pencils on a light muslin background. Technique learned from Angela Jarecki's online class, Windows, taught at Dollstreet Dreamers.

and a closeup of the face and the accent beading:

There's a third one that's almost finished ... just need to add a few beads and mount it to the painted canvas. Can you tell that I'm enjoying making these?

Framed Faces

I'm making more of the faces that I learned how to draw in Angela Jarecki's online class, Windows. This time I decided that I'd mount them to one of those thick sided artist canvases to give it a bit more presence on the wall. The face is drawn with colored pencils on a piece of light brown cotton muslin - protected with a thin spray of Krylon Matte Finish. There's a variety of fabrics for the frame - velvety knits, batiks, iridescent rayons, and that rust colored decorator fabric on the left. Finished with a sprinkling of beads. What do you think? What color frame and canvas would you like to see for the next two? Green? Yellow? Blue? Purple? Or perhaps a neutral theme of beige, tan & brown? Or black & white?

 

I'll need to make two more because I was invited to offer something for sell at the Open Studios that the Flying Phoebe Cloth Doll Club is hosting on Saturday June 4th & Sunday June 5th from 11am to 6pm at the Goose Cottage in Alameda, CA. It's at 1610 Minturn Street just off Lincoln between Grand & Union. If you're in the Bay area please come take a look. There's going to be some spectacular dolls and other art for sale.

Clean Studio, New Project

Ahhhh! That's the sound of relief after I cleared away the previous mess in the studio. The tables and desk are clean, the floor vacuumed, a couple new pieces of artwork on the wall, and I feel refreshed. The polymer clay doll, forever after to be known as Mademoiselle la Monde du Coleurs (thanks for the name suggestion Sandi!), is now proudly hanging on the wall above my lemon branches and next to the gorgeous mermaid quilt that Calamity Kim made me. Above the quilt I have put up a beautiful print that I got in a studio in Dingle Ireland years ago. It still needs a frame but for now it's making me happy on the wall as opposed to just sitting in the closet waiting. After all what's the use of having lovely memories and artwork if you don't display them and let them give you pleasure?

The clean desks inspired me to do a quick sort out of my patterns. Now there's a stack of ones that I no longer want. I'll probably save some to donate to the doll club's auction in October but a few may be up for sale or as a giveaway - not sure yet. Next I looked through the WIP boxes above the hutch. I didn't realize that one of the boxes was empty! I broke it down and then consolidated everything into the two large boxes. Bonus, I found a stash of fancy materials that I had been saving to make a Renaissance doll. It was driving me crazy wondering where in the world these things had disappeared. They reappeared just in time since the Treasures of the Gypsy's challenge for 2011 has a theme of Renaissance Gypsy. Outstanding!

 

Yes, the studio is clean - as of yesterday! Now it's starting to be a little messy again because I've started on another project with my doll friends. We're making a 12" Victorian doll. She'll be dressed in her unmentionables and the pieces of her wardrobe will be pinned next to her - all in a shadow box. The plan is to give everyone an assignment of which clothing to make for everyone else. I can't wait to get to the fun part of making her clothing. Right now I'm struggling with sewing her body. I didn't walk the pattern before cutting it out and following the directions. It turns out that not everything aligns as it should. Ugh! Plus it's a rather odd way of construction. I'm sure that it'll be fine once it's finished but let's just say that my friend the seam ripper has been used quite a bit this morning.