Doll Makers are Problem Solvers

From the movie Dark Shadows:  “What sorcery is this? Reveal yourself, tiny songstress!”

Why do you make dolls?

My simple answer: I am obsessed with tiny objects.

I remember it clear as day. I was about 3 or 4 years old and my sister and I asked our dad how the stereo worked. He informed us there were tiny people who lived inside and they sang. We peered through every crack in the stereo we could find, but there was no sign of the tiny people inside—they were quite shy. Thus began my pursuit of all things tiny.

But it isn’t as simple as that. Doll making aligns with many of my core values and beliefs. I believe in Innovation, Individualism, Autonomy, Creativity, Knowledge and I relish Problem Solving.

As doll makers, we are mad scientists concocting beautiful Frankensteins in our own tiny laboratories. Doll makers are not just jewelers, sculptors and tailors—we are doctors, chemists, scientists, physicists, explorers, historians, engineers and designers.

We determine strengths and weaknesses in designs and modify accordingly. We make sure an arm fits into a socket just so or that the fibers used in the hair meet the proper ratios in proportion. We remove eyes, ears, scalps, limbs and other parts and then reattach them seamlessly. We develop impossible designs for balance and armatures to defy gravity and fool the eye. We take raw materials and reinvent them. We become chemists in testing for the right glues and pigments for the best reaction on a surface. We collaborate and assemble to share doll discoveries and technologies.

It is a remarkable process involving complex problem solving and doll makers do it all the time. It’s no wonder doll makers love what they do!

As a side note, perhaps teaching doll making may seem counterproductive to my value of Individuality. I don’t see it as such. My tutorials are project based, but they rely heavily on the demonstration of techniques and innovative ways to use materials. I share what I discover and it is my hope that doll makers take what they learn and build their own voices in their work and that they solve more problems.

Why do you make dolls?

Changing Faces

This past weekend I gave my tiny models a little much needed attention. The dolls in my home work hard! This was my first time doing full faceups (stripping and repainting faces) and I have to say I really enjoyed it! But it was very scary cracking Blythe's head open and pulling apart her eyes! Here are some before and after shots of the girls I worked on.

Bleuette

This is a resin BJD Bleuette from Ruby Red Galleria. I ordered the doll with changeable face plates Bleuette/Charmette, but I didn't really like the Bleuette face plate she came with. 

Before:

After: I sanded down and reshaped her chipmunk cheeks, widened the width between her eyes (carving and adding apoxie sculpt to the resin). I used pastels, sealant and acrylics to add the coloring.

Here is a side view so you can see the cheeks better.

Before:

After:

I still need to bevel her eye holes so the glass eyes fit a little more flush to her face. 

Lati Yellow Lea (Ether)

Ether was my first resin doll and it was really starting to show--her original factory face paint had become so worn and faded, she barely had color left. Plus I had never liked her angry blocky eyebrows. 

Before:

After:

She has lips again :]. And eyelashes... Here you can see her new sad eyebrows :]

Blythe Nicky Lad

I have seen some amazing Blyhte makeovers and I knew I wanted to try it, but I was afraid to jump in as I didn't want to ruin her! I found many helpful articles through google searches ie "removing Blythe's eye mechanism" and they really helped boost my courage when I was prying Blythe's head apart with full body weight. I stood on a chair leaning onto her head to separate the face plate--the cracking sounds were scary, but she made it through!

Before:

After:

She had some carving/sculpting done with a file, matte sanding to remove the shinies, all four sets of eye chips have been replaced, sleep eyes enabled, new eyelashes, lids painted and pigments added :].  I forgot Blyhte doesn't usually have eyebrows when I made them, but then I kind of liked them, so they stayed.

Now she needs new hair :]. 

I am sure I will keep fussing with these guys for awhile, but for now, they seem to be feeling much more colorful :]. 

A special thanks to the beach peep ladies for your support during my projects--hugs to all!

Shabby Paddywhack aka Eliana's Bedroom

Eliana (4" Amelia Thimble from Wilde Imagination) would like to share her new room/carry case with you! The room began life as a Paddywhack Lane Cottage like this:

I stripped it down with sandpaper and paint and then built it back up with new fabrics and papers more to Eli's liking. If you right click on the pictures and open in a new tab, you can see the images in more detail.

The room is filled with cream, beige and aqua. Those little 'jars' along the top are bead tubes I shortened. They contain tiny treasures Eli has stolen from my workroom. Eli has an affinity for tiny shinies. (Don't we all?)

Below: This is how the project began--a sanded blank canvas. I left some of the original print showing through because the cottage was already done in a sort of shabby chic style--the white paint just mellowed the shiny plastic look a little. The pillow inserts are actually a cheap sponge I cut up. This project cost very little as most of the fabric and paper scraps were lying around. 

These are some of the fun bits I used. The filigree bobbypins were painted and added to the drawers--the drawers are wrapped with silk ribbon. The 'knobs' need to be flat so the case can still fold. The little girl painting is a picture from a catalog. I used Matte Acrylic Gel Medium to add brush strokes for a canvas look. The little window is a resin scrapbooking/collage accessory from the local craft store. 

Eli says 'Take your shoes off and come on in!' This project wasn't difficult--just a little time consuming. I highly recommend it :]. 

I still need to finish the outside and add a new handle. Eliana is almost ready to travel in style! The little bed folds up into the box. I am going to use the hollow underside of the bed to create a sealable pouch for Eli to ride in safely. 

Make a Simple Hair Decoration for your Doll

This ship decoration was made with frosted shrink plastic using the pattern below along with colored pencils. You can make most any design or embellishment for your doll using shrink plastic. 

I added a small peg to the bottom of the pattern to make it easier to permanently affix the ship.

Use Crafter’s Pick the Ultimate tacky glue to glue your ship embellishment into place (you could also glue a clip or barette to the backside of your embelishment if you want it to be removable):

Here are addtional miniature doll accessories made with the same frosted shrink plastic:

Learn to make your own original clothes pin doll with my new tutorial: Clothes Pin Art Dolls available on etsy!

New Projects, New Year

I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I haven’t made a doll in 7 or 8 months! So what happened? Well, dolls happened. I have been making tiny shoes and clothes and kits! What started out as a side project for me in my Doll Destash etsy shop has really taken on a life of its own.

That’s not all—you now know a fashion designer! I have been contacted recently by two different doll companies to design and produce lines of clothing for their dolls. The little preview picture here is one of the pieces I am working on for the fast approaching Valentine’s day launch. If you are curious, I will talk more about the companies and projects in the coming months. I can tell you I am designing a new pattern almost every day right now. My work room has spilled into the hall and right now it kind of looks like Valentine’s day threw up in here. ;]

So what are your plans for 2012? Aside from clothes and more clothes, I will be working on some new doll designs, new kits and brand new PDF tutorials including (finally) one to teach you how to make my clothes pin dolls—to be released this January or February!  I have pronounced this year to be a year of experimentation and learning—don’t be afraid to try new things.

In the spirit of learning and sharing, I am having a Buy one, Get one Free sale on all my PDF tutorials in my dollproject shop! So you can save up to 50% and learn twice as much! To take advantage of this special sale visit my shop here and follow the instructions in the listing you select. This sale is only for January.

Happy New Year! I hope you try many new things, or at least get to that project you’ve been itching to do—even if it’s painting the bathroom (that’s on my list!).