Something New Sunday...

You know I love Googlies right? I've been working on this girl for a few weeks on and off, now she's finally ready. She's celebrating with a little cake and juice....🥰

The Little Shop collectibles from Marks and Spencer, and my 1/12th scale table and chairs, are the perfect size for this 15cm Dollie.

M&S Little Shop for Dollie

She's dressed in a blue tana lawn and lace dress, with flower Liberty print panties. I made her a straw bonnet, and decorated her stand with a William Morris print.

Googly in Liberty Print Panties

Dottie Dollie Googly Clothing

As usual, all of her clothes are hand sewn, and fully removable.

She is a perfect cabinet sized doll, and is ready to display with her complimentary doll stand.

Dottie Dollie Googly Doll

 Her eyes are painted in my favourite grey/blue, which has such a lovely vintage look, and it works well with her lightly curled auburn mohair wig.

Kestner Googly Reproduction

You can find her now in my Folksy shop

Zouave Drummer Boy - Izannah Walker Inspired

Zouave Drummer Boy - Izannah Walker Inspired

 This special doll is my first Izannah Walker inspired boy doll, and he wears a costume inspired by the trend of dressing boys in military uniforms during the American Civil War. The bright Zouave uniforms especially caught my eye, so I decided to create a costume inspired by them. This doll is a new, unique sculpt.

Hand Painted Boots - Izannah Walker Inspired

His red trimmed black ankle boots, have been hand painted, and gently "aged".

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

His hair is brown, and was painted in many layers, to give a beautiful depth, and lots of individual hair strands. He has short wispy strands across the back of his head, a centre parting, and wisps framing his face. 

His features have been painted with artist grade acrylic paints, and sealed with several coats of matt varnish. He has painted blue eyes, and  has been antiqued to give him a real "old doll" look and feel.

His body is made from calico, and his head and hands are hand sculpted from Paperclay.

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll - Boys Underwear

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll - Red Pants

He wears cotton drawers, and an under shirt. His wide leg pants are made from red cotton, and fasten with a hook and hand worked loop.

Izannah Walker Inspired Boy Doll

 His blue cotton jacket has a tartan lining, and hand stitched soutache braid decoration. His sash is made from red wool, with a pale blue silk trim, held in place by a black leather belt.

Zouave Drummer Boy - American Civil War

 I carved teeny drum sticks for him, and made a small drum for him to carry. It has the badge of the 5th New York Zouaves, from the American Civil War. All of his clothes are fully removable, and feature french seams and large amounts of hand sewing.

It was a lot of fun to work on a boy's costume for a change, I imagine there will be more boys in the future!

Shop Update

It's been a lovely sunny day here today, if a bit chilly, but it's been great for taking photos.....

I've popped two Izannah Walker style dolls into my Etsy shop

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

They are cast in flumo, from my Mary mould, which I made from my own original sculpture. Each doll is hand painted and costumed uniquely........my short attention span wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

All the clothing is fully removable, the element of "play" is so important to me........ There's lots of hand sewing, and of course my favourite crackle glazed finish....

I try to give my Izannahs an English twist.....tartan was really popular in Victorian England, along with the ankle strap shoes. I've been digging deep in my vintage lace stash to embellish these girls undies too.....

Enjoy!

Not so Wordless Wednesday!

Although we're having a mini heatwave here this week - yesterday was the hottest September day since 1911 - this little lady is full of mellow autumn shades.....

Another Izannah Walker style doll, she's my original sculpt, hand cast in air dried slip, hand painted, uniquely dressed and available here.

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

 

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Izannah Walker Inspired - Mary Autumn Shades

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Alice

You know that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice in Wonderland right?

Well I thought I would make a cloth and clay doll inspired by Alice. She's a little bit quirky, to tie in with all the strange characters that she finds down the rabbit hole, and also through the looking glass.....

Many of those characters have been reproduced on Alice's apron, I hand tinted them to make them stand out nicely. Her blue cotton dress is lined and buttons at the back.

Alice's Illustrated Apron

Alice has stiffened and painted cloth limbs, a soft cloth body, and a hand sculpted Paperclay head and shoulders.

Her legs have hand painted red and cream stripey stockings, and she wears hand made leather shoes.

Alice by Dottie Dollie

Like the real Alice she's off on an adventure, hopefully I can tell you more about that soon.....

Mary in my Etsy Shop....

The first two sample Mary's were snapped up by one of my students, and life has really got in the way of my completing the third - but at last - she's now finished, and available in my Etsy shop.

 

Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

 

She has a cloth body, flumo head and hands, and is dressed in a reproduction civil war cotton fabric. I hand knotted the coral beads around her neck, and embroidered her 3 piece underwear set.

 

Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll



Underwear, and dress



Hair, and hands detail



Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

 

The rest of the shop is looking very sparse, but I hope to upload some brooches and charms really soon!!!

 



Izannah Walker Inspired...

Since the beginning of this year I have spent most of my time working on an Izannah Walker inspired doll, for a class that I will be teaching at the end of the month.

 

My days have been filled with sculpting, mould making, casting, pattern making, painting, sewing and stuffing. It has been all consuming, overwhelming and a great pleasure.

 

I've been working pretty much 7 days a week, and into the evenings, designing, creating and falling in love with "Mary" my 11" doll, inspired by Izannah's gentle old dolls from the mid 1800's. She is named after my Great, Great Grandmother Mary Falvey, who was born in Colchester barracks in 1863, a mere stones throw from where I live now.

 

 I still have lots of work to do, preparing casts, patterns and worksheets for my students, but I thought it was about time I shared my progress here.......







My Sculpture in Paperclay

 

Making the Plaster Mould





Casting Flumo Greenware





Casting Flumo Greenware



The Casts Are Cleaned And Gessoed





Designing The Body Pattern

 

Photos Of Antique Dolls Inspired The Painting



Paint Is "Antiqued"

Crackle Glaze Gives An "Old" Look

Alternate Hairstyles & Eyebrows

 

 

Paperclay Sculpt, Flumo Cast, Painted Arm

Painted Booties and Striped Stockings

Bare Toes, And Clothing Patterns In The Making

 

First "Mary" is complete

My aim with this doll is not to make an exact reproduction of Izannah's work, but to capture the "feel" and style of her dolls, with an English twist.





You can see more of my inspiration for these dolls, on my Pinterest board which is full of original dolls, paintings, clothing and children from the mid 19th Century.