drat dancing on my wall.

Little bit of paper and water colour fun.  I was thinking that this was a rat with a deer's antlers, but The Man says it's a rodent sized deer with a rat's tail.

Either way, I call it a drat.

Deer + Rat = Drat

Of course, the drat doesn't want to stay on the wall with my subpar double sided tape, so I stuck him to a glass picture frame and he's been doing ballet with a squid ever since.

It's been quite gloomy over the past couple of days, which is a nice change from hot like hades it was last week, but makes for less than spectacular pictures indoors.  If you are interested, I posted a few of the steps I took while making the drat on my Instagram account and girl child helped me make a little video here.

I think the drat needs a little buddy to dance with, maybe a bouse (or mear?) or a vrane (crole?).  What are the best animal mash ups?

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Little shop update: I can't be bothered trying to keep up on two separate Etsy shops because I a) have some books to read, stuff to make and kids to raise and b) Etsy keeps changing their stuff and fixing problems on both shops its a bit too much.  So I am posting my Dollyshop Theatre dolls on my first and best shop connected with this blog, Indietutes.  So if you like weird art doll things, please visit.  Also there is patterns.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Indietutes

bok (chicken in a sweater v.II)

This is not my first chicken a sweater.  But this is the first time I actually knitted a chicken sweater.  We all learn and grow.

This grand Wyandotte hen is a gift to our egg family.  As in the people who have chickens that lay eggs that we buy and eat. Because we feel pretty good about that and like to show some appreciation.

The hen was sewn and stuffed, then prim'd (primed? primmed?) with coffee and baked in the oven.  Afterwards a thin whitewash of gesso was painted on, a touch of acrylic for colour, followed by pen and ink details.  Legs and wings attached with thread an buttons.  And, of course, the sweater was knitted and secured with a button.

One can take the sweater off, if one would prefer, for a bit more chicken-ly authenticity.

I realize that it's hard to judge how big she is from these photos so I will just tell you that she just fits in two adult palms held together in a scoop.  She feels a bit leathery (not at all like feathers, perhaps something to think for future sweatered chickens) and smells delicious, given her coffee bath.

It'll be sad to see her go but I'm sure she'll be much happier on the farm with others of her own kind.

Chet

A quick look at the fleshie that has come home from an artist in Edmonton. Girl child has developed a giant storyline behind this frankenkitty and wants to do some photos along with it, but she's in the middle of show week and hasn't time now. I thought I'd introduce him to the world sooner rather than later and she can do her story when she's ready.

I, personally, believe he is Chet the shaved vampire cat from Christoper Moore's novel Bite Me. So many people have recommended Christopher Moore to me and he's proved to be everything as promised.  Honestly, during Bite Me, I laughed so hard I choked.  It was when they were trying to wet vac the vampire rat mist in the loft and then... but, hey, if you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil it for you.  But go read Bite Me. 

And now Chet.  Chet has already had some interesting experiences, freaking out the poor lady who volunteered to do me a solid and pick up a doll from Edmonton.  Maybe she was thinking Cabbage Patch Doll?  Mwhahahaha.

Next week girl child should have more time to make some props for her frankencat story, and then he will be back...

bc bound fleshies

Just a couple of fleshie dolls to share with you.  These two I sent off last week to British Columbia to an artist there.  I don't know what will happen to them in her hands, but I am sure they will be spectacularly transformed.

You've seen the light brown one before but the white one is completely new.  I just roughly attached the limbs so that they can be easily separated for painting and whatnot.

The hands are wired so they can bend and hold things.  I love the toes on this one, so adorable.

An in progress picture below.  Sometimes when I am on duty for girl child's performances, in the costume room, and I am not in the midst of a zipper or ripped ruffle emergency, I work on the dolls.  The children who come into the room have taken to come in to see my process.  The other day I was working on a doll similar to this one and I was just at the stage of attaching a breast when one of the girls walked in to see my cute little doll and encountered this instead:

I did warn them, doll making is a bit creepy.  Now they know they should never sneak up on a doll maker because you can't un-see certain things.

One last picture, same as I posted on my Facebook page last week.  The spooning picture. 

chicken in a sweater

The short story on this fancy little lady: I have a friend who has an affection for chickens in sweaters. Because, honestly, who does not?  I could not help but indulge. 

I also wanted to celebrate our city's recent decision to allow backyard chickens and, perhaps, sway The Man's attitude towards maybe saying yes to having a wee coop of our own.  Our city allows up to four birds, so I see a few more hens in sweaters in my future. 

This wyandotte breed hen is a pampered urban chicken, not a rescue hen, although she wears the sweater in solidarity.  She has gone to live in Montreal where, I am sure, she will have many adventures.   

Here is our lady in the flesh. 

Paint was my main medium here.  Each layer of paint was sanded down after it dried to create a nice, leather-like texture and, I was hoping, a bit of antiquing. 

And out in the backyard, enjoying the last bit of sun before the winter.

The sweater was made from a hand knitted sock made by a friend.  I loved the socks, I even once dyed my hair to match them, but the had an unfortunate run in with a pokey-outey thing along my base board and the bottom of one was horribly mangled.  It was tragic.  The tube, however, was, as you can see, still good and has found new life as a chicken sweater.  Seems a happy ending to me.

I am ridiculously proud of this lady and I'm hoping to find an artist to convince to maybe have a go at painting one or two.  I have a couple of items on my plate before I can make another chicken, including girl child's show's opening tonight, for which I am sequestered in the costume room making repairs and adjustments during the performance as needed, and a few fleshies, but then, after that, there shall be chickens.

I did not paint this doll

I did make it, though.  Fabric, stitching, and stuffing, that was all me.  I made a fleshie.

Fleshie [fl-esh-e] NOUN : An unembellished three-dimensional art media in animal or human form to be used as a basic platform or canvas for an artist's work.

And then I handed the completed and unadorned fleshie over to my girl Kristin-the-Artist and she painted him with oils and added some wings. 

Presenting, 

The Tooth Fairy (Who Watches You When You Sleep)

I think he's beautiful.  It's all the gold.  You just know where he got all his gold from.

Do you have any gold caps?

Lookit his wings!  

I think his red underoos are my favorite part.

I believe The Tooth Fairy (Who Watches You When You Sleep) will be putting his application in for a local adjudicated art show in a couple of months.  I have still three more fleshies out with artists that I am eagerly looking forward to seeing again and what amazing transformation they have undergone.

In the meanwhile, supplies are limited, but I do have a couple fleshies that need some creative hands to have a go.  I believe they would also serve much of your primary voodoo needs, providing you could get your hands on some fingernails or a lock of hair of your intended... just putting that out there.  Contact me if you would like some details or want to know how to get your hands on a fleshie of your very own.

guy fawkes doll mask

Experiment number three with paperclay.  My friend Lexi's love of the movie V is for Vendetta inspired this one.  I started it at her place while I was there for the weekend.

Just in case a doll ever needs to attend Bonfire Night (probably as an effigy) or a hackist rally.

The mask was sculpted out of paperclay and embellished with watercolour pencils and sharpie.

A few of my fleshies, ready for anything.  As of now, the white cloth, big breasted doll, sans mask, has found an artist and I can't wait to see what she becomes.

Have fleshies, will travel.

paintbox fleshie

I have for you some of the details of one of the fleshies I made during my studio weekend. 

This little lady is one of the more sophisticated dolls I've made, finger and toe wise, with a needle sculpted face. 

The elbow and knee joints were new for me... I'm still not sure how I feel about them.  I want to play around a bit with the design, perhaps there is a more satisfying way involving a bead and some heavy weight craft thread?

The fingers are wired and pose-able.  My favorite doll, prior to this one, with wired fingers was Jack the Pumpkin King. Smooshy little fingers, so much fun to play with.

Toes too!

I have acquired some red clay that is apparently a very good natural dye to make a vibrant shade of brown.  I'm considering trying it out on the doll.  On the other hand, the clay dye may interfere with paint adhesion.  Decisions, decisions...

weekend at Lexi's

My girl Lexi was kind enough to lend me a table in her spare room for me to set up camp for the weekend and make some dolls.

This was my home for the weekend.  That was an inaccurate statement.  This was my home for six hours a day over five days, when I wasn't bunking off to go find coffee.

I had a little snoop while I was there.  Of course.

 

I did manage to make a few things.  The worst was this scary squirrel.  The body proportions are a bit off.  But that's really the least of its problems.

For the record, boy child is completely smitten with it.  Which goes to show, love is blind.

And then there is a little dear that I made for Lexi.  I love little deer that fit in the palm of one's hand.

You may notice both the deer and the scary squirrel are made from the leftovers of girl child's apron that I upcycled from a thrifted button down shirt.  I still have two whole sleeves left.  Too bad neither of my childs fit into sleevy pants anymore. 

And, another deer, which happens to be 150% larger.

Why do I make so many deer?  I cannot know.  Perhaps in the future a good reason will present itself.

Lexi happens to have a bit of a thing for Guy Fawkes whatnots.

 

 I took this as inspiration and used my new friend, paperclay, to make a doll sized Guy Fawkes mask, along with another head for a doll, to be finished at a later date.  Paperclay is... challenging.  It doesn't smooth down like polymer clay that I have worked with in the past and drying out seems to be an issue.  Still, I'm looking forward to further exploring this new to me medium and smoothing out my rough edges.

When the mask is dry in a couple of days I should be able to paint it... and maybe some sandpaper before the paint?

This is the total haul for the weekend (excluding cups of coffee drank):

The other dolls I will share with you in due time. 

I hope your weekend was equally fabulous.