First Carved Wooden

For Sale in my esty shop: www.aliceswanndolls.etsy.com
This is my first carved doll Elmire.  She went through  numerous of changes to get her to the finished stage. So many time I was tempted to throw her away but I kept on carving her. I know I did her two sets of hands. She turn out to be a great doll. The pictures don't do her justice. She looks so much better in person.

Since I love 18th century fashion. . . . I  used vintage linens for her clothing and hand spun wool yard for her hair. Oh and her hat is so adorable!!! Dont you just love it!

I like how pretty her face turned out after the wax rub. It gave her a patina.

Making shoes for a wood doll

came out pretty good! Practice make prefects as they say! 

She wears a ruby ring on her hand. . .

I even made her a pocket.

Miss Sweetness Sunshine is done

Look a OOAK doll named Sweetness! She is a doll inspired by the Queen Anne dolls.  Her head is sculpted for air drying paper clay that has been covered in stockinette and painted with alkyd oils. The head is attached to a wooden body. Her legs are cloth with wood beads for knees . . . she sits nicely in a chair so she can show off the red bottom of her pointed-toed boots. She wears an angel necklace and a corset that laces down the back. Sweetness is dressed in red, white and blue. Her dress is silk with a vintage cotton lace slip. She has carved basswood hands. She is so sweet. Her hair is a navy yarn called wool lashes. It is so soft and curly. Sweetness has a gentle smile with downcast glass eyes that express her shyness. She is sure to add beauty to any doll collection. 

Sweetness

I love the wool lashes for hair and her sweet expression is priceless!

 

 

I am so proud of the hands .....they turned out so nice.

Sweetness is for sale on my etsy site.

Carving Woodies

I joined a woodcarving group online. DollCarving AndPaintingArtistry on Yahoo. Fun group. . . .I am learning lots of great things about carving in wood. Here is my Queen Anne inspired doll all painted. Her name is Claudia Trustworthy. I need to work on her arms but after a year she is almost done. It has been a labor of love but I really have learned alot about how to carve and how to construct this type of wooden doll. So hopefully many more to come.. . . . .

Wooden Hands

I have been carving wooden doll hands.  The doll hands I sculpted from paperclay never turned out the way I envisioned them.  I am having better results with wood. I like carving...but my carpal tunnel does like it...lol  Well...one's gotta do what one's gotta do...lol.  These dolls hands have been through a lot of changes......as it takes alot of trial and error.  I am developing my own techniques as I go along. It is not like I have a pattern to follow.  Sawing wood on a bandsaw it rather tricky and dangerous too. I dont want to loose a hand,  making a hand no pun intended....lol  I love trying new things. It takes practice, practice and more practice. I'll keep trying till I get them right.

Woodies

My latest project is carving wood dolls. Here is the head of a Queen Anne inspired doll. I learned how to insert glass eyes by talking to doll carvers on the dollcarving group at Yahoo. To set the glass eyes start my making a whole in the wood to insert the eyes then fill around it with wood filler or paper clay. I was told you can also use a two part putty called Quickwood. The paperclay works fine because it sticks to wood. Paper clay sands nicely and leaves no hard edges.

He Unfolds a Rose

I use a rose in my doll art logo because it reminded me of the great beauty that God has created. I loved roses. They are very delicate but yet the thorns that protected them are so strong. It reminds me of the strength God has given us to endure pain. As women we bear children and endure a pain that is soon forgotten after that child is born. It reminds me of my struggle to create art. I make mistakes which add frustrations when I try to use a new painting medium or recently a carving knife. A month ago I started learning how to carve a doll in wood. Carving is such a labor intensive craft without the right tools. Still with the right tools there is a learning curve that must be mastered but not without causing pain. Will ever understand how wood reacts to carving knives? How am I going to get a face to develop in block of wood? God works through me to create anything. It will take patience and time to develop this new skill. So I remember the rose. . .it doesn't open by itself God is directing it. He will direct me and guide my hands in the right time. He will lead me to the right tools and how to use them. He led me to a carving group on Yahoo. Many of the artists are very willing to share tips and info. I love how God can open doors at just the right time. I love this poem. I hope anyone who reads this blog will be blessing by its message.

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design,
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I,
The flower God opens so sweetly,
In my hands would fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust Him for His leading
Each moment of every day
And I'll look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

For the pathway that lies before me
My heavenly Father knows
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.

~Selma Swanson

Carla is FINALLY completed

I worked on Carla for over a year. I wasn't working on her a year but she sat in my studio. . . . while I altered prom and wedding dresses and who know how many jeans and hunting jacket zippers I replaced while Carla patiently waited for clothing. It took me a long time to photography her. Believe it or not I took TWO photography classes and still feel flustrated taking photos. Oh well I am not a photographer but I present to you Carla Goodnews in her red shoes!

Carla Goodnews wears her pretty red shoes and she is an Izannah Walker inspired doll.

Carla is a OOAK cloth doll with a paper clay head that was painted in watercolor painted as well as her lower arms, lower legs and buttoned red strap shoes.

She has painted corkscrew curls in front of each exposed ear and short curls framing the back of the head, and bulging painted eyes and painted mouth with hint of a smile.

Carla wears an vintage style off-the-shoulder blue printed cotton dress, cotton batiste under garments, and crocheted bonnet.

She has a gusset weighted bottom so she will sit nicely on a chair or wall shelf without a doll stand.

She has a body covering made from cotton ticking.

I am thrilled to offer this wonderful hand crafted doll who needs a loving home.

She will be a wonderful addition to any primitive doll collection
25 inch tall.