More baby bottles

I just love these little bottles! I first made them for my daughters baby shower as table decorations. Each one is about 3" tall, they are not tiny. I used German glass glitter on them. This time around I used the large mica powder and I love this look too. I now use them as embellishments on projects. I may list them in my etsy shop, but not sure if they would sell or how much to charge for them.

I make them with paper clay. Then I paint them and add a coat of Triple Thick and then the mica. Once all is dried, I add the bow, which is crinkled and died and grunged up a bit.

paper clay doll # 3

I've had a horrible cold for the last 10 days and so I've been home bound trying to get over it, giving me lots of time to finish my latest doll. Actually she is a mixed media doll: her head, chest and lower legs are paper clay, her arms are polymer clay and her body is stuffed cloth. She does not have a name yet, but her "Title" is "Keeper of my Dreams".

She stands 7.5" tall. And amazingly, she actually stands on her own! I am learning a lot about doll making. I know her face and arms are 'rough' but I am pleased with my progress. Each time is an improvement.

I am thinking that I may make her a little bird cage to hold. Inside the cage I will put a corked bottle that holds my dreams: a physical way she keeps my dreams.

back in the saddle again...

I've been sick with a horrible head cold. You would think by now that the common cold would have been cured by now...anyway...today is the first day I feel human again.

two things I want to share with you. (is anyone there?)

I remade my hands and they are much better. No more gorilla-looking. I get better with each attempt. I baked them once and then added the upper arm. I wanted them skinny and not life like, so they turned out just as I wanted them.

I also wanted to post these adorable paper clay baby bottles I made. I made them as shower decorations for my daughter's baby shower. I LOVE how they turned out! They are about 3.5" tall. Glitter glass is what makes them shine and I made them in the shabby style, as my daughter loves the shabby chic look. The nursery is all shabby chic and she'll put one or two on the dresser for decoration. But no baby will be able to play with or touch- glass glitter can cut!

paper clay doll # 3

let the mess begin! Creative Chaos...

Gorilla hands will not do! I have to remake them.

Yes, I know her legs do not match in thickness...ah well

It really helps to make a scale drawing to follow.

On to doll # 3 in my paper clay doll making adventure. She is going to be small, about 6.5" inches tall. Her theme - something about time going too fast, middle age, middle passage...the thoughts tumbling around in my head at this moment in time in my own personal journey. Thoughts are marinading and ideas are coming into focus as I make her and she presents herself to me. She will let me know her message...

Her hands I made are WAY TOO LARGE...so I am experimenting with polymer clay and paper clay to see which works better for me to make tiny hands...last night I made hands 4x out of polymer clay and these in the photos above- all still too large and gorilla like...onto to hands # 6- eventually I'll hopefully get to where I can live with them and they won't be so gorilla like!

I made her feet large on purpose. I want them large and she will be wearing ballet slippers. This much I know. The rest, well, like I said...she will tell me...

more pics of my paper clay mermaid doll

tail -

made from angelina fiber.

I added in wire along the edge so the fins bend.Once finished,

I added the seed beads.

Colleens technique for charms- love them!!

The hanging beads were given to me by Sue Milo.

she hangs on the wall.

close up of her face.

She holds a shell filled with pearls.

The shell is made from polymer clay.

starfish made from paper and distressed.
Then I added vintage glass glitter.

Her crown is made from polymer clay.
I painted the crown with metallic blues and then added lots of Swarovski crystals.

Several people asked me to post some closeups of my mermaid doll I made, so here they are. This is my second paper clay doll. I am quite happy how she turned out, but I still have a lot of practice to do for better arm, hands, fingers, faces...but that's the fun...learning as I go.

Her body is cloth that I stuffed and attached to the upper body. I created the 'material' by sewing together ribbons and torn fabric into ribbon lengths using free motion sewing, taught to me by Heather. I added in threads and glitter to give it an organic and other-world sort of look. All the colors are in the blue to white family.

Her body from breasts up are paper clay, as are her arms. I made joints using bead end caps, a technique I learned from Colleen. She also taught me this whole doll...sculpting her face, making the crown, making all of the tiny charms. (So if you ever see a class offered by Colleen and want to learn doll making- take that class!!!) Thanks for your interest in her!

Paper clay 101 - what NOT to do

I read somewhere that it's OK to bake paper clay in an oven at a low temp to speed drying time. I am not sure if I had to temp too high (200 F) or if I left it too long (35 minutes)...but it didn't work out so well. I would LOVE to hear from any paper clay artists out there who might be able to give me some tips as to what I did wrong!

painted my first paper clay doll

she doesn't look dirty in real life- just in the picture.

not sure why!

I am loving this paper clay! I finished painting my first doll. I decided to put a crackle glaze as the final coat to give her a vintage look. I really like how she came out. Now to dress her. I am thinking of a shabby angel look. So that means WINGS! Hmmm....so many choices....I've never made wings for a doll before. I think I see some serious YouTube searching in my immediate future looking for ways to make doll wings. Isn't the Internet great that way? Think of it and some one has a 'how to' on You Tube. What did we do before the Internet?

Her hair is natural Tibetan lamb. I bought a pelt of it and snip off small bits and glued them onto her head as a wig. Again, my first time doing this. But I am happy how she is turning out.

And on another note- my doll buddies and I are starting mermaids...mine will be cloth and clay. I've started on the cloth- I made the cloth using strips of ripped, torn and dyed ribbon, yarn and such to make a very shabby piece of cloth- I love how it turned out. I'll post it soon. Yesterday I met with them and Heather gave me a lesson on free motion sewing/quilting. I've done a tiny bit, but she gave me her best ideas- like layering fabrics that are sheer and with some glitz and then free motion over it- the final piece is so cool! Each fabric adds something and the finished piece is the 'best' from each- to make one luscious piece of fabric!

paper clay art doll

This is my first paper clay art doll. I decided to make a character doll, not a realistic doll. I've finished her parts and painted them all with about 7 coats of flesh colored paint. Next I'll paint her face, add a finish of crackle to give her a vintage look and then add her hair. So far so good! I am really loving doll making! Bringing a lump of clay to life- there is a sense of satisfaction in this.

Last night I woke up at 3 am with my head spinning. I had so many ideas flashing in my head for future dolls, that I had to get up and write them down in my idea journal so I don't forget them. I can't wait to make them all!