Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Of Unknowns and possible Knowns, and Everything Else

Stuff's been busy. So very very busy. I saw my sister in Dallas, took a few tests in school and aced them, Dane had his birthday this last weekend, and yesterday Tanya and I did major deep cleaning of the apartment and dyed my hair. I now have black-reddish hair and it looks awesome.

So because I've been completely unable to do anything crafty or fun the last few.... years... I'm going to catch up on some previous projects I should have posted about long ago.



This is a very crappy photo of an absolutely adorable doll that I made from a pattern made by a girl on Craftster.org. This lovely girl decided one day that she wanted a doll of her very own that she could dress up in lots of clothes. So she drew up a very simple-looking but rather impressive pattern and made the first ever Poppet. Then she shared that lovely pattern with all of Craftster and this large doll was born in my spare room. It was around Halloween, so I gave her green pigtails and a dress with ghosts on it. And a pumpkin.

I had every intention of making more dresses for my Poppet, some for different holidays, some just because, but none of that happened, and I think it may be partially because her head flops around quite strangely, despite the pencil in her neck, and it kindof unnerves me. In any case, on to the other thing.



Having fallen in love with Anne Hesse's beaded doll faces, I was ecstatic when Patti Culea's latest book (Creative Cloth Doll Beading) featured a section on how to make such lovely beaded faces. I immediately got to work, even though usually beading has been a rather scary task to think about... all those little things and they're so tiny and I could accidentally smack the container they're in with my clumsiness and then they would be all over my carpet and I'd need to pick up every single one.....

I don't do well with tiny things, but after starting this face, I found myself loving the minute detail, and the ability to fill in any little bare spot with just a few beads and have them fit so very perfectly. I guess this was the best project for someone who's a perfectionist like me.

I'm still working on the myriad of other projects that remain as yet unfinished, and I would so very much love to have a night to myself tonight to work on such things, but alas, I have laundry, and we've started our Unknowns in Microbiology, which means I get to spend many evenings running tests to see what mysterious organism is living in my test tube.

6 comments:

Judi W. said...

... love both projects! But I want to see your hair! I want fuschia hair myself but I'm too chicken. The idea of bleach just keeps me away from all the crazy colors.

This semester will be over in a couple of months and you can breathe then! Meanwhile get a project that you can do in 15 minute chunks here and there. Might help you stay sane!

Yay for acing the tests - doesn't that just make you feel GREAT!!!!

Shashi Nayagam said...

Your doll is a darling. I love her.
She looks so innocent as if to say my head flopping who says so LOL! The neck area perhaps needs to be stuffed quite hard so that it can hold the weight of the head.
Your beading is awesome. I love the beautiful colours.

Denise Aumick said...

This face is incredible! And the doll above is adorable. I believe I said this before but it bears repeating. You have a great knack for expressive doll making.

Maggie R said...

I Just LOVE this beaded face,,,,, I recently got Anne's directions on how to do this, I just need time to try it!!!!!
Art on my friend, it feeds the soul ;-}
((((hugs))))
Maggie

girlgonethreadwild said...

Love Anne Hesse's faces too! Tried my hand at this and sent the finished doll to Bernie Berlin's charity auctions (I think starting back up in September?). It is liberating to make a face from little seed beads. Addicted yet?

Your stitches are so perfect, mine seemed scattered all which way. ha! ~Monica

ArtPropelled said...

I love the beaded face! Very clever. You would love 5oo Beaded Objects (New Dimensions in Contemporary Beadwork) in the Lark Book series. Choc-a-block full of amazing ideas.....all 500 of them.