New paper doll download

These paper dolls started as face sketches. I imagine the
dresses as breezy cotton prints. I love sewing these kind
of dresses.

With this download you get 2 PDF files with full color
patterns to make the five paper dolls shown. You
provide your choice of scrapbook paper or other
materials for the dresses.

For more info: Go Here

New paper-doll sets

I am working on some new paper-doll downloads.
The new ones will feature a paper-doll with a wardrobe
to cut out.



My original wren-rose paper dolls were made like this. If
anyone remembers them comment below for a free download.
This offer is good until November 10, 2009

Alice Angel

A new paper doll in my etsy shop:



Inspired from a customer.
Look for e-pattern to follow.

The busiest summer ever!

I went to a trade show in May. It was very discouraging, and it had the effect of energizing my artwork in a new direction. Lots of visits from family and friends and gardening. I missed spring so not too many pictures.

I am behind in so many projects. I had trouble with arthritis in my hands and the weather here has been insane! I am doing many things behind the scenes to heal and that believe it or not have been very inspiring.

Our well motor burned out and i am barely getting caught up with watering. Good news is we had lots of grapes which I am juicing and they are delicious. Peaches are ripe now, and pears are coming in fast. The basil from last year took over the garden, so we're eating lots of pesto.

I am enjoying creating nightshade free dishes, pesto, spanish rice without tomatoes and spaghetti with out tomatoes. I created a wonderful yam salad with buttermilk dressing that is delicious. I hope to create a blog with recipes for special diets.

I am not even mentioning the birds and bunnies and hawks and bats and horses and other wonderful things that wonder in and out of our yard.

So much is happening and so fast that I am barely able to keep up.

I hope to be posting more artwork soon!
Love, E

More Paper-doll patterns

I have posted more paper-doll patterns. They are in PDF files and are easy to download.

You may have seen the angel one here.

One of the newest one is a fairy paper doll pattern. The paper dolls come with patterns to cut and play or outline drawings to create your own.



I am working on a paper doll giveaway/contest and some tutorials as well as wanting to get back to paper doll swaps.

I've just been swamped with summer and unusual weather, and daily life. I can tell things are not going to slow down, so please forgive me if I fit everything in in crazy ways ; )

Beautiful distractions

The following is a collection of distractions that has cut my work time down. Spring flowers, my vegetable garden, the warm weather.

Sketchbook

I admire people with beautiful journals, and sketchbooks. I often draw and sketch on paper taken right out of the printer. The only flat surface not covered with a project (at least most of the time) is the small space in front of my computer. It is also one of the only places to sit down.

I sit there and listen to podcasts or music, and write down ideas as they pop into my head.This is where I keep them.

When I work on something I check here first. I have been working this way for a long time. I even write my artist way pages out on notebook paper loose pages that I grab from a pile.

On upcoming page I will show how I turn a sketch into a paper doll.

New plan

I am thinking about by paper doll ACEOs wanting to do something else with them. Maybe display them or put the in a book. I'm not sure. I don't know what to do next. I have taken them out of my Etsy shop because I have created new backgrounds and ribbons for hangings.

ideas i have been playing with

I have been playing with silhouettes and positive and negative space:



I'm going to try this with some of the drawings I have in my sketchbooks.



This one is a combination of pieces from other drawings.
I used Photoshop to fill in line drawings and cut and paste the pieces into a picture. I want to work this concept into a paper doll.

Story telling

I have been listening to Eric Maisel's pod casts on creativity. I am especially interested in his take on making meaning.

I want to add more meaning to my paper dolls, or at least include some of my thinking and process in the finished product.

Here is one of my latest paper dolls:



a close up:



her purse:

April 2009 Nibblefest

Favorite Childhood Story

One of my favorite childhood stories is
"The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland".
For this month's Nibblefest I made a new Alice paper doll:

This paper-doll will be ready to view tomorrow April 22 after 9:00 pm. She comes with the background you see
with her and 9 nine cards with quotes or pictures.

Nibblefest art contest is sponsored by Artists on Ebay. It is one of my favorite groups. Each month has a theme, and all auctions start at .99 cents.
The details can be viewed here

I am creating another Alice paper doll for Etsy.

First in a series of spring paper dolls

I plan on making a few spring paper dolls. This is my favorite season. So much to do, so much to look forward to.



This paper-doll was a birthday gift. The sun is a shrink plastic trinket and the cards in the apron pocket are from my affirmation cards. Various sticker flowers are in her hair. Lots of fun to make.

Caribbean Mermaids

I love making mermaid paper dolls. Each batch I try ways to make them better. These are laminated which gives them a nice finish. I've also tried stickers instead of shells to embellish them.



There is a total of six (maybe more) This is just a sample. I will be posting them completed when I finish the belts.

Flat paper doll swap for February "Hearts"

Hearts is the theme for the February swap. I like having a theme. I use templates for most of my dolls. This is one of my favorites.



In her pocket are three hearts, and a card that has a vintage lady playing a lute and singing. The cards says creativity. The saying on her chest reads: "Seeds like hearts must open to grow". This saying caught my eye because I have a few seeds sprouting already.

Snow Queen for flat paper-doll swap finished

Besides a big case of indecision, I had a glue emergency, events I had to attend, not to mention loosing things in a big clean up. I also had a sudden urge to emboss copper, which I thought I was going to use on this piece.



The dress is a flocked large snow flake pattern, and the "fur" is embossed card-stock. The inset in her dress is colored pencil and marker on sanded shrink plastic. The wings are embossed frosted vellum.

The inspiration for this paper doll was Russian Fairy tale folk art painting, and the cold days we had in Jan/Feb.

I also did the Ice Queen Trading Card Swap:


She fits into her own ATC holder. I haven't figured out how to make it fit into a trading card sleeve.

February 2009 Nibblefest Entry

This is my entry to this month's Nibblefest contest.




The Nibblefest Contest is on Ebay once a month. Themes are chosen in advance. This month's theme is Vintage Cat

Search the letters NFAC (nibblefest art contest) to see the
other great entries.

Bid start at .99 cents and run for seven days 20th - 27th with some people adding auctions in between.

(If you look closely the paintings hanging on the wall are copied from the shrink plastic pieces shown here.

Appearing soon

I am working on some Valentine ATC size cards. I am beginning to put the inspiration gleaned from the fraktur and folk art that I have studying.





They will be in my Etsy shop soon.

Preparing for spring

I am a little behind some of my projects. There is so much inspiration in the air for me. When my life is is total chaos, that is the time I find it easy to make sweeping and major changes. I think that is because
with everything swirling around in uncertainty, i am less attached to the outcome, and trying to stay in the moment.


One thing I am working on is my garden. Last year I learned a lot from my garden. This year it was productive. That means lots to clear out for the next planting.





The drip lines are anchored to the fence and the soil is turned. I will cover the box with an old sheet and rake the old morning glory seeds and vines off the top. The large leave fro the sycamore will stay there to delay some of the weeds from growing in the early spring.





This is a small part of iris bulbs that were re-palnted and slit from the main ones growing in the driveway. These are extremely hardy, and fast growing. I hope they like this spot. This is just a small part of my chores for the winter. I'll post more when the almond trees flower in a few weeks.

Flat paper doll swap

The Flat paper doll Yahoo group that I am in has a topic and
a swap around that topic every month. This month the topic
is: Snow Queen, and Ice Queen .

I made two of the same doll for the paper doll swap. I actually
made the ATC before the topic was announced.

Here are the two dolls in progress:







Some details still have to worked out, like how to attach
the heart, and the feet. I would like to take better pictures,
or scan them. The colors are not true. The wings on the heart,
if I decide to keep them need to be scaled down.

New Inspiration and love for what I do

I spent the last half of December and most of January filling my
creative well. I have been reading and following creative threads.

I love decorative folk painting and painting on furniture and have
been filling my eyes and heart with visual images, and certain forms
of that art. I love tole painting and fractur .
I hope to complete work that brings influence from it into my work.

I have also spent some time working with embossing copper and my
first love shrink plastic.