Narae was working hard, and finished the second still life that she had underway...
So it was time to clean up....
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I picked up my little Dreamhigh Studio, Willie, the House Elf from Charie's yesterday too. And what a cutie she is!! I wired her last night so she'd hold a pose better, and took her outside for some photos today. And wow, is she ever photogenic!!          I need a contemporary 'Asian" woman for my photo story, and Soa was far too young-looking to be a parent, so that left Asa, my Queen of the Night. Which seems appropriate, since she was Byuri's Mom in a photo story 6 years ago too. So Asa is going to try pass for a contemporary Mom for a bit, so I had to find a way to support her wig in the meantime....  I'm working on a contemporary outfit for Asa, which I thought would be easy, since I have an envelope full of JID patterns. But none for any ladies with the Glamour bust. So that meant going back to the drawing board, and designing and making test bodices all day.
Some dolls, like Effie, take a little while to figure out their 'look'. I decided I couldn't picture her in someone else's old outfit, so put her in her own party dress that was intended for her. I had a problem with her shiny tongue with the pink spot in the middle, so tried to add a bit more colour. What a pain!! I must have spent two hours adding colour, only to remove it again. Now I know why I don't do face-ups!! I do like her better now, and I'm liking that her tongue doesn't shine, or stand out, but I'm not going to seal or varnish what I did. I also tried on another wig - Monique Zoey - which I like best of all. Only problem is that it's WAY too long at the back, and I'm hesitant to cut it just in case it's not the wig she ends up with. But then, cutting a wig I already have is far more economical than buying a brand new one.  I like the yellow dress on her, and now she makes me think of a little girl all dressed up to sing at her school concert....
Between her art classes, Narae was continuing with her still life paintings....  But there comes a time on every painting when an artist has to decide if it's finished - or not....     "Yes, I think it's done."  I went to Charie Wilson's today, to pick up two of my dolls - Effie and Willy. Effie is an Iplehouse Addiction Efreet, a little BID from their vampire series a few years back. Charie filed off her fangs, gave her a face-up and body blush, with manicure and pedicure. When I got her home, she proved quite the challenge. I tried several different eyes, but she looked best in the darker blue glass ones. Then I tried every spare wig her size, and although none were really 'perfect', there were two that were okay - a brown/black Monique Ellowyne Rose, which is way too long, and would need a major cut if I choose to let her keep it.....  I like her photographed slightly from the side, and looking up a little. Then I find that she looks like she's laughing - or awestruck by something....  And there was a no-name dark blonde wig which wasn't bad either....   I think I like the shorter, curly look, but with bangs swept to the side, and in the darker brown. So now I need to hunt for a wig that style and colour. It may still take a while before I settle on a final look for her, but I just had to share.
Willie turned out fantastic, but she needs wiring, so I'm hoping to take photos of her tomorrow. I have Narae's art studio set up on my dining room table, facing the big bay window. On sunny days I can only take photos of the dolls in it until around two o'clock, before the sun comes too far into the room. Sun isn't good for the resin dolls, plus it's also way too contrasty for most photos. But then the other day I thought I'd try take some photos of the still lifes sitting in the full sun....   One can almost forget that it's all in miniature...  When all the children were finished, and their art mounted, Narae called Nyssa, Chloe and Efreet up to the front to show the others their button trees...     "You three all listened carefully, followed the instructions, and made beautiful button trees! Well done! You should be proud of yourselves."  Then Narae asked Holly, Ringo, and Bonnie, to come up and show their button trees...  Nyssa and Efreet started to giggle.."They don't look anything like ours."  "You three also listened carefully, and followed my instructions well, and then you all decided to go your own way, and do something more creative that was clearly inspired by something important to you. It's great that you had the confidence to do something unique. After all that's what art is all about. Maybe you could tell us what inspired you..."  "I like to draw happy faces, and picked the 'Mickey Mouse' button to be my tree's nose..."  "I wanted to make a palm tree with coconuts, like the ones we saw when we went on vacation..."  "And I wanted to make mine like the mulberry tree in my front yard..."  *Background Note: These button trees were done one Saturday when two of our granddaughters were over all day. Nyssa's tree was the sample I made. We did 'follow the leader' as I showed everyone how to draw a tree, up to the initial branches radiating from the top of the trunk.
Teagan, who likes to 'copy', did the one I gave to Chloe. Rachel loves buttons, and really wanted the spotted pink "Mickey mouse" button. She currently likes to draw happy faces on everything, and I gave her's to Ringo. Jan always likes to go his own way, and did the palm tree. Then when I needed two more, I did the one Efreet is holding, and Jan did Holly's. Today, March 20th, is 'Festival of Alien Abductions' Day, which reminded me of that little story I took back in 2013 for the 'Special Days' series....'Foiling an Abduction'  The little foil hats were inspired by the movie 'Signs', and the 'flying saucer' was made from aluminum pie plates, beaded Christmas garlands, and a clear Dairy Queen milk shake topper, all glue-gunned together, and hanging off a long pole beyond the dolls (with strings photoshopped out)
After everyone's trees were drawn, Narae asked Paige to hand out dishes of buttons.  "The buttons are to glue onto your trees. They can be leaves, or flowers, or whatever you like."   Chloe tried copying the sample up at the front....   Ringo started gluing buttons, while Holly finished drawing her tree...   |
AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
February 2026
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