Antique Lilac
  • Home
  • for Sale
  • Galleries
  • Favourite Photos
  • Tutorials
  • Blog
  • Links
  • Books

Bow Lake

11/30/2015

2 Comments

 
Heading north up the Icefields Parkway, from Banff to Jasper National Park, we stopped at Bow Lake again. The sun was struggling to get through the clouds, and I just took a couple of quick photos, thinking I'd get another chance in a few days when we'd be coming back down here again....
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
But a few days later, on the way back down, it was terrible weather with pouring rain, and all the mountains were completely obscured by clouds and fog. I didn't take any photos at all that day. Just goes to show it's not wise to put things off assuming there will be a second opportunity.
2 Comments

Moraine Lake

11/30/2015

2 Comments

 
One of the most beautiful settings in Banff National Park, is Moraine Lake, which is near Lake Louise. Of course when we arrived, it was dull and overcast, but I was determined to make it to the top of the 'Rockpile' to take doll photos. It took me a while to ascend the trail with the 100 stone steps, and at first I was hesitant to take out my dolls. There were so many tourists! After waiting a while, I finally decided that with endless busloads of Asian tourists, we'd never have the place to ourselves, so took my dolls out anyways. Even so, I was still rather self-conscious, so wasn't too creative with posing the dolls.....
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Christmas Lights

11/29/2015

3 Comments

 
Christmas lights are popping up everywhere now, and the kids had heard that Rachel
​& Teagan's house was very nicely decorated, so they wanted to go see it...
Picture
Picture
"Wow, that's a LOT of lights!"
Picture
*Note:  My camera doesn't do 'handheld' at low light at all, so I though of bringing along our wooden step-ladder to pose the dolls on, and set my camera on a tripod with timer. Faces were lit with a flashlight, but in such low light I can't see very well, so the dolls aren't necessarily looking where I wanted. But the technique worked well, and the Christmas season is just starting.
3 Comments

the Kicking Horse River

11/28/2015

3 Comments

 
After visiting Emerald Lake, we stopped at 'Natural Bridge' on the Kicking Horse River.
There's a hole worn in the rocks where all the water rushes through, but with the shadows
​ late in the day it doesn't show too well in photos....
Picture
The Kicking Horse River was named back in 1858, when James Hector, a member of the Palliser Expedition was kicked in the head by his packhorse. His comrades thought he was dead, but he was only knocked unconscious, and the river was named after the incident. T

Today the Trans-Canada Hwy crosses the river several times before ascending into the Kicking Horse Pass from Yoho into Banff. It's only one of three passes through the Rockies from British Columbia into Alberta. The other two are Hwy 3 through the Crowsnest Pass way in the south just above the US border, and Hwy 16 through the Yellowhead Pass in the north to Jasper.

​Owen and Coco enjoy watching the rushing water...
Picture
Picture
Picture
3 Comments

Modifying my Head

11/27/2015

5 Comments

 
The sculpting on my old man's head goes very slowly.  I've decided to take some stress off and not try to push him to be done for Christmas photos this year. Which means he'll probably start life out as a Wizard early in the new year. That will give me all of next year to make some old-fashioned Father Christmas costumes. After all, next year there will be another Christmas.

So in the meantime, when I do add a bit to his face, I just mix up pea-size balls of Apoxie. That way I can't get carried away sculpting too many things at once, and then accidentally mess things up when I invariably over-work stuff. The last few bits of Apoxie were used to add to the forehead, soften some of the wrinkles, raise the top of the cheeks, and extend the lower lip downward.
Picture
I need to add a tiny bit to his lower lip, and add some to the top of his ears, since they seem way too low. Then I need to learn about painting resin and Apoxie. I've already picked up a can of Testor's Dullcote - not that I have any experience using it.
5 Comments

Christmas Sweaters

11/27/2015

4 Comments

 
I decided the sweaters were too much trouble to put on by removing my doll's heads, so decided to give them back openings. I picked off the neckband, cut the sweater up the centre back, and FrayChecked everything. Then I zig-zagged all the interior seams so tiny fingers would't catch, and replaced the neckband, and sewed on a back binding the same colour as the sweaters....
Picture
..and then glued all the sequins back on that fell off while I was doing the above. 
4 Comments

More Fun at Emerald Lake

11/26/2015

4 Comments

 
Coco couldn't get over how big the pinecones were....
Picture
Picture
Holly was eyeing the canoe rentals......
Picture
....but we didn't have any tiny life-jackets.  So Lonnie decided to climb up onto a large rock,
​ and everyone else decided to scramble up after her....
Picture
Picture
Picture
4 Comments

Taking Pictures at Emerald Lake

11/25/2015

1 Comment

 
The next morning it was so foggy that we passed through Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks without ever seeing a mountain. By Golden the fog was so thick that visibility was at a minimum, but as we started the climb into the Rockies the fog started to clear. By the time we got to Emerald lake in Yoho National Park, we were enjoying hazy sunshine.....
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

the Thompson River

11/24/2015

2 Comments

 
After leaving Vancouver, we took Hwy 1, the TransCanada, up through the Fraser River Canyon. The 2-lane highway winds it's way north-east through the rugged, forested, river canyon ​and then turns to follow the Thompson River into the dry desert-like interior of British Columbia. The two busy rail lines on both sides of the river are the main railway corridor from eastern Canada to Vancouver.
Picture
​Milo watches for a train....
Picture
Picture
 The scenery here looks very much like the US Southwest.
Picture
The Thompson River flows into Kamloops Lake.
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Making Progress

11/24/2015

4 Comments

 
Slowly making progress on my head. I only mixed up a very small amount of Apoxie at a time.
The first time, I built up the upper and lower eyelids, the baggy cheeks, and added to the
nose. After that was partially set, I added the forehead, built up the nose and added to the
​cheeks. Now it needs a bit of refinement, and some sanding.
Picture
4 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Martha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes.
    Read More... 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.