Doktor Pfeffer Makes Something Monsterous

Deep in the bowels of his hidden bunker, underneath the brick and steel of a nondescript building, Doktor Pfeffer is making something truly monstrous. Until now, his carefully guarded research -- the formula to create life -- was only a theory. Now, the culmination of his life's work is coming together, at long, long last.

Features emerge.

Doktor Pfeffer observes his work and decides it's time for a body.

First he constructs a skeleton.

Then, through careful grafting, he adds the Sculpey skin.

Ahh, yes, coming together, now to bake this creature and bring him to life...

Beezle in the Boneyard

These are my adorable and much missed nieces: Hollyn & Lexie. Hollyn put in an order for a skelly beezle a few months ago and I promised her she'd have one in time for Halloween. Good thing I gave her a deadline.

This doll is sculpted from polymer clay and paper clay. The head is made from Super Sculpey, the body is paper clay over foil wrapped stryrofoam, the legs are paper clay over wooden dowels. I like this method because I can build a body around an already-baked head and let the body air dry. The paper clay is great, but for the heads where I put most of the detail, there's no substitute for Super Sculpey. The porous bone texture on the skull was achieved by gently pouncing a foam brush into the clay before baking.

This piece represents two new techniques: the fabric collar and anklets antiqued with a spray of walnut dye and the use of ground green foam mosses on the base. That mossy stuff is awesome and better yet, I didn't even have to buy it.

I found it in a long forgotten box of Mark's old train stuff in our attic. Jackpot. About three dozen baggies of the stuff in gorgeous landscape colors, course to finely ground. I saw Mark eyeballing those baggies with interest. I have since buried them where only I can find them. In the boneyard.

In honor of Talk like a Pirate Day

As seen in the Fall issue of Art Doll Quarterly.

This Pirate is one of six Beezles featured, many thanks to Jenny Doh and Jana Holstein at ADQ.

Looooong overdue post: Random Arts

Debbi and I had a blast at Random Arts. Debbi taught Good Girls dolls:

We met lots of awesome women:

That's me with Constance Vahoulis.

Debbi and Jane with some Good Girls.

This was the yearly bee I give Debbi for her birthday.

Royal Skelly Arrives & other news

Look what washed ashore!

It's the Queen of Skelly Island, the Under the Sea swap lovely I got from my swap partner Marie Patterson. Ain't she a beaut? Be sure to go to Marie's blog and check out her Etsy shop too. I got an added bonus of one of her darling Spooky Spinners! Marie was a great swap partner and I am so glad that Zan matched us up! Zan, she's like eHarmony for art dollers. The Queen is now displayed in a place of honor on my Halloween shelf. Thanks, Marie!

And while we're on the subject of wonderful artsy stuff that arrives in my mailbox (if anyone else wants to send me presents, just email me for my physical address) I threatened Debbi and she sent me my very own Good Girl doll. Debbi will be teaching a Good Girl workshop this weekend at Random Arts I'll be too busy talking and eating Almond Macaroons and getting ready for my workshop to make one this Saturday, so good thing she sent me this one, huh?

All the Good Girl Dolls that Debbi makes have a little blurb under their skirts. Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not what you think. See, it's the bookbinder in Debbi that drives her to it. As she has said: "All good books have words." It only follows that all Good Girls should too.

And finally, to round out this mish mash post, here are couple little guys I made recently. A departure from my usual. I just went into my studio and started playing with clay and this is what came out. The Mouse Prince is about an inch and a half tall and the Bunny with the banner is about three inches tall. I'm diggin the little ruffled collars. I've seen Flora do them on her Wumbles with crepe paper and had to outfit a couple of my tinies, too. The mouse's is made from copper wire mesh and the other is wired ribbon.

Maniacs at Random Arts

Consider yourselves warned.

June 13th, Saturday
Random Arts
Saluda, NC

Two mini Mixed Maniac workshops!
And a book signing!
And wine while we sign!*

From 10am - noon Debbi Crane, my illustrious co-author, will be leading a larger scale version of the popular project she taught at MIU this year: a "Good Girl" fabric doll. She just sent me one and it is adorable. All materials supplied for just $25! How's that for a stimulus package?

From 1pm - 3pm I will be teaching how to sculpt a character of your own making from polymer clay, a la my Beezle in the Box . Yours might be a bat or an elf or a chicken. It's all good and it's all up to you. Again, you only need to bring your creativity and $25. If you'd like a discount, and who the heck wouldn't, $45 buys you a seat in both classes.

Debbi and I will both have works for sale available throughout the day, including some of the original works featured in our book, Mixed Mania.

Book signing and wining (but no whining) from 3pm - 5pm. What? It's the weekend. Drinking hours don't apply.

Call Random Jane to register for the workshops: 828-749-1165 or email her at randomarts [at] charter [dot] net

Class space is booking up fast, book signing is open to everyone including paparazzi. Hope to see you there.

*There may also be some almond macaroons too, as is the tradition.

Peter-Peter Trick-R-Treater

Cooky is organizing a fundraiser for her library in Massachusetts and asked if I could send a Beezle to be auctioned off for the cause.  This is Peter-Peter.  (Hey Flora - thanks for the collar inspiration!)

He's about 9" tall including the base.  Made of polymer clay, paper clay, wire, fabric and wood finished with acrylic paint and chalk pastels.  The collar is made from 2' wide wire ribbon.

The little beanie on his head cracks me up because the boys had hand knit caps like that when they were babies, see?  

Here were are in Cooky & Larry's back yard a million years ago with Hannah and Katie and Lily.  The punkin hats have come full circle.  Yes, I still have them, packed away with the dino suits.