Birthday Commission

At last, I can come out with interesting news that I've been sitting on for months, like a good goose.

I received an illustration commission to  create a series of framed place setters for an elegant Fortieth Birthday dinner party.

Each illustration was an amusing representation of the hosts and guests. The images incorporated aspects of their careers, and/or personal interests.

I am told the guests were delighted with the illustrations, and wandered around the dinner table taking in the different framed illustrations. It certainly became a talking piece for them

Ring Bling + Gift Ideas + BJD WIP

This week I've got some crafty updates for you. Two of my craft content pieces went live over at  and. 

My Poppet

First up, My Poppet has you bling craftsters covered with a Glow in the Dark ring tutorial.

Kidspot

Over at Kidspot you will also find a 'no sew' way of making a fabric gift bag. Hint: It's a Teacher's Gift inspired project.

This week has seen incremental progress with my BJD project. Onto blue print number 9, and a second head and body. The elusive limbs are my next focus.

BJD Journey – Let it Begin

© Melissa Gaggiano

In my twenties I had this idea, of wanting to make modern china dolls. I hardly knew where to begin, and the internet as an educational platform was an infant. I didn't even know about blogs back then. So my notion of making a sculpted doll was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Two decades on, the internet has grown into a platform for learning, making it easier for introverts to study and practice skills that might otherwise never be realised. 

For the past ten years I have been drawing up and making cloth dolls. I would also sketch ideas for BJDs (ball jointed dolls). And although I took strides in learning to make articulated cloth dolls, I hesitated at the precipice of clay sculpted dolls. Until now. 

My kids will cheer me on: You do your best to encourage kids to try stuff and not give up. Then one day, when you're at your lowest, there they are spurting back to you all the encouraging things you've been teaching them. Not long ago one of my kids said to me, 'You've been talking about wanting to make a BJD for years. So just 'do it'!

So here I am, beginning a new, slow journey up a whole new mountain of doll making. What will I find at the top, I wonder.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Postop Halloween

Happy Halloween!

I'm tired! You're tired! Everyone is freakin' tired.

Postop Halloween: The kids have filled their pumpkins buckets with a modest amount of candy. The streets were lined with scary things. It was a hot day, but I was a smart skeleton, and carried a water bottle to keep the family hydrated. One of the Trick or Treat households were real kind, and offered icy poles and cups of water, in addition to the candy bowl, for anyone on the Halloween march.

This year for Halloween I made a skeleton costume and a dragon cowl. Also, I altered an old Miraculous Ladybug one piece costume, which by now was actually strangling my kid since she'd grown that much.

We'll get a few extra years out of the Ladybug costume as I have cut it up into separate parts, and it became a steampunk inspired Miraculous Ladybug. How awesome is that!?

Concept: Steampunk Miraculous Ladybug