Melissa Gaggiano – Artist~Designer~Writer: January 2019

Friday, 25 January 2019

A Fashionable Sloth

This week has been topsy turvy. I have been busy, exhilarated, a bit broken, resting, contemplative, patient, and figuring things out. Isn't this normal, for all of us really?

My fashionably attired, felt crafted, armature sloth doll is available in my Big Cartel store. She is a worthy addition to your doll collection.

I have been in development mode.

Developing what?

Developing stuff. Some of which you'll have to wait and see, but other things I can tell you about now. For instance I am having a go at needle felting a huuuuuuuuu-ge doll. It's a new direction for me. So I've got to be patient and not worry about the result.

I ordered felting wool from Highland Felting & Fibre Supplies. I'm so excited about working with these wonderful colours. Some of which will go toward making the above mentioned doll.

My youngest has been inspired by what I do. This week she has crafted a Sailor Moon mask, a hot dog, and an Easter egg. How neat is that?

Sunday, 20 January 2019

Bonus: 10 Min Drawing + Weird Wonders

{My Poppet link}

Welcome to the Bonus blog update. Some things dropped into my 'get excited' box, and I really couldn't wait till next Friday to mention them. So let's get to it, shall we?

A while back I created and wrote about a Drawing Project, which you can at last read about, over at My Poppet.

Previously, my youngest made some weird wonders, which I took the liberty of photographing for posterity. I enjoy watching her sewing development.

Friday, 18 January 2019

Looking for Meaning in a Button Box

It has been a week of lost contemplation. I'm between projects. Figuratively speaking of kicking the tires and making sure I'm on the right track for 2019.

While I am double checking my course path, the week has not been without it's creative bursts.

I produced a short photographic essay on my tog blog.

I enabled the kids in their making. The eldest has been crafting paper decorations for her birthday. The youngest made a fluffy dog toy, and for the first time she had a go at using the sewing machine.

I had a little drawing spark, and came up with this doll concept. No matter how much paper I have I always run out of room for the legs. I end up drawing my doll figures with bent knees.

Friday, 11 January 2019

Turtle + Other Good Stuff

In the week that has been I have finished making a sweet, fabric sculpted turtle. The turtle is 34cm tall and has a wire armature frame (being a poser is no longer a dirty word). The turtle is available for AUD $250.

I participated in a #drawinyourownstyle activity, playing along with Illustrator, Mel Stringer's Challenge. Aptly hashtagged as #melstringerdrawchallenge. I had a lot of fun recreating Mel's illustration in my own way.

To recap the week just gone, I have entered my 2018 Sloth Project in Frankie Good Stuff Awards. Simply entering into these awards is a pat on my own back. It's a reward to myself and therefore worth mentioning, again. To find out more about the sloths, go here.

For those interested in making a smaller version of these sloths, there is a tutorial available on Etsy. To buy it simply go here.

Friday, 4 January 2019

Turtle + Sloth

After a couple of weeks of enforced rest, I feel ready and charged to focus on 2019 work. I have begun with the sculpting of a spectacled turtle.

The turtle has not given them self a name... yet. I can tell you that the turtle is made of felt, is being sculpted one section at a time, and began with a basic wire structure. As you can see from the below images, the feet and arms are complete. My next challenge is the neck, head and face.

In other news I have entered my 2018 Sloth collection into the Frankie Good Stuff Awards.

Designing and creating these sloths was a ground breaking project for me. I was applying what I could already do, trying new ideas, and creating a set that told a visual story. I was so happy bringing my passion for doll making, illustration and photography together.

Read this, to learn more about the Sloth collection.

Pages