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.
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.
The unveiling of my latest BJD concept. A nod to the Snow White fairy tale this doll is wearing a crystalline outfit made of emeralds and sapphires. I call her Snowdrop. The concept is a little ballet and a little burlesque. In fact I could picture Dita Von Teese wearing a stage costume like this.
Here are some cool Fab Finds for the week… or month. There's a carry over of the craft theme from my previous Fab Finds. So let's take a look at the round up. 1. I am loving these hand knitted scarfs by Californian textile artist, Twinkie Chan. She designs and handcrafts these tasty treaty scarfs that will not only keep you warm, but will also give you an appetite for the real thing.
2. I am fascinated by ball jointed dolls and how they are made. There is a lot of fine detail sculpting that go into the making of these dolls. And the mind boggles at the anatomy. I came across this 20 minute Youtube video, by doll sculptor Apryl Jensen, detailing how to sculpt the torso of a BJD.
3. I found this sweet video for making an ombre hair effect. Seriously it is one of the sweetest video, as the narrator has a gentle and kind voice, as she explains her hair dye process on doll wig hair. Check out more videos like this one at Nicolle's Dreams. 4. And because not everything is about crafting and I'm up for a laugh, I decided to share this video by… I don't know her name, but she sure was funny, and I enjoyed the direction. Sooooo… check it out - Community Channel. Postscript: This wonderful host is Natalie Tran.
