Turtle + Sloth

© Melissa Gaggiano

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.

© Melissa Gaggiano

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.

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

Catalina the Photographer

Catalina the Photographer
© Melissa Gaggiano

Meet the latest art doll piece in my collection. Her name is Catalina and she could be yours. For more details visit my online store.

Tree Top Flamingos

my poppet.com.au

Here it is! My latest design-craft tutorial for My Poppet. It's got everything you would want for this time of year – flamingos, pom-poms, with a Xmassie twist. So come along, check it out here. More importantly, try it out.

Red, Blue & Glitter Too

© Melissa Gaggiano
Etsy store

No two dolls of mine are ever exactly the same. This is a perfect result for me. As a cottage industry doll designer my aim is that each doll stand alone in her/his uniqueness. And with each doll that I create I am evolving with the dolls.

My latest art doll creation makes use of a variety of craft disciplines, including: sewing, crochet, armature, painting, needle felting, clay sculpting. Her body has an endo-skeleton (armature wire) allowing poseable positioning. Her clay shoes are a new evolution in my process. The shoes are hand sculpted, decorated with glitter (sealed with a topcoat). Facial details are hand painted. The shirt decoration is a granny square pattern in miniature.

This OOAK art doll is available in store right now. Check her out!

Something for Laodicea

© Melissa Gaggiano

     One of two projects I was working on this past week is this mermaid. I have made mermaids before, usually of the big cuddly variety. This time I designed a removable fishtail for my fashion armature doll design.

    Another reason for me to be getting excited about this design is my use of needle felting to make the hair. I love this technique. It's my new thing.

    I made this doll as a response to the lovely Laodicea who kindly illustrated a caricature of me recently. You can read about the drawing here.

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

Nothing's Gonna Stop This Doll

© Melissa Gaggiano

    As I progress on my latest pose-able fashion doll I am almost a little amazed when I see it coming together. Usually when I am at the stage of creating the armature there is always a moment of 'I don't know about this'. The truth is anything can happen during the doll making process. And it is only when that final stitch is tied and cut that a doll maker can rest.

    The next stage for this doll will be wig making and designing the costume. Stay tuned…

    Since I'm bringing a doll to life it is only appropriate that I share this eighties music video by Starship [awesome]. Mucho love for Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy from the film Mannequin.

Meet Torres and Gillian

    Each doll I have developed has been a continual evolution. I am not one to keep producing the same old design, each doll I make is always going to be unique and an improvement upon the last. I have gone from large floppy, cuddly cloth dolls and over time moved more toward articulated fashion doll concepts. This year I have been playing with armature [that's what makes a doll poseable], and now with no further ado may I present two new poseable fashion dolls, in store now -

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/MelissaGaggiano

{Instagram}

My Work Is Done

© Melissa Gaggiano

    May I present to you, one finished Link doll, and one very happy kid. The awesome thing about this doll is that it has an armature skeleton, which means bendy body parts.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Little Link

© Melissa Gaggiano

    My littlest  has put in a request for a large fluffy sloth and a miniature Legend of Zelda: Link doll. I have chosen to take on the smaller of the two options. But make no mistake, when it comes to doll making, 'smaller' doesn't necessarily mean 'easier'.

    I have begun the doll with armature and wrapping. So right now the doll looks like a headless Egyptian mummy. From little things...

Evolution

Doll making by Melissa Gaggiano

    I am sharing with you a photo wall that shows the overall progress of making an armature doll. This is me taking my doll making in a whole new direction. I'm talking smaller and finer detail. It's an exciting new phase. What will I do next?