Skip to main content

Closer to Christmas.

To state the obvious, Christmas is closer than you think! Each day, the diary and the "to do" list must be consulted to make sure we don't miss a Christmas party, a Rotary event, a grandchild's school presentation or concert,  a family gathering and all the "jobs" which  need to be done before Christmas.
However, this last week, I have been making dolls. I would love to show you the photo of the art doll I finished during the week  for the Doll Holiday Ball Swap, but I would like my swap partner, Deirdra  to see it before I post it here.  I have also made dolls to be donated to a local charity, Centacare. Each Year, Hello Dollies members make and donate dolls to Centacare to be given as gifts at Christmas. I made a few sock dolls, and little hand stitched felt dolls tucked into a sock ( photo above). The other sock is inside the toe, so the gift is a little doll and a pair of new socks! The original pattern for the felt dolls, Pocket Petunias  by Simone Gooding, had these dolls in a knitted pocket, but I thought this sock idea was a neat little arrangement?

This Christmas ornament (above) is inspired by a Sherry Goshon internet pattern Lil Christmas Ornament . I made quite a few modifications. I used larger polystyrene eggs rather than papier mache, and made polymer clay heads, and instead of  fabric wrapped around the shape, I used one layer of a paper serviette and gel medium to apply it. I have many polystrene shapes prepared, just waiting for heads ... I'll make those tomorrow  from polymer clay as it will be the second in the Crafternoon Tea Series - Clay Play.  We'll play with PMC (Precious Metal Clay -  Silver) and polymer clay .
Next Saturday is my annual Handmade Treasures Christmas Sale. This year, profits will be donated to Jenny's Place , Children's and Women's Refuge and Domesitc Violence Resource Centre. Already, some wonderful handmade treasures are materialising ready for the sale. Hope you wil come along and not only enjoy stress free Christmas shopping and support local "hand made" artists, but also help alleviate the dreadful impact of domestic violence in our community.
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 27, 2010 at 7:52 PM

    love your version of Sherry Goshan's Christmas Ornament. Good on you raising money for such a worthy Charity. Love those sock babies!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Too Precious to Waste

 Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons  More than a year ago, a decision was made.  The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2]  A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that
Post a Comment
Read more

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str
3 comments
Read more

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons   The work for the "Stitched Up " Project  continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood  Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours.  Trimmed and cut if necessary  Ends sealed with matte sealing solution.  Drying  - solution goes on white but dries clear.  First wrapping - foil to create a body shape  Second wrapping - stretch fabric.  Third wrapping - fabric strips  Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to come.  Follow thi
Post a Comment
Read more