Cage Doll Challenge

I knew very little about Santos Cage Dolls when my doll making group set us a challenge of creating our own interpretation of a cage doll. The image below which I found on Pinterest is a lovely illustration of these historical figures.

Image : http://pinterest.com/pin/277112183292720280/ from the board, Santos Love

Here is more information from http://www.santoscagedoll.com/pages/history-of-santos-dolls...“The Santos dolls take their name from the Spanish word for Saint, and are also known as Santons (French) and Santibelli (Italian)…Originally, Santos were used as in- home altars especially in small villages which did not have a priest, as well as for when it was not possible to travel to church, such as during times of war. Their development flourished in Europe in the 1700's and 1800's, primarily due to these wars. European Santos dolls were also brought to the Latin Americas during the Colonial age of Spain's settling of the New World. The dolls were used to aid in the conversion of the Native Americans and Central American Indians to Catholicism. Many of these original dolls, along with the art that inspired them, were destroyed while trying to settle the West. Therefore, antiques in good shape are rare and very expensive. It is not uncommon to see an antique Santos bring 4 and 5 digit figures. In more recent years, fine and folk art has emerged to replace these dolls. Santos dolls are designed and created by "Santeros" or "Santonniers" (loosely 'saint maker'). As the art form has progressed, the Santos has become recognized as a true artistic doll. Some dolls are rustic carvings, while others have magnificent details. Santos, particularly the females, exhibit a most loving expression that is also complex and thoughtful. Their shape is often rustic in nature, yet with delicate details. They are sometimes painted in rich colors with detailed eyes …Some dolls are basic and rustic, and others are refined and dainty. Each doll shares the same beauty.”

My doll is tiny (only 20cm /8 inches high) and was a great challenge for a number of reasons. I don’t usually make dolls in a rustic style, and I don’t usually work with wood. I also used for the first time, Apoxie Sculpt to try to create a more rustic, carved look to the head and body of the doll. Apoxie Sculpt is a two part compound which combines the sculpting qualities of clay and the self hardening quailty of epoxy - I think I will definitely use this product again. The main problem I had was with the wood... I experienced some trouble hand drilling the very small and thin pieces of wood , but in the end I was pleased with my efforts at trying something out of my comfort zone. A coat of acrylic paint, a face and hair paint job, and a wash of brown antiquing gave me the look of a relic I was aiming for.

Many of the Santos cage dolls wear crowns, so I devised a crown from a silver plated ring blank, and a bead cap which I opened out by snipping it and spreading it to cover the front of the ring. A little piece of tatting seemed to work well at the painted neckline and I made a mini "PEACE" banner from linen and lace as the finishing touch to my Santos Cage Doll. She may be small and rough, but with an air of serenity, she gave me a lot of satisfaction in the creation.

Update : Here is a link to photos of all the dolls in the Santos Cage Doll Challenge http://agbhellodollies.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/june-hello-dollies.html

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 w...

Lilly Pilly

Today is Australia Day. I chose a photo of some Lilly Pilly berries as a celebratory image for this national day. Lilly Pilly is a common name for a plant, Syzygium smithii which grows mostly in Eastern Australia, from the northern rain forests of Queensland, throughout NSW to the southern Wilson's Promontory in Victoria. In New Zealand it is called "monkey apple, but other names used in Australia, besides lilly pilly, are Eungella Gum and Coast Satinash. The largest Lilly Pilly recorded was found in Dingo Creek Flora Reserve, near Tenterfield where I once lived. The tree now growing in my garden was once a small seedling which I was gifted when I left Woolgoolga, a small coastal town in northern NSW. Its name is said to come from the Aboriginal word 'weelgoolga' describing the lilly pilly which grows in profusion there. It is probably no surprise that the lilly pilly berries are edible as bush tucker, and make a beautiful jam or jelly. I have even seen re...

Fabric Tags for Tag Tuesday

At Tag Tuesday, this fortnight Sandie is hosting the Steampunk/Mechanical challenge. Although this isn't a theme I usually tackle, Sandie's tags are so fantastic and inspirational that I was motivated to create a tag this afternoon. I had some fabrics on my desk which I discharge dyed last week.and this piece with the addition of a few copper cogs reminded me of " industrial and mechanical" . The way the background fabric was created was by applying bleach gel with a roller over the top of a plastic stencil. The fabric was originally a bluish dark grey cotton, When the bleach had removed the colour, the process was halted with a commercial neutralizing solution called AntiChlor. I have been told that a vinegar solution will also stop the discharge of colour and act as a neutraliser. The metal cogs were stitched on to the fabric by hand. Here are a couple of great resource sites for discharging colour with bleach. - Threads ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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