Category: Art Dolls

Original, one-of-a-kind, art dolls

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More progress on my fairy original art dolls

I’ve made some more progress on my flower baby fairies, and my Spring fairy, who may turn into a Summer fairy as time goes by. I made her a skirt today, and tried Wonder-Under for the first time to fuse fabric layers together before I cut out individual petal shapes for the skirt.

I’m going to paint the “petals” of the skirt so they will compliment the pastel green of the fabric petals around her head. I also permanently attached her wings so her stand can be inserted in the opening between her wings and her body. This way I no longer have to tape her to a stand, which will allow me to paint her. She needs a little more paperclay as well.

The painting on the babies is already under way. I will add a lighter layer of color over their onesies to give more detail. I will have to plan butterfly wings for all three. I’ve already hand quilted the wings on each one.

I have also been experimenting with mini plaques. I have mounted reproductions of my original watercolor paintings on hand painted 6 by 6 by 3/4 inch solid poplar wood. I wanted little companion pieces of art to offer with my fairy dolls and I wanted to make them so none would need a frame. These will have hangers on the back. I think all the pastel colors will look lovely together.

Making these up reminded me that I have unfinished paintings that would look great in this format. I am fishing out my reference drawings and hoping to get those projects organized. It amazes me where I find things! I often have no idea what is in those piles on my desks and tables! Lots of good ideas just waiting for me to find the time.

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Be-flowered Fairies and Babies in Progress

For these little fairy babies, I tried out Mimi Kirchner‘s directions for hidden button movable joints. They worked out great. I’ve made them jointed at their shoulders and their hips so they can sit or lie down. I’ve also weighted their bottoms to make them sit nicely.

They are made from all sorts of things, 100% cotton fabric, Creative Paperclay, and Li-Qua-Ché pourable papier mâché, not to mention fabric flower petals, pipe cleaners, carpenter’s glue, and Poly-Pellets. I hand quilted their wings and left an opening on each one for wooden stands that I plan to add later. Since they they can be posed, I thought it would be fun to

This is my Spring fairy, a little further along. She is actually a little further along than pictured here, and has been already sanded and gessoed, as have the babies. I am just a bit behind on my photographing!

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New Original One-of-a-kind Star Baby Art Doll by Elizabeth Ruffing

“Sigrid the Star Baby” is making her debut. Sigrid is a newly born star. She is jointed at her shoulders and hips so she can lie down or sit. She is made of 100% cotton which was gessoed, painted with acrylic artists’ paint, then sealed with matte varnish for protection…just like I would treat an original painting.

She has an adorable pouting baby face, with one little tear on her cheek. Please click here to visit Sigrid’s web page.

I put my picture “Moon and Star” her hang tag because it goes so nicely with her turquoise and gold onesie.

Prints of “Moon and Star” can be found on our web site, in my Etsy shop, and on Ebay.

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Spring Fairy Art Doll in Progress

I am getting my hands dirty now…

First, I thought Plastic Wood would be a good modeling compound to use on my doll, just for a change, and it might have been. Unfortunately, I had no recollection of its ability to bond with, well…me. After much grumbling over my encrusted palms and fingers, I finally got it off with nail polish remover, the kind with acetone in it, which stung a bit. I was quite relieved just the same. At least I didn’t bond one hand to the other!

I also relieved myself of the Plastic Wood, which is now in the trash. No offense to DAP…I’m sure it’s great if you mind the warnings not to get it on your skin. Mea culpa.

So, I am back to Creative Paperclay, which cleans up nicely with water. I also used some carpenters’ wood glue (Titebond Original Wood Glue, which also cleans up with water) to attach these big green flower petals to the head of my fairy art doll, and then made a cap and stem from the Paperclay. Her be-petaled head reminds me, for some reason, of those funny flowered bathing caps my grandmother used to wear to keep her hair dry while swimming. She and her best friend Lottie used to have a humorous assortment of them. I can still see them, perched on the edge of the pool, cooling their feet in the water, tucking their hair carefully away, talking whispering talking talking whispering…