Tag: art-dolls

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Emily, handmade original one-of-a-kind folk art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sThis is my one-of-a-kind original folk art doll, Emily, named after the famous poet Emily Dickinson.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sEmily was inspired by the charming Izannah Walker dolls of the 1800’s.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sI designed both her body pattern and her dress pattern myself, and then carefully sewed each in 100% cotton fabric.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sEmily’s fingers are hand quilted and lightly wired to give them a gentle curl, and her arms bend slightly at the elbows.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sHer arms bend at her shoulders, and her legs bend at her hips and knees. Emily’s bottom is weighted with Poly-Pellets so she can sit nicely. (Chair not included.)

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sI made Emily’s antique reproduction Jumeau face using papier mâché.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sHer hand-sculpted ringlets on either side of her head are hand sculpted from paperclay.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sEmily was painted with gesso, and then detailed with acrylic paint. Her blue eyes are hand painted.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sHer shoes are painted on as well, with tiny buttons up their sides.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sI made Emily’s dress from a tan calico quilter’s cotton. It is dotted with little burgundy and navy blue flowers.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sEmily’s sash dips to a “V” shape in the front, and it holds in all the fabric gathers at her yoke. Her sash ties in the back to make a pretty bow.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sI sewed two pin tucks at the bottom of her dress and added a big three inch hem to make the skirt stand out nicely. All the seams are carefully finished.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sHer antique-style undergarments are carefully detailed with painted-on lace, pink buttons and a bow.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sEmily is approximately 15 inches tall. She is sealed with matte varnish for protection.

Emily handmade original one-of-a-kind art doll by Elizabeth Ruffing, Ruffing'sMany hours went into making Emily. She is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Emily is meant for display only.

Emily is signed and dated. She comes with a hang tag, a certificate of authenticity, and a copy of her story.

Update: Emily has been adopted. Thank you!

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Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyEvery morning, Belinda bundles up her little baby boy, and takes him for a walk through the neighborhood. With the greatest pride, she shows him to her neighbors. She politely, and with much sincerity, asks for their opinions.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey“Is he not the most beautiful baby you have ever seen? Is he not more beautiful than the moon and all the stars in the heavens?” Belinda asks.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey“Surely he is,” they reply, and they nod and smile in agreement.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey“Does he not have the brightest little eyes and the cutest little whiskers?” she asks.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey”Oh yes indeed, Belinda,” they reply.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey“Does he not have the prettiest little pink nose?” she wants to know.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey“Beyond any doubt at all,” they answer.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyBoBo loves his morning walks. He basks in the sunshine, and in the compliments. If you look carefully, you might see his tiny smile. If you listen quietly, you might hear him purring.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyBelinda is a tabby and white cat, as is her kitten BoBo. They have yellow eyes with a touch of green. Belinda’s old-fashioned dress is soft yellow with a pattern of pale blue flowers. The blue collar and cuffs with lace edging, match her blue apron, which ties in a big bow at the back. Her white petticoats swirl in a pattern beneath the bottom of her skirt.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max Bailey

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyBoBo is tucked into a sage green blanket decorated with the moon and stars. Only his head and one little white paw are showing.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyI hand sculpted Belinda and BoBo from paperclay, and used stiffened cotton thread for their whiskers. They are original one-of-a-kind works of art, meant for display only. No molds are ever used in my work. They are completely hand painted with acrylic paints, then signed and dated with matte varnish for protection and preservation.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyBelinda rests firmly on a turned wooden base, with a rustic wood grain, which has been sealed in golden oak. She stands 9 1/2 inches tall.

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyUpdate: Belinda and BoBo have already been adopted. Thank you!

Belinda and BoBo, Original One-of-a-kind Folk Art Tabby Cat and Kitten Doll Figurine by Max BaileyBobo’s older sibling, Crybaby (above left) has also been adopted.

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Plodding along/hopping along?

My repair job is done, my next doll face it painted, and I have a few “Rabbit Dances” cards to finish up. I still have more bunny and snow scene cards in my shop. Thanks for all the compliments on them 🙂

I am also refining a new doll pattern done in machine appliqué style like “Lovely Lucy“. There are three variations so far and I think they are going to be really cute. I can’t wait to get the first ones together. I hope they come off without needing too many, no, any adjustments to their patterns. I’ll give you one hint: they are of the animal variety. The possibilities are multiplying in my mind right now…

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Doll Surgery

I hope everyone is having a pleasant holiday weekend. I sneaked a little work time in yesterday and started on some doll surgery. I am glad to say the crack turned out to be a surface wound and not something deeper. I removed the papier mâché and the paperclay in the neck area using a battery-operated manicure gizmo, er, um…”power file” I found at Target. I got it as a cheapo alternative to a Dremel kit, which I still hope to have one day. It works just fine at chipping off the above aforementioned materials.

Once I got down to the fabric of the neck area, I sanded it smooth. I then reinforced it with acrylic molding paste, which is somewhat flexible, as opposed to the papier mâché and the paperclay, which are strong, but not flexible. I even repeated the procedure on a second doll-in-progress, just as a precaution. The dolls are still not meant to be poked, prodded, or picked at, but I’m hoping this will make the area where their cloth necks meet their papier mâché and paperclay heads a little more resilient under accidental pressure.

I also decided that my repaired doll is going to be given away and not sold. I know just the ninety-two year old doll-lover with whom she will be going to stay. In light of the fact that both my doll and my grandmother have suffered recent injuries, and that they are both, thankfully, on the mend, I think they will make a good match. I hope they will bring each other some good cheer.