Frédéric Clément: botanique circus ; la mirobolante histoire du géant aux feuilles de chou
Terry Taylor: Artful Storybook: Mixed-Media Artists Create Handmade Tales
Robert Burleigh: Seurat and La Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots
Frédéric Clément: Magasin zinzin, pour fêtes et anniversaires : Aux merveilles d'Alys
Catherine Moore: The Art Doll Chronicles: A Collaborative Journey of Discovery
Whitney Chadwick: American Dreamer: The Art of Philip C. Curtis
The call was answered and a lovely group of mermaids joined me for a mermaid tea party on Thursday. It was great to meet more of the local artisans and a couple of lovely ladies from Michigan also joined us. I have a couple of kits left and if you would like one, e-mail me CharacterConstructions@gmail.com and I will invoice you via PayPal. The kits are $30 plus shipping and include typed instructions and everything you need, except for basic tools such as scissors, glue, tape, etc.
The last eight days in D.C. were inspirational! I came home brimming with ideas, and eager to return to my ledger paper dolls. I collaged ledger paper on the fronts and backs of Mother Bird (Theater of Dreams Plate 1) with matte medium. Mother Bird was stamped on buff colored card stock with Tsukineko Memento ink. This ink is dye based and will not smudge. Not only does the ledger reinforce the paper, but the medium adds an additional layer of protection. Once the initial stamping and collage are done, you can do pretty much anything. I have two on the work table today and I can't wait to start embellishing.
Since I have been teaching locally, I have rapidly acquired a lot of new paper. When I am putting a new project together, I find myself searching locally and via the internet for just the right paper for color and texture. This takes way too much time, a lot of space, and can get pricey. My stash of paper was already quite nice, but when you need enough paper for 20+ kits, you need more than just a single 6 x 6" pad.
Over the years, I have collected ledgers, antique books, and other ephemera, so what I have opted to do is to use fragments of store bought papers along with ledgers, book pages, hand-crafted papers, etc. Over the last couple of days I have been experimenting with a ledger book paper doll. I worked with stamps from my line of stamps Character Constructions, Mother Bird from the Theater of Dreams collection and legs from Bird & Bee Paperie, coupled with three dies (Memory Box stitched hearts, a Sizzix doily, and a generic bow die found on Amazon). I love that I can take something store bought and combine it with ephemera to create something that is unique and personal. Along with the ledgers, I incorporated some seam binding, shredded and stained to add some dimension and texture. The possibilities are endless!
A few words about Mother Bird. This stamp is from the Theater of Dreams collection, which I illustrated back in 2003. It was only my second collection of illustrations and back in those days, all the stamps had names. My son Ian named her Mother Bird. She holds a special place in my heart. And, finding myself finally with the time to "play" with these art tools created so many years ago, she takes me back to my roots, my sense of place and who I was at that time. The nest is empty now, but I will always have those memories to keep me warm.
You are cordially invited to attend a Mermaid Tea & Paper Doll Class.
Date: Thursday, August 2nd 10AM - Noon
Place: 1572-18 McGregor Blvd, Ft. Myers, FL
RSVP: Class is Full
NOTE: For those of you who will not be attending the class, I am always happy to share my written instructions. And, I occasionally have an extra kit or two. Please contact me directly (not the shop) if you would like to purchase one of my class kits: CharacterConstructions@gmail.com
All stamps used are Character Constructions She Sells Seashells for the mermaids and the ship is from the Cirque collection.
Just finished my project board. I think I enjoy putting these together as much as the class project.
See you soon!
Samples ready for class, kits completed, name tags finished. See you all on Thursday!
Putting together a new Spring paper doll class, details to follow!
I have been having so much fun getting to know all the lovely and talented ladies in my new neighborhood. And I am so grateful for the great support my classes have received. We had another full house. Thank you Hillary and AJ's for making this possible. I was so busy during the Valentine class that I forgot to take a few pics. So, here's a couple of pics of all the ladies who attended my Celebrate Spring paper doll class. Susan P. from Texas joined us and we hope she will be back for future classes too!
Thank you for joining us all the way from Texas Susan! Check out all the incredible dies at AJ's, and they have an expansive selection of Character Constructions art stamps too. Don't see what you need, then just let Hillary know. I am just across the street and will have it to you post haste.
Cathy and Anne Gulf Harbour neighborhood friends, and Diane K.
The fabulous Hillary!
The class is full, see you on Thursday, March 8th, 2018 10 - Noon
I will have a couple of extra kits, let me know if interested!
The kits are made, the name tags are ready to go, and all that is left is for me to join you all on Thursday!
I had so much fun putting this project together. During the Valentine paper doll social, there were so many comments about the Spring Bunny stamp (Bird & Bee Paperie No. 5) that I wanted to include it in the upcoming class. But to keep things interesting, I used the bunny with the dress bodice and arms from Adventures in Tea No. 9 and the bird cage from Queen of Tarts No. 12 the large bird cage. I carved out an opening in the base of the cage to create a shadow box. Trimmings were the carrot, also from Bird & Bee Paperie No. 5, and the basket and lamb are from Blue Daisy No. 3.
There are 32 elements in this project.
This little rabbit is an extra that I included on Timekeeper's Garden No. 4.
These Flower Fairy die cut silhouettes are from my Studio Assistant custom die collection. The dies will make these sweet little silhouettes or you can use the dies to cut out the stamped image Timekeeper's Garden No. 6. These were our Springy name tags.
It may not feel like Spring yet (unless you live where I live), but one of my new snowbird friends asked me to please do a Spring class before she leaves on the 11th of March and I happily agreed.
Celebrate Spring, a shadow box paper doll class
DATE: Thursday, March 8th, 2018
TIME: 10 AM - Noon
PLACE: AJ Scrapbook Essentials, 17271-18 McGregor Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33908
RSVP: Please call Hillary at 239-489-0008 to reserve your place
I look forward to seeing you there!
Please bring a permanent glue stick and scissors to class.
We will be making a shadowbox style paper doll that you can hang up, or place on a wreath, card or whatever else you think might be fun. Stamps used: The rabbit & carrot is Bird & Bee Paperie No. 5, the arms and the blouse (top of dress) Adventures in Tea No. 9, large cage Queen of Tarts No. 12, and the basket is Blue Daisy No. 3. I cut out a section of the cage and attached a small box lid on the back of the cage to create the shadowbox.
Last week during my class at AJ's, I had the opportunity to meet all the lovely ladies who have been getting their Character Constructions fix at The Owl & The Pussycat. I am so grateful to shop owner Regina Strang for bringing my stamps to Fort Myers and for keeping them in her delightful shop and gallery for the last fifteen years. We were very sad to see Regina and O & P leave the area, but excited for her as she embarks on her next adventure! I am also very grateful to Hillary at AJ's for making me feel so very welcome here in my new home town and in the shop where I plan to keep everyone interested in the art of paper dolls going forward!
Today, I finished the final touches on my Valentine paper doll offerings. I have not had this much fun in a very long time. My fingers are ink stained and my studio floor has been littered with bits of paper for weeks now. The paper poupettes have been placed in little treat bags and beribboned in preparation for mailing tomorrow. Usually at this time of year I am busy with all the administrative tasks that accompany the introduction of a new collection. This year is a little different in that I had so many interruptions during my design work that I pretty much decided that I needed to put it aside for a while. After fifteen years, a break was long overdue. Hopefully, I will get back to my "celebrations" collection in the coming months but in the meantime, I am enjoying some quality time with my Character Constructions!
Ciao for now!
My February 1st class is full, but I will be doing others in the future at AJ's so check back. I created one more doll last night using the Mannequin Cafe No. 3 bodice. This is the same bodice and arms that I used for all the Valentine paper dolls. I also used the smaller face from Bird & Bee Paperie No. 1 (same as the apron). To the mannequin bodice, I added the crinoline die cut from Paris Flea. With just a few basic elements you can create so many different looks. I used the Paris Flea eyeglass die cuts on two of the dolls. It's pretty remarkable how much of an affect this can have on the overall appearance of the face.
Bird & Bee Paperie Plate No. 15 features three unique "faces." After using the birdhouse version for my upcoming Paper Doll Social & Class (substituting the birdhouse with a party hat), I decided to challenge myself to create some less conventional Valentines with this stamp. I wanted to make a unique Florida Girl style paper doll with version three the sunny face. And changed up the legs, incorporating Adventures in Tea Plate No. 4 legs. These legs can be arranged in multiple positions to create a unique look!
I will be teaching a Valentine-themed Paper Doll Class at AJ's Scrapbook Essentials, 15271-18 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33908, 239-489-0008, February 1st at 10:00 AM. Please call to reserve your space. Looking forward to seeing you there!
One of my new year's resolutions is to have more fun! So, please join me for a Valentine-themed paper doll class & social in our little neighborhood paper arts shop, AJ's, on February 1st. Please RSVP 239-489-008 to save your space & bring your basic tool kit!
What better way to begin a new year than a visit to The Dali? So much of what I do as an artist involves a sense of whimsy and fun, and nothing is more detrimental to that process than administrative tasks which eat up time and energy. Character Constructions is now nearly a full 17-years-old, with February being the start of year 18. As I move forward into 2018, I vow to nurture that spirit and spend less time at my desk.
The Dali museum captures perfectly for me the playfulness that I love, and the Dali & Schiaparelli exhibit, was a collaboration that tickled my imagination. The curators of this exhibit created this magical hall of mirrors, each wall imprinted with quotations attributed to Elsa Schiaparelli.
The quotation above made me think about my own ideas. Ideas come to me when I find myself daydreaming and nurturing my inner child. I have not lost that feeling of fun that I had as a child. This exhibit was a perfect example, because I came home brimming with energy and percolating ideas for illustrations and projects.
I absolutely adore this dress with hand painted porcelain elements woven into the bodice, and if you look closely you will also see a tiny little teacup. What could be more fun?
Another bit of magic from the master himself.
I discovered that "Shocking Pink" is a color named so by Elsa Schiaparelli, as if lobster dresses and shoe hats were not shocking enough!
Ciao for now friends . . . make time for your inner child.
X o X o
art doll by Pat Rogerson
The new Character Constructions 2018 planner will be available this week, and is brimming with ideas and inspiration.
Paper doll by Barbara Smith working with art stamps from the Blue Daisy collection.
Mother Nature dealt Southwest Florida a difficult hand this past week. We were more fortunate than most. My husband and I are exhausted and still more than a little shaken up, but we weathered the storm and are now working toward reestablishing equilibrium. For many, the single night of terror will be followed by a year or more of recovery, and as a survivor of Hurricane Andrew I can say from experience that the recovery can and will kill you. Keep Florida in your hearts and prayers for the long run.
Character Constructions is up and running and USPS is delivering and picking up mail.
