Self Portrait Challenge Doll

"Interior View" (c) Penney Hughes 2014

This doll is my entry into the Dollstreet Dreamers self portrait challenge.  I have called it Interior View.  She not meant to look like me but instead represent a concept.  The first photo of the doll is closer to how I imagined she would look like.  She is intended to be a sort of inner self guardian angel contemplating layers that have been stripped away.  The exterior layers layers that have been stripped away are composed of fabrics I have designed.
The doll was a challenge to make.  She has a wire skeleton lightly wrapped with stuffing.  I have then wrapped Christmas tree lights around this base.  The cord exits the body in the lower back.  Next I added stuffing which I needle sculpted into shape.  She was then 'skinned' with lightweight knit jersey.  Her hair is wool roving and wings made of layered tissue paper.  I would love to make another doll that lights up but with LED lighting and a battery pack.
She was also a challenge to photograph since she is so dark and also requires darkness to see her lights properly.  I have included several versions to highlight features.

"Interior View" fully lit

"Interior View" lit up with outside lighting as well





"Interior View" in a well lit room with flash

Close up of "Interior View"

Mail Art Affirmations

My little one at home has been particularly restful today, so I decided, last minute to enter the Cloth Paper Scissors reader challenge called 'Pass it On: Mail Art Affirmations.' You can go here to view the entry guidelines. Basically you create a multimedia 4x6in postcard with an affirming art-related quote. You mail that postcard to CPS magazine and then they swap it out for you with a postcard from another reader. My quote was inspired my something my minister said on Sunday and then rephrased in my own words. I was also thinking about all of the broken limbs on the trees in my area of the world because of our recent record snowfall. There will need to be some creative pruning if many of these trees are to survive.
My postcard back is watercolor paper that I painted, I then added crumpled tissue paper and lightly couched on many threads, fibers and strips of fabric to make up the tree body. The lettering is done in archival pen and gel pen.

Finished Ithaca Doll Artist Show Entry

I have finished my entry for the Ithaca Doll Artists annual show at the Tompkins County Public library. While I no longer live in Ithaca, I am please to continue associating with the wonderful people in this club. http://www.ithacadollartists.com/About_IDA.html The challenge for the library show is to base a doll on a character from a children's book. I have chosen The Merbaby written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Patience Brewster. I used Arley Berryhill's Minerva Mermaid pattern for the doll. Her hair is mohair, her body craft velour and cotton painted with various acrylics, her face is colored pencil. I have also added wire, beads, and fibers to the ensemble. Her rock 'throne' I designed myself using floral foam, glue and paint. I have named the doll Vellamo after a Finnish Sea goddess.

Ugly Fabric Swap Doll

I have finished one of the three dolls I am working on. She is a doll for a ugly fabric swap hosted on the MSN group ClothDollsForFun. Today is the mail date, but my van broke down so she will have to wait until tomorrow when the van is fixed (hopefully). She is made from Arley Berryhill's Mermaid pattern that I adapted. I really love the head and hand of this pattern. Her body is made of the 'ugly' fabric sent by my partner Jerlyn and craft velour. I used markers and colored pencils on her face. Her hair is made from an idea I got from Barbara Graff's Kith and Kin pattern. I hope my partner likes her!

Working on and on and on

I have been really busy lately working on several projects that I hope to show you all soon. One that is particularly exciting is a one-on-one workshop with a child of a friend. She came over with her mother and we began working on a doll based on an Egyptian with wings. Sort of an Isis doll. We are using Kris Waldherr's Isis painting for inspiration. I found the image below at http://www.epilogue.net/index.php.
I am also working on a doll for an ugly fabric doll exchange on the ClothDollsForFun MSN group, but I can't get into the details until the doll is sent.
I was asked to create a doll for the Ithaca Doll Artists show based on a character in a children's book...and I want to join the dark fairy challenge on Doll Street. I don't know if I can do all of this along with the volunteering, housework and other sewing projects I have committed too. Whew.

Placed in online challenge!

I am excited to report that I have won 3rd place in the online doll club, Doll Street Dreamers, Winter Blues challenge.

Instead of doing her projects, my doll is still in her nightgown and robe with her favorite romance pulp fiction in her hand. She is taking a break from reading and is just daydreaming right now. This doll has a wire armature, needlefelted stuffing and was 'skinned' with strech nylon. Her socks come from my boys toddler socks, her robe from an old towel.