Vintage Spun Cotton Ornament

This has been such a fun project for me. Okay so I think it has been established that I have a passion for vintage things.One of my favorite mediums is also Paper Mache.... why not combine both? This little cotton ornament was made very similar to the ones made by vintage German artists. First making a wire armature and then winding it with the spun cotton material. I have a mold of an old German dollhouse doll and decided she would fit perfect with this style of art.So I got to work pouring, sanding and hand painting her little face. I have given her a beautiful vintage green color (similar to the Statue of Liberty) and embellished her with sweet red pom pom fuzzies. She is wearing a crown of silver tinsel and is displayed on a vintage glitter glass bulb. I think I will name her Betsy:) So excited for summer, especially Independence Day!!! Happy Friday everyone!!

My Little Ellie

Introducing Ellie! She is made from a hand-dyed pile fleece. The contrast fabric on her ears is from an old print fabric that I had lying around. She is wearing a paper party hat and holding a bright red balloon. I can imagine her ready for a day at the circus. Oh what fun! The sights and smells, popcorn, cotton candy and the beautiful and exciting animals! Those childhood memories........ She stands about 5 inches tall.

CraftGossip.com Giveaway

I have been sponsoring a vintage bunny giveaway at craftgossip.com for the past couple of weeks. The LUCKY winner will receive my entire set of four lovely bunnies.Today was the deadline for entries and we have chosen a winner......... Congratulations to Shannon A!!! I will be sending you a email shortly. Thanks to all who entered and to all of my new viewers, check back often as I will try to post a new creation at least every week or so. Hope you are all having a wonderful March!!

Springtime Friends "Mabel and Charlotte"

I was very excited to find sweet Charlotte. I came across her on one of my treasure hunts.She is an antique dime store doll. I got right to work on making my own mold of the original and it turned out quite nice. She is made of Paper Mache and is hand sculpted and painted. Mabel was made completely by hand from yarn and a cupcake wrapper. I can imagine that Charlotte and Mabel are the best of friends and ready to welcome in the new Spring!

Custom Disneyland Doll

I have been very excited for this project! My cousin commissioned me to make this doll for his sweet wife as a gift for Valentines day. They have been married only a few months and went to Disneyland on their honeymoon. He asked if I could make a doll that looks like her... with her lovley red hair and beautiful blue eyes. I was very pleased with the results and LOVE the vintage colors! I have accented her with a red balloon and a hand soldered charm featuring an inital "D"(which stands for David) the love of her life. (what an awesome husband!!)

Vintage Easter Shelf Sitter Dolls

This has been such a fun project! I am totally in love with these little dolls. I absolutely love Spring! All of the color and beauty it brings, so I decided to try and make my own vintage version of the shelf sitter dolls. I created a mold from an old 1940's doll face and then went to work. Painting, sewing, coordinating.... I had to hand dye each fabric swatch... (you just cannot find those old faded colors anymore.) How fun would these be in little Easter baskets? (My girls have already begged to play with them.) I am very pleased with the way they came out and feel as I look at them I am taking a step back in time. My grandmother had some when I was young, except she had little Christmas elves (pictured). She would put them on the edge of her mantle every year and I would gaze up at them.... waiting for them to somehow jump off and play with me. We have an old tradition in our family called the "New Years Elf". Every New Years Eve we would put our shoe by the door and wait for the New Years Elf to stop by and drop a gift for us. It would usually be something like an orange or a pack of gum. I would imagine the New Years Elf looking something like my grandmother's little shelf sitter dolls. We even had a song we would sing.
"I am the little New Year ho ho!
Here I come tripping in over the snow...
ringing my bells with a merry din,
so open your door and let me in."
My grandmother has long passed away ... but I can still hear her beautiful voice singing that song... she would hold me and I would dance on her toes. I am grateful for traditions and the way they bind generations together. Oh, how I miss her.... Love you grandma....forever.

Flight of the "America"

I LOVE color!! I especially love hot air balloons and the "Majesty" they somehow bring. My little "Penny Man" is handmade... his basket created from old dairy milk lids. The hot air balloon is made from an old light bulb and I have hand soldered a charm for that extra "bling". Enjoy!