Doll Accessories

The before and after silver bead caps

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 I've spent the last few days finishing off my most recent doll Theodora Rex, which is based on a historical Byzantine Empress. I've been failing to arrive at the final composition that resonates with my inner vision of her, having constructed, tried and abandoned several different accessories to compliment her jewelled head piece and her collar of gold. I believe that when the solution to an almost finished piece proves to be stubbornly evasive, then the problem is not just with details - There is something fundamentally wrong with the whole thing from the bottom up. The best course of action at that point, is to stop tweaking little details, identify the 3 main elements essential to the composition, strip away the rest and start layering supporting details from the beginning. Yes, it's pretty upsetting having to destroy several days worth of work, but sometimes it's not just the right thing to do, but the only thing to do. Destruction is a form of creation.

These sterling silver filigree bead caps might be the key to unlocking my composition problem. I embellished them with tiny seed pearls and gold-plated them to look more Byzantine. Theodora is already wearing them, but something else is still missing there...I'm gonna call it a 'soft' finish for now and see if she 'speaks' to me in the days to come about what else she needs.

It's time to move on. 

Porcelain pendants on silver crown bails

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Happy Holidays everyone! Vancouver is a snowy/slushy winter wonderland today!

Check out these porcelain decal pendants I found in my storage two weeks ago. They are experimental pieces from 2010, which I made for fun, put away and then totally forgot about until accidentally discovering them while rummaging through my storage for kiln parts. It was like finding a little Christmas present from my past self to my future self! I brought them to the studio, attached them to my silver crown bails, and voila - I'm in love with them.

1) Ruby (edit: SOLD)

2) Mermaid Song - small (SOLD)

3) Agnetha (SOLD)

4) Aisha (SOLD)

5) Camelia (SOLD)

6) Concubine (SOLD)

7) Siren 1

8) Safia

9) Siren 2

10) Mermaid Song - large (SOLD)

Too bad there are only 11 of them altogether. That's still too many for me to wear, so I'm keeping one and making the other 10 available to you for $175 CAD each.

Each one is one-of-a-kind, of different shape and size, and artificially antiqued for a distressed look. The images are permanently fired-on porcelain decals. Back is signed and dated. Stainless steel ball chain included. My last shipping days are Monday and Tuesday, and then I'm off on holidays. Have a look and let me know if you'd like one. Or two.

Daphne almost ready for ebay auction

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I've been working on completing my image of Daphne. She is almost ready. Seeing how she was a stalking victim who tried to evade her stalker Apollo, I decided to give her a disguise. A beautiful disguise!

And remember how I told you that Daphne was going to have a new metal accessory? Well, ta-da!

See where I'm going with this?These are only wax models. Just wait til you see the casts. Not long now, but in the meantime you'll have to guess which one of these masks the lovely Daphne is going to be waring in her final costume: Nose or no-nose. Who knows, it might even sway my decision.

Let the guessing game commence!

More photos of ebay doll Daphne

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Oh, Daphne my Daphne! I'm afraid I'm growing more attached to you every day. That's unusual for me... How will I let you go now?

This braid tiara was inspired by the hair styles of Greek ladies from antiquity. Like Daphne's hair, it's made of silk fiber. I think I will include it with the doll. There is still that new metal accessory left to reveal before the auction can begin! Soon my darlings, soon!

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Hair Pins

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You may recognize these cute floral hair pins from the Vogue video. I made these tests a couple of years ago in two different finishes, but never got around to using them before. They are made from Sterling silver, plated with 18k gold and painted with epoxy enamel. I've been getting requests for them since the Vogue feature, and now I'm considering possibly making them available to order in the future. In the meantime, these three from my collection are available for $230 CAD each. Here is a bad photo of one of my favourites wearing them. Drop me a line if you want to have one.

New Doll for Sale - The Princess and the Frog.

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Available at Strychnin Gallery in the Kingdoms of Twilight and Magic exhibition!

Please allow me to introduce my brand new piece: The Princess and the Frog!

A spoiled princess Arabelle learns a lesson in keeping promises and finding true love after meeting and reluctantly befriending a Poison Dart frog, who challenges her self-centered world views and becomes her handsome prince. And she becomes a better person.

Based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale "The Frog Prince".

Materials and construction:

A porcelain doll with a one of a kind engraving and a limited edition head ornament customized with one of a kind accents.

Conical headdress carved in wax, cast in bronze, plated with 24k gold, enameled and set with 15 faceted blue Topazes and 5 pearls. Pendant is a blue Topaz in 18k gold setting with a 24k gold plated chain. Tattoo of a Poison Dart frog is a combination of engraving on porcelain and china-painting. Veil is soft bridal chiffon, set with 300 Austrian crystals. Doll is ball-jointed, china-painted porcelain, lined with leather and strung with 11 steel springs. Wig is removable, magnetic mohair fiber, permanently-styled into 15 braids.

After months in construction, I'm crazy about how it had turned out!

Inquire at Strychnin Gallery for details. 

The grinding chamber!

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No, that's not a title of a campy horror flick, though blood does get spilled in there from time to time.

I finish my metal works in that invaluable little glass 'room', which contains the heavy dust and metal shavings until they get sucked up into the extractor. Before I got this baby, I would loathe the thought of doing metal finishing, as my desk and my whole studio would get very dirty and dusty, but since I got this chamber for my debris extractor, the cleanup is minimal and working conditions are safe. I love safety.

I bought the main plastic shell online, and then extensively customized it to fit my needs better, adding side walls and leather flaps. The problem is that it's plexy glass and it's starting to get really scratched up by all the high velocity debris flying around in there, and once it gets too cloudy to see through it, I'm going to have get a new one and customize it all over again.

Luckily my little grinding chamber still has lots of hours on it, which reminds me that I've gotta go back 'in there' and set some stones into the cone for the upcoming show doll in Berlin. Stay tuned for the pictures in a few days!

Wax carving for a Berlin show doll

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This wax model is fresh from the CNC machine. I've got about 18 hours to hand carve additional detail and definition, and then it has to be rushed off for molding first thing tomorrow morning. I may or may not get to sleep tonight. My intention with this design was to create a look of embroidered brocade fabric. This project caused a lot of head ache for my CNC specialist, as we've been fighting with it since January. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he hates me. Although, he probably wouldn't take on this job if he did. :)...

And now it seems like it's finally coming together. I'm so excited about it, that I feel giddy, almost drunk. Or maybe it's all that caffeine I've been guzzling to keep going... I really do hope that it will mold ok, then inject ok, and then cast ok. Still three unknown variables remain, and there is so little time left to mess around with it, that if one of those variables doesn't go as planned, it will seriously jeopardize the whole thing. Having now crossed the point of no return, there is really nothing else to do now, but to plow full steam ahead and hope it wasn't all for nothing.

 

Gold doll shoes

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Wow, you guys. Thanks for all the awesome name suggestions. I'm making a short list of my favorites. Here's a picture of some 14k gold-plated shoes I'm making for the Doll Salon expo in Moscow next week.

I'm getting on the plane in 48 hours, and there is still so much to do....

 
 
 

Salome

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This composition was put together exclusively for a photograph. These accessories belong to me and will not be included in the auction. The idea came to me spontaneously while shooting the lovely nude Salome. When I momentarily looked away from the camera to stretch my back, my eyesight slid distractedly across some loose doll heads on my desk and then instantly shot back to them, this time focused and alert, as a light bulb went off in my head. I thought: "Ah, but of course. So obvious!

"The lantern crown is the third installment in my ongoing Light Series. I made it as an experiment 2 months ago but didn't have time to make a doll to wear it, so it sat in the drawer as if it was waiting for Salome. I think it works really well aesthetically and contextually, because for all we know, real Salome could have actually performed the traditional Middle Eastern Candelabra dance for King Herod.

It is a very heavy piece, borderline hazardous to the doll unless its center of gravity is perfectly balanced and that's why it's staying in my collection. Having said this, if somebody were just dying to have this piece for their doll to wear on display, I might be able to replicate it again.

Salome's tears were made for the photograph with quick drying jewelery glue. I dripped it on her face and then flaked it off after the shoot. It doesn't bond permanently to porcelain. I'm not sure why I made her cry. Felt right. So did putting electrical wires into the severed (originally John the Baptist's ) head. Make of it whatever you will.

Perhaps my Salome is a specter of the past and the future both, as the history always repeats itself.

Well, there you go folks. The auction starts tomorrow afternoon. See ya there.

 

Golden Slippers-new shoe style for Enchanted Doll

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I initially designed this pair of shoes for my Little Red riding hood doll. They are cast in sterling silver and plated with 14k gold. It's a combination of my favorite two styles of shoes: Kitten heels and Mary Janes, and so far, is the simplest, least ornate pair of shoes I've made. I was struggling with a very strong urge to decorate the heck out of them. Minimalism doesn't come naturally to me.

 

The light, shallow design was inspired by a drawing of my favorite artist Sulamith Wulfing. Here is a crop.

This pair fits both, the original foot and the slightly more elongated, Rubenesque foot. Which reminds me to remind you about the upcoming (Aug 23rd) ebay auction of Rubenesque doll â„–2-Salome, who is seen here strutting in a pair of Extravagance stilettos. They also fit a Rubenesque foot.So, do you like the new simple shoes, or are they a bit too plain?

Mini Face pendant

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I'm attracted to tiny, delicate objects. That's why I wasn't content after I made the first silver face pendant. I loved it, but it just wasn't small enough for my liking, so as a side project, I made a little 'daughter' pendant for my collection. I molded it too, so that if anyone else wants to have this petite face pendant, I could make more. And seeing how it's half the weight of the original, it's also almost half the price at $98.00 CAD. It comes with a crown bail and an adjustable metal ball chain. Email me at inquiries@enchanteddoll.com if you'd like me to make one for you.