The Cinderella auction is about to end, but you'll still be able to see here in the third and final part of the "Cinderella Comes Together" video series. The video is now up on vimeo (be sure to watch it in HD)
Read MoreHere is part two of "Cinderella Comes Together", a behind the scenes look at the Cinderella doll being put together. Part one started with the doll being strung, and part two moves on to the other elements of the doll (Stand, dress, wig). Part three will be posted later this week.
Read MoreThe annual Enchanted Doll auction is now live, as the all new Cinderella #2 is currently up for auction.
Read MoreYou guys! Yesterday I had a very long and productive photoshoot with my newest doll Cinderella
Read MoreI've got a little surprise for your folks. While I've been busy making Cinderella, Chad has been busy making a film of me making Cinderella!
Read MoreHappy New Year, folks! Thank you for all of your notes with good wishes! I promise to use them well throughout 2015 to create exciting new work, starting with Cinderella.
Read MoreFor Christmas this year, allow me to present my secret doll Phryne, who is one of the costumed projects I completed in 2014!Phryne as you may remember from my sneak peeks of her, and that awesome guessing game we played together, was a famous Greek courtesan in 4th century BC, who became a model for Praxiteles’s statue of Cnidian Aphrodite, one of the most extraordinary sculptures of antiquity. To read her full story and description see my original blog post.
For certain reasons I've been holding her back, fully completed for the last 10 months, which took herculean effort at times. There hasn't been a day when I didn't want to tell you about her, but now the time has come. Please enjoy.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my friends! And a happy New Year!
And the dates of the auction are: January 24th-January 31st, 2015!
I apologize for delaying setting the auction dates of my new doll Cinderella #2. It is because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to cast her last minute add-on accessory - the fabulous ball mask - before my metal casting foundry closed for the holidays. It turns out, I wasn't able to beat the holiday rush queue, so this forced me to move the auction to January. I really want Cinderella to wear that mask!
In the meantime, I've made a luxurious padded custom box for my little Cinderella #2 auction. This weekend I'm doing to attach baby-blue leather cord belts with sterling silver buckles to the padding, to secure her limbs in place while she's resting in her special tin.
I'm so happy about the way her face turned out. I believe she is one of my finest, most subtle-blushed faces ever. I almost don't want to let her go, but I know I have to. Stand by for a picture of her with her lovely wig!
So, don't forget: Cinderella #2 is going up for ebay auction on January 24th - 31st 2015! Stay tuned!
This is a first, in-progress glimpse of my new Cinderella, which will be going up on ebay auction in mere weeks.
Read MoreHey hey friends! The Cinderella porcelain doll ebay auction is fast approacheth! I haven't finalized the date yet, but it will be announced as soon as I complete the doll next week. Eee! Here's what I'm working on today. It's Cinderella's last accessory for her big ball.
Read MoreSo, as you guys know there is an annual ebay auction of a porcelain doll coming up in a few weeks.
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I do love to bead me some lace!
But I hate it when this happens!
I made another shoe design for Enchanted Dolls. They are a hybrid of a classical pencil heel Stiletto and an iconic Mary Jane with an arch strap.
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It's that glorious time of year again, folks! The annual Enchanted Doll ebay auction is coming up this November! Can you guess which doll will be auctioned off this year? You get one guess. Here's a clue.I'll be posting more progress photos as we get closer to November. The exact date of the auction will be announced soon. Are you as excited as I am?
I like to look at Orchids, but I really dislike having them in my home. I can never seem to create the right conditions for them to stay in bloom,
Read MoreI've finally found some time to play around with making one of a kind, enamelled Venetian masks.
Read MoreWhile shopping for Christmas gifts last year, I found these little, plain and cheap-looking crown tree ornaments at a home decor shop. They were almost lost in the luscious branches of a tastefully decorated Christmas tree, but because I'm always on a lookout for small, interesting objects that fit the Enchanted Doll scale, my eyes picked them out and fastened on them the minute I walked through the doors.
I B-lined straight for the tree, navigating the crowd and barely avoiding the expensive and fragile displays of bone china, mirrors and crystal chandeliers, my eyes never leaving my bounty. Giddy with the potential and anticipation of what I can do with these perfect, little canvases, I scooped up all of the remaining crowns from that tree and practically skipped to the till. Waiting to pay, I felt triumphant over my find and fought back a strong urge to rub my palms together while cackling maniacally.
This was my first crown-enhancing experiment. I used gold wire to attach fresh-water pearls, blue topazes, gold-plated findings and drops to the crown base, achieving a high contrast between the distressed rusty metal and the retrofitted gold ornaments. A magnet holds the crown securely on top of the wig, making other fastenings unnecessary. I believe that this was the final detail Skyler's been missing in her costume this whole time. Now she feels complete. Now she is a crowned queen.
I'm going to try something a little different with the other crowns. I don't have a complete picture yet, but I almost never do until I begin working. Eventually, all the gaps get filled in, like with Skyler.
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.
It'll work itself out in my head eventually, I'm sure. Hopefully by tomorrow. Her photo shoot is scheduled for the end of the month
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