Jesus doll

I've finished the Jesus doll for the Woman at the well scene. He's telling about the Living waters and gesturing to the well...that has yet to be made.

A good start I think

I've started on a new set of dolls for my mother. She's requested "The Woman at the Well."
This is the start of the Jesus doll. I wanted him to look more Middle Eastern than European, which is how he's usually portrayed. I think I have a good start.
I need to find a solution to the weak chest plate. They keep on cracking/breaking on me. I may have to use some kind of wire mesh under the slay as an armature. Looks like I'll be taking a trip to the hardware store to buy some tin snips and wire mesh soon.

Tabitha from Joppa

I have a friend who really likes the story of Tabitha in the Bible. You will find her story in the book of Acts, chapter 9 verses 36 to 42. She made clothes for the poor, and when Peter came to visit Joppa, the people came to him and asked him to come with them. They arrived at a house where she lay, dead. The women showed Peter all of the clothes she had made, and he raised her from the dead.
My friend asked me to make a Tabitha doll for her husband to buy for her birthday.
I looked at some pictures of young women for this sculpt, and just couldn't picture her as a young women. I decided to use the picture of my grandmother. She is now 84 years old, but I made Tabitha a bit younger. I loved the process of studying my beloved grandmother's face, and translating it to clay.
I even called her and asked if she'd ever wanted to be a model. She said, "No!" I then told her that she was an unwilling participant!
Anyway, here's the result of my efforts.

Mary Playing with Her Baby

David and I have a tradition that was started when we were first married to give one another nativities for Christmas. I wanted to give him something special this year. I only had time to make Mary and Jesus this year. He'll get Joseph next year. This doll portrays Mary playing "Airplane" with her baby. She is laughing. It's been difficult getting a good picture of this doll. She looks like she's about to eat the baby!
I had so many challenges and disappointments while making this doll. There was a lot of cracking of the clay when it was fired, and pieces that would break off when assembling her. The first time I finished a head sculpt, I forgot to check the temperature of the oven after making dinner, and burned it black. The oven was set for 400 degrees. It should have been 275! I was really upset and took the evening off, and started new the next day. Her ears kept on breaking off, and I got cracks in her hands when I attached them to her arms. I ended up covering the broken off ears with her hair, and mended the cracks in the hands with more sculpey and refired it. It was a challenge to get Mary to keep her arms raised, and I ended up using invisible thread sewn to the baby's diaper and then wrapped around Mary's neck to accomplish this. She's definitely not a perfect doll, but I learned a lot that I am now applying while making the next one. When I finished her, I told dave that I wanted to cry. He told me he did too and that she was beautiful! I sure do love that man!

I made Craftster Best of 2009...twice!

My Edward Scissorshands doll and the jingle bell slippers both made Best of Craftster 2009. I am thrilled, and honored!

A private moment between mother and son

I wanted to create a Mary and Jesus doll that was more personal. I imagine that before the stable was filled with shepherds, that Mary had some time alone with her new baby, and that she sang to him. She sits upon a bed of straw, and holds her baby in her arms. I wanted to get away from the posed Mary. The iconic image of her sitting on a rock or kneeling is unrealistic. Anyone who's ever had a baby knows that this is not likely.
Her head, lower arms, and lower legs are made from Super Sculpey. Her seat is made from paper clay and covered in excelsior (wood shavings) and her body is cloth with an armature. Her features are painted using acrylics. The baby Jesus is also made of Super Sculpey.
This is the first of other dolls I will be making to fill out a Nativity Scene, and is a gift for my Mother in law.

Sewing like crazy

Every year before Christmas, you'll find me locked in my room sewing all day and all night long. David is very supportive of this. He takes care of the needs of the 5 kids ages 1 to 10 years, and tries to take care of the house too. When he complains about how hard this is, I just smile and say' "welcome to my life!"
This year my friend decided that we could help each other out. I would make her daughter a doll, and she would come over once a week for two hours and clean my house while I sew. This has been a great arrangement, and I enjoy the adult company once a week. The doll I'm making represents Jayden's imaginary friend. She's not finished. She still needs her tutu, but, here's a peek.