Month: December 2025

Protect the.

This is the first “full” doll I have ever done. Mixing metalwork, sewing fabric, poly clay, paints and inks. It was a one day prop build I did and I am super proud of how it turned out. But I really do think it ended up being less Día de los Muertos and more Sally. But it was my first try and I got great feedback on how to improve upon my design and skills.

What I have been doing is using a dapping block and folding in a sheet of aluminum foil. Here it is used reduce the thickness of the poly clay used and gives it a very head or face like base shape. The only drawback to this was that the back of her head was flat. I am working on how to maybe join two halves, but until then I would use poly mesh bag for a vail to hide that fact.

I did go back and use the dapping block to make her a nice large hat out of the same pattern fabric as her dress. (not shown).

Her arms are some tubes I made out of that poly fabric bag and used Gesso for that matching bone look. 

Her dress is upholstery fabric samples and her body/arms are filled with poly up against the head piece.

Thank you for letting me share this with you.

Please take care of each other.

Frodo’s Lament

I made a huge mistake in a painting I was doing by dropping a painful amount of paint directly in the middle of it. Initially I was upset that I ruined the thing that took me so long to make But I have the sweetest family member who really loves the things I make. Even the ones with the mishaps and/or mistakes.

Her idea was to put it on display and for a while it sat off to the side, always in view. Slowly I started to see a face coming out of the things. So I grabbed a paint marker and started in on some lines.

In the end what I once thought was a ruined painting turned into an Orcish face and I can’t help but think that it was influenced by this tradition we have, rewatching the LOTR movies.

This year it serves as a reminder that we have a choice in all the current chaos. A choice that can not be taken away from any of us.

The choice to decide what to do with the time that has been given us.

Please take care of each other.