Treasury Alert! Are you ready for winter?

Laurence from Feltoohlala
 has created this wonderful winter treasury. 

Lovely Art Dolls that remind of of the blustery cold of winter.

  

Treasury Alert! Nightmares and Sweet Dreams

What fantastic characters wander through your dreams as you sleep? Here's a dream-inspired collection of art dolls and a few items to enhance your dreaming experience. A beautiful collection created by AllegroMelody Imaginative characters, a sleepy tot, a dreaming prince, a napping goblin, a catlike child... who will enter your dreams tonight?
Come see her wonderful Nightmares and Sweet Dreams Treasury!

Facebook Fan Page Photo Feature

Thank you to Patricia Brooks for sharing her Cinderella dolls on the ADO Facebook Fan Page. To see more of Patricia' work, CLICK HERE to visit her Facebook Album. You can also email her at Brooksart702@msn.com for avaialable dolls and special orders.


Would you like to see your doll featured on the ADO Blog? Just participate in our ADO Challenges, and then post your picture on ADO's Facebook Fan page. You do not need to be a member of ADO to be featured. Our Quarterly Challenge is Grimms Fairy Tales, which runs to the end of September. The MMC Challenge for September is Greek Mythology, and for October the MMC Challenge will be Christmas Nightmares! You may just see you doll featured on ADO's Blog!

More ADO Challenge Works in Progress!

Hello Friends!

This week we have another edition of ADO Members works in progress! What this means is that we will be taking a look at our members' dolls as they are creating them for challenges. This week is short and sweet! We hope you enjoy!
GRIMMS CHALLENGE

Cynthia Toy of The Fairies Nest

What character did you create and why?

I made Little Red Riding Hood. I find how this story has evolved over the years so fascinating! In the early versions the heroine saves herself through intelligence and quick thinking but the later story converts her to a witless ninny who has to be rescued by a man. In the middle are the versions, including the Grimms', where she and her Grandmother are eaten as an example of what happens to bad girls who don't follow the rules. Interesting to think about the process of revision in fairytales and what it says about the role of women.

What materials/methods did you use to create your doll?

This doll has a cloth and wire armature with a cloth knit "skin". Her cloak is wool and silk and I pulled out my supply of vintage laces for this one and went to town!


What was the easiest aspect of creating your doll? What was the most difficult?

This doll came together amazingly quickly. I think the only problem I had was designing a cloak that I liked...that took several tries!

Did you learn anything new through the creation of your doll?

Well researching the whole Little Red tale was lots of fun and certainly very enlightening!

MYTHOLOGY CHALLENGE

Nancy Perennec of Little Bit Wired

What character did you create and why?
I've always been intrigued with Mythology, but that actually wasn't the plan when I began this sculpt. I didn't intend to sculpt a Satyr when I started. I had wanted to do an elderly face and as I pulled the cheeks down to age the face, I imagined small horns on this fellow as well. So he wanted to become an elderly satyr, that's what he would be.

What materials/methods did you use to create the doll?
I used polymer clay, the first time I've used Living Doll actually and I really like it. I sculpt over a wire, foil and taped armature. Head hands and hooves are clay, body armature is wrapped with polyfil and then a skin in hand sewn on.

To make him look elderly, I add a wash of burnt umber to enhance the wrinkles, then add some liver spots before I blushed the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead, a little wash of purple/blue under the eyes where the skin is thinner. The eyes are painted rather than glass, and have a coat of varnish to make them shine.

What was the easiest aspect of creating your doll? What was the most difficult?
I've never made half man half anything... well, that's not true now that I think about it. I did do some mermaids, but usually in cloth. Adding the furry legs and bending the legs backward didn't do much for his posture. I had to think of a way for him to stand on a base rather than on his own as I wanted to. Normally the doll will become what it wants to become.

Did you learn anything new through the creation of your doll?
Usually if I go in with a plan, it changes. Oddly enough if it doesn't follow this norm for me, I often struggle getting a piece finished if I go in with a plan. If I let it just "become" it's usually an easier project.

New Work From ADO Members

The Ado members have been busy again making gorgeous dolls both big, small, and smaller! Enjoy!

"Princess Maud & Princess Alexandra" by Joanna Thomas

"Anneliese" by Susie McMahon

"Spring in the South" by Julie Blanchette

"Friend Gnome Girl" by Moriah Betterly (3.5")

SaTurDaY’s (weLL sUnDaY’S) WEird aND wONdERfUL...

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought you might enjoy this...

Who knew meatloaf could be so fun? Don’t forget to order your hand mold and

visit Not Martha for more pictures and instructions.

Treasury Alert!

When the end result of such a dedicated work is an Art Doll, the possibilities are endless.. A list of Art Dolls created by the talented members of ADO (Art Dolls Only). This treasury has been created by Vania of Fantasywhispers.

Art Dolls Challenge Works In Progress!

Hello Art Doll Friends!

It's been awhile, but once again, be prepared to see the wonderful art dolls works-in-progress by our wonderful Art Dolls Only members! Here, you can take a peek at the various and interesting ways each artist uses when creating dolls for our challenges! Right now, we are in the midst of the Grimm's Fairy-tale challenge, so feast your eyes on dolls from the stories of the Brothers Grimm!

Helen Fern
1. Which doll/character did you choose to create and why.

I chose Red Ridinghood - I'm not entirely sure why. It just seemed to stand out to me at the time.

2. What sort of methods did you use to create the doll?

She is sculpted with paperclay over styrofoam. She is painted with encaustic paint and her arms are wrapped wire.

3. What was the easiest aspect of the doll to create? Which was the most challenging

The easiest part was the story and sculpting. The hard part for me is always the costume.

4. What did you learn through the creation process of the doll

I've learned to follow my first inclination. Red was the first idea I had, but I kept searching for something more interesting, Once I decided just to do it, the rest just came - including the story. I've also learned that I procrastinate a great deal when I get to the costuming part. I'll have to figure that one out.

Kandra Niagra of Wee Peeple

1. Which doll/character did you choose to create and why.

I made Rumplestiltskin.

2. What sort of methods did you use to create the doll?

Rumple was made over a Vitamin Bottle. (Vitamin C, I believe) hee hee

The Bottle is adhered to the wooden base with tile adhesive, which sticks to plastic and wood.

His face and hands are Soft Sculptured from a single weight jersey knit, and painted with acrylic paints.

3. What was the easiest aspect of the doll to create? Which was the most challenging?
The easiest part and most fun for me is painting the face. I love faces. The hardest is always the hands. In this case the hands are filled with hot glue and positioned turned upwards.


4. What did you learn through the creation process of the doll

This was the first doll I have ever made with such short fingers. I risked the hand looking like a mitt, but I wanted the short fingers to go with his short stature. This is a hand style I will use again

Bobbie Larson of Honeysuckle Dolls

1. Which doll/character did you choose to create and why.
I chose The Golden Goose story because I had made a goose several years ago, and he has been staring at me ever since. I guess you could say I was taking the easy way out, thinking “OK, I already have this halfway finished.” But I also love doing female dolls and dressing them.

2. What sort of methods did you use to create the doll?
I used the standard foil and wire armature, finishing with a combination of Pippen Fimo and Pro Sculpt. I used wooden beads for the elbow joints. As is almost always the case, I do a preliminary sketch and end up with something totally different. I had sketched the princess in a flowing gown with a diamond tiara and well coiffed hair, and she morphed into an updated young woman in leotards, flip-flops and wild, tousled hair. These dolls get minds of their own as soon as you give them a face.

3. What was the easiest aspect of the doll to create? Which was the most challenging?
The easiest aspect of the creation was the wormy apple – a clay ball, a scored clay coil and two black beads for the eyes. The most challenging aspect was the goose.

4. What did you learn through the creation process of the doll?
Here comes the glitch and the lesson learned. My already-sculpted goose had to go back into the oven for a minor repair on a toenail, and I didn’t give him proper support. Uh-oh, goosie collapsed into broken pieces. I guess you could say my goose was cooked. Sorry. Anyway, I had to start from scratch with the goose because the original was irreparable. The moral and lesson learned: the easy road is not necessarily the high road.

Mary Ward of Cottonwool Baby Studio

1. Which doll/character did you choose to create and why.

I am working on a variation of Rumplestiltzkin. I thought he would be fun to try, as there are so many ways to be creative with his character.

2. What sort of methods did you use to create the doll?

Rumple's body was started with a wire armature, wrapped in yarn and then built up in batting, muscle layer by muscle layer, then covered in dyed nylon.

His head is sculpted of water based fired clay which will be covered in nylon to match the body. The fired clay may or may not be the final product, I'm still tweaking!

3. What was the easiest aspect of the doll to create? Which was the most challenging?

His basic head sculpt was the easiest, his shrewd little features just sort of "came together".

4. What did you learn through the creation process of the doll?

With every figure I make I'm learning how to make the bodies more realistic and yet streamline the process, and I'm always looking for a material for the heads that satisfies my three impossible criteria;

1. inexpensive in large quantities

2. ease of sculpting fine details

3. lightweight when finished!

Up NEXT: More wonderful doll challenges! Stay tuned!

New Work From ADO Members

Today I give you some marvelous new works from ADO members. Enjoy!

"Forgotten Children No. 1" by Ruta Elze

"Aggie" by Evelyn's Wonderland

"Verona" by Donna Cooper

"Roxanne" by Harem6

You can find more ADO team members' work by searching Etsy using the "ADO team" tag.

SaTurDaY's WEird aND wONdERfUL....

I was looking up when the Uk's Red Nose Day for charity was (comic relief) and came across this artist ~ Red Nose Studio!

"Chris Sickels, the creative force behind award-winning Red Nose Studio, creates an eccentric world we’d all like to visit. Endearing characters and intricate sets draw you in with wit, intelligence and charm. His three-dimensional illustrations are built from a variety of materials. Sets and puppets are a combination of wire, fabric, cardboard, wood, miniatures, found objects and anything else within arm’s reach." (blog log)

Fantastic! couldn't have said the above any better!

Treasury Alert

Jessica of DollProject concocted a foody themed treasury with this wonderful collection of Salt, Pepper and Mustard.

ADO Featured Artist: Melody Mock of Allegro Melody

This week's artist feature is Melody Mock of Allegro Melody.

Please tell us about yourself. What is your name? Where do you

live? What makes you tick?

Allegro Melody is the name I picked for my doll business, so that's

how I'm found on the web, Etsy, blog, etc. My real name is Melody

Mock, and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

When did you start making dolls? Why did you start making dolls?

I started making dolls the middle of last year (2009). It was one of

many things I thought I'd learn when I retired. But then I was laid

off from my job last year because of the economy (I was in art

publishing at that point), and decided to do all the things I thought

I'd try when I retired. So I took a couple of online courses and read

a lot of books to get started. I've got a background in the arts (a

studio art degree and a Master's in art history), and have worked with

many artists over the years as an arts administrator and curator. But

I always wanted to get back into making art. I never dreamed it would

be dolls, but when my daughter was born, my childhood obsession was

rekindled.

Who or what influences you? Inspires you?

Everything is inspiring. Especially work by other artists working in

many different genres and time periods. A visit to a local art gallery

or museum is always inspiring. But also the sound of a violin, the

wind through the trees, the call of a redwing blackbird, the tock of a

clock, the complexity of a skeleton, the tilt of my daughter's head,

or my son's grin as he swings through the air.

I also enjoy the inspiration sparked by the various "challenges"

around the web and with the ADO group, where we are given a theme or

topic, and asked to create a piece with this in mind.

Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them.

Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc.

I'm most interested in using nontoxic materials, so I work with air dry

clay (I've tried paper clay and other clays) and cloth. The bodies are

constructed with cloth, and the heads are sculpted with clay. The clay

is sometimes integrated into the cloth. Hands and feet are sometimes

clay; other times they're cloth. The doll is painted and minimally

costumed. There are so many ideas in my head about using different

materials to construct the dolls, so I'm not limited to this method at

all. I consider my dolls a cross between toy and art - they are

interactive in that you can pose them in different positions, but

they're meant to be enjoyed as art pieces.

But being an artist is so much more than just making art. There's all

the promotion and communication that goes along with getting your work

out there - the web site, the blog, Etsy, eBay, groups such as ADO,

and of course Facebook and Twitter. I've probably spent just as much

time on these things as in making the actual dolls themselves – and

it's an ongoing process!

Do you have a favorite doll? It can be handmade by you, handmade by

someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.

My very first doll was a Sasha doll, made in Germany in the 1960s. I

love the simplicity of their sculpt and am fascinated by the life of

the artist Sasha Morgenthaler. My interest in dolls was rekindled when

my daughter was born (she's now seven), and I began repainting Sasha

dolls a few years ago – I have sent these all over the world. But I

always wanted to take it a step further by creating my own dolls. I

don't really have one favorite doll, but love exploring all of works

by different artists out there. I'm drawn to original, artful, and

unique dolls, like the work of Jennybird Alcantara, Marina Bychkova,

Akira & Larry Blount, Susie McMahon, and so many more.

Besides making dolls, what do you do? Job, other creative pursuits,

hobbies, etc.

I do a lot of different things right now. I play fiddle with two

bands, I am a web designer, I'm a consultant for several nonprofits, I

write for an arts magazine, and I'm a mama to two wonderful young

kids.

What are some of your favorite: movies, books, websites, magazines,

foods, TV shows, music? (Any or all!)

I don't have much time to read or watch movies, but I always enjoy

things that are thought provoking and artsy. Prospero's Books is one

of my all-time favorite movies, as well as The City of Lost Children

and of course Wings of Desire and the Milagro Beanfield Wars (filmed

not far from here). I grew up in a musical household, and enjoy many

different types, from classical to jazz to international to Americana

to traditional Mexican music (the latter two is what I play right

now). We watch PBS every now and then – looking forward to their

upcoming Circus series.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I like where I live now. My environment must have beauty in the

landscape as well as plenty of artistic folk and a variety of

cultures. I love travel and exploring other places and cultures as

well.

Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years?

Who knows. My path might wander but I'll always be surrounded by art,

literature, and music. I really enjoy making art dolls and plan to

continue exploring this. If only there were more hours in my day....

Where can we find you on the internet? (blog, website, Etsy shop,

eBay, et al.)

Web: allegromelody.com

Blog: allegromelody.blogspot.com

Etsy: allegromelody.etsy.com

Facebook: AllegroMelodyCreations

ADO

Facebook Fan Page Photo Feature!

Little Red Riding Hood


Rapunzel

Thank you to Emily Hamaker Olsen for sharing her Grimm's Fairy Tale dolls on ADO's FACEBOOK page.
Be sure to visit Emily's BLOG and ETSY SHOP.

Would you like to see your doll featured on the ADO Blog? Just participate in our ADO Challenges, and then post your picture on ADO's Facebook Fan page. You do not need to be a member of ADO to be featured. Our Quarterly Challenge is Grimms Fairy Tales, which runs to the end of the month. The MMC Challenge for September is Greek Mythology. You may just see you doll featured on ADO's Blog!

This weeks Etsy Treasury ~

~ Rise and Fall ~

By Nancy Perennec of Little Bit Wired

To visit this glorious treasury ~ click HERE

SaTurDaY's WEird aND/Or wONdERfUL....

A few of my W&W favorites ~

Upper left ~ Joy by Candice Worth

Upper right ~Pinino the little Bear by Holli

Lower  left ~ Single Dodo by United Thread

Lower right ~ She believed in spontaneous dancing by Dudadaze

If you have any W&/orW favorites from anywhere on the web, email me @ abimonroe@live.com,  so I can feature them on SaTurDaY's WEird aND/Or wONdERfUL.

This weeks Etsy Treasury ~

~ The Wind's Bride ~

Thank you for the title DuBuhDu Designs.

Etsy's Art Dolls Only Team meets divine delights...

Click here to visit the treasury.

New Work From ADO Members

Here are some of the beautiful works made by Art Doll Only artists recently, feast your eyes on...

"Pumpkin" by Abi Monroe

"Agatha and Buzzy" by Rosanna Pereyra

OOAK Baby by Catherine Coyle

"Adela" by Joanna Thomas