"By the pricking of my thumbs...

...something wicked this way comes" - MacBeth William Shakespeare. Today in celebration of Halloween I give you a coven of witches created by the artists of ADO. Enjoy!

"Sweet Witch" by Mary Esther Ward

"Tabitha" by Bonnie Jones

"Halloween Witch" by Lorraine of Pie Cake Primitives

"Maeve and her Crystal Ball" by Lisa Johnson

"Clarissa and Daemon" by Cynthia of The Fairies Nest

Happy Haunting....

SaTurDaY's WEird aND wONdERfUL...

Evelyn from Evelyn's Wonderland has done it again.... she's the best :O)
Here she introduces two-time winner of Food Networks Outrageous Pumpkin Challenge Show ~ Ray

They are amazing eh?

Click on the image below ~

ADO Featured Artist: Jessica Schleicher of Knot By Gran’ma

This week's artist feature is Jessica Schleicher of Knot By Gran’ma

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

My name is Jessica Schleicher. I live in New York (Hudson Valley) on what I wish was a farm. It's close enough though... we have chickens and a bunny so that's nice. I'm not sure what makes me tick... maybe that's part of the fun.

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

I started making dolls not all that long ago. I used to have time to sketch. I would sketch monsters and weird things. Then I had kids. The sketching went out the window as the time to sketch did. So I picked up crochet and slowly made my way to creating the things I used to sketch.



Who or what influences you? Inspires you?

Everything around me influences me. Nature, people (people watching is a very important skill here), and whatever is going on in my brain.

Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them. Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc.

I don't have a set way of making dolls. Usually I grab some yarn and run with it. I tend to grab the worsted weight yarn first and add details with crochet cotton. The more complex dolls (like Alice) will get a sketch at least. I tend to do things and then take them out if I don't like the way they look, so sometimes it can be such a long process.

Do you have a favorite doll? It can be handmade by you, handmade by someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.

I don't have a favorite doll. I like things that are a little skewed, and completely original. Dolls that are completely unique and well made really make me happy. I'd like to start a collection one day.

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

I bake, garden, design crochet patterns, play the alto saxophone, flute, and clarinet, teach music lessons, and like to be outside. Simple living. I'd like to learn how to spin my own yarn one day.

What are some of your favorite: movies, books, websites, magazines, foods, TV shows, music? (Any or all!)

I love bad tv... things that are supposed to be good, but have bad acting and story lines. You can find me watching that. B or even C movies are fantastic too. Buff the Vampire Slayer and the Wayne's World movies are among my favorites.

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

I like where I live now, but sometimes wish it was a more isolated farmhouse. Ahh well.

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

I will likely be making dolls in the coming years, but would love to open up my own yarn store so I can be surrounded by yarn goodies as I make dolls. Also I see myself getting good at sock knitting... hopefully in 5 years. Ha!

Where can we find you on the internet? (blog, website, Etsy shop, eBay, et al.)

You can find me on Etsy

ArtFire

Zibbet

Facebook

Twitter

and Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/people/knotbygranma)

Grim and Grimmer Treasury!

In 1812, the Grimm brothers first published their book of folktales. Stories about characters such as Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella have been told and retold over the centuries that followed. Here are some art dolls by the Art Dolls Only team, together with other Grimm-inspired dolls and items....
Click through on Allegro Melody's wonderfully Grimm treasury!

Facebook Fan Page Photo Feature

Many thanks to Paulina Gravagno and Fernando Amado for sharing their Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf for ADO's Grimm's Fairy Tale Challenge. Fernando and Paulina are a husband and wife team who sell their figures directly to the public in a small artisans fair in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

CLICK HERE to visit their blog!

Would you like to see your doll featured on ADO's blog? Just participate in one of our challenges, and you just might see your doll here! ADO's last Quarterly Challenge for the year is Copy The Masters. Please keep sharing your Challenge photos on ADO's Facebook Fan Page!

New Work From ADO Members

Hello there! I have some more new work by ADO artists today so come take a peek at what they've been up to!

"Little Red and her Baby Wolf" by Evelyn's Wonderland

"Ruby" by Robyn Wilson-Owen

"Berenice" by Laurence of Feltoohlala

"Steampunk" by StitchyWooWoo

Next week in honor of Halloween, I'll be doing an entire post on all the fabulous witches ADO members have been making this month, so stay tuned...

SaTurDaY's WEird aND wONdERfUL...

My friend Michele from Seraphim Bears posted this video on her blog... I found it so funny and uplifting, thought I would share it with you guys too! It is pretty weird and wonderful!




Check out YouTube for his other dance clips, if you now feel in the groove :O)

New Work From ADO Members

Here are just some of this week's new dolls from ADO members... Enjoy!

"George" by Cindy Sowers

"Mother and Child" by Sarah of Archetypal Theater

"Beatrice" by Donna Cooper

Untitled by Sheri DeBow

"Self Portrait" by Helen Fern

"Butterfly Girl" by Ruta Elze

SaTurDaY's WEird aND wONdERfUL...

Jeremey Mayers ~ Typewriter reassembly

"I disassemble typewriters and then reassemble them into full-scale, anatomically correct human figures. I do not solder, weld, or glue these assemblages together- the process is entirely cold assembly. I do not introduce any part to the assemblage that did not come from a typewriter" Jeremy Mayer

Jeremymayer.com

ADO Featured Artist: Grace Garton

This week's artist feature is Grace Garton of Little Black Crow Studio.

Please tell us about yourself. What is your name? Where do you live/ what makes you tick?

My name is Grace Garton and I live in Tasmania. Creating something from my imagination and turning it into reality, is what makes me tick!

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

Although I made art dolls in the mid 80’s while at art school it’s only been in the last 4 years that doll making has become my full time occupation.

It was the need to do something tactile while at home after working on a computer all day. Even though my work was creative, animation, it’s flat, 2 dimensional and lives in a virtual world.

Who or what influences you? Inspires you?

Mirka Mora was my first inspiration that began my adventure into doll making. She is an Australian painter and doll maker. Other inspirations are vintage dolls, books, 18th century photographs of children and their toys.

Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them. Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc

Most of my dolls are cloth dolls. However I do like to experiment from time to time with other mediums.

My cloth dolls are made from either calico or canvas. I have a small production line of 4 different types of dolls that I sell, bunnies, elephants, donkey’s and cats. Although there are patterns made for each one no two are ever alike. Once all the doll parts are cut out, sewn together and stuffed I individually paint them with a strong coffee to distress them. The faces and hands are hand embroidered, the shoes and socks are hand painted with acrylic paint and the eyes are usually made from vintage buttons.

As for the clothing they have to be made to measure. My favourite items of clothing to make are sailor suits, inspired by 18th century children’s clothing.

Other dolls I love to make are hand-painted and are extensions from my painting. They are spontaneous ideas, sometimes they are drawn right onto the cloth without making a pattern first. I keep a journal with me at all times to doodle in.

Do you have a favourite doll? It can be hand made by you, handmade by someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.

My favourite dolls would have to be by Mirka Mora and those grungy worn primitive cloth and wood dolls made in the 1700s and 1800s.

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

I was a head of production design for an animation studio these last 5 years. But I’ve been in animation over 25 years working on and off. Currently I’m working from home freelancing and pursuing my artistic career. My other creative pursuits are painting, knitting, crocheting, gardening and cooking.

Do you have a favourite: movies books, websites, magazines, foods, TV shows, music? (Any or all!)

B grade horror movies, I’m a Tim Burton tragic! As for books that have inspired me, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsburg. Jack London, Dylan Thomas, Charles Bukowski, and Richard Brautigan. Tom Waits and Bob Dylan are on the top of my music list and it gets very eclectic from there on.

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

I’d love to live for a while in Antarctica, something about its isolation and harsh environment fascinates me. The sun light on glaciers, the icy waters, howling winds and storms. It would be an amazing challenge!

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

Fingers crossed that my dolls and art work will be selling well, my partner and animals will have found that little shack on the coast.

Where can we find you on the internet?(blog, web site, etsy shop, eBay, et al.)

You can find me at...

www.littleartycraftycrow.blogspot.com

www.littleblackcrow.etsy.com

A Dollie Halloween Treasury

A wonderful collection in this treasury by Vanessies of Halloween Dollies.

Facebook Fanpage Photo Feature!

Snow White
Thank you to Denise Derviche for sharing her Snow White doll on ADO's Facebook Fan Page. Denise has a blog in the works, so stay tuned!
Would you like to see your doll featured on ADO's blog? Just participate in one of ADO's challenges, and post your doll picture on ADO's Facebook Fanpage wall, and you may see your doll featured here! You do not need to be a member of ADO to be featured. The Quartery Challenge is Copy the Masters (Inspired by a classic work of art) which runs until the end of December. The MMC Challenge for October is Christmas Nightmares. Hope to see your work soon!

New Work From ADO Members

Hi there, and welcome to another look at work by ADO members. Since Halloween is coming up fast and furious I've decided to concentrate on dolls that are evocative of the holiday...spooky, creepy, or all Hallows cute, you can find all types in these art dolls.

Irmalene, Vampire Showgirl" by Yve Hooson

"Arabella Jane" by Christina Meisolle

"Spooky" by Zan Asha

"La Muerte" by Allegro Melody

"Bloody Mary" by Jade Perez

Enjoy!!