~ E-zine Video Ad ~

The ever-so-talented Grace of Little Black Crow Studio has created a wonderful video to advertise ADO's E-zine which publishes on 28th September.... her brother composed the outstanding music by the way!

~ Treasury Alert ~ x two!

Thanks Kim and Sarah.

New Member Spotlight - Mindy Bush

Happy Sunday morning, ADO readers! Can you believe how fast this week has flown by!?
Today we are shining our new member spotlight on Mindy Bush of Little Bird Artistry.
Mindy is a doll artists from Dallas,Texas who says she loves "the process of creating a piece of art, whether it be a doll, a painting, a drawing, or a sculpture. There’s something about having all my materials around me and playing with them that is exhilarating."
Mindy works primarily in cloth, but also dabbles in paper and polymer clay. The amount of detail she gives each of her pieces is stunning--I can't even begin to imagine how you needle sculpt a face!
Get to know Mindy and check out her serenely beautiful dolls by visiting her Etsy shop and blog.
Welcome to the team, Mindy!

Saturday's WeiRD and wOndERfUl:

Happy Saturday, all you ADO blog followers. Fall is coming on, and with fall comes the Vogue September issue, this years copy is stunning. I devoured it cover to cover and then started over. The clothes, the bags, the shoes! Gorgeous, I highly recommend picking up a copy, very inspiring to me as an art doll artist!

So, I decided to make this post about something that I love. SHOES!!!!! I can't get enough.

The following are some of the most crazy, beautiful things I've ever seen, plus a pair of cowboy boot roller skates that will be mine. Oh yes, they will be mine.

Enjoy!

~ Much ADO Ezine ~ PREVIEW ALERT....

The girls have been working fast and furiously behind the scenes of the upcoming Art Dolls Only Ezine, which publishes on September 28th 2011.

Here is a 10 page preview ~ 

Click on the image below ~

Awesome isn't it?!!

Fall is close... Last Thursday show!

It's still hot in most places, but we can dream that Fall is close... Are you ready?

Features doll makers :
top left
http://spiralstories.blogspot.com

top right
http://homespundolls.blogspot.com

lower left
http://smockerydolls.blogspot.com

lower right
http://littlebirdartistry.blogspot.com

Costumed dolls..whats your favorite era or what period style doll or fashion would you like to re-create?

Facebook Fan Page Photo Feature

Thanks so much to Vanessa Witschi for sharing her sweet mermaid art doll..she is perfect for ADO's Half and Half MMC Theme. Be sure to visit Vanessa's Facebook page by clicking HERE. Also, CLICK HERE to see more of Vanessa's work.

Would you like to maybe see your doll featured on ADO's Facebook page? Just participate in one of our challenges, either the MMC or ADO Quarterly Challenge. Then, post a picture of your Art Doll on ADO's FACEBOOK page. Please note: there is no guarantee that all non-ADO members pictures will be featured on the blog. Thank you so much, and please be sure to keep sharing your pictures on our Facebook page!

~ Treasury Alert ~

New Member Spotlight - Sharron Alexander

It is a beautiful Sunday morning which means it's time for another ADO new member spotlight! Today the spotlight is on doll artist Sharron Alexander. Sharon makes incredibly detailed and realistic polymer clay dolls that are all OOAK and simply amazing. I hope that the peek I give you here will inspire you to go see more of her work because I know you will be as enchanted as I am. You can find more of Sharron's dolls in her Etsy shop and at her Website. Welcome to the ADO team Sharron!

Saturday's WeiRD and wOndERfUl:

"In America, a flapper has always been a giddy, attractive and slightly unconventional young thing who, in [H. L.] Mencken's words, 'was a somewhat foolish girl, full of wild surmises and inclined to revolt against the precepts and admonitions of her elders.'" William and Mary Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins

I've always been in love with the flapper style, and not just the fashion. The slang term flapper is derived from early northern England, to mean teenage girl. "One Whose hair is not yet put up, whose plaited hair flapped down her back."

It was 1920, Women had been granted the right to vote, the line between gender role had been blurred. Women were "letting their hair down," smoking, drinking, and dancing.

Writers and illustrators such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ethel Hays popularized the flapper look and life style through their works. Actresses Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, and Alice Joyce put a face on the striking look!

Clara Bow 1921

Louise Brooks, 1927

Alice Joyce, 1926.

Flappers were attractive, reckless, and independent. My kind of ladies!!

And the clothes, Oh My! Dress waists dropped, hemlines rose, and arms came

Freedom! Freedom!

Fabulous!!!

*Tips & Tricks Friday*

Many people ask me how I learnt to sculpt the pixie faces, here is how = The late Hannie Sarris turorial = 

*Click on the image* 

There are many tutorials to try, by many talented sculptors, but for me, this one I found the easiest.

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

James Corbett.  Car parts sculptor.

~ Work In Progress 4 ADO's 3rd QUARTERLY Challenge ~ MARIONETTES

Want to share your WORK IN PROGRESS? then do get in touch. I'm sure Patricia from Papillon Bleu uk doesn't want to be all alone for long?

This is what Patricia said about her current work ~

"I am currently working on a collection for a beautiful store in London that is specialised in toy theatres and marionettes. I will make 4 dolls and each of them will have an item related to toy theatres and puppets. Here is what I have done so far" 

Looking forward to seeing more!

~ Treasury Alert ~

New Member Spotlight - Emma Whitley

Good Sunday morning, ADO readers!
Today we are shining our New Member Spotlight on Emma Whitley of britpoprose99.
Emma is a native of England who moved to the US as a teenager and after many years in New York, she is currently residing in Georgia.
Emma says she is a self taught artist who has "made cloth dolls and quilts since I was a little girl and have always tinkered with bits and pieces." She says she got into making her lovely faerie dolls about seven years ago and has "never looked back."
Of her process Emma says "My art has led me to interesting people and places, so now I'd like to share my world with you. I rarely know where a piece will lead me. These wee creations can be quite tricky sometimes. I may start off with a destination in mind but end up somewhere completely different and exciting."
Get to know Emma and see her magical fairies by visiting her Etsy shop and website and you can also follow her on twitter.
Welcome to the team, Emma!

Doll Comics

The Adventures of Hereldo Amos Wadsworth

...Steampunk Soldier of Fortune...

Trouble in the Gear Factory....

~Created by Kandra Niagra~

using

~Wee Peeple Doll Constructions~

Special Guest Appearance:

Angela! A Steampunk Doll created by Jade Perez

~~+~~

2011mmc july, Celestial summer nights!

July offers wonderful sky scape for those who love the stars.
Ado members got inspired by celestial bodies or just by the mood summer nights reveal, sometimes with a bit of humour....enjoy!

by Moriah Betterly from MLBetterly

by Donna Cooper from Cooperdolls

By feltoohlala

By Marina from Marinart

By KooKooCraft

By Ann Louise Rasmussen from SolAnn

By Caleigh Milne-Keeley from Daffidolls

Our next minimonthly challenge will be "half and half", don't miss it!

~ Treasury Alert ~

New Member Spotlight- Jesi Ferguson

It's Sunday...so once again time to introduce a newer member of the Art Dolls Only team! Today the spotlight is on Jesi Ferguson of Once Upon a Moon. This is how Jesi describes her creative process, "I open a book inside my head and begin to read; “Once Upon A Moon…” and raw, unbleached flights of fantasy emerge. Some are mischievous and wild like the mountains; others are as dark and mysterious as shadows that dance under a full moon." Isn't that magical? And her work is magical too; combinations of strength and fragility, organic nature and man made, real and fantastical. Please do take a look at more of her work! You can find it in her Etsy shop, her website, her blog, and her Flickr stream. Welcome to the ADO team Jesi!

Saturday's WeiRD and wOndERfUl:

This Saturday's post features an illustrator, Raphael Vicenzi. Raphael is from Brussels, Belgium.

He has been featured in Illustration now ! 3, The Beautiful, The New Age of Feminine Drawing, Computer arts, Advanced Photoshop and many others.

You can see these works and many other at:

http://be.net/mydeadpony

http://mydeadpony.tumblr.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mydeadpony