PAPER CLAY DOLLS

These little pearl dolls are my new passion, primitive, paper clay and lots of coats of paint

They will be Faerie Kids, dressed in cute little outfits, with colorful yarn hair, tissue paper wings

Got to go back to work, lots of new dolls coming soon from Twigs Faerie Land Studio

MEMORIES OF ST. PATTY'S DAY

I belong to this fabulous group of artists ADO, artdollsonly.blogspot.com

Every month they have a mini monthly challenge, and this month GREEN was the inspiration

I made a hand dyed faerie in shades of green. She has Angelina fiber collage wings.

St. Patty's Day always brings back fond memories of my home town Chicago. St. Patty's Day is a huge event. The River is dyed bright green, the smell of corn beef and cabbage is everywhere, and creamy potato soup with a side of green beer. The great parade down State Street, and the wearing of the green. This is one of my favorite windy city holidays, feeling a little home sick, I gazed out the window and saw a green fairy-bird whistling a tune. This brought a smile to my face. A gentle tapping on the window, and a Green Sprite dancing a Irish Jig!

I may miss Chicago, but I love Florida, where all my little friends live!

FAERIE RING DANCERS

A sure sign of Spring is when the Faerie Ring Dancers start dancing around the garden statues.

Sprinkling faerie seeds, to make everything grow green. The weather here has been warm and the farm animals behind my house have been singing every evening at sunset. The Summer song, I don't want to come in yet!

These four little Faeries will debut on Esty, Saturday, March 14th.

ADO SHAKESPEARE CHALLENGE

I'm a proud member of ADO art dolls only, a online doll club of amazing artists

This Challenge is, make a doll from one of the characters in a Shakespeare play.

I choose Midsummer Night's Dream

I made several, and have a few more in the works

Nick Bottom, the Weaver and Puck who cast a spell, giving Bottom a Donkey head

Queen of the Faeries, Titania

Who while sleeping was given a love potion, when she awoke the first person she sees, she will fall madly in love with, Bottom becomes the Queens lover.

I will post the rest of the cast in a few days, attending faeries to the Queen

Peaseblossom, Cobway, Mustardseed, Moth

TEA WITH FAERIES

This morning was a clear, sunny, crisp beginning to a new day, it smells of Spring. I sat sipping morning tea, when in through the open window fluttered colorful tiny faeries. They settled on the window sill sunning themselves.

Their whispers sounded like chirping baby birds, I listened to the chirping, it was all about the French Faeries that were coming for a big party, bubbly champagne and sweet cakes!

Suddenly a black swoosh in the air, the Kitchen Witches had spotted the tiny faeries and were hoping to add a few to the green mouse stew.

A Norwegian Kitchen is not a safe place for such tiny faeries.

Chickadee bird chirped come with me, you will be safe and warm here in the crystals in the sky.

I expect lots of visitors this month, because the grand French Faeries will be here soon.

Must hurry off now, and make ready the house warm and charming for my guests.

PRIMITIVE DOLLS & FOLK ART

I am crazy about primitive dolls, these dolls are serene and tranquil, nothing fussie or fro-fro.
Just beautiful dyed cottons, with button eyes, I dream of making dolls like these.

But I love feathers, and sparkles more, and can never stop.

I made this mermaid from white muslin, she is has no face, her tail is sun-dyed cotton, but I felt she needed lots of pearls. This is probably the plainest doll I ever made, and it took great restraint. I have an eccentric nature, I believe dolls can never have enough sparkles.

When I was a teenager, I would come down to breakfast in the morning, to set off into the city.

My mother would look at my outfit and say, "Its Halloween everyday"

So I have always had a problem with clothing or objects not having enough pazazz!

This is Autumn, she started out as a primitive doll, hand dyed, jointed with buttons, but somewhere along the line embellishments got out of hand.

My latest clay dolls, tiny tea cup faeries, are primitive. Paper clay, attached with ribbons, painted in pale paint and pearl topcoat. But they haven't been dressed yet, and as I'm trying to enjoy them in this plain state, it won't last. Sparkle tulle, and colorful netting will make adorable little frocks.

I hold these little darlings in my hand and hope for restraint, I look over at the Tree Dweller perched on my table, shaking her feathered head, she says "Forget About It"

MY STUDIO

My Studio is a converted Florida Room, I had french doors and side lights put up to close it in, and Mr. Miami can see me from the living room when he is watching t.v.

It is pretty new, just 3yrs old, and well organized to a point where I can't find anything.

I don't have a lot of stuff for a fiber artist, that is because I use to live on a Sail Boat, and there is not a whole lot of space for anything, living aboard it is just essentials. So I have learned to live with less.

But I love my Studio it has windows all around, and it is a beautiful shade of blue, I don't really need curtains, since I'm on the back of a farm. I have essentials, big leather chair, t.v. music, and lots of faeries floating about.

I also have a out door space for painting and playing with clay. The weather is pretty good here year round so, I can do a lot outside, and listening to the birds.

I feel blessed to finally live in a house out in the country, where it is so peaceful and quiet!

PLAYING WITH CLAY

Recently I joined this great doll club, ADO, check it out artdollsonly.blogspot.com

I've met wonderful serious art doll makers, lots of clay artists.

Seeing all this wonderful art, has inspired me to pick up some paper clay and mush it around.

I love primitive dolls, and made it easy by just rolling sticks and balls, and made this lovely little Tea Cup Fairy, she is joined together with ribbons. She is happy sitting in the morning sun, while I have my tea.

Thinking this isn't so hard, I made fabric sculptures and covered them with clay, smoothing seems to be difficult for me.

The mermaids are soft sculpture covered in clay

I than made clay bodies, heads, arms, and attached the arms with ribbon, added a stuffed tail

Green Pond Mermaids

These faeries are fabric sculpture covered in clay

I find clay interesting to work with, and it is fun to play with another medium, and I spent a couple afternoons laughing at my goofy faces. But I think I will stick to thread and needle, after all it is my comfort zone!

OWOH ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS!

A pink moon over the Gypsy Caravan Campsite, cast a beautiful light over a party of singing and dancing, the last night of the great journey. The campfires were flickering and tambourines tinkling so much merriment, through this dreamy haze I heard the trumpet.

It was Valentine Bunny waking me up from my wonderful Gypsy dream, today is the day!

Get up, we have to announce the winners, the Country Faeries are ready to go!

The faeries crowed around the Peter Pan Hat, Spice Devil rode in on a alligator, who tried to take a bite out of the hat.

Taking care not to get bitten! Mr. Miami, pulled three names from the Magical Hat

The winners are:

Kate -- shiborigirl.blogspot.com

Catherine -- rieder@clunet.edu

Joanne Huffman -- thiemehuffman@yahoo.com

I will e-mail you all, congratulations, send me your address and I will pack up a Country Faerie

and send her to her new home

merfaerie@gmail.com

But wait, Mr Miami has to pull one more name from the Pan Hat, Spice Devil is going to live in a new house, she is excited about causing mischief somewhere new!

And Spice Devil is going to:

Caroline -- carolinescrafts@gmail.com

Send me your address

merfaerie@gmail.com

Better get a cage ready, Spice is a handful

Everyone has 7 days to contact me

Congrads to everyone, and a big thank you to everyone who entered my give-away.

Please come back and visit Central Florida, I will be having a big French Champagne Party this Spring, lots of interesting characters have been invited, also a beautiful little french faerie will be given away.

BE HAPPY MAKE DOLLS

COUNTRY FAERIES ARE PATIENTLY WAITING

Today I noticed the three Country Faeries sitting outside my window, lined up in a row on the farm posts.

We are waiting for the OWOH Give-away, we are excited can't wait to see what adventure awaits, the three little faeries sang out to me!

Two more days and Mr. Miami will pull three names from the Peter Pan Hat!

The comments on my OWOH blog will be closed Weds. the 11th at Noon Florida time.

I want to thank everyone for visiting Central Florida, and all the great comments on my blog.

This has been a wonderful event, and I am looking forward to having more give-aways in the Spring, from my French Champagne Party "Oui La La" a Marie Antoinette inspired collection of dolls.

Also, I will be pulling one more name, for this little Valentine Spice Stinker,

because the devil made me do it!

I'll be making my announcement of all four winners Thurs. 12th

BE HAPPY MAKE DOLLS