New Eye Technique

I am always trying to develop new and better techniques with my doll making so that my art reflects more of what is in my mind.  I haven’t been satisfied with the eyes I have been making on my needle sculpted dolls and have been contemplating the subject for quite some time.  Last spring I came up with a way to cover a wooden bead with cloth and insert it into the needle sculpted head.  It was a pretty cool technique but it just didn’t hit the mark of what I saw in my head when I looked at the finished dolls.  So I set the idea aside until quite recently when a new idea just popped into my head.  The eyes on this doll are completely needle sculpted in cloth. I may play with it a bit more before teaching the technique in one of my classes. 

If you are interested in taking a needle sculpting class I am currently teaching my online Flower Faeries class on AforArtistic.  To find out more information and to sign up for it click on the following link to AforArtistic
http://www.aforartistic.com/flower-fairies-with-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

Watercolor Painting

I have been playing with watercolors over the past few days.  I love to use watercolors to create skin tone and facial coloration on the cloth dolls I create so I wanted to share what is on my worktable now.

If you are interested in learning how to use watercolors to create skin tone and facial coloration I will be teaching this process in a few of my upcoming classes.  Just click on the tab above to go to my workshops and events page to find out more.

Quite a few years ago I was fascinated with wedding cake toppers and created a few.   My fascination with wedding cake toppers has returned and I have been working on a few of them again.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Here are a few pictures of wedding cake toppers I have created in the past. I custom made the toppers with dresses that matched the dresses the brides wore.  They were lots of fun to create!

What to do when you no longer can read the news?

I don’t want to keep my head down in the sand so I do try to keep informed by reading the news.  But sometimes, when there is so much negativity in the news, so many things out of the typical individuals’ control, I just have to focus on something else, something that is pleasant, peaceful, engaging.  Something that will bring a smile to someone’s face including my own.  So what do you do when you can no longer read the news?  You create more Flower Faeries, that’s what you do!   

I have been happily working away on my third Flower Faerie the past few days.  Even though I have used the same pattern and techniques to create each one, they all are a little different, as if each one has their own little personality.  If you want to join me in on the fun I will be teaching a class online on AforArtistic in February on how to create your own little Flower Faeries.  So put a gift certificate for A for Artistic on your wish list this holiday season. If you would like to purchase a gift certificate you can click on the link below to A for Artistic

http://www.aforartistic.com/