Custom Wedding Topper

I have been busy working away on a custom wedding topper for Giselle and Timothy’s wedding and just shipped it off to them yesterday. 

It was soooo much fun to make!  I thought you might enjoy some pictures of the topper and the happy couple.

Warm hugs,

Marla

P.S.  If you are vacationing in the Thousand Islands region of New York State be sure to stop in to the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton NY where you can see a few of my Flower Faeries and a Mermaid Broach on display.  Or better yet, join me in the live class I will be teaching on Friday August 5^th on how to paint and embellish your own Mermaid Broach! 

For more information contact 

Marcia Rogers  at    315-686-4123 ex: 203

Or send her an E-mail by clicking on the following link

  marcia@tiartscenter.org

For more information about the Thousand Islands Arts Center you can click on the following link

http://www.tiartscenter.org/index.php

Ball Jointed Cloth Dolls

This week I have been working out some new designs for ball jointed cloth dolls.  I have been trying out some new techniques for attaching the arms to the shoulders and new hand designs.  I thought I would give you a sneak peek by sharing some pictures with you.  I will be sharing these techniques in my future classes. 

If you would like to take an online class now I am currently teaching a class on how to make a ball jointed cloth doll on A for Artistic.  

If you would like to learn more or would like to sign up just click on the following link.

http://www.aforartistic.com/bridgette-with-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html 

I am also teaching Mermaid Broach, a live class, in Clayton NY at the Thousand Islands Arts Center.  The class is offered later this month and again in August.  If you would like more information about the class and or to sign up you can send Marcia Roberts an E-mail

marcia@tiartscenter.org

Or give her a phone call at 315-686-4123 Ext. 203

Ball Jointed Cloth Doll

If you would like to create a ball jointed cloth doll the Bridgette online class is now open on A for Artistic.

In the class that I teach you will learn how to needle sculpt a cloth doll head, hands, and feet.  In addition you will learn how to create a ball jointed cloth doll with a cloth facial overlay. 

If that isn’t enough, instruction on utilizing watercolors to create skin tone and facial coloration, needle felting a hairdo, and elaborate costuming instruction are all included in the class.  

If you wish to find out more or to sign up for the class just click on the following link to A for Artistic.  Hope to see you in class!

http://www.aforartistic.com/bridgette-with-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

One More Lady in Red

I dressed a second French Mignonette inspired ball jointed cloth art doll this week while working on the finishing touches for the first one.  I will be bringing both dolls to the Quinlan Artist Doll and Teddy Bear Weekend Event in Philadelphia on May 1st for my sales table.   If you are in the neighborhood pop in to say hello, or better yet sign up for the convention and spend the entire weekend with all of your doll and teddy bear friends!

I am also teaching a class at the event on Friday April 29^th.  

There are still a few slots open if you are interested in learning how I use watercolors for skin tone and facial coloration on needle sculpted cloth dolls.  You can find out more about the weekend event and how to sign up by clicking on the following link

http://www.quinlanmuseum.com/convention/

If you prefer to take doll making classes in the comfort of your own home I am teaching Bridgette, a ball jointed cloth doll on A for Artistic starting on May 25. 

You can find out more information on the class and how to sign up by clicking on the following link

http://www.aforartistic.com/bridgette-with-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

If you are planning on spending any time this summer in the romantic Thousand Islands Region (which I highly recommend for vacations) I will teaching two different sessions this summer at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton NY on the use of watercolors for skin tone and facial coloration on needle sculpted cloth dolls.

You can find out more about the class by clicking on  the following link to download their summer schedule

http://www.tiartscenter.org/

Or you could send Marcia Roberts an E-mail

marcia@tiartscenter.org

Or give her a phone call at 315-686-4123 Ext: 203

Miranda the Mermaid

I just wanted to share what is on my worktable this week.  Miranda the Mermaid is a needle sculpted mermaid painted with watercolors and hand beaded. 

She will be on my sales table at the Quinlan Philadelphia Artist Doll and Teddy Bear Weekend Event.  I will also be teaching a live class on how to use watercolors on a needle sculpted cloth doll for skin tone and facial coloration at the event with a very limited number of spaces for students.  

If you are interested in joining me there sign up soon to insure your spot.  You can find out more about the event by clicking on the following link.

http://www.quinlanmuseum.com/convention/

Sometimes You Just can’t Make One

Once I design a doll I usually only make one unless I need to make an additional one for photos for one of my online classes.  But the Flower Faeries I have designed have been so much fun to make that I recently finished another one.  I know it’s time to move on to my next project but just wanted to share the photo of the four of the ones I made. 

 I am teaching an online class on how to make them on A for Artistic starting February 10^th 2016.  If you would like more info on the class click on the following link.

http://www.aforartistic.com/flower-fairies-with-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

Newest Creations

I just wanted to share with you my progress on the flower fairies I have been working on.  As you can tell I have definitely been inspired by the beautiful colors of this fall and all that shines.  Each Fairy is needle-sculpted cloth that is hand painted with watercolors and embellished with hand beading.  I am still working on another one but taking time to photograph each process step by step so I can share how to create them in a future online class.  Hope you like them :-)

Inspiration for Mistique

I just thought I would share what inspired me to create Mistique, a cloth needle-sculpted ball jointed boudoir doll.  My greatest inspirations for Mistique were the beautiful Lenci boudoir dolls.  I have loved them forever.  The Strong Musuem of Play in Rochester NY has a very extensive doll collection and also has a wonderful online collection.  These are some pictures of the Lenci dolls I fell in love with in their online collection.  

You can click on the link to see more of their online collections here

http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/

When I started out making my own dolls I imitated the child like Lenci dolls and covered bought face masks with felt.  As I progressed in my doll making I became influenced by Antoinette Cely and started creating my own clay masks that I used cloth overlays on after reading her book on Cloth Dollmaking.  You can see a tutorial on Youtube that Antoinette Cely shared on facial coloration by clicking on this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mYsySdn8qA

After creating dolls with cloth covered face masks I became intrigued with Needle-sculpting.  I had always taught myself all of my doll making by reading books and just figuring it out but learning how to needle sculpt took quite a large dead head pile before I liked the results. Until  I met Peggy Wilson at a doll maker’s retreat where she took pity on me during my needle sculpting attempts, sat me down, gave me one of her doll heads, and had me needle sculpt a head with her.    My dead head pile grew but I caught on and have been needle sculpting my doll heads ever since.

I needle sculpted Mistique’s swivel head and incorporated ball joints at her elbows and knees.  I then took inspiration from Marie Antoinette for her costume.  She was soooooo much fun to create.  I am currently teaching a class on how to make her on A for Artistic.

  It’s not too late to sign up.  If you would like more information about the class just click on the following link.

http://www.aforartistic.com/mistique-cloth-ball-jointed-doll-with-marla-niederer.html

Happy dollmaking J

Artistic ADD or What have you been working on lately?

This summer I have been suffering from Artistic ADD.  It seems like I have been trying to work on a multitude of projects at one time and keep getting new ideas for more.  Then I have to chase the shiny new idea down the rabbit hole again!  Do you ever run into the same thing?  Anyway, I have been working on a garden sprite, created a sleeping mermaid, played around with new techniques for making and inserting eyes, worked on developing a few new patterns for cloth ball jointed dolls, and have been working on a challenge for one of the online forums I belong to.  On top of that I created and just finished teaching Poinsettia, an online class on A for Artistic and am working on getting ready to teach another online class called Mistique on A for Artistic starting on September 29^th.   Reminds me of the old expression, “No rest for the Wicked!”  I thought I might share a few pictures of the ball jointed dolls I have been working on and the antique box I will be making into a doll trunk.  Hope you are having as much creative fun as I am :-)  And yes I will be creating heads for the dolls sitting on the antique box!

If you are interested in finding out more about the online class Mistique that I will be teaching on A for Artistic just click on the following link.

http://www.aforartistic.com/mistique-cloth-ball-jointed-doll-with-marla-niederer.html

Class at Quinlan Show

I just wanted to share some pictures taken at the Quinlan Artist Doll and Teddy Bear Convention in Philadelphia where I had the pleasure of teaching a class on how to needle sculpt a cloth doll head and how to use watercolors for skin tone and facial coloration.  

It was an absolutely wonderful experience.  The class was a lot of fun to teach. The convention is a wonderful setting to meet other artists and make lots of new friends.  I hope you join me in attending the convention next year!