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

Trunk Doll Challenge

As I shared before I am working on a trunk doll challenge for one of the online doll clubs I belong to.    I wanted to share how the project was going with you.  Originally I found this antique box that I was going to use for the trunk.  

Then, here goes that oh shiny thing again, I found a picture of this beautiful Jenny Lind antique doll trunk on Ruby Lane. 

Of course I had to attempt to replicate it.  Never mind that I have never made any sort of trunk, suitcase, box even before.  Anyway, since I am not familiar at all with woodworking other than all the woodworking dust that travels into my home on my husband from his woodworking shop, I decided to try my hand at making a replica out of a piece of mat board I had lying around.  First I drew patterns for the end pieces and then tried to figure out how to put it together.  After a failed attempt and advice from my woodworking husband I put together this very sorry looking mat board trunk.   

I had planned on putting microfiber suede cloth on to imitate the leather anyway and decided that I would give it a shot and see if covering would camouflage all of its flaws.

  As you can see the top really doesn’t fit the bottom and the trunk needs serious help.  

I will try this project again down the road just because but right now I am considering three other options since the challenge is due at the end of the month.   I am considering using the small antique box that the doll is sitting on for her trunk, using the antique box that I originally chose to use for her trunk, or accepting my husband’s response to my misshapen box.  I think I will go with the later and let him make the trunk out of wood in a size that will actually allow me to put the doll in along with some of her wardrobe and accessories that I will make for her down the road.  Off to JoAnn’s to buy more micro-suede!

If you are looking for a new project I am teaching Mistique online at A for Artistic starting September 29, 2015.  Click on the following link if you are interested in more information on the class.

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

Flower Fairies

I always enjoy having my tea out on the screened in porch during the warm weather months.  During the past few mornings the air is starting to show the signs of Autumn’s approach with the cool crisp mornings and colors of fall beginning to appear.  I love all of the seasons and live where they can all be enjoyed. But, the end of summer always leaves a slightly melancholy feel.  A wish to extend the summer warmth and sun lingers into the fall until the colors become so vibrant and the air so crisp that all there is left to do is but embrace Autumn’s spectacular arrival.  And with these feelings I started to work on this project of flower fairies.  Maybe it’s my way of prolonging the beauty of the summer flowers along with the embrace of the approaching change of seasons.  I have more beading to do, hair to add, and headdresses to create.  Check back in from time to time and I will keep you posted on how they turn out.

If you are looking for a new project to do I will be teaching an online class, Mistique, on A for Artistic starting September 29^, 2015.  You can find out more about it by clicking on this link.
http://www.aforartistic.com/classes/open-classes/mistique-cloth-ball-jointed-doll-with-marla-niederer.html

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

How to keep an Osprey from making a nest on your solar panels

I woke up to a beautiful morning today and went for an early walk before the day became too warm.  On my walk back home I noticed an Osprey perched on the roof of our barn.  In the past few years more and more Ospreys have been making their home in our area and we have a nest a short distance from our house.  I enjoy watching them and having them close by.  But, I really don’t want them nesting on top of our solar panels which are on top of the roof of our barn. 

After my walk I typically enjoy my tea on the screened in porch during the warm weather months and I did the same today.  The Osprey didn’t move from its position on the top of the roof the entire time.  After having my tea I asked my husband what we need to do if it made a nest there.  He wasn’t quite sure but I hoped there was something to do to gently discourage it.  Now since it was still beautiful I went out again on the screened in porch to do a little doll making and yes the Osprey was still perched on top of the barn roof.  So I got my camera.  I have tried several times over the years to get a good picture of one of the Ospreys and had been unsuccessful so I thought now might be a good opportunity.  Well, as soon as I took a couple of quick pictures the Osprey flew off.  I couldn’t get one of it flying away but learned a new lesson on how to discourage Ospreys from nesting on your roof, take out your camera!  

The Eyes Have it

I recently read Lisa Lichtenfel’s article on eyes in the current edition of Art Doll Quarterly and was so inspired that I have been working on painting my own doll eyes on glass pearls for the past few days.  I didn’t paint them quite like she did and will be experimenting on how to insert them since I don’t use a Styrofoam base for my needle sculpted doll heads.  Not sure quite how I will do it yet but it will come to me when I get ready to put them in.  If not, there just will be a few more heads entering the dead head pile.  Hope you are having fun creating something new!

It’s not too late to sign up for Poinsettia, a Christmas in July class that I am teaching on A for Artistic.  If you would like more information on the class just click on the link below.

http://www.aforartistic.com/christmas-in-july-poinsettia-with-marla-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html