☞ A Pictorial Scrapbook for Steampunk outfit ideas... ☜

I've had a few ideas for making a Steampunkeque costume for one or more of my dolls, but first I've decided to use this page as a kind of scrapbook to collect all the images I find that I think I could work with or inspire me in some way and that way they'll all be in one place so I can refer back to them at a later date, well it sounds like a plan to me anyway... if however, you find the idea boring, feel free to skip ahead!

First up, some leather gauntlets from 5 different angles, which is always handy, anyhoo, they might work and wouldn't be too hard to make... And may look good with an Aviator type costume...

☃ Higglety Pigglety Postings ... ☃

Just in case you're wondering why my posting subjects seem to be a bit all over the place right now, well it's because I have been guilty - very guilty - of saving images or listings and half written posts, which I just haven't had a chance to finish off and publish for months - eeek!

Today, I decided I'd do a proper "sweep" of all my drafts and finish the ones I want to get out and maybe even delete some other or double posts etc.- I really hate double posts, sadly it's something I do though as I often forget what I've been doing ho hum!

Anyhoo, so that's why there's some seemingly sporadic postings and perhaps even a lot on one theme or themes on totally different ends of the doll / toy / other things I love spectrum.

hopefully, you won't mind too much, or will perhaps even find some things of  interest among my postal scribblings!

Little Ruby Red Head Art Doll & Jack Skeleton Too!

Several months ago on Evil-Ebay again, I happened upon a seller who sold dolls she made, these two caught my eye.  

I've been thinking of making my own unique doll for some time now, not just adapting a Barbie or similar type doll or making a rag type doll, actually moulding and shaping the pieces myself and then putting it all together (I'd like it to be ball jointed and strung) but of course this is the type of project that requires a hell of a lot of thought and research before I'd even feel comfortable getting to the design stage.

While I was not even considering these ideas when I discovered these little sweeties they really did appeal to me and give me a few ideas of my own for what kind of materials I could use in order to bring my dream doll  to life!

Right now I'm not even sure mine would be a "Gothic" type, although this style does appeal to me very much, for now though, I've decided that as I missed the auction listings for these two - (I had originally copied and pasted these to this post, but run out of time being sidetracked to blog about them in time before the listings ended) - Now the seller has nothing else on Ebay, but as these listings originally included facebook pages etc, I'll include them at the bottom of this post - I'd still write a few words about them and put up the pictures (taken from the listings) as it is helpful for me to be able to refer back to them at a later date, and so to the dolls themselves...

The first one I found was listed as: Little Ruby Red Head The Sugar Skull Dia De Los Muertos Day Of The Dead Art Doll. All The information about the dolls has been taken from the listings (copied and pasted) and therefore I have chosen to differentiate between my own words and the Seller's by using italics and quotation marks to illustrate her words.

"Little Ruby Red Head is a proper little Diva. 

She once whispered that she wanted to be a Rock Chic and play the guitar in a band. She certainly looks the part with her vibrant Red hair, Rockabilly netted skirt & Black pvc cap. 

She is hand crafted, no moulds & hand painted with with acrylics & varnished. Her little skirt is so cute with Alexander Henry material Roses & skulls with Black net underneath. Her hands and legs move. 

She is a total one off and totally adorable in every way with the sweetest facial features.

I love the Mexican festival and the beautiful way that skulls are painted in honour of the dead & Ruby is designed in this style.

Little Ruby Red Head is made from reclaimed, recycled, Haberdashery & ribbon. Her shabby chic hand stitched tatty features are all part of her adorable charm.

Please note that Little Ruby Red Red Head is not a toy. She may not be suitable for children due to small parts, buttons, etc...She needs a loving caring home but also someone with a gentle touch.

8" high approx.

**** Ruby is a one of a kind unique art doll. She comes with her own little signed birth cirtificate & keep sake box. ****

Ruby is made from reclaimed, recycled, rags, ribbon & clothes. Her shabby chic hand stitched tatty features are all part of her adorable charm & junkbabies design.

Please note that Ruby may not be suitable for smaller children due to small parts, buttons, etc... She needs a loving caring home but also someone with a gentle touch.

£57.00 + £8.00 P&P" The second one was listed as Jack Skeleton Art Doll (as far as I can remember anyway!)  And his picture and description, is as follows: "Jack Skeleton is a skeleton with a huge heart. I designed him from haberdashery items, felt and Polymer Clay  and he is fantastic. His hand painted face gives him a cheeky expression. He has a adorable charm.  His arms and legs are movable so he can sit next to you while you read him spooky stories.  As with all the dolls he is unique a total one off. Jack Skeleton is made from reclaimed, recycled, rags, & clothes the way all Junkbaby dolls are designed. Please note that * Jack Skeleton * may not be suitable for smaller children due to small parts, buttons, etc...  He needs a loving caring home but also someone with a gentle touch. approx 19" High. Hard head & hands. His tummy, Legs & arms are soft & floppy He is one of a kind design. Handcrafted & Handpainted. **** Jack is a one of a kind unique art doll.  He comes with his own little signed birth cirtificate & keep sake box **** Jack is made from reclaimed, recycled, rags, riibon & clothes.  His shabby chic hand stitched tatty features are all part of her adorable charm & junkbabies design. £45.00 + £15.00 P&P" Information and possibly other dolls (if I recall correctly, they are all "One of a Kind") .. can be found by following the links provided by the Seller (in the listings) below: http://www.facebook.com/Ecobabes You will find anything Rockabilly, Tattoo Quirky or Statement but if your looking for more than visit OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ALL INFO on all my designs. MORE INFO ON ECOBABES

• Maromisa • Gets Hair • A Face Up • And A New Obsession •

... And I learn how to make Tibetan lambswool Wigs for Hujoo girls!

I finally got around to making Maromisa a wig with some Tibetan Lambswool plates I bought recently - the only problem is that the skins weren't quite big enough, and I had to sew them together - so I ended up making her a maquette instead!

I don't mind though as it's all good practice and it was a lot easier than I imagined it would be from all the tutorials I'd been reading, the method I finally went for was a tutorial by Martha Boers (Antique Lilac) which you can find by clicking this link: Antique Lilac- Tibetan Lambskin Wigs Tutorial

 I first discovered this amazingly talented lady's work in an Adele's Creative Costuming Newsletter a few years ago, when her "Country Ruffles" BJD dress pattern and Tutorial was featured one month - if that sounds intriguing, click this link to check it out: Antique Lilac - Country Ruffles Pattern - I'll be adapting this pattern to fit one of my girls very soon, once I've found some really cute fabrics to make it out of, and no doubt showing it off somewhere on this blog too...

Martha Boer's website and Blog contains a wealth of information and ideas, has very easy to follow tutorials for some easy to adapt cute and impressive looking outfits, which look like they should be much harder to make than they are - and she has gorgeous dolls of her own to ogle too, it's well worth a look or a bookmark or two or three!

Anyhoo, Maromisa's wig - well sadly my printer's out of ink again ( it's a guzzler that costs loads to refill each time!) so I couldn't print off the pattern and had to make my own, using a jpg of  Martha's as a guide, I then made a wig cap out of linen (I have no felt right now), as a "tester piece" and used this to make any alteration I felt should be made.

Testing her new hair and a Blythe dress

When I was happy with the fit, I cut the skin with my trusty scalpel and a lot of trepidation and set to work sewing the pieces together, it was surprisingly easy ... Until it came to "Try it on Time" then it got really tricky!

The trouble was, I found that I'd somehow made it too big, and try as I might sewing and resewing the seams  a little at a time to bring them in, it just didn't seem to be getting any smaller?

Then came a new problem, all that seam resewing had caused the pre cut ear areas to move - nagdabbit!

And so I now had to work out how to cut or shape these areas on a head shaped wig as there was no way after all that sewing, I was going to unpick it; my fingers hurt :(

I managed to sort this with tiny snips and sewing, but afterwards found the wig is somehow bigger than before?  I know it's madness!! 

And so it moves about quite a bit now and will need to be secured somehow for more "athletic" or "motion" style poses, however, I'm not unhappy with it as it looks pretty good considering that only an hour or so before it was a flat piece of lamb skin with fleece attached to it, and as Aaron told me "It's not a total failure, as you've learnt so much making it"! 

He's right too, I now feel much more confident than I did before I started about making this kind of wig, and I'm sure that now I know a few of the pitfalls to expect I can counteract them during the planning stages, so the next wig I make will be just right, and this one will be good to keep for another doll at another time - it's a shame though as I wanted her to have black hair and the only black Tibetan Lambswool skin I could find was around 5 inches square.

 I bought 3 - not really knowing how much I would need at all, but next time I will be wiser, the only problem is I don't have any more of it left, well not enough for a head her size... So I may have to make her a Chocolate Brown one instead - it's a lovely colour though and I do have plenty of it so I shouldn't complain. 

Maromisa has decided she wants to be Barbarella when she grows up and so I now have no chance of getting her to take off this outfit, especially the "Moon boots" she's mad about them and has been trekking mud and snow all over the house since she put them on - I knew no good would come of  letting them watch that film *sigh* 

I only did so they'd stay quiet while I started writing this post, more fool me I guess!

I gave her new lashes, those gorgeous amber eyes,  some eye liner and some subtle lip gloss, (which oddly has come out in these photos as being orangey when it's actually light brown?) some blush and I matted her face with Mr. Super clear.

I had to clip it back, because the more I fiddled with it, the more unruly it become! 

Still Hello Kitty clips are cute - I'm just not sure how they fit in with the "Barbarella" theme though, but Maromisa insisted on them!

I managed to get Maromisa, Akimoto & Ae Sook Aiko to sit still long enough for a "family Portrait"!

Wow that was a lucky shot - sadly though less than 5 minutes later they were all running about like mad things...

Ae sook is pretending to be an evil biting doll so everyone's ( dogs included ) ankles are in peril.

Akimoto is currently pursuing Maromisa and yelling at her to "Come back so I can feed you to the Mathmos".

Maromisa is running here there and everywhere, jumping on and off of furniture and berating him, "You're Supposed to be Pygar and to come and rescue me - Durand Durand is invisible, Silly"!

Akimoto thinks Pygar is soppy, and Ae sook is still trying to chew everything she comes into contact with...

I have a feeling it will all end in tears very soon, no doubt with Ae sook in a tiny sleeping ball in some corner, while the other two bicker to the point where I have to get involved... "Kids.. tsk"!

Hope your day is quieter,