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Gothic Bed Work Continues

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Work on the gothic bed for the Insomnia project continues. Last week I made a cover for the comforter from beautiful antique lace. It’s nowhere near finished. Right now it’s too stiff and I need to weigh it down in the corners with some beads, or something, to make it drape naturally around the bed.

I wanted to make the bedding look and feel very comforting and cozy, to contrast it with the inability to sleep in even the most soothing environment for those suffering from insomnia and anxiety.

Right now my beloved personal doll Skyler is testing this bed, but I plan to make an insomniac doll for it once the bed is complete. Thank you for contributing your thoughts and opinions on the type of sleeping gown she should wear. 🙏 It’s all under consideration. Stay tuned. The work continues.

Time to Open the Molds

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It’s time to open my molds, and see how the parts turned out.

This process, takes place about 2 hours after casting. Plaster molds absorb the water from the slip, and the doll parts harden, shrink, and detach themselves from the molds.

In this stage, the parts are fragile like eggshells, so I have to hold them with a feather touch, or they will get crushed.

I open the molds one at a time, and work quickly to cut away the sprues, open up sealed cavities with a scalpel, and pierce holes for the pins with drill bits.

 



Once exposed to the air, the parts start drying quickly, so time is of the essence here.

But despite the need for speed, I find this to be the most relaxing and enjoyable part of the whole process, because at this point, I don’t need to worry flawless execution. That will come later, but for now, without the pressure of perfection, or the need for extreme concentration, I can just enjoy the flow of my work and get lost in the process.

Engraving Process

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How the lace lingerie engraving started, from sketching pencil lines on the doll's torso to starting the engraving. No turning back once the needle carves the porcelain, much like an ink tattoo on skin. I have put many many more hours into this project since this video, and i can't wait to show the rest of the design. Stay tuned for more clips of the process!