I wanted to begin this post by thanking you guys for all your emotional support and good vibes in my post-surgery recovery. Your concern is like a pain-killer for my busted knee. Thank you for being there for me. I feel so lucky to have your love.
Read More
From time to time I have the pleasure of repairing a broken porcelain part, but this week I had to get repaired, because I broke myself!
I had arthroscopic knee surgery, and at such an inopportune time too, because I only have 48 hours left to finish Madame de Pompadour's photoshoot. She needs to ship out to Hong Kong on Monday. I know I should feel more stressed out, panicked even, about being incapacitated right before a hard deadline, but as it turns out the pain meds they have me on are pretty strong, so all I can muster is a mild, detached concern. I hope I don't have a heart attack tomorrow once my meds wear off and I can grasp the concept of time again.
The good news is that I've been discharged from the hospital to recover at home, so all is not lost yet. I'll direct the photoshoot from the wheel chair - Frida Khalo style. If she could make art and attend her show opening from her own bed, I can certainly manage to take some pictures from a chair, with a few stitches in my knee.
I have a feeling it's all going work out OK. But then again, it might be just the meds talking. We'll see Tuesday.
This doll is some piece of work....and not in the most positive way right now. She's been trying my skills and pushing the outer boundaries of my patience
Read MoreHaving been blessed with a good eyesight (thanks dad!), I'd always scoffed at the idea of working under magnification, even though I suspected it would have been helpful for the small scale of my dolls.
Read MoreAttention Enchanted Doll collectors - this doll will be auctioned off on May 13th - 16th, 2016! More details will be posted with more progress shots in the upcoming days and weeks. Get ready!
Read MoreTattooing, I mean engraving, the last arm of my Marquise de Pompadour doll. Whew... Judging by the number of months it took me to finish tattooing this doll, one would be forgiven for thinking she has a couple dozen of them arms.
Read More
Just got this in the mail from the Swedish publisher of The Lunar Chronicles book series, authored by Marissa Meyer! I think they look great! Cress is probably my favourite of the three in this context, but they are all very lovely. I hope Marissa likes them too.
The Lunar Chronicles is a series of young adult fantasy novels - they are our most treasured fairy tales, with our favourite heroines, retold and set in the future. I think the concept is pretty cool. Revisionist fairy tales are my absolute favourite!
This isn't the first time an Enchanted Doll has made the cover of Marissa's books, the first Cinderella was on the Spanish version of "Cinder".
I've been running tests on my new china paints for the last couple of weeks, and I'm almost done!
Read MoreHey there Doll Collectors! An old year is ending and a brand New one is about to begin!
Read MoreI'd noticed that you guys were curious about the Spinal Pendant I wore in my short, glass-engraving video, so I thought that perhaps you'd enjoy knowing more about it.
Read MoreDid you guys say you wanted to see a doll in this box? Well, you ask and I deliver. Enjoy!
Read MoreI've spent the last week brushing up on my glass-working skills by making a practice display box. It turned out with a decidedly Victorian flair
Read MoreI'm an urban, high-rise apartment dweller. My living-working-gardening space is limited. Some people have breakfast nooks or solariums next to their kitchens, but my breakfast nook is a Machine Room
Read MoreHey fellow Vancouverites! My large doll Glorianna is going to be on display in down town Vancouver, Monday, Sept 21st
Read More
Hola doll lovers! You may or may not have noticed, but this summer I literally put doll-making on a shelf and left it there for 3 months.
This little favourite of mine has been sitting on this shelf in her fancy Chinoiserie house robe for 2 months, with no one but a tin fish-pet for company. My lovely Pilea plant demonstrates the time's passage quite well, as it gradually swallows her up with its growing juicy foliage. Another month in this spot, and she'll disappear from view!
There have been some rumblings of discontent and a growing restlessness at my prolonged absence and 'abandonment', but I really needed this time off due to a quite severe burn out. I love making dolls, but that is not the only thing I love doing. There are numerous non-doll art projects that have been simmering on my back burner for several years because dolls always took priority. It got to the point where I could no longer paint another doll eyelash or sew another bead on yet another doll dress without feeling sad and resentful and pressured by expectations.
So, this summer of 2015 was my creative break from dolls and my indulgence in other art forms. I built furniture! I designed interiors! I reorganized and cataloged all my beads and began renovating my art studio. I delved into horticulture! I went on wilderness adventures! I hung out with friends, sometimes in the wilderness. I took (and passed) a swift river rescue certification course in Montana! I even ordered a colouring book on Amazon (Secret Garden by Johanna Basford) and spent days laying in the grass, sipping cold beer and blissfully colouring in somebody else's drawings without any concern for my doll output - something I would normally consider to be utterly pointless and detrimental to my productivity! But it wasn't - it was a pressure release valve.
And today I walked into my studio and noticed this doll on the shelf half-swallowed by a plant, and I thought:" Hey you. Long time - no see"...and I began to dream of dolls again.
Where does the time go? One minute you're excitedly digging out your bathing suit and sun-dresses, and the next moment summer is almost over! I'm sorry I haven't been blogging more, too much time spent outside, and then when I am inside I'm furiously working on whatever has currently captured my attention. I hope everyone is enjoying the warm months and getting plenty of chances to explore the great outdoors.
On to dolls. I present, another little Echo sister in French Resin as a part of a promotion for the Chinese Enchanted Doll book, release by my publishers TXRiver! This Oriental beauty is another variation in my ongoing limited edition 'Echo' series, featuring a brand new hair ornament - a set of five tiny silver hair combs! I've been dreaming about making a lovely comb set for my future Enchanted dolls every since I read 'The Gift of the Magi' in my junior-high literature class. And now this Echo Sister is the first doll to be wearing them in her luscious hair. Woo! Another dream realized!
How do you buy this doll you ask?
The doll will be sold through my Chinese publishers TXRiver, and they are having a draw. Only those that order a book directly from them (http://world.taobao.com/item/43715713846.htm?fromSite=main) can enter the draw, and the randomly selected participant will have the opportunity to buy. The doll is being sold for $5700 USD. The draw will occur when this edition of the book has been sold out, which I'm being told is almost upon us! (Still some left, but going fast!).
Take a look! You can order the book here: http://world.taobao.com/item/43715713846.htm?fromSite=main
On Friday this doll was shipped out to the winner of the 2015 annual Enchanted Doll Birthday Contest Kristen V, for her tattoo idea inspired by gender equality issues! The contest took place back in March, at the time of my birthday, but it took me a little bit longer to finish the grand prize. Kristen, I hope you like your doll. I really enjoyed making her for you, and I look forward to making one for next year's Birthday Contest!
Last week I took a few days off engraving my new porcelain doll codenamed: 'Madman P', to finally finish making a resin doll prize for this year's winner of my annual Birthday Contest. It was a welcome change for my engraving hand and my routine after a few months of doing basically the same thing. Even art can get boring without variety.
I had spent oh, maybe 2-3 solid days fighting with all of my mohair to make a wig for this girl. With the drought going on right now, it was so static-y and frizzy....and with the glue drying so wonky, I basically just wanted to set everything on fire in my bathtub and watch it burn. But, as usual, it all worked out in the end. Can't make a good doll without a good struggle, and this doll turned out extra-good! Stay tuned for more pictures next week.
So for over a year now, I've been steadily working on a project under the code name of Madman P.
I'm not going to tell you much more about her just yet, as she is at the stage where she will begin to reveal herself pretty quickly from now on. The thought makes me giddy. I've never thrown my doll a wrap-party before, but I think she may warrant one, as she had nearly taken my sanity to the kiln with her. Although, at two-thirds of the way through, there's still time to lose my mind.
Before I can begin painting Madman P., I've got to test some brand new china-paints, so now I'm going to get on my skates, or possibly a Razor scooter and roll on over to the local tile shop for some porcelain tiles to paint. This brand is geared more towards painting dishes than dolls, so I'm not sure if the flow and consistency will work, but I'm hoping to be able to adapt them to my application. Time to go and finish Madman P. before I go mad-my-self.
Hey Folks!Long time no post! I've been busy working on a new tattooed doll (which will be unveiled soon) and getting the final details of the Chinese book release sorted. I have some more news on the book front: The publisher sent me this series of photos to show what to expect when you order the Chinese edition of the Enchanted Doll book. There's a limited number of books that I have signed, and I'm told they are only a few left!You can order the book here: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=43715713846&
If you need any help navigating the book site and ordering, please contact yuanmuhe@qq.com, they will be able to help you with ordering even if you don’t know Chinese.
