Hello, hello, Internet-Land! Another post in only two days? Yes! I have had some fun today trying my hand at sculpting. I’ve never done it before, so watched a lot of YouTube first. As it is my first attempt, I decided to take photos of my progress. I thought it would be fun to share my adventure with you. So ~ here we go!

To begin, I used Super-Sculpey Original oven-bake polyform clay in Beige with a Semi-Translucent Finish. I like the way this clay feels, you don’t have to continually moisten it (like paper clay), and I really like the semi-translucent look. I also got a 2 inch diameter styrofoam ball and two round wooden beads. First I drew on the styrofoam where I wanted the eyes to go. Then I cut holes into the styrofoam, so I could counter sink the wooden beads. This is to form the eye sockets from the inside of the head. I hadn’t ever seen how to form the sockets, so hoped this would work.

Next, I covered the head all the way around and added a sort of triangle that would later become the nose. I added the nose placement while I still knew where the eye beads were. Since I had the “nose” positioned, I could add on thickness for the brow-forehead area as well as the lips and chin.

With the basic shapes added, it was time to actually start sculpting! I carved out the eyes, and shaped the nose and lips. MUCH of the clay around the nose was cut away while sculpting. Then I added some cheekbones and tried to smooth it out. I also rounded in the base where the neck would fit and cut the slit where the elastic & “S Ring” will enter.

Then it was time to add the ears and decide where to cut for the headcap. I also enjoyed adding my name to the headcap. More smoothing, and into the oven. I baked her according to the directions on the Sculpey box. Since she had more thickness in the area of the nose & chin, I baked her at 275F for 20 minutes.

After she had cooled, I used my knife to cut through the headcap slit into the styrofoam ball. This allowed the headcap to come off easier. Next, I cleaned out the styrofoam by gently cutting it away a little at a time. I had to gently scrape a little clay away from the wooden beads inside, so I could gently push them into her head from the outside of the eye openings. I had to be really careful not to damage the eye openings. I spent quite a while sanding and cutting in the little spots for the headcap magnets.

Then it was time to decorate! I sprayed her with clear acrylic matte sealer, then used chalk pastels, colored pencils, and acrylic paints to do her face-up. Lastly, I glued on her eyelashes and the magnets. (I just bought fake eyelashes from the Dollar Tree in the cosmetic section.) Now I just have to patiently wait for everything to dry & cure, so I can put in her eyes & add a wig. Since she is only made of polyform clay, I also cut a small plastic circle from the bottom of an old medicine bottle and cut a slit in the center. I will place this inside her head to help protect & strengthen the slit where the “S Ring” will rest. Here she is thus far. To be sure, I will post pics when her eyes & wig are in place! Now comes the challenge of a BODY!!! Thanks for dropping by ~ have a great rest of your weekend!

So, it’s Friday. I’ve mentioned before that my days begin very early. Normally, my alarm goes off at 3:45am. Today, however, it did not go off at all. That’s because I had already been AWAKE for one and a half hours! Why? I have NO idea. I woke up and could not go back to sleep. Isn’t it weird when that happens? I am glad I only worked five hours of overtime today. I came home, got some lunch from our favorite little Chinese restaurant here in town, and sunk into my cozy chair-and-a-half to watch “Austen Land.” As it is now 4:02pm, I am a very sleepy blogger! I think I’m going to wrap myself in comfy pajamas and settle in for an early night.

BUT ~ before I do ~ I want to post a couple more of the new Abigail Forest Walk paper doll outfits. The facebook item will be posted with the rest of the collection on my “Free Stuff” tab as usual. I hope you all are good, and I wish for you a wonderful weekend!

Hello there, Internet-Land! I hope all is well with you on this Memorial Day Monday. Lately, I have been really enjoying my time at home. Sometimes, I get home after work, and just want to curl up on my big “chair & a half” and let my mind vegitate with a favorite DVD. I think it’s how my brain reacts to the short winter days. These longer spring days have worked wonders on my creativity! Now I get home with the sun still shining, and I find it easier to be productive up until bedtime. With this added bit of “zest,” I have been working on several new paper doll outfits for Abigail! Today I will be posting a set with wings. I will also add today’s facebook items to the “Free Stuff” tab, so be sure to check it out for some additional looks.

Another surprise is the pattern piece set for sewing the Hydrangea Blossom Gown that was pictured last week (pics will be placed after paper doll fashions below). It is designed to fit SLIM 1/3 BJDs, the smaller 50cm Obitsu BJD, and can also work for Evangeline Ghastly. Once it’s put together, just adjust where you place the back snaps to fit the doll of choice. I pictured it on a Resinsoul Dai in my previous blog post, but also showed it on an Evangeline style body on my facebook page. The pattern pieces are fitted to 8.5×14 inch paper. Just click on photo, “save as” or “copy & paste” into your favorite app, then print! Wishing you all a really great day!

Greetings & Salutations, Internet-Land! I hope all is well with you. Today I thought I’d share a couple of my recent projects. I’ve slowly been getting back into sewing. I haven’t done a lot, but have just worked on a few fun ideas I had rolling around in my head. I wanted to make outfits for my three new additions. The first set was completed a while ago, and I posted about it as “Red Radiance.” That was previously shown on Ada, but has moved to another new Island Doll, Aurora. Now Ada is dressed in a similar second outfit, but in blue & black this time. The third project is a floral purple gown for a Resinsoul Dai. I will post before & after shots of her to show off her new look.

All three dolls were purchased second hand. On two of the three, I changed eyes, and all three got new lashes & wigs. When I’m looking for a new-to-me doll, I never decide about him/her based on what they might look like at the time, but on how I know they CAN look once I get them & start sewing/painting. That’s the fun ~ seeing what you can create!

First are some “before” pics of Dai.

Now for the “after” shots!

And here are some combo pics of the outfits on Ada & Aurora.

This week, I’m also going to try & have some new paper doll items ready as well. Stay tuned, and thanx for dropping by!

Good afternoon, Internet-Land! Today I have some new paper doll items for you. These are for the taller Forest Walk girl, Abigail. A quick hint ~ the tags on the clothing have a small icon that matches the doll they fit. These are formatted to fit 8.5×14 size paper. Just click on the image of choice, then “copy & paste” or “save as” into your favorite app for printing. To see the other new gown (and lots of other fun freebies), just click on the “Free Stuff” tab from my main Menu. Wishing you a really great week!

Hello, hello, Internet-Land! This week I was working on a project that I actually started YEARS ago. I have several stories that I have written and illustrated over the years as flannel graph/board stories to be used in Sunday School, Junior Church, Vacation Bible School, etc. Each is a series of at least four chapters, with each part ending in a fun “cliff-hanger” until the final resolution in the last chapter. They are meant to be spread out over several classes or sessions, such as each day of a VBS week. My project this week was to record my own reading of these stories, using all the illustrated pieces I have drawn to accompany the presentation. The first chapter of “The Light House Mystery” is now recorded, edited, and uploaded to You Tube. The whole “video thing” is very new to me, and I don’t have a fancy camera; still, it’s fun to launch into something new. I have the rest of the story all recorded, and now just need to edit each one and get them uploaded. I’m posting the link to the first chapter here on the blog.

If this is something you would like to use in your own ministry, there are a couple options. The first (both cheapest and easiest) is to simply play the videos for your class. If you would like to tell the stories yourself, pop over to my “Stuff to Buy” tab for details on purchasing the CD that contains all the story text and illustrations in pdf format. To use the pieces, print them out (in color or black & white), cut them out, then glue felt strips to the back of each piece. I prefer to print them onto card-stock weight paper, and then use a hot glue gun to adhere the felt. Enjoy!

Good morning, Internet-Land ~ at least it’s still morning where I am. Maybe for some, I should say,”Good afternoon.” Well, it’s been a long process to get my hands back to where they should be. Over the course of Easter weekend, I had a major pain relapse. It was not much fun, that’s for sure. Called the doctor, and he took me off work a couple more weeks. Will hopefully start back again next week. I finally felt up to trying a few seams yesterday. Am happy to have Ada in her new ensemble with an alternate wig. Not a long post today, just glad to be moving towards productivity again! Wishing you all a great week!

Howdy, howdy, Internet-Land! This week I have some happy news. Well, happy to me, anyways. First of all, I finally finished the repaint of my Gretel head that I bought for my 50cm Obitsu gal. It’s such a pretty sculpt. I had painted her a while back, but wasn’t totally happy with how it turned out. (Will post before & after shots.) I also have her original head, but am still deciding what I want there. For this faceup, I drew out a sketch, and then went to work. The only change from the sketch is her eye color, so will talk about that a little more further down. Here’s how she turned out!

In the sketch, I made her eyes red to follow the look of her hair. When I got the face all done, my daughter decided she needed the blue byakugan eyes (like in the Naruto anime), so we made the change. Her red eyes went to a new friend in the house, my lovely new Island Doll, Ada! I was so excited to win her second-hand in an auction at a wonderful price! The listing photos looked like there was a problem with her head, but I thought I could always re-string her myself if necessary. It turned out that the “C” hook just needed to be pulled up into place in the head notch! She’s PERFECT! She even came with her original wig. Her eyelashes were pointed down just like in her promo pictures, but because they are very thick, you couldn’t see her eyes. I decided to reattach them at a more pleasing angle. Here begins a funny story. I began removing her eyes, so I could work on the lashes, and found the putty to be reeeeeally sticky! Imagine my chagrin when on closer observance, I smelled MINT. It was CHEWING GUM!!! eeeeeesh!!! Fortunately, it was a very easy thing to clean up & disinfect. My hands, the old eyes, and the inside of her head were all cleaned with soap & then Lysol! Too funny! After I re-positioned the eyelashes, I put the red eyes in for a new look. Both her face and body are a lovely well balanced sculpt. I’m very tickled with her. Now I’m contemplating tax returns to order her same sculpt from Island Doll in BLUE resin!

I also had a fun discovery just today! When placing Ada on this doll stand, the slickness of the painted metal allowed her feet to slide around on it. As I was looking at it, I realized it looked like it might be about the same size as those jar-opener grippy pads. It’s a nearly perfect match and keeps her feet perfectly placed! You can find them at almost any store. I got these at The Dollar Tree in a set of three. I also have a new outfit for the Abigail Forest Walk doll. You can find the outfit from my facebook page post on the “Free Stuff” tab. Enjoy & have a fantastic weekend!

Hello, Internet-Land! OK ~ so my new experiment is up & ready … I think …

I added a page where items can be purchased. It’s just at the new tab, “Stuff to Buy.” We’ll see how it goes. But have no fear ~ my fun free stuff will still be a regular occurrence! And to continue the tradition ~ here is a BRAND NEW DOLL & OUTFIT! Yay! Abigail is a new addition to the Forest Walk Collection and is still formatted to 8.5×14 inch paper. Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!

Greetings, Internet-Land! I hope your week has been going well. I am excited for another whole weekend to enjoy. Today I have been working on a new project, but no spoilers! Don’t you just hate it when people do that? Why mention it at all then, am I right? Well, it’s because I’m an ornery human being! heeheehee! But I do have some new paper doll items for you! I’ve also been sketching out more Forest Walk looks. I’m contemplating making another new doll for this line. Along with my new project, I was wondering about something. I know some people do not really like maneuvering through computer stuff to download free things. Would it benefit anyone to put my freebie items on a CD that can be ordered for minimal cost ~ just to cover the CD itself & shipping? There would be no markup to make profit on the art work, but just enough to cover expenses. At this point in time, I would only mail out to U.S. addresses. You can let me know what you think by emailing me at:  missysimaginings@gmail.com

Now on to the fun freebies for today! The items can be viewed on my “Free Stuff” tab and downloaded from the “Ready To Print” tab. Enjoy & have a wonderful Easter!