Mourning Dove Spirit Woman

If you ever are to visit Paradise Valley in Arizona you must stay at the Hermosa Inn. It is a beautiful Inn nestled in the most quiet section of the area. The grounds are amazing with the desert landscape. There are beautiful ranch style and hacienda villas which have beautiful private patios. There is so much beauty there, however, what I remember most is the mourning doves all around. The cooo-ing of these doves is the most beautiful and peaceful sound to me. When you are on the patio relaxing and listening to the doves it feels like the rest of the world is asleep -- and before you know it, the doves have cooo-cooo-ed enough where you may find you drift off into a sweet slumber.



The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family. The bird is also called the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. Its plaintive woo-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, and the bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 55 mph.



Here is my Mourning Dove Spirit Woman. Her energy and spirit is one of quiet, calmness, peace, and elegance. Her appearance is more Royal than earthy like my other spirit dolls. I can't help but hear the mourning doves peaceful coo-coo-ing when I look at her.

Sweetgrass Spirit Woman

I was out this morning for an appointment and while I was out I made 3 stops at some wonderful places for all sorts of new goodies and embellishments for my spirit dolls. These ladies are getting spoiled and I can't seem to help myself. :-)

Sweetgrass was finished last night and doesn't have any of the new goodies, but I sure gave her plenty of embellishments that I already had on hand. I love blue and green color combination and her body fabric is in a beautiful batik blue and green pattern.



Sweetgrass Spirit Woman energized me by the spirit in me that loves to lay in the grass close to mother earth. As she was created all sorts of herbal grasses came to mind. I have a Sweetgrass braid and love how it smells. So I have called her Sweetgrass.



Sweetgrass is an aromatic herb which grows in northern Eurasia and in North America. It is used in herbal medicine. It owes its distinctive sweet scent to the presence of coumarin. Sweet grass was, and is, very widely used by North American indigenous peoples. As a sacred plant, it is used in peace and healing rituals. Leaves are dried and made into braids and burned as vanilla-scented incense; long leaves of sterile shoots are used by Native Americans in making baskets.

Sun Dancer Spirit Doll

Sundance is a traditional Lakota ceremony that represents life and rebirth. It was once exclusivly Lakota, but has become a ceremony employed by many other American Indian tribes. Each tribe has it's own variation of Sundance.


Sundance is a new years ceremony celebrated in the summer, usually on a full moon. The actual Sundance lasts 28 days, but the last four days are the ones in which the dancing and most of the ceremony take place.

My Sun Dancer Spirit Doll infuses bright colors of the sun -- yellow, and wonderful blue for the sky. Her outfit is a wonderful piece of nuno felting with the textured side showing. She looks very majestic and very peaceful. I like her alot.

Fabric Dyeing Day

I had 5 glorious hours of fabric dyeing today. I do small batches and lots of colors since I generally do not use but small portions for each doll.

I needed more colors and outfits for my spirit dolls. The next ones in the series are going to be very colorful. I just finished Sun Dancer Spirit Doll -- check back tomorrow afternoon for her pictures. Oooooo, she's a beauty with some nuno felting on her! At some point I am going to keep one for lil 'ol me. I just can't decide which one.



Hmmmmm, fabric dyeing sure is a lot of work. Sometimes I think I should just buy it already dyed, but I love the ability to make whatever color I need at the spur of the moment for any given project.

Tumbleweed Spirit Doll

A tumbleweed is the above-ground part of a plant that, once mature and dry, separates from the root and tumbles (rolls) away in the wind. Usually, the tumbleweed is the entire plant apart from the roots, but in a few species it is a flower cluster. The tumbleweed habit is most common in steppe and desert plants.



So here is my little Tumbleweed Spirit doll. She is more youthful looking as the spirit in her is one that is ready to break away from her roots -- travel with the wind and experience many great new places. She is a traveler - and when she stops, she will look around and realize she is right where she should be... and then when she is ready, she will tumble again....into the wind.

"Raven's Dream" Spirit Doll

The Raven is considered in most Native American mythology as a trickster and a creating god.

Raven, like Mink and Coyote and other spirit beings of the Northwest mythology, was as fickle and unpredictable as nature and its seasons. Raven was a shapechanger, who could assume any form - human or animal. His trickery brought them the essentials for existence in a harsh world - game and fish and fowl, fire, clothing, shelter - and with them the rituals that would protect them from the dark spirits lurking about.

The Raven Stories are both entertaining - as Raven's mischief often backfired, but also instructive - teaching us about the Northwest Indians' way of life and the origin of their customs.

I did spend time outside today (89 degrees out today!) only my allergies are making me miserable. Finally a beautiful warm day and I couldn't stay out too long without having my nose like a waterfall and my eyes terribly itchy. :-( Once May is over I am alot better, but May is my worst month. So I came back indoors to finish my Raven Dream Spirit Doll.

White Eagle Spirit Woman

I think this one is now my favorite. :-) I love all types of dolls when they are all in white. I knew when I started doing the Spirit Dolls I wanted to do a White Eagle. I have meticulously hand painted an Eagle on her forehead.

Prickly Pear Spirit Woman & Painted Desert Spirit Woman

Couple more I finished. Prickley Pear is my favorite I think. I don't know -- I can't decide - I love them all. I want to keep them all - I would have such a beautiful collection. LOL. Actually, I am heading over to Etsy now to start listing them. Each one will have a little information about the doll. Visit my Etsy Shop to see which doll is right for you!

ETA to get them all in my shop? Ummm, I would say about one hour - if no one bugs me, and dog leaves me alone -- and my pictures are suitable enough. I do not want to have to re-take pictures -- hope I have enough photos of my beauties. The pricing will be teenie weenie bit more than I thought -- but their embellishments are worth it!



Prickly Pear Spirit Woman



Painted Desert Spirit Woman

More Spirit Dolls

Few more of the latest three Spirit Dolls - Tomahawk, Desert Sky and Sleeping Sun Spirit. I think I am really enjoying this -- I had to start a diary/log as my creative brain is getting flooded with ideas.

Hope to have them in my Etsy Shop by Thursday or Friday. If you are on my mailing list you will be notifed when they are listed! They will range $35-$40 each.



Sleeping Sun Spirit Woman.



Tomahawk Spirit Woman




Desert Sky Spirit Woman

Spirit Dolls By DLynne Art Dolls

Spirit dolls have been made been made through the ages by different cultures around the world and are thought to bring love, joy, good health and prosperity to their owners. They have been made to celebrate occasions and for rituals; to give to friends and family and other loved ones as gifts or to hang in your home or car or to just hold for meditative, healing or comfort purposes.

Sometimes spirit dolls do not have faces, but I like faces on my spirit dolls. So here are few of my newest 'art doll' creations. I am in the mood for some spiritual art work and I am also giving my new sewing machine some action.

They are cloth dolls with clay sculpted faces. They are about 6" tall. They are adorned with hand dyed cotton scrim, feathers, beads and a small tiny clay spirit doll face charm. I am glad I bought a "stuffing fork". Life is good when you have a stuffing fork to stuff cloth dolls! Never thought it would help that much, but wow - these are fun! the small things that make me happy eh? :-)

Look for these in my Etsy Shop this week and maybe a few more new ones by the end of the week. See More of my spirit dolls

Wise Woman Spirit Dolls



Sunshine Spirit Woman and Gentle Leaf Spirit Woman



Gypsy Spirit Woman

Creepy Blog Give Away Announced!

I had 46 wonderful entries!! Thank you all for participating. I will have to do this more - perhaps a monthly give away! I loved all the wonderful comments in my blog give away post and everyone made my wonderful creepy skeleton feel loved and wanted. He hasn't stopped grinning since and he hardly slept last night thinking about his journey to his new home.

So here we go.....I input all the names into the random list generator and clicked randomize! The winner is ....



Congrats Mealy Monster Land
Please contact me if you are still interested in owning him and please provide your mailing address so I can ship the little grinny fella to ya! I will wait 3 days to hear back from you and then I will select another winner. So hopefully you will claim your prize and come get him!

Renee Award

Thank you Sue for thinking me with the Renee award. I must have ants in my pants or spring fever, but I will be darned if I can sit down, focus, and finish up one single project this past week. My creativity is scattered and I need to reel it back in. I think this award will have me back on my way in no time. I do think I have spring fever because I keep looking out the window while I work and must step outside many times to feel the sun on my face. Ahhh, birds, lawn mowers, flowers, it feels so good. I best get to making something creative with my clay -- before you know it, summer arrives and it's hot and humid and my clay will be like marshmellow in my hands.

About the award

The Renee award was created by Bella http://bellasinclair.blogspot.com and
Ces http://cesandherdishes.blogspot.com in honor of their friend
Renee. http://circlemyhead.blogspot.com

Bella wrote:

"This is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds it's way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks. giving acorns.

Here's a little bit about Renee from her profile on her blog so you understand the whole of the award. "My name is Renee and I am 53 years old. I am married to someone I love and have three children and one granddaughter. I am a happy person. I have Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), and I am not happy about that. I am Stage 4 and I am in the process of learning to live with the birds circling my head....."

I hereby pass along this award to the following bloggers - I thoroughly enjoy reading their blogs and feel they deserve to host this wonderful award. I read all their wonderful 'artistry acorns' I am telling you, their information will help me become an 'oak tree one day'! Good stuff at these blogs and great artists.

Sprite

Lisa Gatz

Mealy Monster Land

Deanna at Blue Heron Dolls

Rosie Pink

Posh Emporer

I had a custom order for a woman in Australia to do a 1:12 scale dollhouse baby. I have done them before when I did my first dollhouse family and the little baby girl was actually 1:12 scale AND poseable in this set.

It was quite awhile since I worked this small, however I knew I could get the detail if I just focused. The customer wanted a baby boy with his male parts detailed enough so he is noticeably 'a boy'. He was to have grey/blue eyes, and light brown hair. The little male parts I knew would be the hardest part of the sculpture to get that type of detail on such a small piece. After 3 tries (see Little Mr. Big at the end of this post -- he didn't quite make the 1:12 cut in size) - I created a wee little one that the customer loved and is delighted to have him. Upon seeing him she had named him their little "Emporer" as he is just so posh -- as she phrased it. :-) So he will make his journey to Australia in a few days. A long way to go for a little tiny fella. He will be fine with his new family!



Working this small I find I forget to 'breathe' while im sculting. Truly! LOL. I also create the piece one in complete sculpt and one bake. No series baking. Which makes it incredibly challenging to get limbs on a body and a head without smashing anything on a piece this small. However that is how I sculpt my larger sculpts. I am just not a fan of adding fresh clay to baked clay and I just love the seamless complete look of one entire sculpted piece and one bake.

I am quite proud of this little guy and I have plans to do more. Trust me when I say -- seriously -- this took longer to do than a 6" fairy! I realize I really enjoy the challenge of small scale.






This is "Little Mr. Big". My first attempt before The Emporer was born. unfortunately he's a tad too big at 2" and too wide but he sure is cute with a nice little package.

Ebay Listing Announcement

I have listed two Ebay Auctions! To view these auctions, please click on the links below.

"Thoughtful Fairy" - She is 4" full sculpture young fairy
Click Here To View This Auction



Felted Fairy House/Pod/Vessel - Handmade Wool Felted Vessel (Fairy House) Click Here To View This Auction

Vampiress Went to the Dentist

My little Vampiress went to the dentist today. I was not happy with the fangs and the dentist and I agreed they should be removed. Very minor procedure! She looks much better now and I have updated her photo's on Etsy. The novicane has worn off and she is ready for showtime! Because she was such a good girl at the dentist, he gave her a skull for her base! If you click on her picture you will see the rest of her photos.

Soft Body Doll - "Move Over Vanna!"

Move over sweet Vanna! Here is my soft body doll "Vanna Gothic". My first soft body doll made. I made 4-6 or so primitive folk soft body dolls 15+ years ago and this was my first time revising the soft body doll after that long.

I recently bought a new sewing machine. Wow, sewing is effortless now. I was using a 20 year old machine. So I set right out to make a doll to give it a good test run. I believe she will end up in my Etsy Shop very soon! She has 3 creepy ceatures: 2 skulls and a little gothic baby doll on her left arm. This pattern was so nicely offered for free by Sherry Marrero of "Annies Cupboards". Although a really simple pattern, it definately can offer up many differant ideas and creations!











I definately have a appreciation for soft body doll artists. That stuffing is tricky to get firm and not lumpy - I managed ok , however, I just ordered a few tools to help me with this task on my next dolls. This will save me alot of time on my next soft body doll project. Which will be "Jude" By Jill Maas! These ladies make me laugh and I can't wait to start her.

Ebay Listing Announcement

I have listed two sculptures on Ebay For Sale. To visit these auctions, please click the links below.


OOAK 3" Baby Girl in Felted Egg





5 1/2 Child Fairy with Her Little Mice Friends - THIS DOLL SOLD on 4/8/09

Waste Not!

SO I had that left over waste from the last night after doing all that tedious amount of work on obtaining beautiful combed locks. So today I wanted to dye them. This is still great mohair that I will card into my wool for some great felting projects. So I got a two for one deal on this bag of hair! :-)

Using my brushes I brush the waste to try to get out the rest of the flects of barn and outdoor matter.



Drop it into my dye bath. Started with a luscious pink with dabs of crimson for a nice bright pink.



Let it sit in there, add my citric acid when its ready.




Ohhh so beautiful. Hopefully I can use this for my felting projects. I will let it dry and see how it looks!